Page 50 of A Game of Survival

“I do have a plan but I’m not sure you’re going to like it.” I say, side-stepping a left hook.

“I’ll do whatever you need me for Silas, I’m here to help. What do you need?” he ask, sneaking a jab in.

“I need you to stay here with Max, Kat and the kids.” I say, watching how he reacts to the mention of Katrina.

“Kat’s here is she? What has she got to do with this? I thought she was just Luci’s friend, a co-worker.” he asks, intrigued already.

“She’s a lot more involved than I can tell you but that’s for her to say, not me. Just know that she is important to Luci and I need you to help Max keep them safe. If things go sideways, let her deal with it.”

“Max? As in Max Costello? Fuck, there is alot more to this story than you’re telling me, isn’t there?

“There is, but now is not the time. Myself, Lincoln and a small crew plan to hit the location at midnight. Until then, I need to vent this frustration, so come on big guy, I know you’re holding back on me.” I say, digging Nic in the ribs. “Besides, between you and Max, Kat has her own set of drooling guard dogs.” I laugh.

“I’m not a fucking drooling anything. I’ll do as you ask but that brother in law of yours better keep his hands to himself.” Nic says grumpily.

“Yeah, yeah brother, you keep telling yourself that. Just play nicely until we get back, OK?” I chuckle, raising my eyebrow in question.

“I can play nice,” he smiles, landing a decent blow to my center that takes my breath away.

We spend an hour sparring, we are equally matched and it gives me an idea that once all of this is over, to enroll Nicholas in our fight nights at the warehouse, as a trainer and as a contestant.

Finally feeling calmer and focused, I return to my room and ready myself before meeting with Lincoln and Max to tell them the plan of action.

Chapter 26

Max

Why the fuck I got left on babysitting duty is completely beyond me. While my sister lies in a cell under the order of my own father, her step father, enduring God knows what sort of treatment. Just the thought of it has my stomach in knots.

It’s impossible to keep the disapproving snarl from my face as Silas, Linc and a small group of their trusted men arm themselves for their midnight rescue mission. They leave with no other instruction other than to keep Katrina, Teddy, Isabella and Alessandro safe. Lincoln's words ring true in my ears.“It’s harder when your family is involved for you to make sound decisions.”I know what he’s saying is true. I can hardly think straight as it is. We only just got Teddy back, now the deranged fucking man I have the displeasure of being related to has taken Lucille in retaliation. I wouldn’t be able to make sane decisions, I’d go in head first, slash throats, then ask questions later.

To aid in my anger, Silas recruited a new member of the team tonight. Nicholas, a stocky, stiff shouldered American man he shared a cell with in jail. It seems they hit it off and became good friends. He turned up on the doorstep a couple of hours ago and has been sparring down in the gym. I couldn’t give a shit who he integrated into his family but the way he and Kat looked at each other as Silas gave his introduction, with a knowing recognition in their eyes, stirred something deep inside of me, that up until now, I have been unfamiliar with. That in itself makes me want to put my fist through his sharply defined face. Somehow I don’t think it would be a good idea to start a fight with someone just because they looked at the girl I’ve been secretly lusting over for the last 5 years. Even if it was insanely tempting to take my frustration out on him, I swallow my pride and offer out a hand to embrace his own, squeezing my grip around his knuckles slightly as he obliges.

“Max Costello,” I snarl, pulling his body closer to mine so our noses are a breath away though he doesn't falter.

“Nicholas Smith,” he grunts, flexing his arm in response before lowering his tone. “You can call me Nic.”

“OK boys, that’s enough,” Kat snaps, pushing between us both. “There are more important things going on right now than you two having a dick measuring competition. Now, I’m going to go and fetch the kids and we’re going to take them back to my place.” Kat walks over to the door with a sexy swing to her hips. I don’t think she realizes the effect she has on people. She stops at the door before turning back to us and smirking that sexy one sided grin I’ve come to love over the years. “And boys, play nice while I’m gone,” she chuckles then leaves us both gawking after her.

“She’s a handful,” Nicholas chuckles, rubbing his hand over the scruff of hair across his chin. How the fuck would he know anything about her? I resist the urge to knock his teeth into his skull once again as I turn to face him.

“Have you met her before?” I ask, unable to help myself. Nicholas snaps his eyes to mine, smiling a smug fucking smile that shows his perfectly white teeth. Fuck I have never let a man rile me up so much over absolutely nothing before. What is wrong with me?

“Na, we’ve never met. She just seems like the fiery type, if you know what I mean,” he winks, spiking my blood to boiling point. I don’t trust him. I know they know each other, I just can't figure out where from.

“Why are you here?” I ask, gauging his reaction carefully to see what he’s hiding. “What could possibly be in this for you? You don’t know this family.” I state matter of factly. Spending a few months in the same jail cell as somebody does not mean you know them.

“Silas offered me a job when we were in the joint. Trust me, when you spend all day, every day with the same person, you get to know them pretty well.” He begins as his stance hardens and his face darkens with a threatening promise. “I know everything I need to know about Silas, Cole and Lincoln and what their business entails. I know where my loyalties lie in this situation. Do you?”

Before I have a chance to reply, Kat walks back into the room carrying Teddy on one hip and balancing Isabella on the other while Alesso follows closely behind, rubbing his eyes and yawning. The room falls awkwardly silent as she walks over to me and narrows her eyes briefly before handing Teddy over to me.

“He’s tired. They all are. We should get going,” she insists, looking between the two of us trying to figure out what was said in her absence.

I ignore her prying eyes and walk over to the door, cradling Teddy against my chest. “We’ll take the van, it’s in the garage.”

It’s quiet and tense on the drive back to Katrina’s apartment. Teddy and Isabella have fallen asleep with their heads each resting into Kat’s lap as she stares absentmindedly out of the window lost to her own thoughts, stroking her fingers through their hair. Alessandro has sprawled out across the seats in the rear. I catch Kat’s eye in the mirror and try my best to comfort her with a smile. She quirks her lips ever so slightly in response, returning a soft smile at me before returning her attention to the window once again. I had my reservations about leaving the security of Silas’s estate where protection and weapons would have been easily accessible should we need them, but I know Kat would feel safer in her own surroundings with the children in tow and so I refused to voice my concerns. While I agree it will be easier to monitor a smaller area, I would have preferred to keep Kat’s home out of this.

We sit in silence for the rest of the journey, each of us battling our own demons.

---