Page 22 of Doomed (Blackwood Brothers #2)

KNOX

I lean back in my chair, feet propped on the control room desk, watching the multiple screens displaying various angles of Ravenwood Hollow. Landon types away at the main console, setting up the tracking system for tonight’s Hunt while Vane paces behind us.

“Anyone want to place bets on who catches their prey first?” I ask, spinning a throwing knife between my fingers. “I’ve got fifty saying I find Bianca before any of you locate your targets.”

Vane snorts. “Bold of you to assume she won’t see your blue mask coming from a mile away and run in the opposite direction. That woman’s got more sense than to fall for your bullshit.”

“Says the guy whose prey fainted when she realized who you were.” I catch the knife by its handle, pointing it at him. “At least Bianca’s got some backbone. Makes the chase more fun.”

Landon doesn’t look up from his keyboard. “You’re both idiots. The Hunt isn’t about speed.”

“Says the slowest hunter three years running,” I counter.

This earns me a cold stare from Landon. “I prefer the term ‘methodical.’ Some of us enjoy the psychological aspect of the chase rather than charging through the maze like a bull in a china shop. Never underestimate the pleasure gained in a well-executed mindfuck.”

Vane leans against the wall, arms crossed. “Knox wants to prove his dick’s the biggest by being the fastest.”

“Don’t need the Hunt to prove that.” I grin, tucking the knife back into my boot. “Your girl Lia could verify if you’re curious.”

Vane lunges forward, but Landon extends an arm to block him. “He’s trying to get a rise out of you. Don’t give him the satisfaction.”

“Fuck you, Knox,” Vane growls.

“You’d enjoy it too much,” I wink, enjoying the way his face darkens.

The door swings open, and Xavier walks in, dressed in his leather pants, the red mask hanging from his belt. The room instantly shifts, all of us straightening slightly.

“If you three are done with your pissing contest,” Xavier says, his voice cutting through our banter, “It’s almost time for the Hunt to start.”

“Jesus, X,” I mutter from my position at the monitors. “You look like you’re about to tear something apart.”

Xavier doesn’t even glance my way, fixated on the screens where our prey will appear. “Just focusing,” he grinds out, adjusting himself.

I smirk, leaning back in my chair. Xavier’s obsession with the reporter is entertaining—I’ve never seen my oldest brother this wound-up over anything before, let alone a woman. Usually, he’s detached, but tonight there’s a wildness to him—it’s dangerous.

“Your journalist has you tied in knots,” I observe, spinning my chair to face him. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

Xavier shoots me a look that would make most men piss themselves. I grin wider.

“Shouldn’t you be focusing on your own hunt?” he asks, voice tight with palpable tension.

I stretch, deliberately casual. “Oh, I am. But multitasking is a gift of mine. I can mock you and plan my strategy at the same time.”

On the monitors, technicians make final adjustments to the maze entrance. Soon, six women will enter—five chosen prey and one infiltrator who thinks she can outwit all of us combined. I’m not concerned about Mira Sullivan. That’s Xavier’s problem. My attention is solely on Bianca.

The thought of her in that blue silk makes my cock twitch. I’ve been imagining her in it since I made sure she was assigned my color. Blue for Bianca—perfect for my little artist with her fire and defiance, wrapped in my signature shade.

“Door’s opening in five,” Vane announces from his station, his voice clipped.

I tap my fingers against the control panel, impatience building. The waiting is always the worst part. Thirty minutes of watching them scramble through the maze before we’re released to hunt—it’s delicious torture.

“You seem particularly invested this year, Knox,” Landon observes without looking away from his screen.

“Please,” I scoff, “after seven years of this, I know how to appreciate the build-up. The anticipation is half the fun.”

Vane snorts. “Is that what you tell yourself when they slip through your fingers?”

“Name one time that’s happened,” I challenge, though my mind is fixed on the one woman who’s consistently walked away from me. Not tonight, though. Tonight, Bianca Hayes has nowhere to run.

The door to the control room opens, and the other hunters file in. The energy shifts immediately, testosterone and anticipation thickening the air. Eleven men take their positions around the monitors, each with their own predatory focus.

I nod to Ryder Caldwell as he leans against the wall near me. “Betting pool open?” he asks.

“Always,” I grin, pulling out my phone. “Standard wagers—first capture, most creative takedown, loudest screamer.”

“Put me down for first capture,” Ryder says, sliding me a hundred-dollar bill. “I’ve got a feeling about tonight.”

I pocket the cash with a laugh. “Bold claim with the Dexter twins in play. Those two Hunt like they share a brain.”

The twins in question stand by the far monitors, Cyrus practically vibrating with energy. At the same time, Ace remains perfectly still beside him. They’re fucking terrifying when they work together, which is always.

