This is War (Checkmate Duet 1)

I can ignore Travis the rest of my break, which seems nearly impossible considering the lake trip this weekend and the fact that he’s Travis, and will be in my face every chance he gets. Or I can forget our shared history, his words, the anger and hatred, and take advantage of the next week and a half alone with him and play his game every chance I get.

After all, if I’m the one writing the rules, there’s no possible chance of losing.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

TRAVIS

As I lean up against the Challenger, waiting for Viola to pick me up, I see Alyssa and Mr. Crawford walk out. She has her arm linked into his, smiling and laughing as if he actually has a sense of humor.

The way she hangs herself all over him is quite disturbing. She’s completely wrapped up in money and not really wanting to work for it, but if I see him glance down at her chest once more, I might throw up.

“Have a good night, Mr. King,” Mr. Crawford hollers over to me, startling me. I hadn’t even realized he was looking over at me.

I nod in return.

“Good night, Mr. King,” Alyssa lingers over my name slowly, popping her tongue. “Good luck getting home.” She tilts one side of her mouth up, telling me everything I already knew.

If my job wasn’t on the line, I’d do more than just stand and watch her walk away from me right now. Karma’s a bitch, and if I know anything about karma, she’ll show up just at the right time.

Just as Mr. Crawford drives them off, I see a Jeep rolling in with Viola in the passenger seat, the windows down. She’s looking at me and shaking her head with a knowing grin.

“Fuck you,” she reads the words on the window. “Classy.”

Viola’s friend leans forward and grins. “Love the custom paint job.”

“You two are relentless,” I groan.

“Hope you don’t mind riding bitch,” she says, leaning an arm over the window.

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I say, shaking my head and pushing off the Challenger. Grabbing my briefcase, I open the door and slide in.

“More than you know,” she beams. “Travis, you remember my friend, Courtney?” She waves a hand between us.

“Yeah, of course.” I have no fucking clue.

“He better! I’m unforgettable, Viola.” She spins the steering wheel and squeals the tires as she circles out of the parking lot. Viola laughs as she hangs on for dear life and soon I’m wondering if I should’ve just taken a cab home instead.

“I just need to grab my air compressor back at the house,” I shout over the wind and music. “Then a ride back.”

“Hm…I don’t know, pretty boy. That’s going to cost you,” Courtney teases. I can see her smart-ass grin in the rearview mirror.

“And what’s that, sweet cheeks? A ride in the King’s Stallion?” I ask.

Viola’s jaw drops, but quickly clamps it shut when she realizes I can see her reflection.

Courtney laughs. “Sorry, I don’t do sloppy seconds!” Her hair blows in my face as we take a sharp corner.

“Oh my God,” I hear Viola mumble, her cheeks reddening as she turns her head away.

Wait. Does that mean she told her about us last night?

“Well, it wouldn’t be sloppy…” I start to defend, but she holds her hand up and stops me.

Before I can continue, Viola whips her head and cuts me off. “Seriously? Right in front of me?”

“What?” I’m genuinely confused.

She rolls her eyes. “Some things never change,” she mumbles, looking away, but I hear her loud and clear.

“Have you looked in a mirror lately, princess?” I challenge and her shoulders tense. “Aside from your tits getting bigger, you haven’t changed a bit. You’re the exact same little prissy know-it-all you were when you were ten years old.”

Courtney snorts, holding in her laughter. Viola shoots daggers at me, biting her tongue.

I smile until we’re back to the house and am reminded why we’re even here. That bitch, Alyssa.

After grabbing my air compressor in the garage, I head back out and drop it in the back before sliding back into the backseat.

“You sure you don’t need anything else, pretty boy?” Courtney asks, eyeing me from the rearview mirror as she jerks the Jeep into drive.

“No, that’s it,” I reply, buckling in. Viola chuckles from her seat, still looking away from me as if I’ve missed some inside joke or something. “What’s funny?”

“Aside from this whole situation?” Viola cracks, her shoulders shaking from laughter.

I sigh and sit back against the leather seats. “Yeah, hilarious.” I know I have no one to blame but myself, but hell, Alyssa didn’t give me the psychopath vibe when we started hooking up. I suppose karma would come back to bite me in the ass, eventually. Nailing the CEO’s daughter isn’t exactly on my list of great accomplishments, but fuck, you’d think her pussy were made of diamonds by the way she’s treating me now.