RIDE ME TO SIN

CHAPTER TWO

When I opened my eyes the first sight that greeted me was a grey sky and very unfamiliar architecture.

I was still for five seconds, brain blank and confused as f**k as to why I was lying on cold stone instead of my bed before… suddenly, everything came crashing back.

The rage and hatred in Lyra’s eyes. The gun. Declan’s blank face, and my own sister’s laughter as I died at their feet.

My hands flew to my chest, searching for the wound, but there was nothing. Just smooth skin beneath my shirt and a heartbeat that hammered too fast. I pressed lower, to my stomach, and the sob that tore out of me echoed across the empty plaza.

“No, no, no…”

They’d killed me.

Killed US.

I was pregnant. My babies hadn’t even had a chance to form properly, to grow and now…

Bile rose to my throat as I looked around, my confusion increasing.

What the hell?

Some waiting room for the damned? Everything looked almost real—stone buildings, cobblestone streets, distant mountains—but darker. Gloomier. Like the world had been filtered through smoke.

I pushed myself up on trembling arms, trying to make sense of where… but light exploded in front of me, almost blinding me.

I threw up my hands, squinting against the brightness as the light slowly faded, and then in its place a woman stood with a smile.

She wore a black dress that moved like fluid shadow and her face was so perfect and flawless it almost hurt to look at.

“Welcome to Kariiti, Daisy.” Her voice had layers to it, like multiple people speaking in harmony. “I am Senna, and I’m to be your guide.”

“Kariiti?” My voice came out hoarse. “Where, what is this place?”

“A realm of the underworld.” She glided closer without seeming to take steps. “Fortunately for you, you died on a very special day, the Demon King’s birthday. And as a form of entertainment for him on such a beautiful day, all who perish today are brought here to participate in a game.”

“A game.” I repeated it numbly. “I died and now I’m in some kind of game?”

“Precisely.” Senna smiled, and it didn’t reach her eyes. “The Demon King always had a twisted sense of humor. But fear not, something tells me that you will love this one, because trust me, it is only your good luck to die.”

I chose this day to die? What the hell was she talking about? I didn’t f*****g choose to die at all.

“The name is quite simple. All you have to do is complete a series of challenges, survive the trials. In the end, the top three winners receive ten billion dollars in cash and a chance to return to life permanently, one week before the point of their death.”

I sucked in a breath as her words registered.

Return to life.

“I can go back?”

“If you are among the winners.” Her head tilted. “The others will be cast to hell forever.”

“I have so many questions but first…” I grabbed her arm, “please help me for this is too important to me. My babies… are they still…” I swallowed, but she seemed to understand what I meant because her face instantly softened and she patted my hand.

“Let me see.” She placed one pale hand on my stomach, and light pulsed beneath her palm. It lasted only seconds before she withdrew. “No. I’m sorry to inform you that you are not currently with child.”

I gasped and doubled over, arms wrapping around my stomach, and tears came so hard and fast I couldn’t breathe.

Five years of trying. Five years of hoping. I’d had them for hours. Hours. And now they were just gone. Erased like they never existed.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Senna’s voice held no warmth. “But you should know, if you win, you return to one week before your death. You could save them.”

I looked up, vision blurred. “What?”

“It is your chance. I bet you were already pregnant a week before your death which means that when you win and return back to life you could still have them.”

Before I could say anything or even react she was pulling me up. “But first you must survive. Come. I’ll take you to your lodge.”

I let her pull me up because what else was I going to do? My legs moved automatically, following her through streets that should’ve been familiar but weren’t. A few other people wandered past, some looking as lost as I felt, others with hard eyes that suggested they’d figured things out faster.

Although to be fair I guess it wasn’t too hard to figure out.

Play some games, participate in some challenges. Win. Go back to life and actually become a billionaire.

And the most important thing… is that I could have my babies back.

It all seemed too good to be true but really what choice did I have other than playing along?

I swallowed as we turned a corner when a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

“—telling you, this is going to be easy. Half these idiots probably don’t even know how to fight.”

A group of men sat outside what looked like a tavern, bottles in hand, sprawled across chairs like they owned the place. One of them caught sight of me and whistled.

“Well, hello there, gorgeous.” He stood, swaying slightly. “Why don’t you come keep us company?”

I kept my head down, trying to move past, but another one blocked my path.

“Aw, don’t be shy.” He looked me up and down in a way that made my skin crawl. “Though I gotta say, sweetheart, you might want to skip a few meals if you’re trying to survive here. All that extra weight’s just going to slow you down.”

Laughter erupted from his friends.

“Seriously though.” A third one leaned forward, and my stomach dropped. That was the familiar voice I heard.

Brandon from high school.

The one person who had spent junior year making my life miserable. “Daisy? Daisy Thompson? Holy s**t, it is you.” He grinned. “Still fat and wolfless, I see. Some things never change.”

“Go to hell, Brandon… and leave me alone.”

“Or what?” Brandon stood, and the others followed. “You gonna cry about it like you used to? Run to your sister?” He laughed. “Oh wait, wasn’t she the one who—”

“You know you’ve always been a pathetic bully, Brandon. Sad to see that even death wasn’t enough to snap some sense into you.”

His face turned red and he marched closer angrily. “What the f**k did you just say to me, you low-life b***h?!”

He raised his hand and I tensed, waiting for the hit.

“Back off.”

The voice came from behind them and it sounded so dangerous that even Brandon instantly dropped his hand.

They turned, and I got my first clear look at my rescuer.

He was tall. That was the first thing I noticed about him, then the dark hair that fell across his forehead.

He looked like some mafia biker with his all-black leather jacket and boots outfit.

“This doesn’t concern you, man,” Brandon said, but he’d taken a step back.

“A group of men are bullying one single lady. It concerns me.” The stranger’s eyes, dark and intense, flicked to mine for a heartbeat before returning to Brandon. “Move.”

“And if we don’t?”

The smile that crossed the stranger’s face made my breath catch in all the wrong ways.

“I’ve always hated weak pathetic men but take a good look at me. Do I look like someone you wanna mess with?”

There were three seconds of silence, then Brandon cursed and jerked his head at his friends.

They scattered, shooting glares over their shoulders but clearly deciding this wasn’t worth whatever was about to happen.

The stranger watched them go, then turned to me fully.

“You alright?”