Page 94 of Black Jack (Advantage Play 5)

I know what a favor means. And it’s never anything good.

“Why would you do that?” I rasp.

“Because I love you, Bianca. I couldn’t stand the thought of you testifying against Reed. The news would’ve eaten you alive. Your past would’ve been aired out for everyone to see. Your previous clients would all be brought into light, and Reed would’ve likely found a way to kill you before you ever got to court. This way––”

“Your name will never really be cleared,” I whisper, my panic rising. “Not in a way that’ll get the FBI to bring you back––”

“I don’t care about my name anymore, Bianca. And I don’t care about the FBI, either. It was a job. A shitty job,” I clarify with a dry laugh. “The only thing I care about is you. You and your safety. And now, you’re safe.”

“But at what cost?” This is all my fault. His future is ruined because of me. I think I’m going to be sick.

“Shh,” Jack murmurs. “It’ll be okay––”

“Who do you owe for this favor, Jack?”

“What?”

“It’s King, isn’t it?” I nod my head up and down like a bobblehead as my mind attempts to grasp the messed up situation we’re in. “He’s a good guy, but he’s still a mob boss. You owe him now. You know that, right? And a favor from the Dark King––”

“I’ll take care of it,” Jack tells me.

“You don’t understand––”

“I need you to trust me, Bianca. I knew exactly what I was getting into when I called in the favor. And it’s worth the price I’ll have to pay.”

“So you already know what the price is?” My voice cracks, and my entire body is shaking, but I can’t get it to stop. I’ve been here before. And even though I know the Romano family isn’t run like the Castellos, the idea of Jack owing him a favor terrifies me. Does he know what he’s getting into? What could happen if he doesn’t fulfill his end of the deal? If anything happens to him, I’ll never forgive myself. This is all my fault.

“Yes. I know what the price is,” Jack confirms.

“Tell me.”

He grabs my hand and tangles our fingers together as we fly down the road. He’s so calm. So collected. And that’s when it hits me. I’m not sure when he transitioned from a seasoned FBI agent to a made man, but the truth is right in front of me.

“You’re one of them now, aren’t you.” It isn’t a question.

Glancing over at me, he squeezes my hand a little tighter. “Yeah.”

“And you’re okay with that?” I rasp.

He stays quiet for a minute, giving my question enough consideration that my fears slowly soften as I wait for him to answer me. After a minute, he raises our tangled hands and presses an unhurried kiss against the back of mine.

“It’s funny,” he starts. “I never really felt like I belonged anywhere, and I hated the restrictions of politics and the judicial system that prevented some of the bad guys from getting what they deserved.”

“Like Burlone.”

“Yeah. We all knew he was guilty for buying and selling women, but until we had the evidence, we couldn’t do anything about it. And his situation is the tip of the iceberg. Shit like that happens on a daily basis. When I was a cop, I arrested this fucking asshole who’d sexually assaulted a nine year old. He got out of jail a week later. A week. All on some bullshit technicality. I wanted to hunt him down and kill him for what he did to her. But I couldn’t. My hands were tied. Now, my hands won’t be tied anymore. When something’s wrong, it’s wrong. And I’ll be able to do something about it.”

“With Kingston’s approval,” I point out, carefully.

Jack smiles. “Kingston’s a good guy, Bianca. He’s been cleaning things up since his dad died. I saw it firsthand when I was living under his roof.”

“He’s the Dark King, Jack.”

“I’ve learned a lot in my life, Bianca. But one of the main things I always struggled to understand was the meaning of loyalty and family. He’s not like your brother or your father. He respects his men. Kingston had my back when no one else did. We might not be able to control our pasts, but we can control our futures, and I want ours to be surrounded by people I can trust.”

“Do you trust King?”

“Yeah. I really do.”

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