Page 17 of Chess

Ever had said four females were with Rav at the bar, but they seemed to have vanished too. Dividing and conquering…

Ever grabbed onto the sides of his already-wrinkled shirt, shifting him slightly to peek over his shoulder. Chess’s attention snapped to her. “Are you all right, Queenie?”

“Positively lovely,” she hissed. “I adore playing a game of spy the arsehole.”

“Does that mean you like my help?” he purred.

She snorted.

He couldn’t help thinking about their moment upstairs. Her riding his cock over his trousers, the scent of her arousal. It carried similar notes to the light lily coming from her skin and the boldness of her blood mixed with a sweetness he would do almost anything to taste. His mouth watered at the idea of running his tongue through her desire.

Rav. Not fucking. Focus on Rav.“I don’t see them anywhere,” he said, doing his best to sound unaffected.

“Perhaps he found another poor soul to fuck and enslave.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste, then released her grip on his shirt and flattened her hands on his sides instead, poised to push him away.

It was entirely possible that was why Rav had come, but this club was out of the way, farther from the entrance to Wonderland than most vampires traveled. Not to mention that he usually hunted alone. He wound an arm around Ever’s lower back and tugged her tightly to him. “It may be safer to take you back upstairs. I wouldn’t mind having you in that position again.”

She inhaled sharply and Chess was sure she was about to tear out of his arms when a figure appeared beside them. Chess’s grip tightened, his body tensing. “Who the fu—”

“March!” Ever breathed in relief, pushing away from Chess. She latched onto the male’s arm and leaned into his touch. “I was starting to worry about you. Rav is here and he’s not alone.”

Chess realized he’d seen him before—it was the same male she’d been dancing with the last time they were here. Her lover, most likely, since they had also kissed. His lips pressed into a hard line.

“I know,” March said quietly. “They’re scouting outside. I barely made it past them—” The male’s eyes narrowed as he focused in on Chess. “You’re with thefucking prince of Scarlet?”

“Do you think they know I’m here?” Ever tugged March’s arm, ignoring his comment about Chess, and they drifted away from the prince. She didn’t even gift him a glance over her shoulder.

I don’t think so.

Chess started after them as they wove through the moving bodies. Was she really walking away from him? Didn’t she know there was nothing stopping him from running outside and telling Rav that Ever was inside? Well, other than the fact that Rav probably wanted Chessmorethan his own sister at the moment, but she wasn’t aware of that. Yet.

He jerked into motion, following Ever and March. If the male tried to tell her about Chess’s predicament, the prince would be forced to act.Fuck.What was he going to do? He couldn’t kill Ever’s acquaintance in the club while blending inandkeeping her as an ally.

“Woah now,” Chess said, slipping up to Ever’s other side. “Who’s this handsome piece?”

The male flared his nostrils as his eyes locked on Chess. “What are you doing with him, Ever?”

“It’s a long”—she cast a withering stare at Chess—“longstory.”

“The Scarlet Prince, though?” March stepped sideways, putting space between her and Chess. “You know what he tried to do to you.”

“March,” she snapped, peering over her shoulder as she steered them toward the bathrooms. “Sorry, but they could come back inside at any moment.”

March looked between Chess and Ever with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Make this make sense,” he said in a stern voice.

Chess slid in front of them, walking backward, through the swinging men’s bathroom door. He stood aside, gliding his arm out with a flourish so they could join him. “Leave,” he told a stocky man washing his hands. The mortal’s blue eyes glazed over, and he hurried back to the dance floor without turning off the tap. With the room free of mortals, Chess leaned his back against the door and folded his arms across his chest as he studied March. “It makes sense, cupcake, because I am the only one close enough to her brother to help her kill him.”

March barked a laugh. “You? But you’re—”

Ever elbowed March and they exchanged a wordless warning that Chess couldn’t understand. Finally, March let out a long breath. “Fine,” he conceded. “You’re still my queen and I trust your decision.”

Ever reached out and gave March’s hand a squeeze. The affection between them rankled in a way he’d never experienced before. How she’d turned away from Chess toward March as if he were her savior. Sure, Chess hadn’t proven himself to be a white knight in the past, but he hadn’t acted as her enemy in the last few days.Not precisely, anyway.

“I’ll explain later, but we have to leave,” Ever told March. “We need a plan and our weapons before we move against my brother.”

March chewed his bottom lip. “Are you sure? We’re evenly matched now and—”

“Evenly matched?” Chess’s brow rose. “Did your mother never teach you to count?”

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