Page 58 of Heartless Game

“What? You said it was my job to serve at this party,Jones.So I’m serving,” I said sweetly, making sure to sway my hips as I headed in the direction of some of his teammates to take drink orders or whatever inane bullshit he wanted to get up to.

I was livid. Completely livid. But I’d die before I showed him how much he’d angered and embarrassed me. And if I was right—and I had the gut instinct of a news reporter, which meant I was almost always right—Isaac was already regretting what he’d done.

Good.Let him stew over watching his teammates hit on his…whatever I was to him.

Let him fuckingburn.

“Jack, man, you’re here! Hey, Aviva!”

My head lifted, and I scanned the room. I hadn’t seen my best friend since the hockey game, before all this blackmail and bullshit had started with Isaac. God, what was she going to say when she saw me? I wanted to tell her everything, so badly…but I also knew I couldn’t. Because if I told her Isaac was blackmailing me, she’d ask why, and I’d have to tell her about his family. I’d have to tell her the truth, and not only would she never look at me the same way, it would also make her unsafe. Isaac’s dad would come after her and Asher, too, and I couldn’t let that happen.

Which meant I had to lie.More.

“Tovah? What the hell?” Aviva spotted me across the main living room, headed in my direction, tugging Jack along with her.

When she reached me, she released Jack’s hand and grabbed me in a tight hug, and I let myself hug her back, taking refuge in my loyal best friend, even as I worried the aspiring therapist would do some psychoanalyzing magic on me and figure out what I was hiding from her.

Finally, she pulled away, her eyes narrowing as she looked me over.

“Was there some costume party you went to before this?” she asked. “Or is this the costume party, and the rest of us missed that line in the invitation?”

Fuck. I had no interest in defending or making excuses for Isaac, but I didn’t want her digging too deep, either.

As I tried to think of a way to explain the current situation, while also berating myself for not planning for seeing Aviva earlier like I should’ve, she laid into me.

“I’m so mad at you, Tovah. What the actual hell. I’ve texted you multiple times, messaged you on literally every platform that exists and some that probably don’t, andnothing.You haven’t responded once, not even just to tell me you’re alive. The only thing I have to rely on is the rumor mill that claims you’re either dating Isaac or you’re his live-in fuckbuddy?! You’ve apparently spent more time with theWasserson twinsthan you have with me lately.”

“Princess—” Jack interjected.

“Don’tprincessme, Jack. This doesn’t concern you.” Aviva waved him off.

I watched as Jack raised an eyebrow at her. “Are we really back here? Everything about you concerns me. Maybe we should let Isaac and Tovah handle what’s going on with Isaac and Tovah. Although…” he looked at me with those Jack-Feldman-lie-detector-eyes. “Are you safe?”

Aviva scoffed. “It’s Isaac. Of course she’s safe. But she’s been avoiding me and Iwant to know why.”

Jack just watched me.

I considered. Was I safe? Isaac had threatened me numerous times, and somewhere, not far away, his father waited in the shadows. But at the same time, Isaac hadn’t actually hurt me. He’d even been bandaging up my wrist every night before putting on the handcuffs…

…oh god. I’d been Stockholmed. Aviva had told me the supposed syndrome had been fabricated to discredit a woman, and yet here I was, emotionally connecting with my captor.

Goddamnit.

“I don’t know,” I answered Jack truthfully.

Aviva gasped. “If you aren’t safe, then you don’t get to be around him. And if he’shurtyou, I’ll kill him.” She turned to Jack. “And I don’t care if he’s your best friend,youget to bury him. He’s too heavy for me.”

I put a hand on her shoulder. “No, I’m safe, I misspoke. Aviva, I’m fine.”

Her eyes grew wet. “If you’re fine, then why have you been avoiding me? What did Ido?”

She hadn’t done anything. She’d been perfect. It was me. I was the liar.

But before I could say any of that, or come up with anything reasonabletosay, there was a hand wrapping around my good wrist.

“We’re going upstairs to my room,” Isaac gritted out between his teeth as he began to drag me away from Aviva and Jack.

“Hang on,” Aviva said. “You aren’t taking her anywhere, Isaac Jones.”

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