Page 48 of Play The Game

Fuck.

I hear Harley’s first step and my breath catches in my throat.

Then silence, thank fuck. I lean forward again and stare Liam straight in the eye, unblinking.

“I want my money. I want the inheritance your grandson is due that you’re hiding from him. I want every cent of it, transferred to my accounts, with interest. I’m guessing it’s been making you a nice return? Well, that money is mine.”

Domhnall has lost the ability to school his features, and he’s openly glaring at me now. I arch an eyebrow at him and Illi takes a step forward. “Watch yourself, mobster. Only a stupid man would provoke the Wolf and I’m fucking itching to split you open for her.”

I sit back down, smoothing my hands down the jacket as if it’s a silk gown and I’m Avery Beaumont, all classy and shit. “I thought about buying a judge to retrieve the money. Easy, quick, simple. But I wanted the satisfaction of watching you realize that your little power moves didn’t work. That money is mine and you’re going to hand it over to me. If you don’t, I will consider your refusal a declaration of war. I’ll destroy every last O’Cronin in the state.”

Liam does one last sweep of the table and then gives me a look that would boil the blood of a lesser man. Good thing I’m neither a man, nor less than the deadly, calm Wolf. I nod at him like he’s agreed with me. “If it’s not in my account by Friday, I’ll be finding you, Liam. I’ll be coming for you all. Maybe I’ll start with your new heir, what’s his name again? Aodhan? Maybe I’ll come see if he wants to join me as well. I’ll bring Illi to help sway him.”

Domhnall blanches at his son’s name, and I smirk. Hook, line, and sinker; they know they’re fucked.

Liam spits out from his clenched teeth, “Deal.”

The meeting room empties soon after the mobsters storm out. Illi and Harley step up immediately to join me and I avoid looking Harley in the eye. I don’t want to see his reaction to my confrontation with his family while the Jackal is staring holes into us from the other side of the table.

The Crow takes his time getting up, and I know he’s pushing every damn one of the Jackal’s buttons he can when he gestures to the elevator and says, “Ladies first. I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting, Wolf.”

I incline my head at him respectfully, and when I turn around to face Harley, he makes eye contact with the Jackal over my shoulder. I grab his hand gently, both to warn him and to tell him I’m fine, and he squeezes mine back. Illi snorts and crosses his arms next to him, obviously pissed off at the Jackal’s actions and ready to throw down with him for Harley in a second. I’m so relieved they’ve found some sort of truce that I don’t notice what the fuck Harley is doing as he maintains eye contact and⁠—

And, fuck me with a cactus, he unzips the jacket, pushing it off my shoulders while running his hands all over me with such fucking possession my knees threaten to give out. I look up to find him smirking at the Jackal and then he kisses me like he’s trying to fuck my mouth, my face cradled in his big hands.

Fuuuuuuuck.

Illi cackles and nudges Harley with an elbow. “Grab your girl. I need a drink and a fucking smoke after that. Let’s go find the rest of our little motley crew.”

Harley breaks away from my lips with another smirk, this one at me, then he just grabs my ass and hauls me into his arms, walking us over to the elevator.

“Did you just spend ten fucking diamonds on me?” he mutters against my neck, and of course that’s his priority, even with the psycho behind us making eye contact with me. There’s nothing but bloodshed and slaughter in the Jackal’s eyes but I hold them, steady and calm. Harley steps into the cage and the door shuts.

“Did you just taunt the Jackal about being mine?” I retort, still a little gobsmacked at the gall of this guy.

“Fuck yes, I did. Fuck him, babe, you’ve just told them all about what he’s doing. Besides, if he doesn’t let you go, we’ll just get the Butcher to throw a meat cleaver at his head. I’m sure he’d love that.”

Illi cackles and runs a finger down said cleaver lovingly. I laugh and wriggle out of Harley’s arms to stand between them. I feel lighter, like I’ve taken the last step away from the Jackal and now I’m standing on my own two feet. It’s fucking terrifying to feel so alone without his protection, and for a second it knocks the breath out of my lungs. Then Illi cracks some jokes and Harley grunts out a chuckle at them, and I remember the family I’m carefully building is worth the risk.

Illi leads the way back over to the bar area where we find a fucking wasted Blaise, Avery holding a drink and staring down at her phone with a very inebriated look of her own, and a very antsy, and sober, Ash. When I point to Blaise with an eyebrow lift, Ash rolls his eyes and points toward the other end of the bar, where there’s a growing crowd of salivating Mounty girls, watching him like they want to eat him alive. Illi laughs when he sees them and wiggles his fingers at them, easily dispersing the crowd with one action.

I’m too hyped up to drink, but I need something to take the edge of my adrenaline off.

Ash watches me closely, then tugs on my hand and tilts his head toward the dance floor. Harley nods at him for me, and I turn to gesture to Illi to get him to watch Blaise and Avery. Avery smirks at me with a little evil grin and lifts her cocktail at me in a salute. Okay, so getting liquor into Avery is key to getting away with the guys turning me into the meat in a hot guy sandwich without a peep. Good to know.

As we move through the crowd, Harley presses me into Ash’s back. The second story is safer, but still teeming with sweaty, intoxicated, writhing Mounties, and without the black lights touching my skin none of them know exactly who it is walking amongst them.

Ash leads us far enough away that Avery won’t be able to see us clearly, and that’s my first clue that he’s up to no good.

The second is the fucking panty-melting grin he gives me when he turns around to dance with me. Harley’s chest rumbles with laughter against my back as Ash stoops down to kiss me, clutching my hips to move us both in a grinding sway with the music. He’s not a natural at this style of dancing like Harley is but, fuck, the grind of his hips and the sweep of his tongue on mine render me incapable of doing much more than swaying. The other people dancing disappear completely as my world narrows down to the three of us and the touch of their skin on mine. Harley’s mouth traces the tendons of my neck, nipping and sucking, and I know for sure that I’m not going to leave this party with my dignity.

It’s fucking worth it.

Harley’s hands slide up from where he was gripping my waist, then slip underneath the lace of the teddy to roll my nipples until I’m grinding back on his dick and panting into Ash’s mouth. Ash cups my soaking pussy through the lingerie and pauses for a second until I nod, breaking away from his lips to drop my head onto Harley’s shoulder and moan like a whore having a great day at work. I fucking love it.

Harley bites down on my shoulder, his eyes glued to my body to where Ash is tugging and shifting the teddy until he has room to touch me properly. The teddy has snaps along the crotch and I’m so fucking desperate I think about ripping it open, but I don’t think either of them would be happy with me being bared to the whole dance floor like that. I don’t think anyone has noticed us, there’s a naked couple fucking on the bar so no one gives a fuck, but I know my guys.

It’s like my nod to Ash unleashes the restraint he’s been showing for weeks and he’s merciless now that he has his hands on me. He slips a finger inside me and after a few quick pumps he adds another, raking them over my G spot sporadically like a fucking tease until I’m a babbling mess. I give him a stern look, but he’s smirking at me like a smug dick and when his thumb brushes over my clit, in the lightest freaking touch, I want to cry.