Page 46 of Play The Game

“Who’s the hot piece you came in with? She a part of your crew?” the Coyote continues, and I give him a look.

“She’s mine,” I say with a flat tone, and I meet the Crow’s gaze across the table. My breath catches as the steel gray of his eyes cut me. He might not have a target on me, but he’s as dangerous as the Jackal and I treat him just as carefully, the same way you’d handle a bomb. I don’t need any extra bullshit going on in our lives right now.

After a minute he dips his head to me and says, “Has my protection been sufficient?”

“Exemplary, as expected,” I say and he nods, almost amicably.

The Boar finally arrives, clothed, and has three giant bikers in tow with big bushy beards and cuts covered in patches. He’s in the same club as Harbin is, but they’re not exactly on friendly terms, and the guys he’s brought with him today aren’t great. I’m not exactly pleased when they stand next to Harley, and Illi sends them all a warning look. Fuck.

The Jackal calls the meeting to a start, forcing me to finally look at him. There’s a tension in the air that’s present at all of these meetings but when his gaze stays fixed on mine, I can feel the shift around the table. The other members are all taking note; he’s not attempting to hide the possessive obsession from the others anymore. Just what I need. I stare him down because sending a guy out of the city to kill Harley was the last fucking straw. I’m done trying to find a casualty-free way of fixing this.

I’m going to war.

The Jackal runs through some squabbles the bigger players are having with turf wars and cops getting involved, and I keep my mouth firmly shut. No one cares about my opinion on these things and I don’t care enough about it to offer them any advice. I just want to be left the fuck alone. It gets heated pretty quickly, and I sit back to enjoy watching the Crow shut the Jackal down at every pass. With their empires rivaling each other in size, the Crow is often the one to put the Jackal in his place.

If only he weren’t a terrifying, coldly-calculating man, I’d actually like the Crow.

Finally, the Ox speaks and shuts the rest of them up, “Are we not going to talk about the fact that the Vulture is dead and his killer is standing here with us, protected by one of us?”

I don’t freeze or flinch. I just stare them all down.

“Are you going to explain yourself, Wolf?” the Jackal taunts, and I finally look up at him. He’s smug and so fucking arrogant as he calls me out, but fuck him.

“No. I’m not. Unless you have proof the Butcher did it, move on.”

The Viper sneers at me, rubbing at the stumps on his hand where his missing fingers once were. “He killed a member. If you’re willing to overlook that, then you’re spitting in the face of the institution of the Twelve. Maybe we need to dispose of you, too.”

I hold my hand up because I know Illi is just about to start throwing knives and shooting people for my protection, and I don’t even want to know what’s going through Harley’s head. Fuck.

Staring the bookie down, I give the man nothing to use against me. “I’ve known the Butcher a long time, you know that better than most, Viper. We’ve been negotiating his induction for most of that time, hashing out the finer details. I believe him when he says he had nothing to do with the Vulture’s death. If any of you have proof that he’s guilty, I will happily hand him over.”

Blatant fucking lie, I’d never sell him out and he knows it, but he’s also sworn there’s no evidence of his crime so it’s a lie I’m willing to take the risk in telling.

“He’s been telling people for years he’d kill the Vulture for what he did to that pathetic French slut, of course he fucking did it!” the Viper snaps, and again I hold my hand up though I know it must be killing Illi to stay silent on this one.

“Exactly. If he’s been saying it for years, why now? Why wait until the Vulture’s business was bigger, his protection stronger, and thousands more girls have been sold? He wanted to kill him, but he didn’t want to mess with the Twelve. Now the Vulture’s death tipped in my favor and he’s finally agreed to my terms to become one of mine. So, I’m not saying I’m happy the Vulture is dead, but I’m very pleased with the outcome.”

The Bear nods at me like my reasoning is sound and, for a second, I think I’ve won.

Nope.

Of course not, the Jackal would never let it go now I’ve openly defied him.

He smirks at me like this is his favorite game, cornering me and bending me, hoping I’ll break. I know for a fact it is. “I don’t find that plausible at all. Majority rules, Wolf, and unless you’re going to call in your favors you’re not going to get the majority here.”

My favors. He wants to force me into using them. Even he doesn’t know how many I really have and, though I don’t want to use any more than I have to tonight, I will. I only need six votes.

“Fuck the favors, the Wolf has my vote,” the Boar grunts, and the Jackal’s head snaps over to him. I admit, I’m kind of shocked too. He’s probably one of the last members I’d expect to back me.

He shrugs. “She’s been nothing but true to the Twelve, and she’s taken every job I’ve ever asked from her. If she wants him in her crew then so be it; it’s her own back that will be knifed if he’s not loyal.”

The Jackal grits his teeth and says, “Any other votes in favor.”

I hold my breath.

After a beat, the Bear, Fox, Coyote, and Lynx all make some noise or motion of voting yes. I only need one more and just as I open my mouth to call in a favor with the Ox, who owes me quite a few, the Crow says, “Aye. Majority wins, the Butcher is spared.”

I glance over to him, but his eyes are on the Jackal. Their little rivalry has worked to my advantage, thank fuck.