Page 10 of Cut Her Strings (Fractured Puppets #1)

Chapter 9

Allies

W hen the timer was down to two minutes, I stepped back out of my bedroom, fully dressed. My mental walls were firmly in place, and I readied myself for this next challenge.

All the men were standing near the front door, ready to go.

“You sure about this?” Jayce asked me.

I nodded and looked at the other three men. “I know we are all still practically strangers, but I promise I will do everything in my power to keep us all safe. You may not trust me now, but I will prove it to you.”

“Right back at you, darlin’,” Levi replied, smiling down at me. Grabbing me gently by the shoulders, he tugged me to him in a half hug. The top of my head didn’t even come to his shoulder. After years of being touch-starved, I savored his presence and allowed myself the comfort he offered. He was sturdy, and his woodsy scent invaded my senses. I felt heat unfurl deep in my belly. The sensation shocked me, there had only been a few other men that made my body react like this to them, but there was something about Levi that was incredibly comforting. I felt safe and in control. Where Jayce was always gentle with me and treated me as a fragile girl, I knew Levi would not have the same reservations; he would treat me as an equal.

Jayce growled, “Don’t touch her.”

“It’s okay; if I didn’t want him to, he wouldn’t have,” I stated, leaning further into Levi’s side. I didn’t owe Jayce anything, precisely as I told him last night. He needed to accept that I was not his anymore.

“Small and vicious,” Levi chuckled softly. He gave me one more squeeze before we broke apart.

Maverick and Enzo watched the whole interaction with silent, calculating eyes.

Enzo gave me a flirtatious smile and knocked his shoulder playfully into mine before stepping back. “Small and vicious is right.”

The door’s light illuminated as it whipped open.

Jayce led the way with one last irritated look as we followed behind. I was the last to exit our temporary home. And the door shut firmly behind me.

We were in a T. There were only two other doors, both opened. One was directly across from us, and the other was at the center of the T. To the right, there was a short hallway that led to what appeared to be a much larger space. Masked guards were placed along the hallway.

It smelled of bleach and decay.

I heard a noise and watched as 197 and his crew stepped out of the door across from us. 189’s stepped out of the other.

197’s eyes immediately found mine. “Oh, look here, gentlemen. Our little survivor.” All of his men zeroed in on me.

A chill went down my spine. I didn’t respond. Instead, I took in all the men, trying to get as much information as possible .

They were all covered in numerous tattoos. I noted they all had the symbol of a Griffin somewhere on their bodies. That gang had all but disappeared around the time I “died.” The only reason they were called a gang at all was because their body count was incredibly high, but from what I heard, most of what they did was actually…saving others. They were neither part of the Resistance nor the Government. Instead, they worked independently with their own goals. Unfortunately, this garnered them enemies from both sides and their leader had been sold out by his fellow men. Many suspected their leader was dead or rotting away in a prison cell. But from my work in the Retrieval Faction, I knew better. Their leader had escaped this country. He was the reason I still held onto hope it was possible.

197 was the largest of the group, both in height and mass. His eyes reminded me of a haunted forest, difficult to escape with horrors lurking in their depths. His hair was ash brown and cropped close to his head on the sides and longer on the top. The way he stood among his men and his prior words made me believe he was calling the shots. The confidence in his stature and the swagger in his walk as he approached our group confirmed any doubt I might have about his leadership.

196 was the bulkiest of the men, and I imagined he would be used as the muscle for future challenges. His eyes were a dead gray, and he followed with giant thundering steps behind 197.

195 was the smallest of the group. He was still taller than me, but I at least reached his shoulder. He had softer features and moved in a way that was incredibly reminiscent of a feline. I imagined nobody ever heard him coming. His dark mahogany hair was pulled back from his face, a single strand falling over his mask and catching in his chestnut eyes. He was watching me take them in and was clearly amused.

194 noticed me observing as well and raised a suggestive brow. His hair was shaggy and half covering his olive eyes. He seemed the friendliest of the group, but his knuckles were tattooed with the words “PAIN” and “HURT”.

I turned away and followed my group just as 197 stepped in behind me.

“Right where I want you.” His sultry voice blew into my hair.

Maverick was directly in front of me, and he whipped around. He took one look at 197 and pulled me to him, placing me in front of him and directly behind Enzo.

I was shocked by his show of protectiveness. I thought Maverick despised me, but maybe that wasn’t the case entirely. Maverick’s hands lingered a bit longer on my shoulders than necessary, and I caught his eyes for just a moment. They were unreadable.

“Move along,” a guard grumbled, breaking the connection.

I turned my head to the front just as 189’s group stepped in right behind 197’s.

We walked a few dozen steps until we reached a very large room. It was circular, and in the middle, there were several tables. Many contestants were already seated at them and whispering in hushed tones. Along the walls, there were barred doors.

“The other opponent's rooms,” Maverick whispered in my ear.

I nodded as I watched a team of two step out of a cell about ten feet away. Their accommodations were bare and essentially that of a Government prison.

As everyone in our procession fully entered the space, the hum that previously filled the air was now absent. Instead, it was utterly silent, save for our footsteps, as we made our way across the room.

“Tough crowd,” Enzo muttered sarcastically in front of me.

Jayce, currently our leader, turned back to us and jerked his head at an empty table away from any crowds. “With me?” he asked.

Jerking my head in confirmation, we split off from the group, 197’s crew following on our heels.

