Page 20 of Dark King (Advantage Play 2)

“I gotta go. Call me if you need anything, okay? Despite what you think, I’m one of the good guys.” Jack rounds the corner and disappears from view, leaving only a trace of his cologne and the sharp cream paper in my hand as a reminder he was really here. With as much discipline as I can muster, I squeeze my eyes shut and count to three before daring to open them again.

Yup. Still says Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Stunned, I slide the business card into my back pocket while my heart pounds against my chest. Jack’s an agent. A freaking agent. A freaking agent that I’m connected to. While dating the head of the Romano family. What the hell does this mean for me? Would Kingston think I was working with the Feds? Am I in danger because I was associated with him? Diece has seen us together before when we were at the Charlette. Does he know about Jack’s real identity?

My mind keeps spinning as I stand there, unable to move in the middle of the candy aisle because I don’t know what else to do. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know who to tell. I know nothing. Yet way more than I should.

“Ace, where have you been? I was waiting by the damn milk.” D’s husky voice shakes me from my reverie, and I reach for the bag of Twizzlers then put it in the basket hanging on my arm.

Poker face on full display, I turn to D. “Hey, sorry. I couldn’t decide what treat I wanted after dinner.”

D reaches for the peanut butter M&M’s, tossing a giant bag into the basket with a wink. “Peanut butter M&M’s, Ace. Always.”

“I think you’re right.” Laughing, I shake my head, smile, and pray he can’t see through it to the nerves that are threatening to expose the card that’s in my back pocket.

After we grab a gallon of milk and pay for our groceries, D and I are driving home when he asks me something that makes my blood turn cold.

“So, I saw your little friend. The one from the Charlette a few weeks ago.”

My palms start to sweat as I twist them in my lap. “Oh?”

“Yeah. What was his name again? Jack?”

“Oh, yeah. He came and said hi in the candy aisle.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured. King would kill me if he knew I let you out of my sight.”

I roll my eyes, trying to pretend like I’m not having an epic meltdown inside. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Did he say anything else?” D continues his innocent prodding from the driver’s seat, and I watch for any kind of clue that might tell me what he’s thinking. If he knows about the business card that’s currently burning a hole in my back pocket. If he knows that I have a connection with the FBI that would make me look really freaking incriminating to anyone, let alone to someone who works for the Romano family.

But as I look for any hint that I’m in danger, I don’t find any. Just a regular bodyguard who has slowly turned into a friend that’s making casual conversation on the way home from the grocery store.

For a girl who was craving normalcy, I can’t tell if I’m truly experiencing it right now or if I’m seconds away from being interrogated.

After a beat of silence, I offer a quiet, “Nope,” and D decides to throw another curveball, raising goosebumps along my arms.

“That’s good, Ace. Because until things calm down, I’d be wary of testing Kingston’s patience.”

“What do you mean?”

Giving me the side-eye, he explains, “You know Kingston is the head of the Romano family.”

“Yeah?”

“And you know what the mob does, right?”

Not really. I mean, I’ve seen movies and read a story or two, but that’s about it.

“Umm…”

D laughs. “Damn, you’re innocent. Sometimes I forget what that’s like. Anyway, you don’t need to know the details, just that Kingston has a bit of a reputation.”

“What kind of reputation?” I prod, leaning closer to the center console curiously.

“Honestly? Kingston is ruthless, Ace. He’s cold. Lethal. And exact. The guy he is when he’s around you is the complete opposite of the one everyone else sees. They call him the Dark King because when it comes to interrogation, he’s the best.”

I’ve heard that nickname before. I think it was Jack that used it the first time when he was warning me to stay away from Kingston. I’d thought he was full of crap, but apparently, his cautiousness had merit.

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