Page 68 of Play The Game

Blaise glares at him. “Oh, are we trading psychotic tendencies now? What’s your preferred method of killing a man?”

Ash smirks and says, “Whatever is required to make sure they stay dead.”

I should find this conversation unsettling.

Whelp, I don’t. I’m suddenly squirming in my chair at the dark parts of them all.

I clear my throat twice, a sure giveaway of what’s on my mind from the looks they all give me, and say, “I’m going to get everyone ghost guns. Completely untraceable. Just for emergencies now that the Jackal is being careless and sending guys out to catch us unaware.”

The guys all share a look and something tightens in my chest. Avery slips her hand in mine, ready to take my side with whatever they’re planning, and I’m so fucking glad she’s with me.

Finally, Ash takes a sip of his bourbon and pegs me with a look. “We need to stop with this ‘waiting around’ bullshit and start being offensive. He’s not going to stop until we take him out.”

I try not to groan at him but it escapes me anyway. “Do you understand the risks of that? Really? Do you get how much blood will be on your hands, and the cleanup involved? I know we have the finances to back us but fuck, it’s a lot. I’ve lived it. I woke up every day knowing I’m going to kill countless people and pray I’m not going to go down for it. Are you all prepared for that too? Because I’ve been working my ass off to keep you all out of it and… clean.”

Harley cuts me a look, arrogant and haughty. “We’re not clean though, are we? None of us are. Even Morrison has blood on him. We’re going to figure this out, and we’re going to fucking kill the Jackal and every last one of his loyal followers. No more peaceful attempts at resolution.”

I give Blaise a curious look, interested to know what blood he has on him. I know he’s not afraid of a fight, and will jump in to defend his friends without a second thought, but I’d never guessed he’d done anything more than that.

They’re all watching me, watching for an answer and I’m not sure I really have one, but I squeeze Avery’s hand anyway and say, “Okay. Offensive it is. We’ll hunt the Jackal.”

TWENTY

Friday morning I find Blaise missing from our history class, and I can’t concentrate on a thing the cougar whore says because I don’t know where the fuck he is. Harley notices me twitching and tells me Blaise has gone to an appointment in Haven, and I send the utter dickhead a pissy text about security and threats and murderous sociopaths stalking us all.

He ignores me.

After seething through the rest of my classes for the day, Ash tucks me under his arm as we follow Avery back up to our room. She’s happy enough on her phone that she barely notices we’re there and it’s not Ash collapses on our couch with a sigh, throwing his bag down and ripping his shoes off, that her mood shifts in an instant and she’s snarling at him for messing shit up. I head to the coffee machine. Caffeine is necessary for my survival.

Blaise arrives to family dinner half an hour later, covered in bandages and for a second my heart stops, then I see the easy grin on his face and I know he’s fine. He winks at me and I blush when Avery cackles at the stupefied look I give him.

“I told you, I’m filling in the rest of my canvas, Star,” he murmurs as he bundles me into his arms, kissing me chastely under Avery’s watchful glare.

“Are you going to tell me what you got?” I grumble, and he laughs at me.

“You’ll have to wait and see. Or bribe me, I’m easily bought. Flash me some pink, Wolf.”

I jab him in the stomach but his solid muscles only hurt my hand. Ash smirks at me and tugs me over to sit on his lap in front of the TV while we wait for dinner. Avery is on an Italian kick and refuses to let me help out now she’s making pasta by hand.

She’s the weirdest rich kid in the fucking building, but God do I love her.

“Stop giving my sister lustful looks, Mounty,” Ash snarks, and I elbow him.

“She’s my favorite, I hope you know that,” I snark back, and he slips his hand down my waist until he gets to the hem of my shorts. My eyes flare and then narrow at him.

“I’m your favorite,” he mumbles into the skin on my neck.

I shake my head, mostly to clear it. “Nope. Definitely Avery. You’re my second favorite Beaumont though, so don’t feel too bad about it.”

His eyes fucking sparkle at me with evil intent, and I gulp. I try to move out of his lap and his arms only tighten, trapping me.

“Don’t run off. I’m fucking hungry, Mounty.”

I blush. My heart stutters in my chest at the warm honey tone in his voice, something I’ve never heard from him before. Even when we had laid together in bed all those months ago in the Bay, his dirty talk had been whispered and decisive. Not this coaxing.

I can’t fucking handle Ash Beaumont seduction if it’s like this.

“Dinner’s ready!” Avery calls out, and Ash huffs.