Page 104 of Queen Of WildCards

"Onlyplans on my docket are to collect my winnings at the gym."Ipulled out my pocket knife and began picking out the dirt from beneath my nail bed. "You?"

Jokershrugged. "I'msupposed to follow some dirtbag who owes theKingshis life—only because he owed them thousands, which has conveniently been wiped from his ledger."

Weturned toAcenext.Hemet our gazes and shrugged. "I'mstaying here.Someoneput in a call toMallory'sphone last night and never said a word, soBlackJackandIare planning to find out who—"

"Won'ttake long.AllIhave to do is hook it up to the laptop and run a reverse search.Maybeping some towers."

BlackJackstrode proudly into the kitchen, wearing nothing but a pair of low-slung sweats and his smirk,Mallorytrotting along like a dickmatized fool behind him.Iresisted the urge to slam my fist into his smug ass face and growled instead, taking a huge drink of my coffee to singe the anger from my throat beforeIsaid something stupid.

Aceseemed to not have the same hesitation.

"Youshould be walking like a fucking penguin from all that noise you made all night."

Malloryraised a brow but took a seat with a slight wince of discomfort, one she tried desperately to hide fromBlackJack.Ihad some guesses as to why that was, but odds were they were all wrong, soIdidn't bother entertaining them.Ipassed her a little wink and returned to my coffee when she smiled at me, hoping she'd enjoyed herself.

Ididn't mind sharing, but fucking hell,Iwas now seriously considering installing soundproofing myself next timeIhad a spare minute to myself.

Jokerhuffed in annoyance when we were all finally sitting around the table, running a hand down his face as a groan rumbled out of him.Asif summoned by the sound,Mallory'seyes finally found their way to him, and she nearly dropped her coffee as she gasped, noticing the black rings beneath his eyes, the drawn look, and the sickly pallor of his skin.

"Ohmy god,Cass, who the fuck hurt you?"Herhand stretched across the table, like she could soothe away his pain with a touch. "Youlook terrible."

"Thanks, doc, really helpful," he complained, rolling his eyes at her observation. "Ididn't sleep last night.Wouldyou have any ideas what kept me up?"

Sheblushed prettily and averted her eyes. "Um."

BlackJackpunchedJokerin the arm, perhaps a bit rougher than necessary, but hey, when you're getting laid for the first time in your life and some asshole knocks on the wall, you get what you deserve for that dick move. "Fuckoff, prick.Don'tmake her feel bad about it."

"Oh, if it isn't the man of more words in one month than he's spoken in ten years.Please, tell me more about myself."

Ituned out their taunting and watchedMalloryas she turned toAcewith a nearly audible eye roll and asked him what the day held for everyone.Whenhe'd filled her in, she tipped her head and smiled at him, momentarily blinding everyone in the path of that stunning display.

"Wouldyou take me out today?I, uh, need to grab a few things, andIdon't want to go alone."

Aceshrugged but said nothing, his eyes sparkling with those unsaid wordsIknew we were all so close to spilling to her.

Everyfucking one of us was irreversibly in love with her, and it was only a matter of time before one of us spilled the fucking beans and told her to her face.Hell, ifIweren't entirely sure her pussy was practically murdered after last night,I'dpull her over the table and fuck her into the wood whileIscreamed it at all of these fuckers, claiming a piece of her before anyone else had the chance.

Though, it could be saidI'dclaimed most of her firsts with us.Ikissed her first,Ihad my dick in her first—

"Sure,I'lltake you wherever you need to go.BlackJackcan run your phone while we're gone."

Sheturned toBlackJackwith a grateful smile, and he leaned over her and planted a lingering kiss on her upturned lips as she drank him in.Whenhe pulled back, her breathless giggle nearly gagged me.

"Thanks, babe," she crooned to him, and he gave her a little nod, his proud smile back in place for us as if to sayeat shit and die, motherfuckers, she likes me best.

Shegave him a nickname first.

Maybewe weren't the only fools here head over heels.

Ilet that thought simmer as we slowly slipped out of the kitchen one by one, leavingAceandMalloryalone to discuss their travel plans for the day.

* * *

Threehours later,Iwas elbow-deep in a bloody beatdown with a man who spilled far more than he'd ever planned to, my fists aching from the number of timesI'dslammed them into his perfectly aligned veneers.

Well, once perfectly aligned.Theywere quite a mess now.Wouldprobably be thousands in work to straighten them and reset his jaw, but that wasn't my problem.

"So, you wanna come clean and tell me who the fuck paid you off and why?"

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