Page 12 of Avenging Kelly

We were sitting in the media room when the game we were watching paused as a ringing sound filled the room from the television.

I turned to Dallas. “Get behind the chair.” Thankfully, the man was nimble and hid quickly. I hit the remote to accept the call, surprised to see The Gambler on the screen.

“Yeah,” I answered, not hiding my animosity at her invasion of my life yet again.

“I’m glad you took me up on my offer to use the High Roller, as I call my little hideaway. Are you finding everything you need? I can order anything you’re missing,” the woman told me, her lecherous smile making my stomach turn.

I swallowed my distaste for her. “I appreciate you giving me a place to stay since I got out. It’s nice of you,” I lied, nearly choking on the words. “Any idea when I might be called up again?”

“No, Hearts, nothing’s going on right now, and Diamonds and Clubs are still at our disposal here in Sin City, so make yourself at home for a while. It’s okay if you have a friend over but stay away from those people at Golden Elite Associates-America. I know you’re trying to figure out who kidnapped your sister, but let me have that handled for you. I can help you more than they can,” she stated as she took off her glasses.

I couldn’t say The Gambler was bad-looking for an older woman. She had brown hair and big brown eyes that were usually covered in black horn-rimmed glasses. I was guessing she was in her late forties, and for the right guy who could appreciate her, maybe she’d be a catch. I, however, wasn’t that guy…

Her smile seemed to be an attempt at seduction, but obviously, she didn’t know I was gay, or maybe she didn’t give a damn. I was sure the less she knew about me, the better.

“What should I do? They rescued my sister, and I owe them for that,” I stated, hoping maybe she’d want to impress me by giving me more information to help me find the assholes I was determined to kill.

“Does it matter? She’s with your mother in Maryland, isn’t she, and she has a beautiful new baby. I’d think you’d be happy with the outcome and go on with your life, Hearts.” Her smug demeanor pissed me off in short order.

Obviously, that woman didn’t know as much as she thought she did, but if she didn’t understand how important it was to me to know what the fuck had happened to my little sister, oh, I’d show her. I’d make sure she understood I wasn’t about to let go of the fact that some asshole had abducted Mia, tried to sell her on the black market, and then allowed some other jackoff to rape her and knock her up. I was more than determined to make sure all of them paid for their misdeeds.

The Gambler cleared her throat, signaling she was waiting for me to say something, so I answered her. “Sorry, but it really does matter. I was supposed to be taking care of my family, but I failed them. I need to make that right. Do you know anything about the people responsible?”

As much as I hated myself for it, if the woman had any information that would help me understand what had happened, if she could offer me anything GEA-A couldn’t get, then I’d pay whatever her price might be for her help.

“I didn’t realize you were so eager to tackle this situation so soon after you’re released, so I haven’t really investigated it, but I’ll see what I can find out. We can go over things when I call you next week. I’ll try to come to New York, but we have a bit of an issue here in Sin City. If it’s not rectified, I’ll have to stay here and prepare for a termination. How about we barter for the information? I’ll give you what I find out about your sister’s abduction, and you’ll give me what I want,” she insisted.

I just had to ask, even though I knew I’d hate what she was going to say. “And what exactly do you want?”

“You need a little fluffing, Hearts? Your friend can stay, and we can all have fun. He doesn’t need to hide behind that chair. Remember, I have eyes everywhere. I saw your thick cock last night when you came out of the bathroom from your shower, and I really need to feel it inside me. I plan to just gobble you up and keep you all for myself. We’ll both get out of the program, and you can even bring the big guy with you. I’ll get you off Poker Chips, I promise. I almost have the antidote perfected,” she stated.

Dallas stood from behind the chair and fixed his eyes on her for a moment before he glanced at me. “Hang up… now!”

“Call me,” she taunted in a flirty voice before the screen went black.

I couldn’t imagine how many cameras were in the apartment and what she knew about what I’d been doing since I’d arrived, but I was damn certain I needed to get the fuck out of there ASAP.

I turned to Dallas and swallowed my panic. “You need to get out of here. I can’t run from this shit because I have a chip in my spine, but go, and don’t let London come back, either. I’ll handle this on my own.”

Dallas had his phone out before I’d even finished my sentence.

When it was answered, he put it on speaker. “Hey! Everything okay?” London answered.

“No. We need to get him outta here and into hiding.” Dallas then turned toward me. “How much of that Poker Chips crap you got with you?”

“Three weeks’ supply,” I answered.

He nodded. “We got three weeks. Find us somewhere to hunker down while we figure this shit out.”

“Got it,” London said before the line went dead.

Dallas then looked at me. “Get your shit and let’s go.”

One thing I’d always been good at doing—following orders.

5

LONDON

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