Page 61 of Casino King

Alec climbs out first and paces the cement a few feet away.

“So, you’re Tessa,” the mystery man says from the seat behind me. “I’m Leo, Alec’s older brother.”

Oh, shit.

If he’s his older brother, then that makes him head of the family…

I should have seen it sooner. They look so alike, but where Alec walks around like a bomb waiting to detonate, Leo seems to have a more silent, but still deadly, air to him. Like a poison waiting to be released into the air – properly contained until released, and then everyone in the vicinity is taken out. Quickly. Quietly.

Climbing from the back to sit next to me, he closes the door and tells the driver to lock the doors, shutting Alec out. He turns back abruptly at the sound of the door closing and tries to open it, but can’t.

“Open the fucking door, Leo!” Alec yells, pounding on the window.

“Give me a minute!” Leo yells back, making me flinch.

My hands shake on my lap, but I turn them to fists before he can notice, trying not to show him that I know exactly who he is and what that means.

Leo stares at me for a moment. “My brother hasn’t been acting like himself lately.”

I open my mouth to respond, but he holds up a hand. “Do you know who he is? Who I am?” The inside of the Range Rover is only dimly lit by the florescent lights that manage to seep in through the heavily tinted windows, but I can see the flare of his eyes as if he’s excited by the prospect.

“Yes,” I whisper, hoping he can’t hear the trepidation in my voice.

“Then you know how dangerous it is for him to be so distracted by you.”

“I…”

“I can’t stop him from being with you. But if you’re going to be his woman, then you need to learn what that roll means and entails. You need to be sure of it all before he’s so far gone, you’ll bring down everything we’ve built by walking away when things get to be too much and you see or learn of something you don’t like.” His eyes are penetrating mine, his calm voice edged with warning. “Do you know what I’m saying?” he asks, urging me to answer him.

“Yes.” I swallow. “I understand what you’re saying.”

“Good.” He nods. “Alfie, you can unlock the doors now,” he instructs the driver, the resound shifting of the locks filling my senses as I repeat Leo’s words over in my head.

I don’t even notice when he climbs out and Alec’s face fills the doorframe. “What did he say to you?” he demands.

“Nothing,” I whisper, sliding out of the car. I don’t want to talk to him right now.

Tires come to a screeching halt behind us and I turn to see Enzo jumping out of his SUV and walking briskly towards us. His eyes run up and down me to make sure I’m okay before looking at Alec, and when he does, it’s like Enzo actively clears his face of all emotion. He stands tall, waiting for Alec to say something.

He doesn’t, though. I watch with wide eyes as Alec holds his hand out to the man next to him who pulls a gun from his shoulder holster inside his suit jacket and places it in Alec’s waiting hand.

I stand frozen, not sure if what I’m seeing is the truth.

He flips the safety off and holds the gun up to Enzo, who doesn’t seem at all surprised. Alec’s face doesn’t give anything away. Only his cold, dark eyes show the anger he’s holding.

“You shouldn’t have let her step foot in there. You know that, don’t you?”

Enzo nods once, not showing an ounce of fear. He expected this.

“I trusted you to keep her safe. This is the second time you’ve let me down.” Alec’s cold voice is devoid of all emotion. No anger, no remorse, no disappointment. Nothing.

Then it all happens as if in slow motion. The deafening sound of the gun goes off and Enzo’s torso is thrusted backward. He staggers a few feet and then falls to his knees.

Dropping my bag, I run to him. Kneeling beside him, I press my hands to his wound that’s bleeding out profusely.

Tears blur my vision, but I murmur words of encouragement to the man who’s done nothing wrong in my eyes. He’s followed me, driven me, watched over me, and saved me when I needed it.

“Lay back,” I tell him, and he actually listens. “You’ll be fine, E. You’ll be fine.”

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