I continued to scan my surroundings as we approached the empty table. There were about fifty guards in the room with us. Again, there were no windows, and besides the hallway we had come through, there did not appear to be any noticeable entrances or exits. The only other doors were barred over and appeared to house the other contestants.

There were significantly more men than women left. In fact, I only counted fifteen women remaining, including myself. I also appeared to be the smallest.

Moving to the opposite side of the table, I sat next to Jayce, watching 197’s crew approach—well, most of it. 195 was notably missing. It took a minute to find him, but when I did, he was weaving through the crowd before disappearing from view again.

197, as massive as he was, folded himself gracefully into the chair directly across from me. He didn’t even acknowledge Jayce.

“Well, well, well,” 197 angled his head; his haunted eyes appeared even darker with the weight of their attention. “I was hoping to see you again.” He licked his lips.

I turned to Jayce. “Go talk to his men.” It wasn’t a question, and my eyes hardened to convey that.

His mouth formed a sharp line, but he didn’t protest. He turned to the threat across from me. “A Griffin’s wings will only take them part way.”

197 shook with laughter. “Yes, yes boy . We are going to work out the details of an alliance . Go along and let the adults speak.”

Reaching out, I squeezed Jayce’s hand and gave him a small, reassuring smile. He got up and joined 194 and 196, standing about ten feet away.

I gave 197 my full attention. “What do you want?” I asked, getting straight to the point.

He put his finger to his lips contemplatively and then snapped his fingers. “You.”

I shuddered, closing my eyes.

“Now, now. I won’t hurt you, little one.”

His words affected me more than I wished they would. I questioned my sanity when, for the second time today, warmth pooled in my belly, and I felt myself ache. This man was dangerous and lethal. He could easily crush me with his bare hands. But that didn’t scare me. I liked it.

I blamed reuniting with Jayce. I went years entirely alone, save for repulsive Officials. Now, I was surrounded by men—with albeit questionable backgrounds—but still, I felt myself longing for something I couldn’t quite explain.

In the past, I had used my body to get what was needed, but for the first time, I found myself wanting to cross a line with these men. What the fuck was wrong with me?

197 put his hand on top of mine and squeezed too tightly. “Look at me when I speak to you.”

My eyes narrowed as they snapped up, meeting his. I forced my jaw to unclench as he began to stroke the scars on the inside of my wrist.

“We can offer you protection for a while, but we both know how this will end.” He used my wrist to jerk me forward until I was only inches from his lips; he smelled of smoke, and it caressed my senses, doing nothing to help the flames lethargically burning through my body. “I want you, but I will not take what you are not willing to give. We will all work together until we no longer can.”

I jerked my head in agreement, ignoring the fire building everywhere his skin touched mine. “182, 174, and 173 as well. ”

He mulled that over for a moment. “Yes, anyone else?”

“32’s group, if they agree.” She had left an impression in the last round and was noticeably skilled. I had no doubt she would be a profitable ally.

It was his turn to nod. “That should work; we need other targets in our alliance.” He bared his teeth in a smile, still only inches away. “Now, give me a taste to see that the prize is worth the effort.”

I could acknowledge that he was a viciously handsome man, and his presence alone was twisting my mind. I would have fallen into a bed with him if I were living a different life. But these were the cards I had been dealt. He was a dangerous man that I couldn’t trust, but I would use him, if possible, to make it out of here alive. Unfortunately, there could only be five winners, and I had already decided who those would be: my team and Levi’s.

Attempting to take control of the situation, I gave him a coy smile and leaned the remaining space into his lips. I pressed lightly and then licked along the seam. He opened to me, giving me the reins. It was a heady feeling to have this man relinquish any sort of control. I explored his mouth fiercely; I wanted more of him. His smell, his taste, his soft velvet lips. I wanted him underneath me as I dominated his entire being.

I shuddered and ended the kiss, biting his bottom lip hard . I leaned back just a bit and used my other hand to pull our heads together, headbutting him. It hurt, but hearing his surprised grunt of pain was immensely satisfying.

A drop of blood fell from his lip, and his tongue lashed out to catch it. “Oh yes, you will be quite worth the effort, little fierce one.”

Over his shoulder, Enzo and Maverick watched me with cryptic eyes, the masks making it exceptionally difficult to read their reactions. It was frustrating, especially since my years in the Faction taught me to rely on facial cues.

Returning my attention to the threat in front of me, I smirked. “I am not another victim. I will hold my own.”

197’s hand was on my wrist, fingers still on the scars as his eyes settled there. “I am well aware. You are not the prey.” His gaze returned to my mask-covered face, almost as if he could see through it; I felt like I was being dissected. “I can’t wait to see what is hiding under there.” A knowing smile graced his lips. “We have an agreement. We will all work together. I will speak to my men,” he said the word in a disgusted tone.

He may seem to be their apparent leader, but there was ostensibly no love lost. “I didn’t take you for a victim either.”

He snatched his hand from mine as if I had burned him, and his eyes no longer held any of their previous mirth. “I may want your body, but I do not need your opinions, little girl.”

“Can you trust them?” I asked simply.

His eyes narrowed irritably. “Enough,” he replied. “But can you really trust anyone here?”

No, we truly couldn’t. In years past, too much trust had caused powerful people to be killed in this game. This was the first year with what was essentially teams, but that didn’t make a difference. We were surrounded by evil and all it did was harbor more wickedness.

Nightingale was a prime example. My sister was such a sweet, loving girl until vile people hurt her, and in turn, she chose to become just like them.