Page 6 of Poisoned Pawns (The Gamemakers Trilogy #1)

Ivy-Hillside Parties

Everyone surrounds us, waiting with bated breath as I lift my arm into the air, and with a flick of my wrist, I send the ping-pong ball through the air and across the table, sinking it into the last red solo cup, and winning my fifth game of the night.

The crowd cheers as I yell, “Buckets, bitch!” Hip bumping Millie, we laugh as Everly rushes over to us.

“Incoming,” she warns seconds before Desmond and Silas walk into the kitchen, making their presence known.

Ramone and Quincy step into their path, blocking them from us, which was the wrong move to make.

I don’t want to witness what is going to happen next, so I grab the girls and pull them out of the kitchen and towards the living room.

These idiots will not ruin our night. Grabbing shots from the bar, I spin and raise my plastic cup.

“To Jay and Katie,” I say before shooting it back.

Three years ago, Jay, my only brother, died from a drug overdose the night after I…

“Come on, Ivy. Let’s go dance,” Everly shouts, taking me out of my thoughts.

My eyes collide with hers, and I know she sees it.

She sees the hurt and sadness that I work so very hard to hide, but my girls know me well enough that I can never really hide it from them.

“Gold” by Kiiara plays through the speakers, and my hips move of their own accord.

Closing my eyes, I let the rhythm of the beat take me away, wishing life wasn’t what it was and that the people I love were still here with us partying, and not six feet in the ground.

Fingers find my hips, and I press my ass back into some guy’s groin, and roll my hips as his hands wander my body.

Raising my arms, I wrap them around the back of his head, feeling his warm breath flow along the column of my neck.

I open my eyes, and instantly they collide with blue and green ones that look equally murderous and filled with lust. Jesus, not Desmond too.

It’s bad enough I have this pull with my step-brother, but my best friend's brother? No. I can’t fall into that trap again.

Following their line-of-sight to right over my shoulder, I watch as Silas’s upper lip raises into a snarl.

But when I go to turn my head slightly to see who I’m dancing with, he wraps his hand around my throat, forcing me to look straight ahead.

“It doesn’t matter who I am, Ivy. What matters is how much I’m pissing those two off with my hands all over you.” He chuckles, running his nose up and down my neck.

“You must have a death wish.” I laugh as he sucks over the same spot Silas did just a few hours ago.

“I don’t care. Do you?” he asks, and I shake my head. “Then keep shaking that ass on me, and don’t take your eyes off them until I tell you too,” he orders. Goddamn, he enjoys playing with fire, which only makes me want to pour the gasoline and light this bitch up.

Pulling me tighter against him, his hands continue to wander as the song changes to “Or Nah” by The Weeknd.

I grind into him, running my hands through his short hair, and doing as I was told and never taking my eyes off Silas and Desmond.

I’m so going to pay for this shit later, I just know it.

Maybe not from Desmond, but definitely from Si.

Soft lips run along my heated flesh as his hands run up my outer thigh and over my denim skirt, up my ribs and around the curve of my breasts. Both boys take a step closer, but something happening in the kitchen breaks our eye contact as they both race to whatever is going on.

Looking around the dance floor, I spot Millie with some guy I’ve never seen before. I wonder if that’s the guy she’s been texting that we aren’t supposed to know about–when Millie gets drunk, she tells us her little secrets and then doesn’t remember telling us the next day.

The song ends, and I go to step away, but the guy behind me only pulls me closer.

“Where do you think you’re running off to?” he rasps, licking the shell of my ear.

“It’s hot. Wanna go outside for some air?” I ask.

“Do I get to taste you if I do?” he says, and shivers run through me. I could be a whole bitch and let him eat the mess Silas left–wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done it. It’s just so much fun when Si watches, but then I’d only be an accessory to murder because Silas will kill him.

“I don’t know, maybe,” I whisper as he pushes me towards the front door, which is in the opposite direction of the kitchen.

Stepping out into the night, the chilly air wraps around my body as goosebumps litter my skin.

Soft hands continue to guide me down the steps and into the grass, and around the side of the house, putting us into complete darkness.

He spins me, pressing me up against the cold brick.

Looking up at him, I can’t make out his features other than his hazel eyes, which are sparkling against the dull street light.

“You’re so beautiful, Ivy,” he whispers against my lips, brushing them ever so gently.

My phone vibrates in my skirt, but I ignore it as he presses those same soft lips against mine, kissing me slowly.

The taste of the punch on his tongue has me moaning into his open mouth.

Swirling my tongue with his, I suck it into mine, biting the tip as his hand slides between my thighs and up my already soaked panties.

“Already drenched for me?” he groans, pulling at my bottom lip with his teeth. “I wonder if you taste sweeter than Katie?” he purrs, and my body goes still, and I shove him away.

“Excuse me?” I yell, and he laughs.

“Awe, come on, Ivy. It was just a joke.” I shove him again, causing him to stumble back.

“That’s not fucking funny, you prick,” I yell again as he continues to laugh.

“I bet you can scream louder than she did,” he mutters, and I see red.

Lifting my arm, I rear back, and punch him in the eye with one fist as my other hits him in the throat, causing him to choke.

