Page 35 of Bastard Prince
For a moment, neither of us spoke, each posturing to see who was the bigger alpha dog or some shit, matching menacing glares enough to keep even my well-trained wait staff away from our table.
I was proud to say that he broke first, his white toothy grin splitting his dark skin like lightening on a moonless night.
“Enzo Argenti,” he said, his deep voice rumbling out of his chest like a panther’s growl. “What brings you here on a Tuesday night? You don’t usually slum it with us around these parts until the weekend.”
“Pretty sure you’re the one slumming it, Langford,” I said, my own smile breaking free. “Illegal gambling dens aren’t usually the kind of place you find an FBI agent. At least not one who isn’t on the clock.”
“Former agent, thank you very much,” he said, turning that smile on Kiki as she approached with a fresh drink for each of us. “I haven’t worn a badge in a long time, Enzo. You know that.”
I nodded, knowing all too well what he was talking about.
Gideon Langford was an urban myth, the kind of cautionary tale told to new agents and young criminals alike. The short version was that he was a rising star in the agency, a genius who was working in profiling before he got caught up with a woman he shouldn’t have.
One thing led to another, she wound up dead, and he was out, Quantico basically erasing his name from their fuckin’ records. Somehow, he found his way to Las Vegas, working private security and putting his skills to some kind of use, until he finally settled as a Pit Boss and Gaming Manager at some hot new casino right on the Strip.
He’d been coming in here for the last six months or so, his pattern predictable; drink, roulette, music. Once he’d lost his allotted amount, Gideon would simply sit in the booth and listen to the soft jazz that played through outGreeduntil he was ready to head home, wherever that was.
We’d spoken a few times, mostly because I wasn’t sure I had trusted him in the beginning. But after he told me his story, I knew there was no way in hell he’d ever back the feds again.
That put him down as someone I could happily tolerate, even if I wouldn’t exactly label it as trust.
We sat in silence for a while, each of us in our own heads, before he finally spoke again.
“So, are you gonna tell me what brings you out tonight, sittin’ at my table? Or are you gonna make me guess?”
“I’m in a bit of a shit-storm, actually, and I could use some advice.”
Gideon smiled. “Well, that does sound interesting.” Setting his glass down, he sat up a bit straighter. “Things have been pretty quiet in town lately. I was wondering how long it was gonna be until the pressure built up again. Men like you are not meant for stasis, Enzo.”
“I’d like to say it’s not my fault, but I think part of it is,” I admitted, running one hand over my head and down the back of my neck.
“Let me guess. There’s a woman.”
I snorted. “Isn’t there always?”
“Is she married?” he questioned, letting me know just what he thought of my moral code.
“Yeah,” I growled. “To me, you shit head.”
At that, his eyes went wide. “No shit?” I raised my glass in acknowledgment. “Who’d have thought we’d see the day?”
“Alright, alright,” I said, but I was laughing. He wasn’t wrong. If you’d have asked me a month ago if I thought I’d be married, I’d have asked you if you were high. “It’s true. I’m married. Going on two weeks now.” Holy fuck, was that all? It seemed like a lifetime ofstuffhad happened since Francesca had bashed open the doors of that church.
Now, I couldn’t picture my life without her.
I gave Gideon a quick run down of the things he needed to know, like the hit on Francesca and that bullshit with the Chemist. I left out anything to do with Frankie the Wolf; I hadn’t talked to Francesca about my suspicions yet, and the last thing I wanted was to have her on anyone else’s radar.
“And you say news of the hit was brought to you by an agent?” he asked, clearly confused.
“Yeah,” I said with a frustrated sigh. “Her goddamn ex.”
“Fuck, Enzo,” he choked out on a laugh. “You really are in a shit-storm. Man, I do not envy you right now.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I growled, tipping back the last of my drink. “So, can you help me or not? You can consider this a favor owed.”
Gideon leaned back, one hand stroking his goatee in thought. “I still have some people I trust that I can reach out to. It might take a while, but I can let you know if I learn anything useful.”
“I’d appreciate it, Gideon.”
