Page 52 of Queen of Spades

Cassian walked his sister out, and I’m still baffled.

Were they just trying to keep me busy?

Maybe they were being polite, and their gesture slightly missed the mark.

“Why did I just try on six dresses that I’ll never wear?” I ask as Ward squats down in front of my chair.

“Well, we figured you’d want something nice to wear tonight to meet Canton Forbes.” He chuckles, and those damn little crinkles appear around his eyes.

“Is there a C theme for every member of the Forbes family?” I ask, licking my lips. Damn, Ward smells all kinds of delicious. His scent has hints of honey and something smoky. It’s hard to describe—but maybe pipe tobacco. Whatever it is, my system is a big fan.

“You’re cute.” Ward stands, offering his hands. “Come on. I knew you weren’t going to be enamored by the dresses.” He tugs me up and leads me to the dresser lined with boxes. “This might be a disaster, but I tried.”

“Don’t worry,” Cassian says from behind me. “I helped. You should find most things actually fit. Ward was less than zero percent helpful.” He chuckles, coming to a stop at my side. “When the saleswoman asked for your sizes, he scratched his beard and said, She’s pretty small. I don’t know, something like this. Then held up his hands like that was actually going to help.”

A laugh escapes my lips as I look at Ward over my shoulder.

His cheeks are rosy, and he shrugs. “You’re tiny compared to me.”

“Thank you,” I say, trying to hold back any humor from my tone.

“I guessed around a size eight or ten,” Cassian says. “But that one said there was no way. We ended up picking up several size ranges just in case, and Colette brought gowns in a variety of sizes.”

It sounds like he’s genuinely trying to be helpful. So, I twist toward him and smile.

“Yep, anywhere from a size ten to a twelve. Shirts are usually a large or extra large.” I shrug. “Omegas are curvy, but I carry most of my weight on my bottom half.”

“Women’s clothing sizes are ludicrous. I picked up multiple items in the same size, yet they weren’t uniform.” Ward runs his fingers down my hip.

I laugh. “That sounds about right.”

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing Cas seems to have an uncanny ability for picking out women’s sizes,” Ward says, gesturing to the boxes. “Stay on the right side when opening. Those items should fit perfectly.”

“The ones in the back are bras and panties.” Cas speaks close to my ear, causing his warm breath to tickle over my skin. “Don’t fret. I’m fairly sure I got close to your normal size for your tits too.”

I snort.

It’s very difficult to decide if I want to stab him or thank him.

Chapter Seventeen

Kane

Grady and I succeed in wiping out the first nest of the Andrettis’ men. Merrick backs us up remotely, and the three of us are a formidable team. Although, I keep a close eye on Grady to ensure he doesn’t shoot me in the back while I’m not paying attention.

Unfortunately, the next house is across town. Who the fuck knows how Andretti picks his safe houses, but it sure would have been convenient for me if they were closer together.

The only time Grady shuts the fuck up is when he’s belting out the lyrics to some pop song as he sings along with the radio. I jab the button on the steering wheel to turn the obnoxious music down.

“I was enjoying that.”

I raise a hand from the wheel, flipping him off. “You have no vocal abilities. Unless you were purposely trying to give me a migraine.”

“Kane, my friend, you are entirely too uptight.” Grady laughs, and even the sound grates on my nerves. “We’re free of that basement, and it’s a beautiful day to slaughter some assholes.”

My head tilts until I can study the predatory smile on his face. “You enjoy killing. Like, you actually look forward to it. Don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t choose it over sex, but there are worse things to fill your time with.”

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