The King's Men (All for the Game, #3)

by Nora Sakavic

"I know what he's like," Kevin said. Neil looked at him, but Kevin was studying his hands. "Riko. If you want to talk." It was the most awkward and uncomfortable thing Kevin had ever said to him.

He straightened and turned to find Andrew had shifted closer. There was nowhere for Neil to stand except up against Andrew, but somehow Neil didn't mind. They'd been apart for seven weeks but Neil keenly remembered why he'd stayed. He remembered this unyielding, unquestioning weight that could hold him and all of his problems up without breaking a sweat. For the first time in months he could finally breathe again. It was such a relief it was frightening; Neil hadn't meant to lean on Andrew so much.

"Did I break my promise or were you keeping yours?"

"Is your learning curve a horizontal line?"

"A week," Neil echoed. "That isn't fair." "No," Abby said, and cupped his face in her hands. "This isn't fair. None of this is."

"Proud of you," Wymack said. "Didn't ask."

Anyone have ideas on how to make Neil look a bit less like a battered wife?"

She'd put her faith in mankind and her Christian piety on hold and show him how to cut a man open throat to groin if he asked her to. Neil was starting to understand why Andrew liked her. She was crazy enough to be interesting.

"Tell your pet psycho to knock it off before he cripples someone."

"What will you give me in exchange for my cooperation?" Andrew asked. "Because revenge isn't good enough?" Neil asked. "What would it take?" Andrew didn't have to think about it. "Show me your scars."

Neil couldn't afford to lose track of these ladies.

"We've got how many hours until serve? This will all be out of my system by then. You can watch me take a shit if you don't believe me. I didn't think you were into that kind of thing but—ha," he crowed when Kevin stomped off. He flashed Neil a triumphant grin, oblivious to the way the store clerks were staring at them. "I am a master at persuasion."

"I'll watch them limp off my court," Dan said.

"Okay, sure, you don't ogle. You long-distance pine, which is a thousand times more nauseating."

"Oh, Jesus." Matt made another aborted reach for his truck, then settled for raking his hands through his hair.

You do not get to take offense when you force my hand."

Aaron was still looking at Andrew as if the answer to the universe was just out of reach.

Neil gestured, helpless and lost and awful.

"Don't you dare take his side." "Why not?" Nicky asked. "It's not like you've ever let me take yours."

"And I need you to derail that one-track fucking mind of yours for two seconds and focus on the fact that you are covered in someone or something's blood. Are you okay?"

Neil felt like he was drowning.

Andrew kissed him like this was a fight with their lives on the line, like his world stopped and started with Neil's mouth. Neil's heart stuttered to a stop at the first hard press of lips against his and he reached up without thinking. His hand made it as far as Andrew's jaw before he remembered Andrew didn't like to be touched. Neil caught hold of Andrew's coat sleeve instead and knotted his fingers in the heavy wool.

Andrew's kiss and abrupt retreat were equally bewildering.

Kevin wasn't so sour with them that he'd turn down a free snack.

So are you completely off-limits or are there any safe zones?"

he wasn't going anywhere without some violence.

The deal he'd struck with Andrew now looked as heartless as it'd been desperate.

It was implicit permission to keep being lazy,

"Only one way to be sure, right?" "You'll regret it."

For once Neil didn't want to be lying.

If Kevin got pounced Andrew would get involved and the violence would escalate to unforgivable levels.

"I'm sorry," Neil said. Nicky waved it off, thinking Neil was apologizing for the wait,

Every breath he gulped in was frantic and shallow, too short to make it to his lungs, just thick and quick enough to choke on.

His world narrowed down to the fire in his face.

That had to be enough.

"Don't take it personally." "I have to," Nathaniel said, voice hoarse with pain and hatred. "It's my life."

"I told you not to look," Stuart said.

"I've been a problem for nineteen years. I'm too tired to be one tonight.

Towns was unimpressed by that faint attempt at rebellion

knowing it wouldn't help at all but needing to try and quench that fire somehow.

The woman by the vending machine was a toss-up, but Nathaniel was inclined to think badly of everyone in his sights.

He caught hold of Nathaniel to turn his face forward again and shot Abby a look so vicious she stopped in her tracks. "Get away from us," Andrew said.

told Neil to stay," Andrew said. "Leave Nathaniel buried in Baltimore with his father."

"Everything I needed, you already gave me. You let me stay."

The living room wasn't meant to sleep nine bodies but somehow they made a workable nest out of it.

It took three tries before anyone inside heard him or realized that sound was someone asking to be let in.

"Yeah," Neil said. "I'm back."

the relief Neil felt was almost crippling.

"you are your father's son, and your father was someone to me.

Maybe they broke and carried pieces of Evermore with them the rest of their lives.