Play the Game: Hannaford Prep Year Three

by J Bree

  Okay, glass houses and all that shit.

  I’m not technically having any orgies, despite Avery’s snarky comments. Also, how many people does there need to be involved before it’s classed as an orgy? Fuck it, off topic.

  I manage to keep my cool until classes finish for the day and then I drag Avery down to the gym for a training session, intent on sweating my rage out.

  She’s gotten pretty good at kicking my ass. I’m still going easy on her because I know she’s a little hesitant about the knife, but I’ve found the best way to get her over that is to talk about what I’ve done in the past. She loves it when I walk her through scenarios, like she’s learning a skill and piecing together more of my past. I think she wants to know everything that has ever happened to me, but there will always be things I’d rather never speak of again.

  When my body hits the mat for the fifth time my fury has burned out enough to talk it out.

  “Why Harley? Like, of all the dicks on this school she could climb, why him?” I’m totally fucking pouting. Thank fuck he isn’t around to see it. His head would probably get so big it would explode.

  Avery helps me off the floor and then hands me a bottle of water. “I’ve looked everywhere for a link to the Jackal and I can’t find one. They’ve never crossed paths as far as I can see. I think she’s just a desperate whore. A dirty, desperate whore who enjoys a challenge.”

  I nod and wipe my face with my shirt, ignoring the face Avery pulls over it. “He is fucking gorgeous, the bastard.”

  Avery shrugs. “There’s plenty of gorgeous guys at Hannaford that she can have, you just don’t notice them because you’re too busy drooling over the three you’re obsessed with.”

  “Rude.” I grumble and Avery cocks an eyebrow at me, smirking at my attitude.

  “It’s an observation, not a judgment.”

  “Fine but you don’t need to be so smug about it.” God, I sound whiney. I need to harden the fuck up.

  She scoffs at me and gets back into position. She changes the subject because she’s a saint. “I spoke to Atticus again. He’s pretty adamant I go to the Charity Gala this year, and he said he’s going to dance with me there.”

  Fuck. I need to look this guy up, make sure he’s not some rapist asshole. I make a note to talk to Ash and see why he hates him so much. I wonder if Harley likes him?

  “Ash and I both have invitations with plus ones. I’ll take Blaise and Ash will take you. Harley has a swim meet and now that he’s taking his swimming more seriously he’s going to go. He’ll be pissy, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Well, I could have the Gala date moved I guess. How badly do you want to see Harley in a three-piece suit?”

  I try not to drool at the thought. She doesn’t need any encouragement in her assessment of me. “It’s fine. I’m sure being around you lot there will be other Galas to attend.”

  Avery laughs at my fake-ass airy tone and waves a hand at me. “Okay, no more distractions. Walk me through another. I think I’m almost ready to start stabbing my enemies myself.”

  I raise an eyebrow at her. “Any requests, Miss Bloodthirsty?”

  She nods and hesitates for a second. I roll my eyes at her. “Just ask. I’m not going to lose my mind over it and if I don’t want to do it I’ll say no.”

  The door to the gym opens and I don’t have to turn to see it’s the guys. They’re bickering and talking shit loud enough for Illi to hear it down in the Bay.

  Avery lowers her voice. “I want to know how you won the Game. How you beat the last two men.”

  I stare at her for a second and then shrug. It’s an old memory, not something I think too much about. Why not use it?

  Blaise slips his arms around me and tugs me until I’m leaning back against his chest. I smirk at Avery and say, “Sure. We even have volunteers to be our victims.”

  Blaise cackles, squeezing me a little, and Harley swoops down to kiss my cheek, murmuring quietly, “I’ll be your victim any day, babe.”

  I smirk at them all and pull away from Blaise, directing them all until they’re where I need them to be. Ash stands with Avery, intent on learning everything I’m teaching her as well. It’s a well calculated move from him; they all need to know how to read a situation and no one is better at it than Avery or me. If they’re going up against the Jackal with me, they need to learn when to fight and when to manipulate.

  I point at Blaise. “Do you want to be a loud idiotic beefcake or a silent, calculating sociopath?”

  Harley cuts in before I finish the sentence. “He’s the idiot. Where are we standing?”

  Blaise scoff but nods along, “If anyone is the beefcake it’s you, dickhead, you’re going to fucking sink next time you get in the pool. Lay off the weights when you’re frustrated at being stuck with the cougar, man, maybe have a wank instead.”

  He continues, but I zone out their bickering easier than I breathe air so I just direct them into their places and then I stand between the twins. Avery cools the arguing off with a single look and I’m a little jealous at her superpowers.

  “Right, Blaise is Geordie. He’s made it to the last three by sheer size so far. He’s easily four times bigger than me, he sees me as a nothing job. He doesn’t pay any attention to me at all.”

  Avery nods and tilts her head. “He’s focused on the other male contender.”

  “Exactly. Harley is playing the part of Xavier. The best way to describe him is to say he was a sober Joey. All of the psychosis, none of the manic.”

  Avery shudders and I squeeze her hand. “Just watch and listen this time. Right, Geordie lunges at Xavier. What’s the plan, Aves? Ash?”

  Ash waves a hand. “Let them fight. Then you only have one to take out, and hopefully whoever is left is injured.”

  I nod, oddly impressed that he’s thinking it through. I shouldn’t be; he’s always been the level headed one. Except for the entire year he insisted I was evil; that one time he was an emotional asshole.

  Avery frowns. “You can’t just watch them though, if Geordie lands even a single hit on Lips she could be out. You’d have to be watching for an opening to take him out.”

  Harley crosses his arms, watching me just a little too closely. “Xavier is the real danger. Joey sees fucking everything, even as high as he is. He picks up all the little shit that you guys do. If you’re standing there watching, he’d be trying to find a way to throw Geordie at you.”

