Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
“I hear you, Uncle Lucian. I will be super fast!”
“That’s my boy. And one more thing…” He dipped down and whispered in my ear. “Avoid the orange eggs. Okay? This is between you and me.”
I gasped, spotting a purple egg on the other side of the creek. But dammit, it looked like Tate had seen it too! He was running over there! Fuck. I sucked in a breath and jumped across the creek, and I ran as fast as I could.
“Don’t you dare, Noa!” he called.
I grunted and sidestepped a tree trunk. “Haven’t you heard, teacher’s pet? I’m fearless!”
I sprinted the last bit and dove for the fist-sized egg, knees hitting the underbrush, and I almost crashed into a baby spruce and all its million needles. I panted my ass off and hurriedly removed my drawstring backpack to stow the plastic egg inside.
I had seven eggs now!
Once I was back on my feet, I saw Kit and Shay farther away, near the tiny clearing toward the back of the forest. Gael—I saw him too. And Corey, and Gretchen… The forest wasn’t that big, and we had twenty-four subs competing for the eggs. But no orange for me! I mean, I was no dummy. I totally knew the Sadists hadn’t filled all eggs with yummy treats. They actually felt empty, all of them.
I hadn’t figured out the method to their madness. Yellow eggs, pink eggs, purple, blue, green, and orange. Each color had to represent something if Uncle Lucian had advised me to avoid orange.
“This is your two-minute warning!” one of the monitors yelled nearby.
I chewed on my lip and looked around, but I couldn’t see anyone. It’d sounded like Mister Nathan, though.
Two minutes. Hmm. I should start making my way back—and I could search on the way.
It was settled.
I took off in a jog and crossed the creek higher up, and in the distance, I spotted Corey bagging an egg.
I searched the ground for any pastel color, which was easier said than done! The trees didn’t have leaves yet, but the world was budding. The ground was covered in patches of tiny flowers in bright colors.
Someone ran up behind me and continued up the hill—it was Kit.
“Gots to hurry!” he hollered.
I huffed. I wanted to find one more!
I started zigzagging my way back to civilization, and I decided to look for eggs until we got the one-minute warning. Because, let’s face it. If we were exchanging these eggs for bags of candy later, I wanted as many as possible because I loved candy, and also, I wanted snacks for the fuckfest tonight.
“Sixty seconds to go!” This time, it was River I heard.
I finally found an egg in front of a fallen tree. I darted over there and stuffed it in my pocket. A green egg. Awesome! I wondered if this color meant anything. I brushed some dirt off it, then picked up in a run again. Eight eggs would have to do!
I ran, ran, ran, and ran until I broke through the tree line, and then I ran some more! The monitors had set up a long table just off the pool area, and a bunch of bowls sat on it. Oh! Oh my God, Colt and Reese were wearing pink bunny ears!
I laughed as I ran closer. “Looking good, bunnies!”
Colt glanced over at me. “Statin’ the obvious, but thanks, little one.”
I giggled breathlessly and aimed for the others who’d returned. Among them, Kit, Corey, Lane, Shay, Tate, and Macklin.
“Go Noa!” I heard Cam cheer.
I turned toward our cabin and beamed, and I waved to Cam and Daddy. “I got eight eggs!”
“Good job, freckles!” Daddy gave me a thumbs-up.
Uncle Lucian was waiting with the other Tops on the other side of the pool, so I had to wave to him also, of course. I hoped he was proud! I’d run as fast as I could!
“Eight eggs!” I called.
He smiled proudly. “Excellent job, sweetheart.”
Fist-pump!
“Y’all can form a neat line as we wait for the last egg hunters!” Colt ordered.
I did my best to catch my breath, and I took my spot between Macklin and Kit.
“You gotta keep an eye on your Daddy today,” Macklin said, super quiet.
I scrunched my nose. “I always keep an eye on him. He’s a hottie.”
He snorted softly in amusement. “I mean because he’s suspecting something. It’s not just Reese, Colt, and Greer. KC’s part of it.”
Ohhhh.
“And we don’t want anyone figuring anything out before the cruise,” he added.
That was true. We wanted our Owners to give us a hot show, and it would be just like them to cancel if they turned suspicion into certainty about what we were up to.
“I think I can sway him.” I spoke under my breath. “No one ever expects me to be a good actor, so I can let something slip. Like, we’ll come up with a more innocent prank that can explain some of our tracks today, and then I’ll let Daddy catch me.”