Page 89 of Play The Game

I smile and say, “I can show you the best places to stab without making too much of a mess. DNA can be hard to completely clean off.”

Harley smirks and shrugs at me. “Do tell, babe. I love hearing about your life skills. The Bay does teach girls valuable lessons.”

I quirk an eyebrow at him and Blaise cackles at us both. “You two flirt like fucking serial killers, it’s fucking hilarious. C’mon then, Star. Tell us where you’d stab… that guy. The one who will die if he keeps staring at your tits like that.”

The guy, who’s sitting three chairs down, shits himself and darts off, leaving behind his bag, lunch, and dignity.

“I wouldn’t stab him. I’d castrate him. Have you ever skinned someone before? If you do it right, it takes some time to work your way down to the layers of fat and muscle. You can technically peel a dick like a banana until there’s nothing fucking left.”

Blaise turns green and gags but Harley smirks, his eyes twinkling.

“Who taught you that, babe?”

I shrug. “Doc. I was thirteen and he taught me the birds and the bees. Then he rolled a corpse in and showed me all the best ways to hurt any guy who tried to touch me without consent.”

Blaise nods but still looks green. He really does love his dick that much.

I finish my lunch in peace now we’ve subdued the sheep, and Harley tucks me under his arm to walk us back to our classes. There’s something about being pressed against his body, safely tucked into him, that slows my brain down and brings me some peace.

I only wish I could have it all the time.

TWENTY-SEVEN

Avery arrives back to Hannaford with a white board and a steely determination like never before. I don’t know if it’s a result of her date, or just something that her deviously gifted mind has come up with, but I stare at it for a solid minute before I finally ask her what it’s for.

She stops in front of it and props a hand on her hip, blowing on her coffee absently. “I feel like the best way to keep everyone on the same page about what we’re dealing with is the board. I’ll let the boys all know they can add to it if a new threat appears. We can’t keep overlooking things because one person knows something the others don’t. One board, total honesty, and fuck everyone who gets in our way.”

I snort at her and take a gulp. “If a new threat appears, we might need to move the boys, Diarmuid, Illi, and Odie into our room. Stash them under the beds or something.”

Avery grimaces. “I can’t think of anything worse. Odie’s fine and Illi’s hot enough, but Diarmuid sounds like a dick.”

I smirk. “We could take bets on which guy snaps and kills him first?”

“I’d be the first. I’d pay Illi to do it for me,” Avery snarks and sips at her drink.

I nod along. “I know how worried you’ve been about Dairmuid. Inducting him is fucking risky and I’m still not sure how I can get out of it without making him our next threat. Snipers and sharpshooters are not people you want hunting you.”

Avery squints at me, then sighs. “I want to take him out for what he said about you. What, you’re the only one allowed to be protective? You’re my Mounty; I’d stab anyone who implied you’re a whore for loving those idiot boys. I’m still trying to figure out if I’m locking the doors and setting this place on fire after graduation or poisoning the water to take out all of the little jealous bitches here.”

I blush and take another sip of my coffee. Changing the subject seems like the best idea. “What are we going to do about the Morrisons?”

She frowns. “I’m going to very slowly, and very carefully, destroy that man’s business, family, and will to live. The Morrisons are clean, but everyone has a price. I have some… feelers out.”

Right. Feelers. Why does that make me fucking nervous? “Don’t do anything to put yourself in danger, Aves. I can just climb through his window and slit his throat in his sleep.”

Avery laughs at me, like it’s all just a big joke. “I will say, getting Ash pissed off about everything that's going on was the best present you have ever given me. He’s been very… motivated to help me.”

Fuck, that makes me even more nervous. “What have you guys done?”

She lifts her coffee cup up for a sip. “You’ll see, Mounty. You worry about your issues on the board, and I’ll take care of mine.”

Every time I take a breath at Hannaford and think my life is settling into a pattern, something else happens to remind me that isn’t my life.

We’re in my least favorite class of the day when Ms. Vivienne decides to make the next move on the board in her attempts to pry Harley away from me.

She looks over the class with this smug little smirk that sets my teeth on edge, and it’s my first warning that she’s about to start her personal brand of bullshit.

“I’ve made some changes to the syllabus to reflect on the changes that have happened in our classroom.”