Page 20 of Wanna Play A Game?

Iwent for a run. I couldn’t stand to be in that house one more minute. I run until my body feels like it’s going to give out and circle back to the house.

That fucking man and his impulsive decisions. He’s infuriatingly impossible. Bringing someone into our home? If the cops come here and do any snooping, we’ll all get arrested. Especially now that there’s a woman here. A woman Sawyer kidnapped. Jesus Christ! As much as the man acts like we’re invincible, you get caught when you get sloppy.

I’m covered in sweat from the desert sun, and I wipe it off my forehead. One thing about this godforsaken Oklahoma state– it’s always sunny. Our house sprawls out in front of me, the ranch looking homey against the surrounding fields and golden cow pastures.

I don’t know what we’re going to do with the woman in our basement.

The thought makes me want to turn around and run again. To run and run until this irreversible problem goes away. But I can’trun from this one. Ryder isn’t here to take care of things, and I have to make sure Sawyer doesn’t do something terribly stupid. Which he’s already done.

Fuck.

Ryder is going to be so disappointed. My heart twinges thinking about him sitting in a cell, hearing about this. On top of him taking the fall for me, he tries to keep us together as Sawyer buries his problems in chaos, and I run from and beat the shit out of mine.

Sawyer appears at the front door, leaning against the doorframe.

The sight of him makes me angry.

I snarl, “You better have made our little problem disappear.” The second I say it, I realize he actually may have killed her. Fresh adrenaline runs through me.

Sawyer glances lazily at me. I ripped my shirt off a long time ago, and his gaze lingers on my chest. “Pup, you didn’t tell me where you were going.”

I shove past him. “You seemed a little preoccupied.”

“So grumpy. It’s just a woman.” He follows me into the kitchen, where I grab a cold bottle of water from the fridge and guzzle it. He watches my throat as I take long pulls.

When I’m done, I smash the plastic bottle. “Just a woman? She’s an added complication! She knows where this is now.No oneknows where this is. Why in the hell did you bring her here, Sawyer?”

“Awww, is the good boy mad that his tactics are overwhelming his morals?” Sawyer pouts his bottom lip.

“Shut the fuck up.” I move down the hallway toward the bathroom.

“Make me,” Sawyer growls, his voice suddenly deep.

I whirl, and I point a finger at him. “It’s always a game for you. I know you think I have too much heart, but you could benefit from having a tiny bit yourself.”

Sawyer simply stares at me. “You think she’s special just because she has a pussy?”

“No!” I throw my hands in the air, frustration, anger, and helplessness rolling through me.

Sawyer grins, and I kick myself for reacting. Sawyer is like a bloodhound for weakness. It’s always best to pretend you don’t have any around him.

I growl, “I don’t kill women because I was raised right! Who the fuck raised you? Oh, that’s right.” I glare at him. “You wouldn’t know, ‘cause you had a piece of shit mom.”

Anger flares in Sawyer’s icy eyes. He’s on me in a flash, pushing me back against the hallway wall by his forearm on my throat.

I don’t fight him. I look down my nose at his seething face. “Relax Sawyer. It’s just a joke.”

He heaves a few breaths, then slowly smirks. He huffs out a laugh.

I glare at him.

Sawyer steps back, his eyes sparkling. “Goddamn. You’ve been around me too long, haven’t you? Look at my pretty boy, goody-two-shoes playing my own games.” He adjusts his crotch. “I’m smitten.”

I cross my arms. “What the fuck, dude? You have a woman in the basement. We have to let her go, Cyrus.”

He tosses me a glance at the nickname. He calls me Miley, and I call him Cyrus. Not sure why, but we always have.

“Well, I guess you’re in luck.” He shrugs. “Just did.”