Page 64 of Wild Card

Giovanni

I stick out like a sore thumb in this casino, but that’s what I want anyway. I feel the eyes of several security guards on me as I wander into the poker room. I loiter long enough for one to come talk to me.

“Can I help you, sir?”

He’s big, but I’m bigger. He looks like he’s spent a lot of time fighting, but so have I. Anyway, that’s not my plan here.

“I’m with the state gaming commission, and I need to talk to James Carney, please.” I flash him my best “you’re all fucked” smile. It’s bullshit, but I’ll do what it takes to get to him.

The security guard taps the Bluetooth behind his ear, and whispers something into the receiver. I half expect to get thrown out, but the guard takes me up to the second floor and knocks on a heavy wooden door. I hear a dull “come in,” and the guard walks me in.

“Ah,” Carney says. “I’ve been expecting you. Well not you specifically, but that’s beside the point.” He looks at the guard. “You can go.”

The guard leaves, shutting the door behind him.

“Mr. DeLuca,” he says. “Welcome to Trinity. I suppose you’re here about my daughter.”

I’m taken aback and don’t do a great job of hiding it.

“Callan figured it out,” he says. “I barely remembered the deal I made with Lorenzo all those years ago. He’s not your father, obviously. You look like…Dante? Was that his name?”

His eyes are a bright, cold blue.

“Dante was my father. Lorenzo is my uncle,” I reply, swallowing my hatred, reminding myself once again that I need to keep my cool to help Catriona.

“Oh, interesting. Well, Lorenzo’s a fool if he thinks that bakery was worth four million dollars.”

“And your daughter, Mr. Carney? Surely James Carney can afford to rescue his own child.”

He raises his eyebrows. They’re silvery white, a contrast to his ruddy complexion.

“Mr. DeLuca, Catriona is worth far less than even the bakery. I should thank your uncle for getting her out of my hair—and the amount of goodwill her abduction has generated for me has created more value than anything else she’s ever done.”

God, he’s disgusting.

“I don’t want any money from you, Mr. Carney. I just need you to lie and go through the motions—pretend you’re paying the ransom. And I’ll get Catriona out of this.”

He shoots me a sorrowful look.

“Oh, son,” he says. “You don’t understand, do you? You wouldn’t be the first man who fell for my daughter’s charms, but you won’t be the last.”

He pauses. “Well, actually you might be.”

He lets out a little chuckle, and I stare at him dumbfounded.

“Don’t you understand what I’m saying? Catriona is worth more to me dead than alive. Imagine the publicity this place will get when her body turns up? I’ll be untouchable. I’ll ride that pity wave as long and as far as it will take me.”

“You can’t be serious…”

He smiles at me, his teeth bright and white, perfectly straight. He looks like a politician.

“Deadly serious. If you’ll excuse me, I have to write something for the press. If you see Catriona before the end, tell her I said thank you for finally doing something useful.”

A chill runs through my body. I hadn’t expected him to give up actual money, but to go through the motions to buy me more time. He won’t even do that?

I stand up, and just as I’m about to leave his office, he calls to me again.

“Oh, and Mr. DeLuca? Whatever your uncle does, make sure we can have an open casket viewing for her. Optics and all that. You understand.”

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