“What about you?” Ryder asks, nodding toward the screens. “Who are you after tonight?”

I lean back in my chair, feigning casual interest. “Whoever catches my eye.”

It’s a lie. I’ve had my target picked out since the moment Xavier approved the guest list. Bianca Hayes in blue silk, running through my maze, with nowhere to hide and no one to save her. The thought alone makes my cock throb.

“Door’s open,” Vane announces, and the room falls silent.

Every eye turns to the monitors as the massive entrance to the maze yawns wide. The anticipation is electric, a living thing that ripples through the control room.

Dominic Vega adjusts his cuffs. “The psychological aspect is what makes this so fascinating,” he muses. “The moment they realize they’re truly being hunted.”

“The moment they realize they want to be caught,” Julian Frost corrects softly from his position by the window.

I scan the monitors impatiently, waiting for that first glimpse of blue. My fingers drum against the armrest, a nervous habit I’ve never been able to break.

“There,” Elliot Chambers points to a screen on the left. “First one’s entering.”

A woman in purple silk steps hesitantly into the maze, her mask glinting in the low light. Not Bianca. I barely register her presence before my eyes dart to the next screen.

Green silk enters next, followed by gold. No blue. My jaw clenches.

“Your girl’s taking her time,” Landon observes, his quiet voice cutting through my thoughts.

“She’s not my girl,” I reply automatically, though the possessiveness that surges through me at the thought says otherwise.

Landon’s knowing look makes me want to punch him. My brothers can read me too well—one of the downsides of growing up in each other’s pockets.

“Bullshit,” he says simply. “You’ve been obsessed with her since she rejected you.”

Before I can respond, movement on the central monitor catches my attention.

Blue silk flashes at the entrance, and my breath catches.

Bianca steps into the maze, her posture defiant despite the revealing outfit she wears.

The mask covers the upper half of her face, but I’d recognize that stubborn chin and those full lips anywhere.

“There she is,” I murmur, leaning forward.

The dress clings to her curves, leaving little to the imagination. My mouth goes dry at the sight of her—all that creamy skin and attitude wrapped in blue that might as well be transparent. The color matches my motorcycle, my mask, everything that marks her as mine.

“Thirty minutes,” Xavier announces, his voice cutting through the tension. “Standard head start before we hunt.”

Cyrus Dexter explodes from his position, fists clenching. “Thirty fucking minutes? That’s goddamn torture, X. Why make us watch when we could be hunting?”

For once, I find myself agreeing with the volatile twin. The wait feels like agony when all I want to do is chase Bianca through the maze, corner her, and show her exactly what happens when you refuse a Blackwood.

“Maybe we should reconsider the timing,” I suggest, surprising myself with how rough my voice sounds.

Xavier raises an eyebrow. “Getting impatient, Knox?”

“I’m always impatient,” I counter with a forced grin. “It’s part of my charm.”

“That’s not what the ladies call it,” Vane mutters, earning scattered laughter.

I flip him off casually, watching Bianca move deeper into the maze.

“Look at your girl,” Landon says. “She’s not running off, she’s memorizing her path.”

“Makes the chase more interesting,” I reply, watching as she disappears around a corner. “I like it when they think they have a chance.”

However, the truth is that seeing her intelligence in action only makes me want her more. Bianca isn’t running blindly—she’s thinking ahead. When I catch her, the victory will be all the sweeter for it.

On another screen, red and black silk flashes as Mira Sullivan and Cora Pike move in the opposite direction. Xavier’s gaze follows her like a laser, his knuckles white where he grips the edge of the control panel.

“Twenty-eight minutes,” Liam Hayes announces, checking his watch.

Theo Winters runs his fingers through his dark hair, studying the maze layout. “This design is brilliant. The psychological impact of the shifting walls alone...”

“Cut the bullshit,” Victor Kane growls from his position near the door. The massive enforcer looks like he’s barely containing himself. “Some of us want to hunt.”

I tune out their conversation, my focus entirely on tracking Bianca’s progress. She’s moving faster now, more confidently. Each screen shows a different section of the labyrinth, and I watch her appear and disappear as she navigates the twisting paths.

“Twenty-five minutes,” someone announces.

I shift in my chair, adjusting myself discreetly. My cock has been hard since I arrived, but watching Bianca, wrapped in my color, knowing she’s going to be mine tonight—it’s almost painful now.

“This is going to be a night to remember,” I murmur, more to myself than anyone else.

On screen, Bianca pauses at an intersection, considering her options. Even with the mask on, I can see her determination. She lifts her chin in that defiant way I’ve come to crave, and turns left.

I smile, slow and predatory. She’s heading exactly where I want her to go.

“Run while you can, princess,” I whisper to the screen. “I’m coming for you.”