Page 110 of The Grandest Game

There are some legacies one does not wish to pass down.

“You said that there are always three.” Grayson was not wired to give up. “Three what, exactly?” No answer. “Why leave the game, Ms. Morales? Why give up your chance at twenty-six million dollars? What are you afraid of?”

Lyra thought about her father, thankful that she couldn’t call to mind a single image of his body.A Hawthorne did this.She thought about the candy necklace, the calla lily, an omega drawn in blood.

But somehow, one question rose to the surface over all of that—the only question that Lyra had any real hope Odette would actually answer. “The notes,” Lyra said. “With my father’s names.” Her fingers curled into her palms. “Did you write them?”

Odette let out a breath, suddenly, utterly, and unnaturally calm. “I did not.”

Chapter 80

GIGI

All patched up, darlin’.”

Gigi had spent every second that had passed since she’d left the dock telling herself that she was going to come clean. Maybe not to Nash, who, like Grayson, had a protective streak a mile wide. And probably not to Jameson, who was unpredictable, but to Avery—or maybe Xander.

“Thanks,” Gigi told Nash brightly. Maybe a littletoobrightly. But before he could proceed with a Southern Inquisition, there was a knock on the door to her room.

Not my room for much longer.A ball of emotion rose in Gigi’s throat as Nash answered the door.

Brady stepped into the room. He’d changed back into his regular clothes, but he was still holding the sword. Looking back, Gigi realized that he’d probably been guarding it in his own, subtle Brady way the whole night. It doubtlessly had a use in the next phase of the game—if therewasa game once Gigi spilled the beans.

I know you’re out there.

No, sunshine, you don’t.

“Holler if you need anything,” Nash told Gigi. He palmed his cowboy hat and gave Brady a long, disturbingly neutral look, then turned and sauntered out of the room.

Alone with Brady, Gigi developed an intense fascination with her own cuticles. She felt the mattress dip as he sat down beside her on the bed.

“You’re still in the game.” Gigi still couldn’t bring herself to look at him. She reached back to take the hair tie Brady had given her out of her hair, then handed it back to him. A muscle in her throat tightened. “Where’s Knox?”

“Why,” Brady said, “are you asking me about Knox?”

Gigi thought about Knox’s scar—but that wasn’t her story to tell. “You lied to me, Brady.”

“Technically, I lied to him, and you overheard.”

Gigi shook her head.“Don’t.”

“I would tell a thousand lies,” Brady swore, as intense as she’d ever seen him, “to get her back.”

Her.Knox had been right. It was always Calla with Brady. “Winning this game won’t bring Calla Thorp back,” Gigi said.

Brady was quiet for a long moment. “What if I told you it would?”

What?Gigi searched his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Brady didn’t answer the question. “You could have told Nash about the bug just now, but I don’t think you did. You could have had the whole game called off. You didn’t.”

“I haven’t told anyoneyet,” Gigi corrected. Brady didn’t even know the full extent of the secret she was keeping.

I know you’re out there.

No, sunshine, you don’t.

Brady reached over to take Gigi’s hand in his. “I am asking you to let this run its course.”