Page 73 of Play The Game

I smirk at him. “Your siblings are under my protection and you can tell your father that. If either of you attempt to harm them in any way you answer to the Wolf of Mounts Bay.”

Joey’s eyes narrow, the knife in his hands still pointing in my direction. “Are you fucking him, too?”

Illi snorts, “How the fuck are you still alive? Go back to the children’s table, dickhead. The crack has set you back a few years if you can’t figure it out.”

Ash smirks at Illi, the first somewhat friendly interaction they’ve had. “He’s alive because he hides behind his father, he always has. He’s too fucking stupid to be a real danger. If we wipe him from the board, we’ll face Senior, but we can take him on. I vote we kill him.”

Avery sighs quietly, low enough that Joey won’t hear it, but I do. I slip my hand into hers under the table.

“Yes, well, little brother, you should know by now that Father will kill the little slum cunt. And the pathetic bitch you shared a womb with. I’d personally like him to take the gangster’s slut too. She’d look perfect strapped on his table. All that blond hair… just like Mom.”

Harley manages to get an arm across Ash’s chest before he flips the table, but it’s Avery I’m watching. I need to know if we’re changing the plan because there are too many witnesses here.

Joey laughs, throwing his head back and sounding like a fucking loon. “You’ll always be fucking weak if you’re taking orders from pussy.”

Ash smirks and points the knife at Joey, a deranged light in his own eyes, only this one sets my blood alight. “That’s your problem, Joey. You’re too fucking stupid to notice when you’re outmatched, and, brother, you’re so far out of your league now you can’t even see it.”

The courses steadily get worse.

By the time dessert comes out, I won’t even say what it is but I don’t think Illi will ever hear the word ‘foam’ again without feeling queasy and enraged. Joey’s hands have now progressed from a fine tremble to full-blown shakes. Avery watches them as closely as I do, her appetite disappearing as it becomes clear he’s burning his way to a rage-out, and fast.

After dessert is served, Joey takes a phone call and leaves the dining hall, blowing Odie a kiss because he must be the dumbest motherfucker on the planet, and some of the tension leaks out of Avery.

The waiters clear our plates and everyone stands to leave. Well, we stand to leave. The other students, parents, and teachers all start to mingle and network like this has been a lovely, productive dinner. I’d rather gouge my own eyeballs out than stay here.

“I’ll hunt the little fuck down for you and finish him off,” Illi murmurs, and I shake my head.

“Despite what Ash said, the plan is still to leave him for now.”

Ash snorts and tucks me under his arm protectively. “I think we should contact Morningstar and give him a counter-offer. Whatever the fee is I’ll pay it.”

I groan at him but it’s not the worst idea.

As we walk back toward the dorms, Blaise’s dad starts to grill him about me.

Namely, why Ash is draped all over me if I’m Blaise’s girlfriend. I pretend that I’m ignoring the dick, but I hold my breath while I wait for the answer.

“We’re in a poly relationship. It works,” Blaise says, and Avery’s eyes are impressed as they catch mine.

His father makes a noise of disgust and I tug out of Ash’s arm, just enough to turn around and give the vile man my best impression of Avery’s ball-shriveling glare.

“You seem to be having trouble getting it; no one here gives a fuck about you or your shitty opinions. If you want to continue breathing, you’ll keep them to yourself,” I say, low and even-toned. The color seeps out of his cheeks and he glances at his miserable son.

“What the fuck have you gotten yourself into now?” he mumbles, snapping his fingers at Blaise’s mom and tearing off down the hall without even saying goodbye.

I take a deep breath to stop myself from chasing after them and stabbing him through the eye, and Ash tugs me back into his side.

“Sorry, Star,” Blaise murmurs, and I shake my head at him.

It’s been a clusterfuck sort of night.

Avery slips her arm through mine and frowns down at her phone as I help direct her. Illi grouches about the shitty dinner, and Odie laughs at Harley’s snarky comments. I enjoy it for about thirty seconds, then we round the corner and find Joey and two of Senior’s bodyguards waiting for us at the bottom of the staircase. Great. Perfect.

I move to tuck Avery behind Blaise and he nods at me, understanding my silent instruction to protect her if this goes to shit. One of Joey’s babysitters takes a step forward and then falters when he sees Harley, second only to Illi in sheer width of muscle. Harley is itching to make them all bleed. Now he knows the extent of what Senior and Joey have been doing to his cousins, he wants to bleed them all the fuck out. He was civil enough during dinner because of the witnesses but now we’re alone, Joey is on thin ice.

I step forward, drawing his attention away from Ash. “You really are too stupid to survive, Joey.”

He grins at me, the whites showing all the way around his eyes so he looks fucking deranged. “Father told me to bring you home, Mounty. He’s eager to meet the fabled Wolf of Mounts Bay.”