Play the Game (Hannaford Prep, #3)

by J. Bree

He watches her like he fucking owns her. He watches her like he’s picking out the inches of her skin that he’s going to brand with his mark to keep her chained by his side.

“I’m keeping you forever. I don’t do this shit for anything but keeps.”

“I thought you would only pick one of us and I couldn’t deal with it not being me. We’re not normal. The three of us are so fucking messed up from everything we’ve had to deal with, and we’re never going to be normal. Sharing you isn’t even in the top five of weird shit we’ve done.”

“I get it, you don’t want to take on an empire. But that’s why I’ll offer myself to you and no one else. You won’t use me. You won’t betray me. You won’t grow so fucking conceited that you turn into a cunt like Matteo did. You’ve protected Odie from the moment you met her. Offering myself to you and giving you a cut of my work is fucking nothing compared to what I owe you. Induct me. I will protect you and the boy, whatever the cost.”

I think about telling her to put it the fuck away because I’m going to gut the creepy fuck, but then I hear a bag drop to the floor and see the blur of dark hair and solid muscle fly past us to pin little Darcy against the wall. “Say it again, Darcy. Proposition my girlfriend again, I want to hear it for myself before I put you in a fucking coma.”

“She’s mine. She’s Arbour’s, and she’s Morrison’s, and if I find out a single dickhead has propositioned her, I will take them out. Gone. No fucking more.” He speaks loud enough that the students watching all hear his words, and I blush at the looks I’m now getting.

“I’ve already written our song,” he whispers into my ear, and grins cockily when I shiver. “I can’t take credit for your work,” I mumble, but he just shrugs. “Sing it with me, let me record it, and listen to it yourself. That’s going to be the hardest work in the assignment, and you’ll be the only one who can do it.” Fuck.

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.”