Page 23 of Bleeding Hearts (Pine Valley College #3)

She moves to the front, taking me with her, and that’s when I get my first look at tonight’s game. Horror washes through me. Unlike the previous ones, this isn’t particularly extravagant or elaborate, but it does the trick.

There is a wide strip leading to the other side of the roof, and covering it is broken glass. I see little rocks under it, and as I go to speak, flames whoosh up through the glass, making us all take a step back.

“Welcome back to Risk. Tonight, you will show Pine Valley what you are truly made of. You will conquer your fear and come out the other side. Those who can’t will be disqualified. Can you take the first step? Can you risk it all?”

The words cut off, and everyone gapes at the glass. “We have to walk across it?” I mutter.

“Must be.” Someone at my side points, and it’s then I notice the cameras watching us. The door on the roof slams shut, and we jump, whirling around to see a clock counting down on it, displaying thirty minutes.

“Shit, is that for all of us to get across? What happens if we don’t?” I mutter.

“Nothing good,” Lally replies at my side. She’s surprisingly quiet, her eyes locked on the flames and glass. She’s pale and frozen for once. I don’t know where the daredevil went, but I see fear in her eyes—of dying.

“Let her go first!” someone calls and points at Lally. “She’s top of the board anyway!”

Other cries join in until people push her forward, and me along with her since I’m holding her, all demanding she go first since they are scared.

Her hand shakes in mine, and I know she can’t do it, so I step up, drawing their attention. Tugging off my shoes and socks, I toss them aside then step up to the starting point even as she calls after me.

The crowd becomes silent as I lift my foot over the first section of broken glass.

“She owes you nothing. You signed up for this game yourself. Why should she be the one to take all the risks just because you’re afraid?

The game is called Risk, but you demand others take it for you.

You’re fucking weak.” I meet Lally’s gaze for a moment.

Her eyes are wide and scared as she tries to get to me, but the crowd blocks her way. I smile. “I’ll risk anything for you.”

I put my bare foot down and feel the glass crunch under it, then I take another step forward.

I try to keep my steps light as I balance with my arms out.

Flames lick at the sides of my feet, burning and heating my soles, so I hurry forward.

I move quickly, only for one sharp point to stab right into the center of my sole.

My hiss rings out as I almost fall to the side, hopping on one foot.

When I lift it, I see the palm-sized chunk jutting from my skin.

Biting my tongue until I taste blood, I wrap my hand around it and swiftly pull it out, toss it aside, and set my foot back down.

Pain spreads through it, but I move forward as the heat grows unbearable.

I slip and slide, my blood making the glass hard to walk on.

I feel more glass cutting into the balls and soles of my feet, and I whimper.

“Alice!” I hear Lally yell, but I keep going until I reach the other side and fall forward.

Arms catch me as I wince, barely able to put weight on my feet.

I feel blood coating them and dripping as I turn and meet Lally’s gaze across the glass path, forcing a smile to quell her worry.

“I’m okay!” I tell her, and it’s like she finally takes a breath, still hesitating at the other side.

“She did it!” someone close to me shouts.

“Let me see!” another adds.

Hands drag me forward as I’m tugged into the crowd and passed around like a toy, but the touches that were celebratory turn mean and wandering. One uses the anonymity of the crowd to slip up my skirt and pinch my ass.

It’s strange how quickly a crowd can turn on you, how becoming one of the faceless masses makes them lose all sense of morality and allows them to commit actions they normally wouldn’t.

“Lally!” I yell, struggling in their arms, but there are too many of them.

“Let her go now!” I hear her shout, but they ignore her, and another hand slides up my skirt and tries to push between my clenched thighs. I spy her through gaps in the crowd to see her hesitating over the glass.

The only way to get to me is across the glass.

Determination hardens her features, and without another beat of hesitation, she slams her foot onto it and heads my way.

She races across it so fast, she moves like lightning, and when she reaches the other side, she wades into the crowd in search of me.

She grabs a hand reaching for me and yanks it back, a cry of pain escaping whoever it is as her other hand grabs me and pulls me behind her.

One of her feet kicks out, and a circle forms around her.

“Enough!” she roars. “The next person to touch her will be thrown off the edge of the roof. Do you hear me?”

They back away slowly, and their attention is soon diverted to the next person crossing. She drags me over to the back wall where the door is. I wince with each step, leaving bloody footprints behind, and when my back presses against the wall, she runs her eyes over me.

“Are you hurt? Alice, look at me. Are you hurt?” Her words are frantic as she slides her hands over every inch of me, searching for a wound.

I don’t mention the slight stinging and bruises I will have from their hands, and instead, I just shake my head, not wanting to upset her more.

She slumps in relief, but then her eyes land on the ground and she drops to her knees.

“Lally—” She lifts one of my feet, and I get a good look at the bloody sole. The first glance sends pain spiraling through me, as if seeing it finally causes me to feel it.

“Shit, babe,” she hisses. “Look at your feet.”

“It’s okay,” I murmur, but I’m wincing in pain. Her face closes down, and her hands grip my hips before she lifts me onto a security box. “Stay,” she demands.

She rushes away, and when she returns, she has her shoes on and mine in her hand. Lally glances at the clock on the door and snarls in anger. “Not long, okay? Then we’ll get these looked at.”

“I’m fine,” I say, but I shiver, suddenly cold. She notices.

Tugging her jacket off, she wraps it around me and zips it all the way up. I must look like a kid wearing her mom’s clothes, but it’s warm and smells like her, so I snuggle in. When she catches me sniffing the collar, her eyebrows rise, and my cheeks heat as I grin.

“It smells like you,” I admit.

