Page 33 of Poisoned Pawns (The Gamemakers Trilogy #1)

Oliver Michaels-Sins Of A Mother

Walking out of the frat house to head to my mother’s for a meeting, I’m stunned to see Pierce carrying a sobbing Ivy. What the fuck happened? Stepping towards him, he shakes his head.

“What happened?” I ask, but he ignores me. “Pierce, is she okay?” I ask again, and this time he stops and turns to me with a murderous look on his face.

“Why the fuck do you care? Just the other night you didn’t want her in the house, and now, suddenly, you give a shit.

Get bent! Go back to the dorms where you belong!

” he spits, turning back around and walking into the house.

I take a deep breath and head for my car.

He’s right. I shouldn’t care, but I fucking do.

As much as I hate her, I want to be the one to hurt her, not someone else.

Being the star quarterback doesn’t hold any power in that damn house.

Pierce runs shit since his daddy is the dean.

So even if a lot of my teammates live there, I have no say in anything that goes on there.

Climbing into my blue Maserati, I push the button to start her up and reverse out of the driveway. Getting on the highway, I drive to my childhood house, dreading the conversation I need to have with my mother.

That tape I had to give to Beth to play at the party and upload to the college site still bothers me.

I didn’t know what the video contained or how graphic it was.

I also didn’t know she had it out for Katie, or maybe the Sinclairs.

That’s one thing I’m going to find out tonight because that was beyond wrong of her to do.

Putting me in that situation pissed me off.

I had to fuck Beth to keep her fucking mouth shut after, apparently, Ivy kicked her ass, which I found hot as fuck.

The image that crept into my mind got me off while I was fucking the fake bitch.

Images of Ivy punching Beth in the face and threatening her really sent it home for me.

I’m pretty sure Beth knew who I was thinking about because Ivy’s name spilled from my lips as I came long and hard, thankfully into a condom because I was not getting trapped by Beth Cleary. Ain’t no mother fucking way.

The drive to my mother's is faster than I expected, and being so deep in my head, I didn’t even realize I was pulling through the gates and rounding the fountain to park.

Getting out, I flatten my black polo shirt.

God forbid I have wrinkles in anything I wear.

Stepping up the two steps, the door swings open and I am greeted by George, my mother's butler.

“Good evening, Sir. Your mother is in her office waiting for you,” he informs me as I walk through the door.

Looking around the foyer, I stop at the round table in the middle of the room and lift the picture frame of my father and me from when I was five, right after I won my first touch football game.

He was so proud of me. We did everything together for as long as I can remember.

I was closer to him than I was to my mother.

She kept me at a distance, putting her business and career first. My father was a criminal lawyer, and a damn good one, but he never once missed a game or an opportunity to spend time with me.

Man, do I miss him. I’m shocked this is even still here.

My mother doesn’t like to bring up my father unless it’s to chastise me when I disobey her orders.

Placing the frame down, I round the table and walk down the marble hallway to her office.

Knocking first, I swing open the double doors and see her sitting at her desk.

She looks up at me and gestures for me to enter the room.

Shutting the doors behind me, I walk towards the desk and sit in the chair, waiting for her to acknowledge me more than with a fucking hand gesture.

I cross my legs and sit back, folding my hands in my lap as I wait.

Clearing my throat, she drops her pen and takes off her reading glasses as her eyes collide with mine.

“Well, you wanted me here, Mother, what can I do for you now? Sacrifice a child, or maybe a lamb?” I mock, but she doesn’t find me amusing.

“I see that you have obeyed my instructions. It’s about time. The plan worked exactly how I expected it to.” She smiles, making my stomach turn. She truly makes me sick with how vindictive she is.

“So was it Katie you were trying to expose?” I ask, but she shakes her head.

“Not quite. The reasoning behind my orders is not for you to know because, frankly, it’s none of your business. Let’s just say it needed to happen,” she tells me, but her answer isn’t good enough for me, so I lean my elbows against my knees and stare right into her dull brown eyes.

“So if not Katie, then the man raping a teenager? Was it really worth it to expose the others that were innocent in that?” I question, and she clutches her chest as if I hit her.

“Rape? That wasn’t rape. At least not in that video. Salvatore is a pedophile. He deserves everything that is coming his way,” she spits.

“Even so. What does that have to do with you?” I ask, and she growls.

“It’s none of your business. Just drop it, Oliver!

” she demands, and I nod, taking a deep breath.

There’s more to this than what meets the eye.

My mother is young. She had me at seventeen and she’s in her late thirties now.

I don't know Sal's age. Him being much older than her makes me wonder if she’s also a victim of his depravity or if there’s something more that she’s hiding.

I go to say something, but she raises her hand.

“I said to let it go. You’re dismissed,” she says, waving me off. What was the point of tonight? Like, what the fuck?

“You made me come over here just to dismiss me? What was the real reason for me to come? I could’ve been doing other things, Mother!” I scold, and she rises to her feet, placing both fists on the desk, leaning towards me.

“Don’t question me, little boy. I was going to congratulate you for getting the job done, but I saw that Miss Cleary got the video taken down. That is unacceptable. Do you know why it was removed?” she asks, and I smirk.

“Ivy Bloodworth threatened her,” I counter, and her eyes widen for a fraction of a second, then narrow.

“She will need to be dealt with soon enough. I’ll be in touch on that front soon,” she tells me, and I shake my head.

“How do you even know the Bloodworths? You’ve never mentioned them before,” I say with a raised brow.

“Again, don’t question my motives. It’s of no concern to you. Now get back to the dorms. You have class tomorrow,” she orders, and I rise from my seat and exit the same way I came in. Fuck her and all of her secrets. I’m not doing shit for her anymore.

The next day I’m sitting in English Lit as the professor drones on about a book we are going to need to read and write a report on.

I really wish I could change classes, but this is one I have no choice but to take; plus, Ivy is sitting two rows below me.

I can smell her perfume from here and it's intoxicating. I adjust myself, sitting straighter in the seat, trying to act like I’m paying attention when I’m clearly not.

My focus is on the blonde, whispering to her friend, Everly.

I need to figure out a way to gain her attention and get her on my good side.

Suddenly, iced coffee spills all over my notebook, dripping down the desk.

“What the fuck?” I whisper yell at the guy next to me, trying to clean up the mess.

His eyes narrow at me before he apologizes profusely.

The cold liquid drips down the desk and onto my jeans.

I growl and get up from my seat, walking down the stairs and out of the room to get cleaned up.

How the fuck do you accidentally spill your coffee on the next desk? Like, what the fuck?

My phone pings as I walk towards the dorms to get a new pair of jeans. It looks like I pissed myself. Jesus Christ. Taking out my phone, I see it’s from Beth. Opening, I read the message and smile.

Beth:

Tomorrow night is scavenger hunt night at the sorority. You down to play?

Me:

Absolutely. What time?

Beth:

10 p.m.

Me:

Bet. See you then.

Maybe going tomorrow will get me alone with Ivy? One can only hope.