Page 63 of Playing the Game
“Fair enough.” She motions to the couch. “Have a seat and tell me why you’re here.”
“I’ll stand, thanks.”
“Suit yourself. So, why are you here?”
“We need to talk about the betting chip you gave Jamison.”
“What about it?”
“Ava, I need the truth. Why did you give him that chip? You showed up at our office and supposedly bumped into him. Then, on a whim, you placed it in his hands. I don’t buy that’s how it happened.”
She sits and peers up at me. “I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
“My mother sent you there, didn’t she?” A few beats pass. I slam my hand against the counter. “Didn’t she? He could’ve fucking died, Ava. That’s on you now.”
She blinks rapidly. “It wasn’t like that.”
“Then how was it?”
“She gave me the chip, but I was supposed to give it to Dorothy Fisher. I had no idea she wanted to hurt Jamison.”
“Then why give it to him?”
“I gave it to him because he said he was going to meet you about what I told him. Giving it to him was a way for me to give you a jab. I was trying to freak you out a little.”
My world flips. “So the marker was always a warning for Dorothy? It was never meant for Jamison?”
“I didn’t know that was the message behind the chip. I told you that the night Jamison gave it to you. Your mother never told me what it meant or what it was for.”
“If you would’ve done what she asked, I would’ve known Dorothy was the target. Don’t you see what you’ve done? You pulled him into this war for no other reason than to get back at me.”
“I’m sorry, Hunter. I didn’t expect her to go after someone and try to kill them.” Ava’s face pales. “But your mother… Do you know who she’s married to? Do you know who those people are?”
“Yes, I do. Why do you think I’ve stayed far away from that darkness and never wanted to find her? I knew better and didn’t want all this filth in my life. But leave it to you to find away to bring her back into my life and make it hell for the last fifteen years.”
Ava stands and glares across the room. “Don’t come here and get on me about mistakes I’ve tried to make right. I thought we moved past this and were on the same team. Besides, I thought you didn’t like Jamison.”
I growl and ball my hands into fists. “I don’t like him, but that doesn’t mean I wanted him dead. Now he’s lying in a hospital bed, and Dorothy won’t leave his side.”
A knowingness settles in Ava’s face. “That’s what this attitude is about. If Jamison had never been shot, Dorothy wouldn’t be with him.”
There’s no use denying it. Ava knows me too well and would know I’d be lying if I did.
I rub my neck. “Something like that.”
“You’re not mad that I gave him the chip. You’re upset that he got shot and stole Dorothy’s attention.” Ava half laughs. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
My heated gaze snaps to hers. “What does that mean?”
“It’s still all about what you want. Fuck everyone who stands in your way. When are you going to learn that you don’t always win?”
“I know that, Ava.” I clench my teeth. “This isn’t about getting what I want. This is about trying to figure out what my mother wants from me. I need your help with that. Otherwise, I’m afraid more people are in danger.”
“Meaning Dorothy.”
“And you. If you haven’t noticed, you still have a security team following you because I don’t want you to get hurt, either.”
Ava’s posture softens. “Okay. I understand. Now, can you stop coming at me like I’m the enemy so we can see if we can figure out how to stop your lunatic mother?”
