Page 96 of Queen Of WildCards

IspottedBlackJackacross the room, finally, but his eyes didn't drift to mine, no matter how hardIwilled it to happen.Mybluster deflated and my head fell, but a rough yank of a hand in my hair had my eyes returning right back to the ring as the bell rang and both men circled like cats toying with a mouse.

Theway they mirrored each others' moves was eerie, as if they'd both trained under the same ruthless teacher, but if they'd had ties of some sort,Spadewould have said something.

Right?

Hehadn't given me any reason to think he'd lie to me—not likeAcehad on several occasions.

Soit must be a coincidence thatSpade'sopponent seemed to know exactly what he was going to do, when he was going to do it, and managed to counter every single move with practiced ease.

Soldatlanded a hit straight in the center ofSpade'snose, the sickening crunch of it breaking loud enough to echo over to whereIsat, wincing at the secondhand pain.Fromthere, it was all downhill.

Spadewas fast, but he was out of practice, and whereas onceI'dsuspected he might be able to hold his own against this man, today, there was no lingering doubt that he was going to lose.

Ihad a fleeting thought that, hadIhad my own money,Icould stand to make a ton more right now ifIput it on theKingin the ring, but it was gone as soon as it arrived, a traitorous thought that had no business in my head.

"Doyou enjoy watching my man tear yours to shreds?" the asshole had the gall to ask, his low-timbered voice whispering across my ear as his lips pressed dangerously into my hairline just an inch back. "Hisblood littering the ring, dropping every time he turns around, like a wounded dog: lost, disoriented, still convinced he stands a chance."

Heturned my head to the left, andIspotted the asshole who'd dragged me over and put me at this man's mercy, a gun in his hand, visible at just the right angle.Herocked it back and pointed it, and whenIfollowed his line of sight,Irealized he was aiming right forCass.

Fuck.

"What'syour game, asshole?"

Hissoft chuckle sent shivers down my spine. "Well,MissStanton, it's quite simple.Theirtime is running out, andIneed information.Iwant to know who pulled the heist on my jeweler, andIam tired of asking nicely and waiting for results."Hisbuddy cocked the gun in his grip, a malicious grin spreading over his face as he locked eyes with his boss.

Thesame boss who ran a hand up my leg, stopping for only a second on my upper thigh before teasing the hem of my skirt with a calloused finger.

Itmade me fucking sick.

"Icould give the nod and have all your men killed in less than a second, and before the club got their wits about them, we'd be gone like a fly in the wind."Heturned my chin now toBlackJack, where another of his men stood off to the side, the familiar glint of brass knuckles flashing on his hand as he gripped the lapels of his out-of-place coat. "So, the choice is yours, pretty thing.Yougonna convince them to give up their secrets?"Hisnose was an inch from my cheek now, andIswallowed the bile rising in my throat asItried desperately to lean as far away from him as possible. "OrshouldIjust keep you and use you as collateral?"

Evenas the words echoed around us,Irealized it wouldn't work.Acemight be fucking me now, but that didn't mean he'd risk his whole crew for my insignificant ass. "Joke'son you, buddy.I'mnot worth spit to them.I'mjust their little plaything, and whenAcegets tired of me,I'llbe back whereIstarted, in a shitty life, with my two cats and a rundown apartment that has a water leak when it rains."

"You'rea bigger fool than those men of yours if you thinkI'llbelieve that."Spade'seyes locked in on me, and a vicious snarl fell from his lips as he took a right hook to the face for his momentary distraction. "Yourfighter can't stop himself from looking over to make sureI'mnot hurting you, and every time he does, my man lands another punch."

Myeyes fell to the floor in shame.Hehad me there, but what wasIsupposed to do?Itwasn't likeAcewent around leaving guns unlocked after our little chase incident.AndthoughSpadegave me back my butterfly knife, it was securely tucked in my drawer at home, safe from the wandering hands of the club staff.Icould no more defend myself right now than change the direction of the wind with my mind, and he andIboth knew it.

Sodid myWildcards.

"Thesefools have let you rise in their ranks until they put your safety above their own, pet, which makes you a dangerous asset."Hedragged that hand of his up the inside of my skirt another inch or two, andItried to escape his poisonous touch, to no avail, as the only placeIcould go was further into his lap, his obvious erection pressing pointedly into the curve of my ass as a reminder that while the menIslept with now did so voluntarily, he might not be as forgiving ifIchose not to give up what he wanted. "PerhapsifItake out their queen, they'll be more than eager to bend to my will."

Thefamiliar sound of a pistol bullet clicking into place behind his head had me smiling viciously.

"Lookslike you'll never know, now, will you?"

Hisangry snarl in my ear was punctuated by a short laugh, and my eyes trailed along his line of sight asSpadefell to his knees, blood pouring from a gash on his forehead, his chest heaving with the exertion his body suffered with each breath he took.Soldatstood behind him, hands cradling his head, ready to snap a neck at the first sign of trouble.

"Lookslike we're at an impasse, eh,Watanabe?"

Ace'sanswering growl was all the confirmation he got, and thenIfound myself being released and tipped off his filthy lap into the waiting arms of my dark knight, my black-souled savior, as theKingwatched on and laughed maniacally.

"Youcan fuck right off, asshole," he growled, "you and your information.Someone'splaying you, and you're too blind to see it."

"Bestbe careful,Wildcard," he echoed, tauntingAcewith a wink and a smirk as he tugged me away from the madman. "Loyaltyis hard to come by in this part of town, andI'vegot enough money to buy it all."

CHAPTERFORTY-TWO

BLACKJACK

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