Page 60 of Play The Game

And that is the only warning I give him before putting him into a chokehold and using my free arms to grab a fistful of Blaise’s hair to hold him still while I ‘stab’ him through the eye and ‘kill’ him. How did I have free arms to do this while strangling Harley, you may ask?

My thighs.

My thighs are wrapped around Harley’s neck, ankles locked and squeezing just enough that he knows how fucked he really would be if I wanted to take him out.

“Holy fucking shit, Star!” Blaise sputters as he watches Harley very slowly, and I hope peacefully, grow weak from lack of oxygen. I let him go before he actually passes out, and Ash gapes at me.

“Then once he’s out I find a rock and smash his skull in. There was a crowd watching and I didn’t want anyone watching thinking I was afraid to get my hands dirty. Half of the power of the Twelve is the rumors that precede us and as a starving teenage girl, I couldn’t risk looking weak.”

There’s a sort of reverent, stunned silence for a second.

“Okay, teach me how to do that. Now, Mounty, I need to be able to do that. You looked like an assassin seductress, I’m in.” Avery gushes, her eyes lit up like I’ve just handed her a box of blood diamonds.

“Fucking Christ, we’re going to have two of them bloodthirsty and trained,” Harley croaks, and I lean down to kiss him sweetly in apology. He smirks into the kiss, fisting my hair in one hand and cupping my jaw in the other.

“I can think of worse ways of dying, babe. Your legs wrapped around my neck might just be my preferred way to go.”

Avery snaps at us both and I pull away, ready to torture my boyfriends for a few hours while I arm Avery with enough knowledge to be a danger to society.

Well, more of a danger than she already is.

SEVENTEEN

We fall back into a steady routine, the events of the party and our long weekend away fading into the background with so much classwork to get done.

Harley is still barely around and I miss him so goddamn much it’s like a hole in my chest. Ash is quieter and more reserved the longer we’re back, but I decide to wait him out. There’s no point pushing him, he’ll only snark and hiss like the lovable asshole he is.

Blaise becomes so focused on his grades that I’m fucking impressed as shit at him. He refuses to fool around until his work is done and we’ve worked on my vocal training, which still rattles me no matter how long we’ve been doing it. I’m usually so shaky after we’re done that he won’t do much more than kiss me, but fuck it feels good to finally hear myself sing without vomiting.

I think Blaise likes being able to help me, to teach me, and not always be the student. Plus it doesn’t take a genius to figure out he finds my voice a turn-on, more often than not he has to use his bag to cover himself when Avery gets back from ballet. There’s nothing that girl likes more than threatening some dicks.

I start to relax a little. Just enough that I’m once again caught unaware by the next move on the board.

I’m sitting in Choir with Blaise, trying to ignore the sick feeling of dread in my stomach as we warm up, when my phone starts vibrating insistently in my pocket. My rock god boyfriend raises his eyebrows at me and I shrug, knowing there’s only one person outside of Hannaford who would be calling.

Well, two but I doubt I’m on the Jackal’s speed dial these days.

When class finally comes to an end, I check my phone and see Illi has called eight times and left three messages. I duck into a little alcove in the hallway to call him back, anxiety creeping up my spine. Blaise crowds into the little nook, his broad shoulders covering me from prying eyes and I lean my forehead onto his chest while I wait for Illi to answer.

“Is Odie okay?” I whisper the second I hear the phone pick up. Blaise wraps me into his arms at my quiet tone.

There’s a beat of silence and then Illi sighs heavily down the phone. “You’re too good for this fucked-up world we’re in. My girl is safe, kid. I’m calling to let you know I’ve just had to have a stern chat with three more guys sent by our friend.” Translation: he’s just killed three of the Jackal’s men. He doesn’t wait for me to comment. “They were sent up the coast, kid. They were sent after Iris, to finish what that dickhead Liam started.”

I suck in a breath. Fuck. How the hell had I forgotten about Harley’s mom? Of course the Jackal would go after her, she’s a sitting fucking duck! Blaise runs a hand up and down my spine gently, resting his cheek on the top of my head.

“I’m only saying this in a phone call because I don’t want to leave her. You might want to suggest to your little mobster that he send her somewhere a little more secure now that he has the funds.”

Closing my eyes and centering myself with a heavy sigh, I finally find my voice again. “I’ll sort it. Thank you, Illi. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

He chuckles down the phone and says, “You have my back, kid, and you have from the first day we met. I’ll have yours until I stop fucking breathing. Tell Arbour not to worry, I’ll keep her safe until you can move her.”

I end the call and let Blaise hold me until I can figure out my plan of action.

Avery is already handling Harley’s fortune. The moment the money hit my accounts, I had her move the money into investment accounts she had set up for him. It’s a fuck-ton of money, and he could easily pay for his mom to move to any facility in the world. Avery will know what to do.

The problem is I have to tell him first.

“Is his wife alive?” Blaise mumbles, and I shake myself out of my thoughts as I pull away from him.