Page 13 of Queen Of WildCards

"Jokesaside, you buffoon.Whatwere youthinking?!"

Hewinced at my tone and withdrew further into the couch.Ihad no time for his hijinks, though, and slammed my palms flat against the top of my desk. "Dammit,Joker, you're putting us all at risk here!First, you take this job, which we all agreed was suspect, and it turns out our initial decision wascorrect.Thenyou get yourself injured mid-heist, drive off into the night with a bag of stolen jewels on your back, and get picked up by the fuckingauthorities.Younearlydied,and yet your first instinct after being released from jail—which wasn't easy to do, by the way—is to go get plastered, nearly catch a public indecency charge, and spill your secrets to a complete stranger."Mychest heaved with the force of my words, andIfought the urge to clear my desk and strangle him. "Doesthat about cover it,Joker?"

Hehad the common sense to look properly cowed, but beneath that apologetic grimace,Icould see a storm brewing.Whenhe sobered up, there'd be a fight, or something close to it.AndwhenJokerstarted a fight, it got bad, really,reallyfast.

Imade a note to try and head him off one-on-one later, before that pot boiled over.

"So, what are we going to do about the situation?"

Forthe first time since walking into the impromptu family meeting,Spadecleared his throat and let out a little chuckle. "WhydoIget the idea you've got a fucked-up plan already working?"

Myanswering smirk was confirmation enough.

"We'regoing to kidnap them and see what they know."

CHAPTERSIX

MALLORY

AfterFriday'slate call with the handsome, drunk exhibitionist,I'dbeen flustered as fuck.Nothingcould calm the buzzing feeling that ran rampant beneath my skin, not a hot shower, not a cup of coffee, not a shot of whiskey, nothing.

Okay, so the vibrator on my bedside table had helped a little.

Alot.

Still, whenIwoke up the next morning, refreshed, alive, and with a thankfully empty email inbox,Ithought that was the end of that.Mysuperiors wouldn't go snooping through the recordings unless absolutely necessary, so the only two people who could ever access that transcript were me and the idiot who'd jacked his dick to the sound of my voice.

Ihad high hopes that he woke up ashamed of himself and embarrassed enough not to pursue the matter.

Imoved about my kitchen all morning, cleaning up whileIhad free time.Mycalendar was blissfully open, andIhadn't scheduled a single call for the night, so it was almost like fate reached in to rearrange my peaceful night when my phone rang for the first time that day.

Ianswered it without checking the callerID, too preoccupied with feeding the cats to bother.

"Hello?"

Iheard a breath on the other side, but nobody spoke.

"Hello?Isanyone there?"Itried again, hoping this wasn't one of those prank calls.I'dtaken steps to make sure my cellphone remained unlisted, but it was impossible to make it through life without your number being leaked to some telemarketer or another. "Listen, if this is a joke, it's not funny, asshole!"

Ihit the disconnect button and set the phone on my dining room table.Thesecond time the voiceless breather called,Ithreatened them with the cops.Bythe third time my phone rang,Iwas at my wit's end and frustrated with the whole day.Iwas also bent over the washing machine, struggling to remove a few socks from the bottom of my top-load washer.

Imarched into the living room and yanked the phone off the table with no little amount of aggravation. "Listen, fuckface, if you're just gonna breathe in my ear all night, let me save you the time—"

"Easy, killer, who pissed in your cheerios?"

Irelaxed immensely at the sound of my best friend's voice. "Oh, shit, sorry,Gem.I'vehad one of those heavy-breathing weirdos calling me all day."

Ijuggled the phone as she laughed on the other end. "That'sridiculous.I'mgladIdon't get those calls.You'vegotta stop working therapy for that sketchy website.

Ismiled asIthought back on my last call. "It'snot all bad, andIseriously doubt this is related to my job as a tele-therapist.Besides,"Ihedged, "our info is private on there.I'mnot in any danger."

Gemmachuckled. "Famouslast words, friendo."Iheard her shuffle around in the background, cursing at something. "So,I'mcalling becauseIwant you to go out with me tonight.Let'scut loose together, have a good time."

Mylips pursed asIrolled that idea over in my head. "Wherewould we go?Idon't know ifIhave an outfit suitable for some of your swankier clubs."Thedryer dinged pleasantly asIclosed the door and started the cycle, andImoved slowly into the next room with a full basket of clothesIknew would probably wrinkle horribly beforeImanaged to fold them.

"WhatifItold you we'd just go to a local joint?"

Ipaused in the hallway outside my bedroom door, the basket balanced on my knee. "MaybeIcould come up with something suitable."

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