Page 46 of Wild Card (Advantage Play 1)

He throws his head back as a deep laugh tumbles out of him. “Puppy, huh? Well, don’t tell Kingston, alright?”

Winking, I quip, “The night’s still young. Will you be out here when I get back?”

“No. It’s not a very good idea for people to see you hanging around the Romano’s second in command. Reggie will keep an eye on you though, okay?”

Disappointment sits in my stomach at the thought of missing another one of these conversations, but I nod anyway. “Okay. It was nice to meet you, D.”

“You too, sweetheart,” he grunts before releasing a puff of acrid smoke from his mouth. Obviously, I’ve been dismissed, and if I didn’t know any better, I might be offended because of it.

Good thing I can see past his gruff exterior, right?

* * *

“Hey, Dottie!”

“Hey, doll! Your usual?” Dottie asks while wiping up an empty table littered with plates, used napkins, and half-empty glasses of juice.

“Sure, thanks.” I take a seat at Gigi’s and my corner booth before glancing out the window to see Diece hidden in the shadows.

A few minutes later, Dottie places my order on the table.

“Thanks, Dottie. Has Gigi been in yet today?” I want to give her crap for disappearing last night, and maybe even beg for a few details about why she left in such a hurry.

Unfortunately, Dottie shakes her head. “Sorry, darlin’. She disappeared out the back a few minutes before you walked in. Said there was an emergency she forgot about. Told me to tell ya she’ll see ya tomorrow, though.”

Shoulders slumping, I reach for the ketchup and squirt some onto my eggs while trying to hide my disappointment.

“Thanks for letting me know.”

“Anytime.”

As she leaves me to enjoy my eggs alone, I can’t help the questions that arise.

What the hell is going on with you, Gigi?

Chapter Twenty-Six

Dex

“You sure?” I murmur into my cell. My stomach twists with anticipation.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure. I almost didn’t believe it, but I’d recognize her anywhere.”

Clearing my throat, I snap my fingers to get Sei’s attention as he plays Candy Crush on his phone. Looking up at me, he mouths, “What?” I lift my finger to my lips to motion for him to stay quiet before I wrap up the conversation with an unexpected ally. “Alright, thanks for reaching out. We’ll let you know how it goes.”

“Good, good. If you find her, let me know. Her bastard of a father ended up pulling out of the deal, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be willing to pay for her.” His desperation is embarrassing. You have to be a special kind of filth to pay for a woman. But it’s these kinds of men that keep my pockets lined, so I guess I shouldn’t judge them too harshly.

“No offense, Dominic, but I doubt you’d be able to afford the heiress to the Romano family fortune.”

“Yeah, but—”

“We’ll be in touch.” Ending the call, I push my cell into the front pocket of my suit then tilt my head toward Burlone’s office. Sei follows without a word.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I rap my knuckles against Burlone’s door, then we wait.

Seconds later, I’m greeted with his muffled voice, yelling, “What?”

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