Page 59 of Wild Card (Advantage Play 1)

Sei nods, looking happy as ever.

“How the hell does she know Kingston?”

“Apparently,” he laughs, “they’re fucking each other.”

My gaze bounces back to Burlone, waiting to see his reaction.

Scratching his jaw, a contemplative Burlone remains silent, letting the information marinate before stating, “I want her dead.”

“You can’t do that,” I interject.

“Excuse me?” Burlone asks his voice brooking no argument.

“Yeah? Why the hell not?” Sei adds.

“Because it doesn’t take a genius to figure out she’s on your shit list for beating you tonight. The Feds are already up our asses, and you, yourself have been saying we need to lie low. Having the girl who embarrassed you on national television disappear isn’t exactly discreet.”

Burlone narrows his gaze but doesn’t argue.

“Well,” Sei offers, “At least you fucked over Kingston tonight, right? Which means the Feds will be backing off soon, and you should get the opportunity to teach her a lesson. Dex is right. I wouldn’t kill her. That pretty little ass looks like a ripe peach, ready for the picking.”

Their voices fade into the background as I pull out my phone and read a message sent from my contact. The guy who should be dead right now, or at the very least, in the FBI’s custody. The guy who was supposed to have purchased the girls from Marty. Thomas.

Private Number: The fruit never ripened.

Fuck.

Looking over at Sei, I find him staring at me with pinched brows as Burlone keeps ranting.

I lick my lips then clear my throat gaining their attention.

“Yeah?” Sei asks, having lost his earlier amusement from the tournament.

“The fruit wasn’t delivered.”

When a heavy silence encompasses the room, I wait for the fallout, and I’m not disappointed.

“What?” Burlone’s stare is like ice.

“Just got a text from the buyer. Marty never showed.”

“Fuck!” Burlone bellows, shoving everything off his desk. The veins near his temple are throbbing with unrestrained fury. He looks as if he’s ready to explode.

“First the tournament? Now, this?” A loud growl escapes him before he stalks toward me and shoves me up against the nearest wall.

When my back hits the blood-red surface of his office, I grit my teeth and try to calm the overwhelming need to shove him away from me.

I’m twice Burlone’s size and half his age. I could kill him with ease, but I don’t have a death wish. I know what happens to members who betray their family. Hell, I’m the one who executed Burlone’s orders in the past to show them their place.

With a clenched jaw, I try to ignore the spittle as it flies toward my face. “I gave you one fucking job, Dex. One job. And you failed. I should bury you for this.”

I don’t bother responding. It wouldn’t do me any good, anyway.

“Then where are the girls?” Sei interjects from his seated position in the corner. Lazily, he lights a cigarette and lets it hang from the corner of his mouth. Just like me, he’s used to Burlone’s outbursts.

“How the fuck should I know?” Burlone roars.

With my shirt tangled in his grip, Burlone leans forward with a wicked glare. “You gonna fix this, Dex?” His tone is hot with rage as I stare right back at him.

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