Page 64 of Revenge & Ruin

“You have a week.”

She brushes me off with a vague gesture before leaving.

Not wanting to stay alone with my thoughts for too long, I gather my things and head down after her.

The wave of noise hits me the second I’m out the door. It’s the sound of the happy chattering of our patrons clinking glasses as they’re lulled in by Danny’s impressive soprano and the live band behind her—a new addition that Cassandra herself had suggested.

It’s a carefully curated ambience and one that I know the Guild is especially proud of. It’s the perfect cover for under-the-table deals or discrete meetings in back rooms. The exclusivity gives us the excuse to vet all of our patrons upon entry.

Which is why I stop short when I see her sitting at the bar.

Her long, tan legs are crossed over the barstool, preserving her modesty despite her sinfully small black dress. Gold jewelry adds sophisticated accents, but it’s the gold chains around her neck that catch my eye, plummeting below her already scandalous neckline.

She notices me then, dropping her martini to offer me a little wave with her perfectly manicured fingers.

It’s been over two weeks. Enough time for me to convince myself that her beauty was some kind of delusion I concocted to explain my ill-advised actions.

You fool.

I’m not the only one that’s staring at her. Plenty of the other men and a fair few women keep throwing her meaningful glances.

It comes with no small amount of satisfaction that she ignores them in favor of watching my approach.

“And here I was thinking you might have forgotten me.” She smiles brilliantly as I stand over her.

“How did you get in here?”

Isabella takes a sip of her drink. “How did you bypass security at the casino?”

“You’re playing with fire.”

“You stopped watching. How else was I supposed to get your attention?”

She’d noticed then. Had it bothered her? Did she miss me?

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

There are too many people here. Too many of the Guildhere. Even if she managed to get in without alerting anyone, her anonymity won’t last long if she stays out in the open like this.

I need to get a hold of the situation and fast, or else we’ll both be answering for…whatever this ambush is.

“As you’re here already, would you mind joining me for a drink?” I ask curtly, risking a glance toward the table at theback of the room where I know at least three members of the inner circle are currently enjoying a half-a-million-dollar bottle of scotch.

All three sets of eyes are watching us. It’s too late for any preventative measures. This has to be purely damage control.

Luckily, Isabella seems to be in an amenable mood. “I’m quite partial to champagne.”

I offer her my arm politely as I make the request to the bartender, before walking us toward a booth in the corner of the room. As we pass by, I tilt my head in acknowledgment to the Guild members.

Thankfully, they nod back.

Isabella doesn’t miss a thing. “Look at you, still protecting little old me. What is it they say about old habits?”

“Just sit down if you know what’s good for you.”

She laughs lightly as we both take our seats. The booth offers some concealment from prying eyes, but a flash of red in the corner of my eye alerts me to the fact that Mia, at least, is watching our every move.

“Don’t tell me you’re still sour over all that business with the cartel,” she muses on. “From what I hear, there was a very tidy cleanup.”

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