Page 54 of Doomed

“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.”

19

BIANCA