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“We’ve already talked about this.”
“Yeah, and you’re being stubborn,” she says with an edge. Ezra frowns over at me in question, but I shrug because I have no idea what they’re talking about.
“I’m being stubborn because I don’t want you any more involved than you already are,” Nico says. She narrows her eyes at him for a moment, a silent stare-off between them.
“Are you going to do it?” she asks Nico. He looks away. “You are?!” She sits forward, her interest piqued.
“The less you know the better.”
“No way! It was my idea; I want to be there. You think I can just sit at the hotel all day every day for a week and not go crazy worrying about what’s happening?”
He leans forward with a sigh, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Anyone gonna fill us in?” Ezra asks, sounding more pissed than curious. Harlow looks over at us before looking back to Nico.
“Harlow,” he warns, but she ignores him, spinning in her seat to face us.
“I had an idea...”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Nico
The weeks pass quicker than any of us would like. It feels like I blink and the night before The Games is upon us. The anxiety and frustration I have swirling around inside me grows, and getting called into an impromptu meeting with my father doesn’t exactly abate it. I haven’t seen him since the day he and my uncle had Harlow in their office. I think I’ve spent every night at Harlow’s place, and neither of them have shown their face at any of the sessions. Figures that they’d keep away from the hard work.
I’m on my way to meet Harlow and the guys, so I send her a quick text saying I’ll meet them at the bar instead. Ezra thinks a normal night of a few drinks is a good idea before it all kicks off, and to be honest, I’m not disagreeing with him. Feeling normal and going out with my girl is exactly what I want, which is why it’s even more irritating that my father has decided this evening is the time to discuss something. No doubt it’s a last-minute lecture on how important these Games are forus, as if the most important person in my life hasn’t been dragged into themforus.
I rap my knuckles on the door before pushing it open and find my father in his usual seat behind the desk, my uncle sitting opposite. I take the empty seat next to my uncle.
“We have some news for you, Nico,” my father starts, with no preamble. Good, get to the point. “We have submitted our team.”
“Youwhat?”
“This year, they requested a list of participants a week before The Games. They’ve also capped the number for each challenge, so you see, we had to move fast.”
“You didn’t think to tell me this? To get my input on the teamItrained?”
“Please calm your theatrics,” he drawls in a bored tone, and I have to take a deep breath to rein in my frustration.
“How many?”
“Fifty.” Previous years, we’ve entered up to two hundred—this means having a maximum of ten per round, and we’ll have to hope we don’t lose too many to injury in the early rounds. I just hope to fuck he managed to pick the best people. If anything, he’s obsessed with winning, so that should work in our favor. “I pulled the best ten from each division. Surprisingly, that included your little Harlow.” That doesn’t surpriseme, but it does shoot dread into my veins.
“I wouldn’t have thought she’d be on your winning team,” I say.
“You’d be right. I was prepared to sacrifice one spot just to keep you motivated, but lo and behold, she excels beyond my expectations.” My chest feels tight from the up and down of my hope, but now it’s in the gutter. Harlow is officially competing for the Seconds in The Games.
“Is that what you got me here to tell me?”
“No. Another rule change came in.”
“Why are they changing the rules right before The Games?”
He slams his fist on the table. “No idea, son. The current victors have a lot of sway. Maybe they think shaking things up will throw the others off. What we need to focus on is taking their title.” Which is what’s pissing him off more, I assume. He likes to think he knows everything; these last-minute changes prove otherwise.
“So, what is it?”
“Participants for each round will be picked ahead of time... by the leader of an opposing team.”
