Page 115 of Play The Game

“You gave Annabelle the roofie?” I ask, my hand steady as I press the gun into the base of her neck.

The slut chokes on her own blood a little more as she gurgles out, “I drove her down to the Bay myself. We had struck up a lovely friendship before you ran her off. Now I have to answer to her parents, they blame me for not knowing where the fuck she went.”

The door slips open again and my other two guys walk in. Blaise frowns at me for a second and then leans back against the door like he’s holding it shut. I doubt anyone will disturb us if the scream hadn’t sent them running, but I guess I should’ve locked it by now.

Harley pulls up a chair and then helps me off of Ms. Vivienne, before peeling her off of the floor and dropping her into it. I can’t look at him right now because all I’ll see is the thick tube down his throat and black circles under his eyes that had been permanent while he was in the hospital.

Ms. Vivienne is going to die.

She’s going to die bloody.

“How about we call your little friend, hmm? How about we ring him and see if he wants to collect you?” I say, handing Harley the gun and directing the guys until Ash is guarding the door, Blaise is covering the cougar’s mouth, and Harley’s finger is steady on the trigger.

I lean forward until I’m right in her face. “I didn’t defect from him. I’m the fucking Wolf of Mounts Bay, and that sadistic fuck sent you here against the Twelve to die for him.”

She shakes her head, sobbing behind Blaise’s hand, and I hit dial.

I hear him breathing as he answers, but he doesn’t say a word.

“Your little girlfriend is dead.”

Her eyes widen at me and she tries to shake free from Blaise, but his hand is steady. I’m glad it’s him holding her. His trust in me is so complete that he’s willing to get blood on his hands because he knows I’ll clean it up.

The Jackal’s voice is the same one he uses when he’s trying to sweet talk me. “Like I give a fuck about some cougar pussy. I wouldn’t put someone in that building with you, little Wolf, unless they were disposable to me, and we both know every pussy I’ve ever had is disposable. Yours is the one I want to keep.”

Pathetically, tears fill her eyes. I cannot understand what these women see in Matteo. How can they look at him and not see the monster under his skin?

“I told you I’m not interested.”

“And I told you, you’re mine. I’ll kill every fucking man that touches you. You think the Butcher can keep them safe? The Crow and his fucking spies? Little girl, I was born in hell, and I fought my way to the throne. If I want you, I’ll fucking have you.”

I stare over Ms. Vivienne’s head to my guys and say, “Enjoy the throne for now. It’ll be mine before this is all over.”

I hang up to the sound of him laughing.

Ms. Vivienne is sobbing behind Blaise’s hand now, big heaving gasps like she’s heartbroken. I can’t stand the sound of it. She’s just as fucking weak as the rest of the rich skanks at this school, only she thought she could win over the Jackal.

He doesn’t have a soul to win.

My phone pings and I jerk my head for Ash to answer the door, murmuring quietly with Avery until she hands my bag over. He shuts the door and drops it at my feet. Ms. Vivienne’s eyes land on the bag and the sobs dry up in her throat.

“Let her go, Blaise. Go wait outside, all of you,” I say, and I unzip the bag slowly, enjoying the way her eyes track the movement. I’m not a sociopath but fuck it if it doesn’t feel satisfying to finally get rid of this bitch.

I dig around for the plastic sheeting, spreading it out with steady hands. It’s much easier to be patient and prepared than to be rash and attempt to clean up evidence later.

Ms. Vivienne watches while I prepare for her death and the sobbing starts up again until she’s fucking hysterical. Ash grimaces and grabs Blaise’s arm, pulling him out the door until I’m left with Harley. I sigh at him which he totally ignores.

“Do you ever listen to me? I’m not trying to hide this from you, I just don’t think you should have to watch it,” I grumble, tugging my uniform off and then slipping the plastic jumpsuit over my lacy lingerie. I’ll have to get Ash to pick me out some more.

Harley’s eyes don’t falter from where he’s watching Ms. Vivienne. One wrong move and I think he’ll break her neck. “Blaise is green and Ash has a history that makes killing women hard for him, even when they’re treacherous whores. I don’t give a fuck. She pulled a gun on you, she’s gotta go.”

I grab her by the hair and lean down until I’m at eye level with her. The tears don’t work on me, not at all. The second she told me she gave the dirty pills to Annabelle, she’d sealed her fate.

“The moment you climbed into bed with the Jackal, you killed yourself. If I delivered you back to him, he’d cut you into pieces first just to hear you scream. I don’t get off on that shit, so I’ll kill you first even though you deserve all the pain in the fucking world for what you’ve done. You’re welcome.”

Then I get to work.

THIRTY-EIGHT