Page 24 of The Devil's Dilemma

“It was all my idea,” Joel said. “Now let Freddie go.”

“You see, I’d really love to do that, but I know that’s not true. You, my friend, don’t have the brains you were born with. If you did, you wouldn’t have accepted this job. You’d have done the right thing and walked away. But you didn’t, and now you’re sitting before me with a friend who’s pissed himself and another who isn’t quite what he seems.”

“It was me,” he insisted. I’d give him his due. Joel was trying to take the heat from Freddie. Why wasn’t he giving up his uncle?

Dante chuckled. “Do you hear these clowns, Conrad?”

“Sure do, boss.”

“What was you, Joel? Why don’t you enlighten me?”

“It was my idea, okay? Austin can win at anything and never get caught. I thought we could use his talents to win as much money as we could in one night. We already hit two casinos, but we didn’t get enough.”

Jesus, someone needed to shut him up and now.

“So you thought you’d come to mine and what? Steal from me?”

“It’s not stealing if we win it fair and square.”

“And on that, I would agree. But you’ve just said yourself that Austin can win at anything. So by that logic, you were planning on winning money by means that weren’t fair. He is your lucky charm. Take him out of the equation. How much would you have won?”

We all knew the answer to that one. They’d have not won a fraction of what we’d taken home from the first two hauls, nor this one, although we had been nowhere near done before we’d been caught.

This would definitely have been the big one. The one to give us enough to escape.

Except I knew now that had never been Joel’s intention for him or me.

“Tell him about Nick.” I had no loyalty to that man.

“Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. Who’s Nick?” Dante asked.

“His uncle. Except I don’t think he is,” I said.

“Shut the fuck up, Austin.”

“Why? You had no intention of going anywhere, and what was it your uncle said? We should try to get Austin on the payroll. Don’t think I didn’t hear that.”

“How could you know that? You weren’t even in the house when we talked about that?”

“Don’t you just love dissension in the ranks?” Dante rubbed his hands, a wicked smile on his face. “Grab the popcorn. I’m enjoying this.”

No way I was telling anybody about the chip giving me some kind of invisibility, although right now, that particular benefit seemed to have deserted me.

“I heard enough. Who exactly is Nick? I’ve known you for years, Joel, and I’ve never seen him in your house, not once. Come to think of it, you’ve never mentioned him until recently. Makes me wonder what kind of ‘uncle’ he is.”

Dante rested against his desk, his arms folded, watching our exchange.

“This is so much more interesting than anything on TV. Carry on.”

“I’ve got nothing more to say.” I had no qualms about dropping Nick in it.

“Aw, that’s a shame. Just when it was getting interesting. Anything to add, Joel? I mean, I can easily find out who he is. I have my sources. You were a piece of cake to find, as were your friends. Where’s Pete, by the way? He’s part of your little gang, isn’t he?”

“I’m saying nothing else.” Joel had the same idea as me.

“What about you, Austin? I feel there’s so much more to you than meets the eye.” Dante stared at me intently, and I couldn’t tear my gaze from his. I should feel uncomfortable, scared. I should be begging for him to let me go, but I did nothing.

“I’m nobody. I guess I’m luckier than most.”

---