Page 28 of The Sinners Gambit

“Would you ever kill for the sake of killing?” she asks.

I turn to look at her as we continue to walk down the hall to the stairs. The way the morning light is hitting her hair has my heart skipping a bit. I manage to clear my throat and behave as I say, “I guess we’re going straight for it.”

“Well, we already skipped seven thousand steps. So, might as well.”

“I don’t like injustice. Especially for those who can’t help themselves. So the answer is a hard no. There will always be a reason. If I kill just for the sake of it, then I’m part of the problem.”

“I bet a lot of people would think we are part of the problem anyways,” she says.

“Did you saywe?”

Her eyes widen. “No, I saidyou. . . killers.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “Hmm. Okay, my turn. Have you ever considered killing someone?”

Naomi chews on her cheek, considering her answer as we finally make it outside. “I want to kill you, if that counts.”

“It does. But I mean before me, before all of this.”

“Maybe, people can be infuriating.” Naomi ponders a moment before continuing, “Like on the operating table—sometimes we have people come in who deserve nothing more than a swift death for what they’ve done.”

“I’ve seen you in the OR.”

“Wow. I guess security has really gone to shit with all this technology.” She scoffs. “So what did you see?”

“I saw you hesitate, but in the end you chose to save them . . . But then I’ve also seen you beat the shit out of someone outside a bar. So I think you’re one bad moment away from being more like me than you care to admit.”

She worries her bottom lip, it’s so fucking hot. I want to bite it right here in this garden. “I’m nothing like you.”

“Hmm. Doubtful. Come, I want to show you my favorite place here.” We pass through the maze of a garden until we hit a small clearing with benches and chairs.

“Is there a reason you made this place like a maze?”

“It makes it interesting every time I come out here, much better than a boring simple path.”

“That’s kinda cool,” she says.

In the middle of one of the benches is a chess set. “My mom and I hadGilmore Girls, my dad and I had chess. Do you play?”

“I love chess. It’s a game of strategy, not luck or brute force.”

“Want to play with me?” I ask her as I take a seat on the black side of the chess board.

“As long as you’re ready to lose!” she challenges with a smirk on her face.

“I never lose,” I retort.

She sits down across from me. “Neither do I.”

We’ll see about that.Though I might be willing to let her win to see her smile.

“Ladies first,” I offer.

Looking at the board for a moment to think first, she moves one of her pawns to d4. Thinking I know where she’s going, I move my pawn to d5. Her lips quiver, trying to hide a smile. I know I’m right when she moves her other pawn to c4—ever my little firecracker.

“Wow. A gambit, huh? We’re starting off like that?”

“A little sacrifice never hurt anyone. Now the question is: are you going to accept my challenge?”

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