Page 10 of Hard Game

But I have to make sure she’s okay. I saw what she went through. No one can escape their past, and I want to make sure that Tassa isn’t avoiding hers. It made her stronger.

“Yeah.”

Tassa straightens up in her chair, but her shoulders sag. She clears her throat, grabs the knife beside the cake, and slices it roughly. “I hate that they’re still alive, Maddox.” She says the same six words that I say to myself daily.

“Me too, Tas.”

“It’s…” Tassa slid a large piece of cake onto her side plate before cutting me a piece. The remnants of the cake sag, and I wonder if I should’ve bought a bigger one. “Not fair.”

“I know.”

Tears well in her eyes, but I know they’re not sad ones. I know they’re tears of anger because I’ve shed them, too. Anger for the ones that never made it out of there. Anger for being part of the ring.

“I’m sorry,” I say for the millionth time, gritting my teeth. “I fucking hate myself.”

Tassa takes a deep breath and reaches for my hand, her eyes boring into mine. “You didn’t know.”

How many times are we going to have this conversation?

“I know, but I should’ve fucking known.”

Tassa shakes her head. “When you found out, what did you do?”

I stare at the rich chocolate cake on my plate and pick up the miniature fork, stabbing it like it’s Alastor’s face. “I know.”

“Say it.”

“I left,” I say with a heavy sigh.

“You took them down,” Tassa corrects me, releasing my hand. “We took their money, and you rescued me.”

“I know, but?—”

“But nothing. You couldn’t save them all, Mad.”

“I wanted to,” I admit, my throat hoarse. “I hate that I had to leave them.”

“It was us or them,” Tassa says, staring at the table between us. “We saved ourselves.”

The girls we left behind were no doubt dead now, and I see their faces in my nightmares every night. Looking at Tassa, I know she does too. They were her friends. “I’m sorry, I’m not being a very good friend on your birthday, am I?”

Tassa wrinkles her nose. “It’s not my birthday yet.”

“You know what I mean,” I say with a sigh. I look around us at the people living their lives so blissfully unaware of the danger that surrounds them, that lurks around every corner. A mother bounces her baby on her lap as her friend looks on longingly, no doubt craving a family of her own. I want to tell her not to. Don’t bring children into this harsh fucking world. Don’t—just don’t.

“I had my teeth done.” Tassa scoops a mouthful of cake into her mouth and groans.

“I noticed,” I admit with a grin. “They look great.”

Tassa beams, and I can’t help but laugh at the chocolate staining said teeth.

“Well, not right now,” I say as she rolls her eyes and covers her mouth.

“This cake is good. Betty’s?”

I nod, proud that she recognized the cake as one of Betty’s—her favorite cake shop in town. “Only the best for my girl.”

Tassa chuckles and looks at me pointedly.

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