Savage Run (24 page)

“
What makes you think my
father will trust you over me? I have Joseph’s government issued
ID,” Nicholas says.

“
She’s a girl!” Johnny
points at me.

“
This isn’t your battle.
Turn a blind eye,” Nicholas says.

“
Whatever,” Johnny says.
“She’ll probably die in the next phase anyway.”

Eva puffs. “Wow, Johnny. That’s really
cruel.” She faces me. “I’ll keep your secret, Heidi. It was really
an honor to meet you, and know that I’ll be rooting for you. Oh,
and do you mind signing you real name?” She hands me the card and
pen again.

“
Seriously?” Johnny
says.

Begrudgingly, I sign it. After hugging me,
she opens the door and walks out.

“
I make deals, Nicholas.
What are you going to offer me?” Johnny says.

“
I have plenty of dirt on
you, Johnny, that if I leaked it to my father, he’d disqualify you
from Savage Run.”

Johnny’s face turns pale. I wonder what kind
of dirt Nicholas is talking about.

“
So if you keep your mouth
shut, I’ll do the same,” Nicholas says.

“
Fine, but don’t think this
is over.” Johnny opens the door and slams it shut behind
him.

“
What do you know about
him?” I ask.

“
Plenty of stuff. I don’t
want to overload you with it, though. Just keep your focus on
getting through the obstacles.”

He’s keeping information from me again, but
I don’t really care to know about all that Johnny has done, so I
let it go. “Do you think he’ll tell?” I lean my back against the
door.

“
If he does, he’s a bigger
jerk than I thought.” Nicholas places his hand on my shoulder and
slowly lets it glide down my arm all the way to my fingertips
before letting go. I’m tempted to take his hand and just feel the
strength that’s there, borrow a little of what I’m lacking at the
moment. But I shouldn’t. I need to rely on my own
strength.

“
Why did he have to
remember me?” I ask.

For a moment, he looks conflicted, but then
he brushes the back of his hand against my cheek.

No man has ever touched me with such
tenderness—I didn’t think it was possible.

He says, “I should get back to the
others.”

I want him to stay. It must be because I’m
scared to be left alone with all my demons—no other reason makes
sense. But I need to learn how to fight the demons myself. I reach
behind my back and push the handle so the door opens. “I’ll hang
out here until the benefit is over.”

“
I think that’s a wise
decision.”

Stepping out of his way, I let him out. The
knot in my stomach returns as soon as the door closes behind him.
Johnny knows. And I’m ninety-nine percent sure he’s going to
tell.

* * *

At the end of the night, Nicholas escorts us
to the hovercraft and we’re flown back to our hotel. The first
thing I do when I get to my room is to check up on Arthor. He’s
sound asleep. Mai tells me he’s been in and out for a couple of
hours and that everything looks promising for him to be continuing
the obstacle courses tomorrow. I’m not sure whether I’m the one
protecting him or if he’s the one protecting me, but either way,
what’s probably true is that we need each other.

When I go back into the living room,
Nicholas has vanished. I know he’d tell me to go straight to bed,
and I do think it’s the best thing for me considering I have to be
up at six a.m. tomorrow. I go back to my room, but the thoughts
start to come the second my head hits the pillow. What if Johnny
already told President Volkov about me? What if they arrest me?
Tonight? I open my eyes and sit up in bed. Inhaling slowly, I
attempt to calm myself. Walking usually helps calm my mind, but
technically I’m not allowed to wander around alone. If I dressed up
as a girl and went to a more public place, no one would notice me.
It’s not like anyone else is wandering around, except for maybe
Johnny, but he already knows about me and if I’m in a public place
and wear Mai’s clothes, any man would stand up for me if he started
to attack me.

I go back into Mai’s room—the Unifer lets me
pass without a word—and when I see there’s no one, I find a hot
pink tank top, a pair of tight-fitted jeans, and a white scarf that
I wrap around my neck. I also apply a generous layer of Mai’s
lipstick and stick her sunglasses in my back pocket.

