Page 82 of Queen Of WildCards

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Twohoursand two loads of laundry later,I’dfinally managed to make his room look less like a tornado had blown through and more like an adult man lived here, soIrewarded myself with a random book from his bookshelf, stretched out across the bed, a smile on my lips asIdevoured every word, waiting on one of the boys to come home.

Home.

Itwas strange howI’dbegun to think of this place as home now.Hell,I’dbeen here over a month, and it wasn’t looking likeI’dever go back to my old life.Likea part of me was already ensconced in this fucking place, in this crew.

LikeI’dbecome their de facto queen while the boss was away.

Theguys bent to me wheneverIneeded something; withAceout of the way, not here to tell them how to treat me,Ifelt less like a forced captive and more like a part of their little sect, their family.Nowthat he was back, would that change?

Thiswas honestly one of the only placesI’dever felt safe, as fucked up as that was–safe with my kidnappers, go figure.

Butafter three weeks missing from my everyday life, and not even a single text or call from the peopleIexpected to miss me,Irealized there was nothing left to go back to but two cats who’d love whoever fed them nightly, and some house plantsIkilled more often than nurtured.

Whatthe fuck didIstand to gain by running away?

Still,Iwasn’t about to sit around this place while mister stick-up-his-ass marched around and put knives to my throat to motivate the other guys.Iwasn’t anybody’s fucking toy.Orbargaining chip, for that matter.

Thegarage door lifted, and in rolled one of the guys’ vehicles.Itwas getting easier to determine who was who, but so far,Ihadn’t managed to separate the cars from each other.Usually,Irelied on a text to tell me who to expect, but–

Couldn’tget a text if your phone wasn’t in your possession.

AndAcehad mine.

Fucker.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX

JOKER

IfIhad to suffer through one more fucking interrogation today,Iwas going to go through the roof.Ineeded a break.Ineeded air.

WhatIreally needed was a tall, cool glass ofMallory, naked, in my bed, spread eagle and ready to be brought to the heights of pleasure.

WhatcouldIsay?Ihad a thing for the doc.

Shehad managed to weasel her way into my fucking soul, and in the weekAcehad been gone,I’dbeen doing everythingIcould to make her happy.Iwanted to see her smile every fucking day of my life, regardless of what put the smile on her gorgeous cheeks.

Iwasn’t still making amends for letting her nearly die in my shower.

Iwasn’t.

MaybeifItold myself that enough, it would start to be true.Icould believe it for a change.Trickmy mind out of the constant guilt and anguish.

Islammed the door ofAce’sfancy car and growled under my breath at the fucking luck of it all today.

Dealingwith the scum of the earth always left me with a sour taste in my mouth, butIpulled just enough street urchins out of the alleys today to get whatIneeded–a lead.Andif it panned out–andIwas sure it would–BlackJackwould be able to tell us who the fuck threw that info in the lap of our contacts and why.

Someonehad known who we’d be hitting.Theyknew the fucking jewels belonged to theKings.Andthey knew the ensuing battle between them and us would be a hell of a bloodbath if it came to it.Myonly guess was they’d planted the info so they could wipe two players off the board for the price of none.

Someoneelse wanted to take the top spot in our city, and they’d pitted theWildcardsagainst theKingsfor sport.

Ialmost marched right past the kitchen untilIspottedAce, of all people, washing fucking dishes, a towel thrown over his expensive button-down as he hummed to himself.

Myhand curled around the door frame asIdanced backward and peered in, surveying the scene.

“You’reback,”Imuttered, too stunned to come up with something witty to say. “Howwas the flight?”

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