Page 59 of Bitter Queen (Advantage Play 4)

Outraged, Jack jumps to his feet and spits, “What? Why the hell not?”

Shit, I’d be pissed too. His freedom was at the tip of his fingers, but Kingston just slid it out of his grasp.

Ignoring Jack’s outburst, Kingston clarifies, “Because I told everyone Burlone was working for the Feds, and while that’s true, it seems that he was using them instead of the other way around.”

“And that’s a problem because…?” Jack lets his voice trail off and waits for Kingston to fill in the blanks.

Instead, I do it for him. “If it looks like Kingston got his facts wrong, it’ll taint the Romano name, and we can’t have that now, can we?”

“So, what? I’m supposed to take the fall?” Jack sneers, but Kingston doesn’t back down.

“It’s either you or the entire Romano family along with an innocent girl who was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Kingston returns. “Tell me something, Jack. Does that seem very fair to you?”

The guy looks like he’s about to crack one of his molars, but he doesn’t cower from Kingston’s scrutiny. “And what would you suggest I do?”

Kingston’s voice is controlled as he replies, “I suggest you let us take care of your little friend.”

“By what? Killing him?” He scoffs. “I’m not a dirty cop.”

“You know, I love how you still think you’re better than us, even when I’ve opened up my home and have offered to help you. Even when I’ve held up my end of the deal and delivered multiple sex traffickers to your door in a handbasket. We aren’t that different, whether or not you’d like to admit it. But the fact of the matter is that sometimes, we have to get our hands dirty, Jack. Your boss has already made contact with another mafia family. Who’s to say he won’t do it again? He’s connected to buying and selling women. He screwed you over. He deserves to be put in the ground.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why?” Kingston sneers. “You were willing to get your hands dirty once in order to protect innocent women. What makes this so different? When I found out there was a rat in the Romano family, I exterminated him before he could spread his sickness to someone else. I suggest you open up to the possibility that you might have to do the same.”

“You’re suggesting I kill Reed? Why can’t we just turn him in?”

“The legal system will fail,” Kingston reminds him. “Especially when there’s now a connection to your sole witness and the Romano family. People will think she’s lying. And even if you do convince her to get on the stand and confess—which will put a target on her back from inside the legal system, thanks to your boss, as well as anyone that saw her at the tournament—one witness without hard evidence won’t be enough to taint a seasoned Fed’s name. Especially when there’s still hard evidence against you.”

“But it wasn’t my phone!” Jack argues, his face flush with anger.

“Doesn’t matter. He’ll get away scot-free. And your head, along with Q’s, will be next on the guillotine. You’re fucked, Jack. That might not be what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. Now, you have two choices. Either help us handle Reed in our own way so that you can taste an ounce of justice, or deal with the fallout when we don’t and live with the consequences.”

Like a stick of dynamite, Jack explodes with a violent burst of fury. His closed fist punches through the drywall as a scream of frustration ricochets off the walls. Kingston watches him in silence, patiently waiting for him to finish his little temper tantrum before agreeing to the proposition.

Because he will agree.

Of that, I have no doubt.

“Are you finished?” Kingston states while the rest of the room is blanketed with silence.

Rubbing his hand across his face, he growls, “I can’t do that. I’m not that kind of guy.”

“Sure, you’re not. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Jack. But I put Q under the protection of the Romano family, and I won’t risk her safety all because you’re adamant about keeping your hands clean. You have twenty-four hours to decide.”

With a sneer, he storms out of the room before digging his heels into the ground when Kingston calls after him. “And don’t leave the fucking premises! Your face is still plastered all over the news. We clear?”

Nostrils flaring, a pissed off Jack grits out, “Crystal.”

Then he’s gone.

Unperturbed, Kingston continues. “Now, we have a kid upstairs who’s seen way too damn much. What the hell are we supposed to do with him?”

“What do you mean?” Regina interjects. I’d almost forgotten she was here. “We aren’t going to kill an innocent kid, Kingston. That’s not—”

“I wasn’t suggesting that,” he clarifies with his hands raised in defense. “Come on, Regina. I might be a bastard, but I wouldn’t do that shit.”

Tossing his arm around her, Dex pulls her into his side to defuse the situation before thinking aloud, “He doesn’t have any family. Just him and his dad.”

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