I climb in and out of the windows again,
take the elevator to the main floor, and head toward the upbeat
techno music. Entering the restaurant, I see colored strobe lights
bouncing off of the floor and walls. After I see there aren’t any
other Savage Run participants here, I put on Mai’s sunglasses and
sit down at the bar. The people on the dance floor move their
bodies freely, and it makes me want to join them. But I don’t feel
confident enough to let myself go so thoroughly.

Shortly after, the bartender brings me a
drink.

“
Excuse me, Sir. I didn’t
order this,” I say.

He points to someone sitting at the end of
the bar, and I recognize the guy as the registrar from Asolo—Cory’s
registrar. I half-expect him to come over and sit by me, but when
he doesn’t, I nod a thank you.

The beverage has a strong taste to it—like I
imagine liquor would taste—but this is very sweet, and besides, the
registrar wouldn’t order me, a young lady, an alcoholic beverage,
would he? In any case, maybe if it does contain alcohol, it will
help me relax a little. I drink the whole thing down and ask for
another. The registrar happily pays for the next one. After
drinking the second one, I don’t feel any more relaxed. It must
just be an exotic juice or something so I tell the bartender to
keep them coming. After I start on the fourth one, the registrar
stands up and starts to make his way toward me. But as I’m trying
to figure out how to escape this situation, I hear a voice behind
me. The other registrar leaves the restaurant.

“
Out roaming
again?”

I turn around and see Nicholas, and
immediately try to come up with a good excuse for being out.
Dressed like a girl. “I…”

The bartender hands me another drink.

Nicholas’s face becomes stern. “What are you
drinking?”

“
It’s just…juice…soda
juice…soda?” I’m starting to feel a little warm so I grab the menu
off the counter and fan myself with it.

He picks up my drink and smells it. “It’s
spiked, Heidi!”

“
Spiked?” I ask, looking
for the bartender, but he doesn’t seem to be around at the
moment.

“
As in an alcoholic
beverage.”

“
No…” I laugh.

Nicholas scoots the barstool closer to me
and sits down. You need to go back to your room right this minute
and get to sleep.”

“
Tried already.” I rest my
chin in one hand and drum my fingers on the counter with the other.
“Didn’t work.”

“
Maybe I can help you with
that.”

I give him a mean look. “I’m okay. Besides,
I want to live every moment I have left to the fullest. You know, I
might die tomorrow.” The music is so entrancing that I want to move
my body to the beat. For some reason, I feel much less inhibited
than I did a few minutes ago and I shoot to my feet. “Wanna
dance?”

He stands up with me, but continues to wear
a frown. I walk toward the dance floor and Nicholas grabs my elbow,
stopping me. “There are other registrars here.”

“
They don’t recognize me. I
want to dance. None of this prim and proper dancing stuff.” Right
when I say it, I wish I could take it back. Because the way
Nicholas held me when we danced earlier, has forever been placed
with the group of memories I cherish. His expression remains
unchanged—cold. Maybe dancing with me didn’t mean anything to him;
he was just set on keeping his promise. I pull my arm away from his
grasp and step onto the packed dance floor.

A young man comes up behind me and places
his hands around my waist. I giggle and lean my head back onto his
firm chest.

Nicholas steps onto the dance floor. “Get
lost.”

“
Sorry.” The young man
leaves.

Acting on impulse only, I lock eyes with
Nicholas and wrap my arms around his neck.

He immediately removes my arms, and looks
around the room to see if anyone is watching.

“
Come on, Nick. They can’t
see us in the crowd. Have some fun!” I throw my head back and feel
like a laugh just waits in the back of my throat. “You have to live
in the present.” Words are coming out of nowhere and I’m sure once
I return back to my normal self, I’ll be embarrassed.

“
I do,” Nicholas says
flatly.

“
Then what are you afraid
of?”

He sighs. “Nothing.”

Yeah, right. “It’s dark in here; don’t
worry; no one will see us.”

He shakes his head and looks away.

“
You need to move more,” I
say, placing my hands on his hips.

