Does he know about Aoife?
“Navigate alliances, betrayals find your way out,” he continues. “It tests instinct, leadership, trust. First to finish wins.”
“Trust?” I scoff. “In that ring?”
“You’ll need it. Or you lose,” Leo tells me and now I do laugh.
“Trust a fucking O’Brien, Liam’s son? Not happening.” I drop onto the bed and reread the trial, already tasting the urge to put him through a wall.
Leo walks over and claps a hand on my shoulder. “Control the board, Matteo. You don’t need to set fire to every piece.”
I nod once. “Then let’s play.”
I glance at my brothers. If Leo knows, he’s not saying anything. “Matteo, the trial is tomorrow,” he says and leaves the room.
Of course Leo skipped that part. One night to bleed off rage. There aren’t enough nights in the world for how much I hate him.
The conversation hangs in the air, thick with tension and purpose. “I love you, brother, but I know you,” Marco says. “She’s under your skin, and you hate them enough to kill.”
He’s not wrong. Even without Aoife, I wouldn’t last five minutes in a room with him.
“I’m with Marco,” Milo adds. “Out here you’ve got us to pull you off him. In there? It’s just you.” He flips a knife past my shoulder and sidesteps. Fucker. “Not sure you’ll win this one, brother.”
I light a cigarette and stretch out, smoke pooling on the ceiling. I hate it, but they’re right. Maybe this is the trial I fail because working with the enemy feels like swallowing glass.
Rule one: never trust the enemy especially an O’Brien. This might be worse than the silent room.
I exhale, close my eyes, and try to plan the only thing that matters: how not to kill Conor.
“You want to go in the ring, to get some rage out before the trial?” Marco asks. “I mean I won’t let you hit my face, it’s too pretty.” I smile at his comment.
“No.” I draw deep on the cigarette and pull out my phone.
Matteo
You on the roof tonight?
“You sure seeingher before you sit with him is smart?” Milo asks.
“Probably not,” I whisper.
It’s the worst idea, but for some reason, I want to touch her, see her, fucking hell talk to her. Talking about nothing, just being close to her is all I need.
Aoife
You said you’d send me to the slaughterhouse if you kissed me again.
But you didn’t.
I’ve been living in it this whole time.
And the wolves aren’t the monsters.
The lambs are.
My thumb freezes mid-swipe.The words crawl up my spine like ice.
I knew something was wrong.
