Page 38 of Gambit
“Regarding the other stuff, trust is key,” I stress. “We move as one unit; nobody acts alone—not anymore.”
“Agreed,” Raphael says, which makes me snort, seeing as he is the only one who likes to go off alone. Mind you, I wasn’t exactly a Girl Scout at the beginning, either. But things change. Allegiances, as well as enemies, change.
“Alright then.” I nod once sharply. “Let’s get to work. You have this afternoon to catch up on what you’ve missed.”
To my surprise, they fall in line. Books are opened, laptops come alive, plans are whispered. This is our world, our war, and we’re ready to fight it on all fronts.
As each of us gets lost in our coursework, the sun moves back towards the horizon, a niggling thorn in my side wedges deeper, and I can’t ignore it any longer.
“Blackbriar University,” I say into the quiet. “We’re paying them a visit tomorrow; settle the score.” My voice is steady, my resolve like steel.
“What about lectures?” Oliver asks hopefully.
“I’ve seen all your timetables. We all have two hours free tomorrow morning. Aren’t you lucky?”
James leans forward, his brow furrowed. “You really want to do this?”
“Cian and Victoria think they’ve made a statement, but it’s time we corrected that narrative.”
Oliver nods, a slow, deliberate motion. “Let’s get prepared then. We should be ready for anything.”
“Agreed.” But part of me hopes that this will be more of a pleasant visit as opposed to an all-out war. The couple intrigues me on a level I can’t stop thinking about. They literally give no fucks, it appears. I want to see for myself if that was an act or if we storm their turf, they will fight like animals to get rid of us.
“I’m bored,” Tarquin states a few minutes later. “Can we eat and then do something else?” His deep blue gaze bores into me, but I shake my head. “Eat, yes. Other stuff, tomorrow.”
“You’re a hard mistress,” he grumbles, but gives me a grin and stands up, holding his hand out to haul me to my feet.
“I can whip you if you like; make it harder.”
His eyes heat up, and I raise an eyebrow.Noted.
As we head to the kitchen, books forgotten again, I take in the men one by one, grateful for everything they’ve done for me, not just to have my back but to draw me out of my fear of loving anyone too much. It’s made me open up enough to allow Felix to poke his way behind my walls, which is huge, and my thoughts wander to my half-brother. I promised him face time with Dad, and I will come through. Soon. First, I need to see what Cian and Victoria are like on their own turf. As much as the thrill of fighting gets my engine roaring, being a leader means making the responsible decisions as well. We don’t really want a fight with Blackbriar. They are hardcore. And while that part doesn’t bothermeso much, there are students here who don’t want to be caught up in the rivalry every other week or when the need takes them to storm us. My hope is that we can put this rivalry into some kind of ceasefire. There is room for both of us in the real world and Cianisfamily.
Later that night,I move around my room where my gear is all laid out for tomorrow. I know the guys are doing the same. I haven’t filled them in on my objective yet because I will probably face resistance. It’s something they will have to know, but tomorrow. This might not go according to plan. We might be walking into a war that has no chance of settling down. We’ll see. That’s why I want eyes on the situation before I decide anything for definite.
Raphael raps lightly on the open door. “Eliza, you sure about this?”
“Sure as the sky is dark at midnight,” I reply, sliding Flick into her sheath, ready for action in the morning.
“They won’t see us coming.”
“Good. Surprise is on our side.”
“You’ve got something else planned, haven’t you?”
Grinning, I wink. “You know me too well, asshole. But let’s see how it goes first, yeah?”
“Hmm.” His expression is unreadable, but he knows what I’m thinking, so that’s good enough for now.
21
ELIZA
The engine humsa low goodbye as James cuts the engine. Blackbriar University looms before us, its dark stone, ivy-clad buildings a grim backdrop for today’s work. We step out of the car, boots hitting the asphalt with a thud that shatters the morning stillness.
“Showtime,” Oliver murmurs, a glint of something fierce in his eyes.
Raphael scans the area, his gaze is razor-sharp, while Tarquin adjusts the cuff of his jacket, where I know he keeps a knife hidden. I pull my coat tighter around me, the weight of my concealed weapons a familiar comfort against my ribs.
