Son of a bitch...
I was ready to get the hell out of there and was about to tell Clayton exactly that when the music died off in the house, replaced by a crowd of people roaring out in hoots and hollers, raucous laughter mingling within the noise.
Lifting his head to look at the front doors, Clayton grinned and grabbed my hand.
“Come on, let’s get inside. I want to see what idiot decided to run the gauntlet instead of paying the price.”
“What does any of that even mean?”
I was so frustrated with this party already. It didn’t help that Clayton was talking in code about gauntlets and paying a price.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Clayton wrapped his arm around mine and started walking me up the steps to the house.
“You know the rumors that you don’t want to mess with these guys unless you want to kiss your social life goodbye?”
I nodded, mentally adding that the rumors were exactly why I didn’t want to come here in the first place.
“Well, let’s just say that everybody who lives in this house is well connected. I mean, insanely connected. If you need something, no matter what it is, one of the Inferno members will be able to make it happen. The only thing is that when you ask them for a favor, you have to agree to pay a price. But they won’t tell you what it is at first. Not until they know what they want from you.”
Reaching the door, I grabbed his arm before he could open it.
“Why would anybody agree to that?”
Clayton ran a hand through his brown hair and blew out a breath.
“They’re desperate? But it’s all in good fun, you know? Plus, they have an out. If they won’t pay whatever price is asked of them, they can run the gauntlet.”
“Which is?”
The more I heard about this, the less I wanted to have anything to do with it.
“It’s a huge party, actually. And while everybody is having a good time, the person running is chased through the woods for a few hours. They come out of there scared shitless, but then it’s over and everybody goes back to their lives.”
He opened the door to tug me inside, the laughter and voices growing louder as people rushed past to run deeper into the house.
Weaving through the packed crowd of students in a large living room with floor to ceiling windows lining one wall and a huge fireplace dominating another, Clayton kept his arm around my waist to keep me from being jostled by other bodies.
At the front of the room, Gabriel climbed up on a table to stand above the crowd, his green eyes scanning over the packed room as he waited for the noise to die down.
The music that had been pumping through the house all night was cut off, anticipation for what Gabriel would say a vibration rolling through the gathering.
His eyes met mine again and he winked, causing my stomach to shift and turn when I remembered what I’d said to him.
Dragging his gaze from mine, he grinned.
“Next Saturday, Brad Cotter will be our honored guest at the next gauntlet party. Be there or be boring.”
All eyes turned to who I assumed was Brad. A tall guy with a slender frame, he didn’t look happy to be the supposed ‘honored guest’, but he forced a smile regardless. Wavering on his feet, he was obviously drunk, his skin a sickly pale shade of green.
The crowd roared with laughter and cheers as pounding music filled the house again, some people patting him on the back, others shaking their head and whispering that he was a dumbass.
“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Are you okay?”
Turning, I locked eyes with Everly, my gaze dropping to her lips to notice her lipstick was smeared.
“It must have been hard to find me with your face attached to Jase for the past hour.”
Everly’s cheeks heated and a gamine grin stretched her mouth.
“Okay, so I’ve only been looking for the last five minutes, but still...”
Her blue eyes drifted right, a wider smile stretching her lips to see Clayton at my side.
“It’s about time you show up. Did Luca tell you what happened upstairs?”
Before Clayton had the chance to answer, a warm body pressed behind me, an arm reaching over my shoulder to wave a red Solo cup in my face. The scent of alcohol was overpowering and I knew whatever was in that cup would knock me flat on my ass if I accepted it.
“I come bearing a peace offering.”
Recognizing the voice, I spun around without taking the cup being offered.
“You could have told me you live here.”
Gabriel’s eyes twinkled with humor, his lips tilting up at the corners. Despite the fact he’d lied to me, I didn’t hate him as much as I did Tanner.
“Why would I do that when it was so much fun hearing how you feel about us?”
I could feel the red staining my cheeks, my stomach rolling yet again with worry that he’d said something to Tanner.
Noticing my reaction, Gabriel arched a brow and sipped from the cup after realizing I wouldn’t accept it. His expression screwed tight, his head shaking as his mouth popped open following his struggle to swallow.
“Goddamn. Whoever made this drink is trying to kill people.”
“That’s why you don’t accept drinks from strangers,” I answered.
Two dimples indented his cheeks with his broad smile.
“I wouldn’t exactly consider myself a stranger.”
Green eyes shifting between the three of us, Gabriel said, “I came over here to extend a personal invitation to the three of you for next weekend. The gauntlet will be lit and I’ll take it as a personal insult if you don’t attend.”
Everly and Clayton were quick to agree, but I had my doubts. My thoughts must have been written clearly in my expression because Gabriel poked out his bottom lip and tilted his head.
“Come on, Luca Bailey. We’re friends now. Just tell me you’ll give me another chance.”
Shaking my head, I looked away, my eyes landing on Tanner where he stood leaning against the wall across the room, three girls dancing in front of him.
The man was too gorgeous for words, his dark presence drawing me in while his shitty attitude made me want to run as fast as I could in the opposite direction.
The instant his gaze lifted to mine, I looked away, my cheeks blazing to have been caught staring.
“My issue isn’t with you.”
Following my previous line of sight, Gabriel laughed.
“If it’s Tanner, you’re worried about, he’s already forgotten what happened between you.”
His eyes met mine.
“Seriously, he’s a prick. Don’t let it get to you. Tell me you’ll be there next weekend.”
Everly knocked my elbow with hers and answered for me.
“She’ll be there. I’ll make sure of it.”
Accepting her response, Gabriel flashed us one last smile before turning to wander off. Everly called after him.
“What’s the theme?”
Theme? I glanced over at her with my brow arching in question.
Gabriel spun back to us and lifted his cup as if in toast.
“Why, my lovely lady, it’s Victorian, of course.”
The fuck?
Everly squealed and clapped her hands together. Wrapping her arm in mine, she pressed her mouth to my ear and said, “Trust me, Luca, you’re going to have so much fun.”