Page 50 of Dark Little Game

Roman’s family line is from Russia, and he tends to offer their help, though none of us have ever known what that really means.

“No need, Roman, but thank you,” I tell him. “If they kill me, at least I’ll go out young and pretty, right?”

Everyone laughs other than Weston.

He’s still acting weird, looking around every minute like he thinks I’m going to get jumped.

In fact, he’s been acting weird all week.

He’s always a little more reserved and serious than the rest of us, but lately it seems like he’s put up an extra wall between himself and the rest of the world.

“Who the fuck would have it out for you, Rayne?” Wes asks. “I just don’t get it.”

“Think it’s Mikael?” Noah asks.

“Mikael sucks, and he cheated on me, but he wouldn’t try to kill me. Don’t think he cares about me enough to stalk or kill me, as sad as that sounds.”

Roman is giving us a hard look. “James, Ethan, and Ezra may not be as strong as we think they are. We have to accept that.”

“He’s right,” Wes says.

I narrow my eyes. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

“I mean that I can involve my family at any moment, and these types of attackswill not happen,” Roman says, his gaze dead serious.

Oliver looks up, a frightened look in his eyes.

“We’re not fucking involving the mob, Roman,” Noah says suddenly, leaning over the table and giving Roman aserious look. “I don’t care if your family’s involved. Once we do that, there’s no going back. You realize that, right?”

Roman grabs his fork in his fist, and I swear for a moment it looks like the two of them are going to leap across the table and swipe at each other.

“You’re good at planning, scheduling, and spouting out Latin phrases,” Roman tells Noah. “I’m good atprotection. Let’s stay in our lanes, okay, Noah?”

Their gazes are pinned on one another.

“Can we allchill, please?” I beg them.

Ollie sighs, giving me a sympathetic look. “I agree. I just joined Onyx and I want to get through at leastonesemester without worrying I’ll be attacked.”

Roman gives Ollie a curt nod. “You won’t be attacked, freshman.”

“Oh, shit, look up,” Noah says, rapidly changing the subject and nudging my shoulder. “Maybe Knox and that girl are more than just friends?”

I look up to see Hunter rubbing the top of Briar’s back, her long hair now flipped over her other shoulder.

Girls alwaysdidlike looking at Hunter.

Something flares in my chest as I watch the two of them.

It pisses me off.

The poor girl has no clue what Hunter Knox is really like.

“You think he’s telling her about his knife collection while he rubs her back like that?” I ask, and for the first time tonight, Weston cracks a smile. “She’ll be in for a rude awakening if she ever finds out what he’s really like.”

It feels strange coming out of my mouth.

I’m never the type to gossip.