CHAPTER 16: JAMESON

Jameson and Avery return to the dark Hawthorne flat after their encounter with the Devil’s Mercy emissary. They find four sticky notes from Xander, each with one odd word, and Jameson and Avery decode the anagrammed message as Xander going to check on Grayson.

Nash calls Jameson and tells him the family is trusting him, not just to take care of himself but to remember he does not have to face things alone. Xander shouts for Jameson to make good choices in the background, reinforcing that the Hawthorne brothers are watching out for one another even while separated.

Oren then reports company on the terrace. Against Oren’s preference to let security handle it, Avery insists on going out, and Jameson follows. They find the Devil’s Mercy messenger lounging with wine from the neighboring flat, revealing that he easily infiltrated the adjacent residence and deepening Jameson’s suspicion that the messenger is a skilled conman, thief, or chameleon.

The messenger proves that Avery’s message reached the Mercy by producing a black-and-platinum envelope marked with an elaborate geometric design. He offers Avery one week of visitor access to the Devil’s Mercy for two hundred thousand pounds, but Avery insists that Jameson must be included. The messenger explains that the Factotum, the Proprietor’s second-in-command, wants Avery at the tables and specifically wants Avery to lose.

To extend access to Jameson, the Factotum’s terms require Avery and Jameson to lose five hundred thousand pounds at the Devil’s Mercy tables over three nights in exchange for a week inside. Avery and Jameson realize the remaining days could let them win the money back, attract higher-level attention, and work toward the game they truly want. Jameson also infers that the Factotum may be using Avery as bait in a search for a new member.

The messenger identifies himself as Rohan and gives Avery a nondisclosure agreement, saying the financial terms rest on Avery’s and Jameson’s honor. Avery signs and accepts the deal, and Rohan tells Jameson he must sign as well if he wants to play. Jameson studies the ornate platinum pen, commits its design to memory, and signs.