Page 35 of Wonder

But they’re staring at each other.

“Nothing,” she says eventually. Evenly. “Ignore him.”

Opening my mouth, I go to press her further, butthat asshole– as I’ve decided to call him in my head – starts to stir on thebed. Alyss is up in a moment, her sandwich discarded as she moves over to him.

He sits up slowly, his hand dragging over his face. And I get a front-row seat to the horror in his expression as he looks around, the dawning understanding. The pain, as he looks at her.

I stare down at my untouched food.

“Watch that one,” Buck says quietly. “Some people don’t care if they live or die. A dangerous ally to have in a place like this.”

“Him?” I eye the fucker again. He has his arms wrapped around Lyss as if she’shis, breathing her in like she’s fucking oxygen.

“No.” Buck lifts a shoulder when I look at him in confusion. “I was talking about our little chaos cannon there. Alyss.”

My throat tightens at his words. “She’s notouranything.”

But I tuck those words away to consider, watching her carefully.

13 – Hatter

No.

I prop myself up on shaking arms.

“Careful.”

I stare around the room. Not somewhere I’ve been before, but I’ve heard enough of Red’s games –seenenough – over the years that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work it out.

Wonderland. Or whatever iteration of it Red has come up with for this, her latest game.

And we’re the entertainment.

Slowly, my eyes shift to Alyss as I swallow. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

My voice is a croak. Alyss sits silently on the bed beside me, her gaze steady. “Did you leave the ticket at my apartment on purpose?”

“No,” I breathe. “I was…,”

Lost. Lost in her. Not paying attention.

Careless. I was so fucking careless with that small piece of time that I stole, and now we’re all going to pay for it.

You’re a fucking fool, Hatter.

Alyss slowly shakes her head. Her eyes travel over the room. “Then it’s not your fault. You didn’t put us in here. She did.”

She holds up a bottle of water. When my hand shakes, she undoes the cap and hands it to me. “They took the collar off.”

I reach up, feeling only bare skin. Another message. “Good.”

I drain half of it, offering the rest to her, but she shakes her head. “No sharing. They’re pretty clear on what happens when you don’t follow instructions.”

She nods her head, and I turn to see the sprawled body across the floor. A pool of deep, sticky red spreads from underneath, others in the room giving it a wide berth.

My stomach flips, clenches, and I whip back to look at her, my brow furrowing.

She looks… calm. Collected enough, although her face is even paler under the harsh lighting. “Why are you not…,”