Grabbing him by the collar, I pull him towards me, spitting in his face before lifting my knee and connecting it with his nuts.

Pushing him away, he falls to his knees.

No one talks about my best friend like that.

Rearing back again, my fists connect with his jaw over and over again until strong arms rip me from him, and I scream.

“Get the fuck off of me!”

“Chill out, Spitfire. It’s just me,” Desmond whispers, pulling me away and walking deeper into the yard. Silas comes into view and comes right for me with Millie and Everly on his heels. He cups my face.

“What happened, Poison?” he growls, looking me over for any damage.

“That prick was running his fucking mouth. Who even is he?” I ask, but the boys ignore me.

“I caught her kicking his ass with no stopping in sight.” Desmond tells him, as I thrash in his arms.

“You can let go now, asshole,” I spit, but he growls in my ear.

“Not a chance.”

“Fucking christ. I’m not going to do anything,” I say, but he doesn’t let me go.

“Millie, get your damn brother before I break his nose,” I spit, ready to headbutt him.

“Dessy, let her go. She’s in control. Chill out,” Milz tells him, and he loosens his grip but doesn’t let me go completely.

“Take the girls home. Ivy, you’re with me,” Silas orders, and I roll my eyes.

“I drove them,” I tell him, and he rolls his eyes.

“Give Des the keys and he will take your car and leave it at the sorority house,” he says, and I reluctantly hand over my keys, shoving them into Desmond’s chest.

“Good girl,” Desmond whispers, and chills race up my spine. Jesus christ, get it together, Ivy. Giving both girls a hug, I walk over to Silas and walk past the asshole I just fucked up.

“You’ll pay for this, you little bitch!” he threatens, and I go to lunge for him, but Silas lifts me by my hips and throws me over his shoulder, carrying me out of the yard towards his truck. I pound my fists on his back, but all he does is laugh and slap my ass.

“Calm the fuck down before I do it for you,” he threatens, and I stop. I know what that means, and I’m not in the mood to be tied to his fucking bed as he edges me to tears. I’ll save that shit for another night.

He opens the truck door, and throws me into the passenger seat before shutting the door behind him.

Rounding the front, he climbs into the driver’s seat, pressing the ‘push to start’ button, bringing his truck to life.

He takes out a cigarette, lighting it up with shaky hands, which tells me he’s still struggling with drugs.

Fuck my life. I guess the shit with Jay still haunts him.

I don’t know how many times he needs to be told that it wasn’t his fault.

Bringing the cigarette to his mouth, he takes a deep pull before passing it to me. I take it, and take a pull as he puts the truck into drive, pulling away from the curb, and heading towards the highway. Passing the butt back to him, he takes it, and I stare daggers into the side of his head.

“You know, I can take care of myself. I didn’t need you or Desmond to come swooping in,” I growl.

“You and I both know that’s bullshit. You may throw a mean punch but you don’t know when enough is enough, and tonight I don’t feel like calling in the lawyer to bail your ass out for killing a rich kid on the wrong side of the tracks,” he says, raising a brow. I fold my hands over my chest and huff.

“I do know when to stop, but you didn’t hear what the fuck he said to me,” I retort.

“Doesn’t really matter, now does it? You put on a show and left with him. Seems to me you were being the tease that you are and didn’t want to follow through with what you were doing on that dance floor,” he accuses, and my mouth drops.

“How fucking dare you insinuate I led him on? You fucking piece of shit!” I yell, and he laughs.

“Then why are you getting so mad if it isn’t true?” he says calmly.

“I’m getting mad because I know what the fuck he said, and it had nothing to do with me being a tease and everything to do with Katie,” I say, and his head whips around.

“What do you mean Katie? Why didn’t you lead with that?” he asks, and now it’s my turn to laugh.

“You know everything, Si. You assumed the worst of me, rather than just letting me speak,” I yell as he takes another pull from his butt.

“Well, your track record says otherwise.” He chuckles, and I huff. I’m done with this conversation.

For the rest of the car ride home, we sit in silence as my eyes get heavy, but I refuse to fall asleep until I’m in my bed with Cornelius purring next to me.

“We’re home,” he says, nudging my arm. Damn, I must’ve fallen asleep.

Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I yawn and climb out of the truck, then going through the garage and up the stairs to the door.

Keying in the code, the lock disengages, and I swing the door open and go through the kitchen and up the stairs to my room.

Opening Si’s bedroom door, I let Cornie out, and he follows me across the hall to my room.

Stepping inside, I strip out of my clothes, pull my blankets down, and climb into bed.

Cornie hops up and nudges his head against my hand to pet him.

Running my fingers through his orange fur, he purrs, snuggling up next to me.

The bed dips just as sleep is taking over, and Cornie hisses, making me chuckle.

“She’s my girl too, Cornelius. Get over yourself,” Si scolds, and I laugh even harder.

“Shut up and go to sleep,” he tells me, pulling me against his chest and laying his chin on the top of my head.

Sleep takes over as a low whisper of “I love you, Ivy. You’re mine” is heard in the distance, but I’m too far gone as Katie’s face, all full of blood, comes into view.