Page 63 of Love Is A Draw
The second officer’s brow furrowed. “He’s unauthorized. And as such, he cannot stay.”
Greg’s face hardened. “Then you’ll have to argue with me and Parliament. And we’ll see who wins that match.”
The first officer cleared his throat, then whispered as he passed Victor’s papers to Greg, “My grandfather played in Odessa. He’d have been proud.”
Victor stood, spine straight, and left the room with Greg and Hermy beside him.
But he felt no sense of victory, not without her.
Gail had won the board, but maybe… she’d never meant to keep him on it.
CHAPTER 27
The lamps along the Thames were dimming as the carriage pulled away from the Pearlers’ house, wheels churning over cobbles slick with rain. They’d stopped only briefly to collect Maia, just as Gail had promised. Gail sat wedged between Rachel and Maia, her cloak drawn tight, but she couldn’t stop shivering.
Why did this seem like a goodbye?
Victor was gone. List had won again. Not on the board—but in the way that mattered most.
Rachel held Gail’s gloved hand in hers, fingers clasped too tightly to be comfortable, but neither of them let go. Fave sat opposite but hadn’t spoken since they left the house. Rachel kept muttering softly, barely moving her lips.
Gail strained to hear. “So List memorized the lines. He admitted it. And yet he’s called the customs officers?”
“He gave himself away,” Fave said. “Greg saw it. So did the officer. But List pushed the investigation forward. That’s why Greg and Hermy went to Victor to stop the deportation.”
Gail stared down at her lap. “Then why was Victor being taken and not me?”
“Because List controls the room,” Fave muttered. “He knows how to dress power in just enough legitimacy to make it dangerous. And Victor—Victor was his target. I don’t think List knows you’re a Tarkov and what it means.”
Gail’s throat tightened. “I should’ve gone with Victor.”
Rachel’s hand squeezed hers. “No. You had to finish it. That’s what Victor would’ve wanted. And you have more sway as the Black Knight.”
It was true. Victor had said so. He’d sacrificed himself. He’d faced down the man who cheated him, who humiliated him, and still played with courage. And then he’d let her go because he believed in her more than he believed in his own right to stay.
She clutched the edge of the seat. Victor hadn’t truly lost. He hadn’t had a fair match. The officers had stood over him. List had cheated. The ledgers had been stolen.
And yet he had left. He had left—for her. And she’d let him.
What good was the title, Black Knight, if she lost the love of her life? The one who had played across the wall before she even knew his name? She couldn’t swallow the ache. It filled her throat, her chest, her eyes.
Maia stirred beside her, head bobbing as she peered through the window. “Will your grandfather like me?”
Gail blinked. “He will love you.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Even though I talk a lot?”
Gail gave a watery smile. “Especially because you talk a lot.”
Maia twisted around. “Is Mr. Victor going to meet him, too?”
Gail hesitated.
“He might not be allowed,” Fave said quietly. “Greg and Hermy went to intervene. But… we don’t know.”
Silence thickened.
Maia, unwilling to let quiet win, sat up straighter. “Do you love him?”
