Page 25 of Convict's Game

Shade cut him off. “Don’t try to lead this interview. If you’re lucky enough and strong enough to claim a woman, ye need to fuck her on the basement floor. Once you’re inside her, the claim is final. Cameras will be rolling with the action livestreamed to hundreds of people watching in the warehouse. They’ll get off on the show but are also your witnesses. When the last woman is claimed, only then are the doors unlocked. After that, the winner takes his prize home and the losers limp away in defeat.”

He took a breath while I lived in that moment, picturing it being me.

Even in the middle of that dark fantasy, my mind strayed back to Mila. The tension from our showdown in that run-down office building hadn’t left me, and it altered to a ticking clock of wanting to get back to watching the pretty lass in the hoodie as I’d done for two days. Of kissing her again but properly.Thoroughly. My obsessive stalking had become an instant addiction.

Chasing her through the basement would be a fucking trip.

Damn. I needed to stay in reality.

Shade was still working through the rules. “Ye share your lives for thirty days. You’ll eat together, sleep together, and fuck daily. For the first week, ye cannae be apart for more than two hours. After that, it rises to four, with no exceptions. Hurt the girl and we’ll come for ye. Break the rules and your reputation is ruined. We will publicly take down or even end the life of any man who crosses us. No cop will step in to protect ye. Likewise, we will protect ye from interference from outside sources.”

Jacobs leaned in. The last part apparently interested him. “The skeleton crew guarantees that?”

“By whatever force necessary,” Shade agreed.

He was done with his explanation, but I battled another wave of that same memory trying to reform. Of some previous game. What Shade described was so gripping, I got lost in the idea of me being in the frame. With my strength coming back, I was easily strong enough to take down the man in front of me, or far bigger men. If it was Jacobs standing between me and Mila, I’d happily tear him apart.

Hell. Maybe that’s who I was at my core. An obsessive, violent man.

I let the memory fade and wrapped up the interview.

“Confirm if you’re still asking to be considered,” I said.

“Absolutely,” Jacobs breathed.

I eyed my friend. I’d seen nothing disturbing in the man. As far as I was concerned, he was in. Shade shrugged.

I picked up the clipboard with the contract and handed it to the applicant. “Sign on the line and welcome to the game. See you on Friday.”

Jacobs stared, his shoulders shrinking. He shook it off, scribbled his name, and left without another word.

Shade clapped my shoulder. “That was good. Ye did well.”

“I barely spoke,” I muttered.

“He was intimidated by us, which was the intent. That’s the way we want them, scared and respectful.”

Shade released me, and though I should’ve sought out Tyler and brought him up to speed with my concerns over what was happening at the Milburne Alley office, I didn’t.

My feet found their way back to my car. I told myself it was to keep watch for Salter, the man Tyler asked me to locate on the feeds. But when I activated the tablet, I went straight to the view of Mila’s room. Just to see her again.

It was empty. No one was there, not on any camera.

In the space of an hour, she’d gone.

Chapter 9

Convict

With frantic swipes, I spooled back to when I’d left with Annabelle, then watched as Mila huddled in on herself and faced the door.

The other lass didn’t return. Neither did the fourth. Mila was left alone for nearly an hour. Then right at the end, a figure burst in.

Salter. The man Tyler wanted. At last, he’d shown up.

I zoomed in to watch the bastard. Rings glinted on his fingers, and he indicated for Mila to go into the hall with a single word. Hunched down with obvious fear, she left. I couldn’t see or hear any more of their interaction, no matter how hard I listened. Nothing happened until minutes later when at fucking last, she was marched out of the building and into a waiting vehicle.

Salter gripped the back of her neck.