“
If you don’t go to
bed…”

I interrupt him. “You know, you’re not very
fun to be around sometimes. Most of the time.”

“
Sorry to disappoint,” he
says.

“
Well, you could always
lighten up.” I laugh and then I feel the sudden urge to kiss him on
the cheek and before I know it, my lips meet the skin right next to
his dimple.

“
Careful,” he says, the
muscles in his jaw tightening, but he doesn’t stop me.

“
Or what?” I challenge him,
running my hands through his hair. Would it be too crazy if I
kissed him on the lips? The thought brings a smile to my lips and I
giggle a little.

“
What?” he asks, seeming
slightly amused.

Then a cage catches my attention and I want
to see if I can dance inside it. I run over and climb into it,
grabbing onto the bars. Closing my eyes, I let my body rock to the
music.

“
You’re not yourself,”
Nicholas says, glaring up at me.

Does he like what he sees? “It’s okay. I’m
just having fun.”

Taking my hand, he pulls me down from the
cage, and drags me off the dance floor.

“
I’m not done yet,” I
object.

“
Yes, you are.” He pulls me
into a corner and behind a curtain, his hands pressing up against
the wall behind me—confining me. His shirt is fitted enough so I
can see his chest and shoulder muscles and I notice how he smells
like cologne.

“
You smell
good.”

“
You’re drunk.”

I scoff. “I’m not drunk,” I say, feeling my
head swimming. I wish he’d see me as something more than just a
participant he needs to take care of. “I don’t need a
babysitter.”

He shakes his head. “I know you don’t. And
I’m not here to…I just want you to be safe.”

He leans his forehead against mine and it
seems like all the air in the room has been sucked out. His mouth
is open—an inch away—and I want to touch my lips to his. But he
pulls away before I’m able to try.

“
Can I take you back to
your room now?”

“
Fine.” I roll my eyes.
“Just no sleeping powder.”

Before we get on the elevator, he stops and
squeezes the bridge of his nose.

“
What?”

“
I can’t take you back up
there dressed like this. The Unifers…” He looks around the foyer.
“Can you wait in the Ladies room and I’ll get you a Savage Run
outfit?”

“
Okay.”

“
Just don’t go anywhere,
you hear?”

“
Yes, Sir.”

I head to the Ladies room and he takes the
elevator upstairs. A few minutes pass and I hear knocks on the
door. When I open it, he hands me a plastic bag.

“
Don’t forget the
lipstick.”

After I change, he escorts me back to my
room. “Will you be okay?” He leans against the door with his hands
behind his back, holding onto the door handle

“
Where are you going?” I
ask.

“
I have to take care of
something.”

Somehow I know when tomorrow comes I’ll feel
horrible about the way I acted, and I look away. “Sorry I…I don’t
know what I was thinking.”

“
Consider it forgotten. But
this has to stop.”

His words are like a Master’s, pounding me
into submission. Who am I fooling? He wouldn’t want me. He’s the
son of President Volkov, a free man, a god, in some people’s eyes.
I look down. He takes a step closer and lifts my chin until our
eyes meet. Electricity spreads through me, making me even more
confused. “You be careful out there tomorrow, you hear?”

I nod. Is his touch just that of a friend? A
concerned representative?

“
I’ll see you in the
morning.”

Or is there more behind the tender way he
handles me? “Good night.” I watch him shut the door. My head falls
back, and a strenuous sigh escapes my lips. Gosh, I’m such an
idiot. I bury my face in my hands and fret. “Stupid, stupid,
stupid!” I drag my feet all the way to my room, undress and go to
bed.

Chapter 19

Next morning, I wake up to Mai flinging open
my curtains. Immediately, I remember what happened last night and I
grunt.

“
Rise and shine.” She’s in
her white leather pants, white Savage Run shirt, and black stiletto
heels. Her black hair is straight and reaches her waist.

What did I do? I haven’t even seen him and
already I feel mortified. He must think I’m such an idiot. Which of
course, I am. I don’t have time to think about some guy or make
moves on him. Or get drunk. I want to sink into bed and
disappear.