Page 89 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)

A moment of panic threatens to take over. White spots flash in front of my eyes. I force myself to breathe, counting on the inhale and exhale.

It doesn’t help.

Colt takes my arm. “You’re wobbling, Buckley. Maybe you should get some fresh air.”

I let him lead me outside. It’s like walking through a fun house, though. People leering at me, the masks. Why is everyone wearing masks?

We get out on the front porch, and Colt makes me sit down.

“Give me your phone,” he says. “I’ll have someone pick you up.”

I hand it to him and close my eyes. The ground keeps tilting, and the roaring in my ears hasn’t gone away. If anything, the music’s gotten louder.

“I have Skylar,” Colt says to whoever he called.

Alarm blares through me, and I lurch upright. “You didn’t call Liam—”

My legs give out.

Colt watches me fall to my knees, and his warm expression is gone. He doesn’t make a move to stop me.

“This is the price,” he says. “Come fight for her, or I’ll keep her.”

He shoves my phone into his pocket and hauls me up again.

“What are you doing?” I mumble. My mouth is full of cotton. “I don’t…”

“Feel good?” He rolls his eyes. “If you had drunk it slower, it wouldn’t be hitting you like this.”

I try to pull away, but his grip is iron. “I’ve drank beer before.”

“Probably not with Klonopin in it, though.”

It takes a minute for my mind to filter through drugs I’m familiar with.

“A sedative,” he offers. “Come on, Skylar, don’t fight me. Or we’ll have to do this the hard way.”

“How?” I manage. I’m not sure if I’m asking what the hard way is, or how he managed to spike an unopened bottle of beer.

“The perfect deception, don’t you think? No one would ever notice the tiny hole in the cap. A nice little injection. Crushed-up pill, dissolve it in liquid, inject it. You fell for it.”

“Have others?” I can barely even keep my eyes open, but my adrenaline is spiking. Everything in my body is screaming danger, but I’m sluggish. I’m weighed down.

“I save this for those who think they’re tough.”

I finally glance around. He’s leading me toward a car, the lights flashing. He has keys in his hand.

I can’t get in there.

Focus, Skylar.

With one massive movement, I grab his keys and throw them behind us. He releases me with a growl. I fall to the ground, digging my fingers into the damp grass. I can’t stand, so I crawl away.

He watches me. Keeps pace with me. He’s wearing boots, dark jeans. No costume.

I hate every fucking second of it, and darkness pulls at my mind.

“The hard way, then,” he says.