Shaking her head, she kneels before me and runs her hands up and down my legs to keep me warm. Lally blocks the rest of the people on the roof from me so no one can get close.

The clock ticks down slowly as she tries to keep me warm and staunch the bleeding while the others complete their next game. Shivering, I snuggle deeper into her jacket, and she frowns. “Not long now, baby. Just hang on, okay?”

“Call me that again,” I murmur.

“What?” she asks softly.

“Baby, I like it when you call me that.”

“You’re delirious,” she scoffs, and I grin and then wince. “What’s wrong?” she asks frantically, and it’s evil, but I whimper. “Alice, what’s wrong?”

“My feet hurt,” I whine.

She leans up, cupping my cheek. “Okay, baby, just a little longer. Can you do that for me and be my good girl?”

Fuck, my cunt actually clenches at her words, and a dark part of me wants to hear them again.

“I think so.” I pout for added effect. “It really hurts.”

Her eyes narrow as she scans my face. “You’re exaggerating, aren’t you, so I’ll call you baby?”

“Maybe,” I admit, biting back my smile. “They really do hurt though.”

Something wicked crosses her expression that has my thighs clenching, my clit throbbing in time with my pounding heart as she moves closer.

I shiver as her mouth presses to my ear, her warm breath wafting over it.

“Should I distract you from the pain, baby?” she drawls, and I dig my nails into her leather coat as her tongue sweeps along my ear.

I begin to pant as her hands slide up my thighs, slipping under my skirt in front of everyone.

“Or was it the good girl that had you looking at me like that?” Her teeth dig into my earlobe, and I gasp, parting my thighs.

I wish she would touch me where I need her to.

“Ah, both. Do you like to be called my good girl, baby? Want me to call you that while I fuck you?” Her hands tease the edge of my panties, causing me to wiggle and close my eyes.

“Want me to whisper it in your ear while I slip my fingers in your needy little pussy? I still remember the way you felt, how hot and wet you got for me. You were dripping, weren’t you, baby?

I bet if I touched you now, you’d be the same way, remembering the way I felt inside you, my mouth licking your pretty pussy. ”

“Lally, please,” I beg as I widen my legs and lean forward, hiding my face in her shoulder as I try to stop myself from rolling my hips into her hand.

Her chuckle fills my ear as her fingers caress my cunt with featherlight touches that do nothing more than tease me.

I bite her shoulder to stifle my moan as I lift my hips to get better leverage.

I can feel how wet I am, but I don’t care. I need to come. I need her to touch me more than I need my next breath.

“Please what, baby?” she whispers, her hand stopping when I don’t reply. “Use your big-girl words.”

“Please touch me,” I whisper into her shoulder. “I think I might die if you don’t.”

Her hand slides up my back and grips my hair, yanking until I stare at her angry face. “No dying, not ever. Do you hear me?”

My eyes widen at the venom in her tone, and when I don’t respond, she pulls my hair harder until it hurts. “Say it,” she demands.

“No dying,” I answer with wide eyes.

“Good girl.” She gentles her hold, leaving her hand on my hair as she presses her other to my cunt, covering it. “You have exactly two minutes to get yourself off.”

“What?” I ask, confused.

She nods at the clock, and I see it ticking past two minutes, and when I glance at her, she’s smiling. “Well, baby? Be a good girl and make yourself come.”

She waits, and I realize she’s serious. Under her watchful gaze, I roll my hips, gasping as her hand hits my clit when I move.

It’s painful but in the best fucking way, and I start chasing that feeling, hitting my clit into her palm repeatedly, the tightness of my underwear only adding to the sensations.

It’s not all pleasure, but it feels too fucking good to stop, and I can’t hold back.

“What if they see?” I whine.

“They are busy watching the others. They don’t give a fuck what we are doing. One minute.” She grins, tightening her palm on me as I bite down my lip to hold back my moan.

“Good girl,” she praises when I let go and allow myself to grind into her hand, winding my thighs to hit my clit at an angle that has me reaching for my release. I want to come so badly.

Everything is changing between us. I don’t know when or how it began, but I don’t care.

She might push me away after, but right now, I just want to be her good girl.

“Thirty seconds.” She smirks. “I want to feel you come.”

“Lally,” I whimper, wanting to shut my eyes, but I fight it as I speed up, so close I can feel it. Pleasure rolls through me like a crashing wave about to drag me back under, and she’s my anchor.

My back arches, and I’m right there, when she suddenly pulls her hand away. I slump back, panting and confused, desire still riding me hard.

“Time’s up,” she drawls in my ear before she leans back, grinning at me as I blink dumbly at her. I whine, reaching for her. I’m on the verge of falling into the best orgasm I will ever have. She holds her hand out to me casually, like nothing’s wrong, and in that moment, I hate her a little bit.

I stumble to my feet, and she catches me as the door swings open.

While everyone else is talking, she helps me down the stairs.

It’s slow-going because of my feet, and when we reach the bottom, tears gather in my eyes from the pain.

She sees it and turns just outside the door, crouches, and gives me her back. “Hop on, baby.”

“I can walk,” I protest.

“Alice, get on my fucking back.”

Biting my lower lip, I press my hands to her shoulders and jump.

She catches me as she stands and hoists me higher.

Her hands slip under my legs to hold me as I gape.

She grins at me over her shoulder. “I work out so I can throw hotties like you around.” Her smirk turns into a pained yelp as I bite her neck. “Alice, Jesus!”

“Only me,” I snap. “You work out to throw me around, no one else.”

“Jealous, baby?” she scoffs, but she seems happy as she walks out of the skyscraper and sets off into the city, determined to carry me back.

It’s nice.