A few chuckles went off around the area, and I immediately took a step back. Where was Kai? If he wasn’t playing, then I didn’t want to. And for Christ’s sake, what if my brother was the one to find me.

So, what do I do? Find somewhere safe to loiter until this shit was over or go now and find the best hiding spot?

And then I saw a dark figure step out from one of the rooms behind Will and slowly approach. As the glow of the sconce fell across his mask, I wanted it to be silver.

But it was black, and the vein in my throat started throbbing. It was my brother’s. I cast my eyes down again.

“You have one minute to hide,” Will said, and then he looked at the guys, “and then you get fifteen minutes to lock yourself in a closet with your buddy’s girlfriend if you beat him to her.” Laughter exploded, following some catcalling. “When everyone hears this horn,” he held up a foghorn, “time’s up and you come out.”

He tossed the horn to a nearby kid, probably a lower classman whom they pegged to do their shit work, while Will jumped off the cooler and pulled his mask over his face. I guessed he was playing, too.

I started walking backwards, taking step after step. I wasn’t going to just hang here and let Damon see me, but I had no intention of being found, either. I knew the perfect hiding spot.

“Ready?” Will called out. “Set?”

I looked to my right, seeing room 1332. A little farther.

“Annnnnnd…go!” Will shouted.

I didn’t wait to see what anyone else was doing. Spinning around, I ran down the dark hallway, hearing laughter and squeals behind me as I raced to 1312, pushed open the door, and quickly whipped my head left to right to see if anyone was in here.

But it was empty. Yes.

Feeling the vibrations of the other girls running down the hall, I ran to the bed and gently climbed on top, stepping behind the three rows of soft, cool pillows propped up against the headboard. Holding the pillows up and keeping them in place with one hand, I slid behind them, lying down across the top of the bed with my back to the headboard. I sank behind the pillows, quickly reaching out and feeling them to make sure they still stood propped up, not giving me away.

My heart raced, and my lungs seemed like they were getting smaller. I could barely breathe out of fear. I wasn’t so sure I was scared, though. It was just the chase.

But I knew I had a good hiding spot. It was in plain sight.

One morning when I was younger I woke up to Damon in a fit. Somehow, during the night, I’d gotten burrowed back in the pillows, and I was still pretty little at thirteen. Skinny. He’d woken up that morning and didn’t see me in the bed, big as it was. He thought I’d gotten up already. However, when he went downstairs and couldn’t find me, he’d searched the house and the grounds, calling for me.

By the time I woke up to all the commotion, and crawled out of where I’d been sleeping the whole time right under his nose, he wasn’t happy.

I think he was a little scared that day. I also realized he might actually care about me.

I heard the door swing open all of a sudden and bang into the wall, followed by giggles. I tensed, stopping my breathing.

“Behind the drapes!” a girl whisper-yelled. “I’ll see if I can fit in the cabinet.”

Another squeal followed, and I heard shuffles, the squeak of a hinge, and a thud. The music still drifted through the walls like a subterranean echo, and I clenched the pillow at my side, trying to stop my shaking.

And then I heard it. Howls from somewhere distant.

And then there was thunder. Like the heavy footfalls of a dozen guys charging down the hallway.

I closed my eyes. Five rooms. Unless they ripped this place apart, they wouldn’t find me.

Doors slammed against walls, sounding like they were being kicked open, and deep voices called out, but I couldn’t make out their taunts. More doors opened, each one sounding closer than the last until finally…

The door to my room was thrown open, the doorknob hitting the wall again, and I jerked in fright. My blood raced, and I froze.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” a smooth voice teased.

And I heard a giggle from somewhere in the room.

That’s it. Lead him to you. I just had to stay here until they found the others and got busy doing whatever they wanted to do.

Various sounds drifted in from the hallway, as well as a yelp from some girl in another room. Someone had been found.

“Check in the closet,” someone else said.

There were two in here.

I kept as still as possible, but then I heard a shuffle, and I trained my ears, listening.

“No!” One of the girls laughed. The rings on the curtain slid down the rod, and I knew one of the guys had found the girl in the drapes.

“Piss off,” she snapped. “I don’t mess around with juniors.”

“Well, lucky for you,” he replied, “I like older women.”

I heard a scoff from her, and a chuckle from him.

“There’s a girl in the cabinet. Go for her,” she told him.

Just then, wood hit wood, and it sounded like the metal handle of a cabinet jiggling. “Bitch!” I think the other girl hiding in the cabinet exclaimed.

“Hey, thanks,” the other dude said. I heard some more shuffling and protesting, a door slamming shut (the bathroom?), and then footsteps.

Silence followed, and then the voice of the girl who’d been hiding in the drapes spoke up. “Don’t tell anyone about this.” The bed dipped under me, and I jostled side to side, my eyes going wide with alarm.

“Don’t worry,” he told her. “You’ll want to tell everyone about this.”

And I felt them both moving and shifting on the bed.

I held onto the pillows, trying to make sure they stayed covering me, as they started going at it. Heavy breathing, constant rolling, kissing, and a few moans from her, and then suddenly the headboard hit the wall.

Jesus! For a girl who doesn’t mess around with underclassmen, she was certainly giving this her all.

My body rocked back and forth, and shook my head. I couldn’t stay here while they had sex.

Turning onto my stomach, I dug my elbows into the bed and pulled myself off the side, sliding onto the floor. I crouched down on the carpet, still for a moment and listening for their moaning and kissing.

It was still going.

They didn’t notice me.

Crawling around the bed, I headed for the door to see if the hallway was clear. Everyone had to have been discovered by now.

But just then the hotel room door swung open again, and a young guy, his mask pushed up on top of his head, immediately spotted me.

“Well, well.”

Oh, hell, no.

I pushed myself to my feet and barreled past him, running into the hallway.

And right into someone else’s arms.

I screamed, drew back my hand, balled my fist, and popped the guy right in the face of his mask.

He stumbled back. “Shit!”

Pulling off his mask, he let it drop to the floor and grabbed his nose with both hands.

Will Grayson.

I backed away, maintaining my distance. But I kind of wanted to laugh. These people had been grabbing me all night. It was only a matter of time.

A few hoots of laughter filled the hall, and Will pulled his hands away to check for blood.

“Can’t you take her, man?” someone shouted.

People laughed, but I kept my eyes on him, ready. I wasn’t getting caught.

“Well, what do you want me to do?” He held out his hands, arguing with his buddies. “I can’t hit her back!”

“No, you can’t, can you?” I egged him on.

And the crowd went wild.

He shook his head at me. “You little shit.”

And I smiled even though my hands were shaking. This was more comfortable for me. I was used to rough housing with guys.

But he inched forward, threatening, “I’m going to get you in a closet for that.”

“Not if you can’t catch me.” Then I sucked in a breath and stepped forward, launching my fist toward his face, but he knocked it away. I quickly shot my left palm up under his jaw, sending his head jerking backward.

Oh, shit, it worked!

He stumbled and growled, grabbing me by the sweatshirt, yanking me in, throwing me over his shoulder. Not again!