Page 296 of Second Sets Omnibus

I smile when she falls, giggling as the piece continues to slowly roll them. Thankfully, Callum grabs her and drags her through the curtain at the end, and they venture into the unknown.

“Shall we?” Kieran asks, sweeping a hand out with mischief behind his eyes.

“You want to go?”

“Why not, Pretty Girl? Let’s go through the fun house and look at ourselves in those ridiculous mirrors. I haven’t seen one of these in so damn long.”

Without a second thought, Kieran grabs my hand, pulling me forward. The three of us shake with laughter as we enter the turning tube, losing our balance halfway through.

I fall over my stupid feet, plummeting to the moving ground with a thump.

“Fuck,” I grumble, trying to balance myself to stand, but it doesn’t work.

And wouldn’t you know it? Those assfaces didn’t wait for me either. There they are, laughing their heads off at the end of the tunnel, watching as I continually fall.

“Crawl to me, Pretty Girl,” Rad quips, wiggling his fingers in my direction as he stands under the black sheet hiding the rest of the attraction.

I grin, shakily moving forward on my hands and knees until Rad’s hands grips under my armpits, and he pulls me into the darkened room, only lit by neon LEDs.

“Holy hell,” I murmur, leaning my front against Rad’s, heaving a breath. “This place is crazy.”

Kieran chuckles, kissing my cheek from behind. “Let’s keep going.”

“Yeah. Let’s… But you guys have to catch me,” Rad shouts, taking off at warp speed out of the darkened room and through another set of curtains.

I blink through the darkness as Rad’s body heat disappears, and he whoops in the distance.

Kieran chuckles, holding me close. “I think he’s having more fun than Ly.”

I grin. “It’s nice to let loose some days and pretend we aren’t adults.” I lean my head against his shoulder, soaking in the warmth he’s offering me in the midst of darkness.

“Should we keep going? You never know what he’s going to do.”

“Yeah.”

Hand in hand, Kieran and I stumble through the dark room, listening to the echoes of giggles from somewhere above us. Callum’s deep chuckle, which I would recognize from anywhere, slips through as Lyric screeches with happiness.

“I’m beyond grateful we’re a part of her life now,” Kieran murmurs, pulling me through the next set of curtains and into a wacky mirrored room looking more like an unsolvable maze.

“Shit. Which way?” I groan, looking back and forth as nothing but mirrors filled with our bodies stare back at us. “And where the hell is Rad?” Who knows where that slippery fucker went off to. Knowing my luck, he’s hiding in the shadows, ready to scare the shit out of me.

“I would have reached out,” I whisper, twisting my face. “No matter how much I hated you guys, I wouldn’t have kept her from you. But the restraining order…and that phone call…I’m sad you missed it all.”

“Well, we won’t anymore. Okay? We’re here.”

“Gotcha!” Rad screeches from somewhere, throwing his hands around me and pulling me back into his chest.

“Ashton!” I yell as the warmth of his body encases me, and the smell of his cologne pulls me in.

“God damnit, Rad!” Kieran hisses from somewhere in the distance.

The mirrored maze disappears completely as Rad drags me into a small room, closing the mysterious door behind us.

Stale air smothers me as I look around at the tiny room filled with excess parts and props. I blanch when a clown in the corner catches my attention, forcing my heart out of my damn ribs.

“Heya, Pretty Girl,” he murmurs in my ear. “Fancy seeing you here…” he trails off with a menacing chuckle, promising me naughty things in the future. I swear my whole body relaxes the second he spins me around and places his hands on my hips.

His eyes darken further when he looks me up and down, staring at me like a delicious meal he’s about to devour. Something I don’t doubt. My body vibrates with anticipation. Not only with what we’re about to do but with the wrongness of this, too. Here we are at a children’s party and funhouse, about to fuck like bunnies.