Trick Me Twice

The sirens suddenly stopped.

His attention was locked on me.

He ran.

I did, too.

5

“Ready?” Kian’s voice was muffled behind his mask. Looking around at the circle of guys, I grinned.

The introduction, in the style of an announcement from The Purge, crackled from the speakers, and I was fucking ready. Waiting for the sirens to sound so I could collect my prize.

My focus zeroed in on a girl leaning against the fence, staring in my direction, and my breath caught in my throat.

Fuuuuck.

I recognised the costume—the villain Poison Ivy. Those curves, though? Should be illegal. Full, perfect tits, a tiny waist, flaring out to hips that gave her the very definition of an hourglass figure. My gaze trailed over her toned legs and waves of reddish-brown hair that fell down her back and shoulders. Her lips were full, too, and her eyes, although partly hidden by the mask thing she had on, were sparking with the challenge. Her costume was basically a leotard, covered in green leaves, and she had on tan knee-high boots covered in some kind of green material.

I’d never seen anyone so sexy in my life.

I was temporarily stunned.

“She’s mine,” I hissed to Xavier and Kian, indicating my head in her direction.

“Fuck you, Carter.” I felt Kian’s glare from behind his mask, but I’d seen her first. “Fine. I pick…her,” Kian relented after it was clear I wasn’t about to change my mind, pointing towards another hot as fuck girl, dressed like an angel.

“Done. I pick her.” Xavier pointed towards the Dodgems where his ex-girlfriend stood with a group of her friends, and I knew both Kian and I were rolling our eyes behind our masks.

“Wait for the siren.” I raised my voice so the others could hear me. “When it stops, go for whoever you want, except those three.” I pointed out the three girls we’d chosen, knowing no one would dare to disagree.

The siren sounded, and I was ready.

Smoke permeated every corner of the carnival, thanks to our earlier planning. The boys split off, a blur of dark figures with neon masks, and I grinned. As the sirens stopped, my gaze was drawn to Poison Ivy. Ready or not, here I come, I mouthed from behind my mask, watching her eyes widen as I took off, running straight at her, needing to reach her before anyone else did. Despite my declaration that she was off limits, I knew it wouldn’t work that way in reality. I could feel Kian hot on my heels, his eyes on my girl, rather than his.

Even from a distance I could see her freeze, her gaze locked on mine. My blood was pumping through my veins, and I fucking loved it. She stood paralysed as I drew closer, and then she finally moved.

The chase was on.

She darted behind one of the stalls, running headlong down the side of the chain-link fence. This was almost too easy. I drew back a little to give her a chance to get away—I needed the chase, and catching her would be so much sweeter when she gave in.

I watched her look wildly around her, no doubt trying to find a hiding place.

“You can run, but you can’t hide,” I called, and I saw a shudder go through her body. Fuck, yes.

She rounded the back of the funhouse and down the other side, getting caught up with a group of girls being chased, coming the other way. Now I’d lost sight of her. Fuck.

There was a flash of green next to the Dodgems, and I increased my pace. She was running blindly now, desperate to get away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kian run at her, and she made an abrupt turn, darting around two guys in green masks. A huge figure dressed as a clown appeared in her path, leering at her, and she scrambled back, then flew towards the gaping mouth marking the entrance to the haunted house.

“She’s fucking mine,” I shouted, lunging at Kian, and he pushed back at me.

“Not if I catch her first.”

We stared at each other for a minute, neither of us backing down. Then I pushed away from him and tore inside the haunted house after my prey.

It was so dark in here. Screams came from all around, echoing off

the walls, as I crept through the maze of corridors. A glowing skeleton lunged at me, and I jumped back in fright. The sound of delighted laughter followed me as I spun, running blindly down another corridor.