  Avery shrugs. “What did you do, Lips?”

  I step up and slip the fake knife we practice with out of my pocket. Harley gets Blaise in a headlock at my directions and I stand behind him.

  “I danced around them, never letting them get too close to me intentionally. I knew I had to wait for Xavier to be dealing the killing blow to Geordie. This was before my leg was destroyed and I was faster than any of them. Eventually, Xavier got impatient and stabbed Geordie, waiting long enough for blood loss to weaken him and then went about strangling him.”

  I press the knife into Harley’s Achilles tendons and push him to kneel, dragging Blaise down with him, grunting in protest, but being a good sport overall. Fuck. I didn’t think this one through at all.

  I shoot Avery a look and she raises an eyebrow at me. “Remember you asked me to show you. This was you’re doing.”

  She frowns at me and Ash crosses his arms. “Well, hurry up then.”

  Ugh. I lean forward and whisper in Harley’s ear, “Please don’t be a dick about it, Avery will murder us both.”

  And that is the only warning I give him before putting him into a chokehold and using my free arms to grab a fist full 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 were 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!” Bla
ise 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 boulder 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 blood thirsty 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 then she already is.

  Chapter Seventeen

  We fall back into a steady routine, the events of the party and our time away during fall break 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 studies that I’m fucking impressed as shit at him. He refuses to fool around until his studies are done and we’ve worked on my vocal training. 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 I think 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 he has the funds.”

  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-tonne 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 and pull away from him.

  “She’s fine. We need to go. We need to find the others, fuck.” I mumble, and he tucks me under his arm.

  “Avery’s already text to ask why we’re late to lunch. Let’s go eat and you can tell us what the hell is happening now.”

  I nod distractedly and let him guide me to the dining hall. The others have already gotten our lunches and are sitting in our usual seats. I’m relieved there’s a little buffer of empty chairs around them and one look at the thunder on Ash’s face tells me he’s the reason.

  “You okay?” Harley calls out as soon as Blaise has me in earshot and Blaise shrugs at him.

  I step up to my usual seat next to Avery but I take a second to think before I sit down. Apparently that’s the wrong thing to do because the tension at the table suddenly heightens until I’m choking on it.

  “What the fuck has happened now?” Ash hisses, and I quickly drop to my seat.

  “I’m trying to decide if I should say it here or drag Harley away so he doesn’t rage out and flip the whole fucking table.” I mumble and Ash’s eyes narrow.

  I sigh and turn to Harley before blurting it out. “The Jackal sent men after your mom.”

  His face shuts down, his body turning to stone and his cutlery drops to crash down on his plate. I reach over and grab his hand, squeezing until I know he’s listening.

  “Illi dealt with them. He called to let me know he’s staying with her for now, but we need to move her somewhere more secure, somewhere far enough away that the Jackal forgets about her until we can… deal with him.”

  Avery immediately takes over. She’s out of her seat and snapping orders down the phone as she moves to the door for privacy. We’re too close to where the teachers are sitting for comfort. The Jackal has eyes in the school and we still don’t know who they are.

  “I’m sorry.” I croak, and Harley’s eyes flash up to meet mine.

  “Don’t apologize for that sick fuck; this is payback for us provoking him. Well, fuck him. I’m not giving you up.” He says, his free hand closing over the little gold locket at his neck.

  I feel like a monster.

  All my bullshit is at our door.

  Ash watches us both and then says, “Liam’s been trying to kill her for years, Mounty. Adding the Jackal to the mix barely changes things. We all have demons stalking us, don’t take it out on yourself.”

  My eyes flick over to him. “What’s eating you today?”

  His mask settles into place and he turns back to his food. “Joey.”

  I groan. Haven’t we gotten away from that psycho? “What’s the little fucker done now?”

  Ash gives me a curt shake of his head that I interpret as not here but could be fuck off for all I know. Blaise snorts and starts on his lunch.

  Harley turns his hand to lace his fingers through mine. “I guess I’m going to have to thank Illi now, aren’t I?” He says, a little wryly.

  I fight the smile threatening to break out over my face and say, “He loves a good muffin basket. Even better if there’s blueberry.�
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  By the end of the day Avery has Harley’s mom transferred to a safe facility in Switzerland with a permanent armored guard. Illi stays with her until she’s on the plane and, though he won’t admit it, Harley is fucking relieved to have him there.

  I still feel guilty.

  I go through the motions for the rest of the day; dinner with Avery, studying with Blaise, then we work on my singing until Avery comes home. Blaise notices how crappy I’m feeling and slips me his iPod before he leaves, kissing me sweetly until Avery bitches him out on her way to the shower.

  I climb straight into bed, messing around with the iPod to find a song that will help slow my brain down, when I hear the sound of keys in the door. I frown at the sound. It’s barely ten pm, Harley never gets here before midnight.

  Ash locks the door behind himself and stomps over to my bed, pulling the sweatshirt he’s wearing off and climbing in wearing only his boxer shorts. He sighs and flings an arm over his eyes, channeling the drama of his morbid best friend, but the move only makes his chest look broader.

  Oh fuck.

  I try to focus on the blank mask over his features, because something has pushed him to come here, but he is something else to look at. A half naked Ash Beaumont has angels freaking weeping at his feet.

  I clear my throat twice while I attempt to focus on something other than his nipples but it’s hard work. He snorts at me, rolling over to tug me into his arms, and the icy depths of his eyes cool me off a little.

  “Has something happened?” I murmur, holding my breath as I wait for his answer because I have so many things on the planner I can’t think about another one. I had pushed Joey out of my mind for now, Senior being the bigger threat.

  “Are you planning on killing Joey?” Ash mumbles, his eyes screwing shut, and I grimace.