Page 46 of Forgotten Sacrifice

“Of course not.” I shake my head.

“Then that’s why.”

“But no chess playeralwayswins,” I explain to him. “The higher the level of play, the more likely the game ends with a draw.”

My words fall on deaf ears as he fiddles with the equipment. “Testing,” he says, his voice sounding in my earpiece.

“I amnotgoing to cheat!”

“Let’s go. I need to take you somewhere first, and then you can decide if you’re going to play ball,” he menaces.

“Is this where you take me to another construction site and dangle me over a pit? If so, save us both the trouble.” Icross my arms, pretending my heart isn’t beating frantically at the thought.

“You want me out of your life. I wantyouout of my life,” he says, and for some reason, that hurts just a little bit. “This is the fastest way. So, do we need to visit that construction site?”

“No,” I grit through my teeth.

“Then let’s go win that tournament.”

I’ve made it to the fifth and final round of the women’s tournament, with my opponent none other than Aspen. “Let the uncouth play begin,” I whisper, taking my seat.

She looks rattled as I extend my hand with a polite smile, and we shake.

The game commences, with an annoying Vince in my ear. Ignoring his suggested move—as I’ve done so all tournament—I go with a more aggressive strategy, locking in the move and noting it on my scorecard.

“That’s not what I told you to do.” Vince growls in my ear.

I have to bite my tongue not to smart off to him; doing so would surely raise suspicion. Aspen keeps giving me the evil eye as is.

She considers the board, as do I, focusing on my middlegame options. She plays 4.a3 to challenge my Bb4 bishop, looking rather confident as she locks in the move.

Vince is saying something, but I’ve tuned him out completely as I capture her knight.

Play continues, and I fall into the zone—nothing else exists except for me and this chess board. Mentally shifting to endgame, I capture her King. “Checkmate.”

Recording my move, I extend my hand, and Aspen gives me an eat shit look as she extends hers as we shake.

After my picture is taken and the paperwork filled out, I make my way to the exit. The grand prize was $15,000, but more importantly, the points I earned get me one step closer to Grandmaster title.

“Cunt,” Aspen whispers as I pass her.

“See you next Tuesday. Oh, wait. I won’t. Because I got into the Vegas tournament and you didn’t.”

I exit the hotel, marching across the street to find Vince seated in the SUV. Silently, I get in and slam the door, ignoring him as I put on headphones and close my eyes….

Jerking awake, I panic when I find myself being carried by him through an empty construction site. “No!”

“You had one job to do?—”

“And I did it!”

“That job was to do as you’re told. Something you are apparently incapable of!”

We’re getting closer to a huge excavation pit, and damn if I’m going to end up in the bottom of it. I rear back and head butt Vince with everything I’ve got.

We both groan as his grip loosens, and I wiggle out of his arms, landing on my ass with anOoff.

I scramble away from him, but he grabs my ankle and jerks me back, my face eating dirt. He yanks me up by my hair onto my knees, and I whimper. “Please don’t.”