Page 53 of The Gambler

Luca held in a growl as he opened the door for Rufus. “I’ll let her know.”

He slammed the door shut, took a deep sigh, and headed back into the living room. Tess already sat on the couch. She had wrapped her arms around her legs, with her chin on her knees, hugging herself.

“How can a man love himself so much and not give a crap about his own child?” she whispered.

The anguish in her voice tore at his heart. It surprised him that he still had one and that it did more than just pump blood. Right now, it was bleeding for her.

Luca put his arms around her as she gave a shaky breath. He didn’t like seeing her inner light dimmed like this. His Tess was bold, brazen, and beautiful. She was meant to shine. Meant to drive him crazy at times.

Meant to be… his.

CHAPTER 20

TESS

She woke up plastered all over Luca’s chest. He was still deep asleep. A faint light was already pouring through the curtains. Morning had come, and so had her time to make a decision. To go after Cruz or not to go after Cruz, that was the question. Though, deep in her heart, she already knew the answer.

Her finger trailed over his jaw. This confident and stubborn, yet so supportive, man had given her so much in such a short timeframe. And all she’d given him were lies by omission. Technically, one big lie, but it was the lie of a lifetime.

With a heavy heart, she got out of bed and hopped into the shower.

She’d taken the lead last night in bed like she never had before. It had been the most amazing experience of her life. The way she had lost control over her body, how she kept riding him, and how he had finished, screaming her name. Oh, the power, and the thrill. There weren’t enough expletives to describe the feelings he’d awoken in her. There was also no way she was going to let him go after Cruz. And then there was also Onyx she’d have to deal with. Ugh. Even thinking of that name gave her hives.

According to her research, Cruz was staying in an abandoned office downtown. The building was scheduled for demolition. She didn’t understand why the man hadn’t left San Francisco yet. After all, he knew Luca was after him. He’d even killed Grace to cover his tracks, so why remain in Luca’s hometown? It didn’t make any sense. The proof was there though, in the cam feeds she’d found. She had to go look for herself before she told Luca. She couldn’t be responsible for him walking into a trap. Not again.

She finished her shower and put on her usual outfit—jeans, a tank top, and her pointy biker boots that could turn a man into a eunuch with one good kick. Luca had given her so much. He’d saved her father not once, buttwiceout of a debt that was going to end up with Rufus getting hospitalized or worse. The least she could do was repay his kindness and protect him in return.

Right before she walked into the office complex Cruz was squatting in, she sent Luca a message with her whereabouts. If something went awry, she wanted him to know about Cruz.

A trail of papers littered the floor of the long hallway and led to a row of offices and cubicles. One of the middle offices wasn’t empty. It had a person sitting on an office chair in front of it. That person waiting wasn’t Cruz though. It wasn’t even a man, but a woman around her age, with dreadlocks and sporting a crimson leather jacket. She had creamy, mocha skin, and for some reason, familiar hazel cat eyes.

Tess looked around, to see if she could spot anyone else. Other than office supplies littered on the floor and a couple of chairs, the bullpen was abandoned.

“Who are you? And where is Cruz?”

The woman pushed up from the chair and slowly walked over to her. Her heels clicked over the concrete floor, making an echo in the mostly empty space.

“Obviously, he’s not here. You were told to back off. Stop the search.”

She’d been right. Thiswasa trap, set up by Onyx.

“I’m not very good with following orders.”

For some reason, this made the woman smile. “Guess we have that in common.”

“I’m not here for small talk or to make friends. Tell me where Cruz is. And if you can’t, then call your boss.” It was time for her to face her demons.

“My boss?”

“Yes. Onyx? Where is he?”

Her answer was an exasperated sigh. “What makes you think Onyx is a guy?”

“I—”

“You’re such a girl, Tess. And a sheep, like most people. Whenever someone anonymous excels at something, it has to be a man, right? Morons.”

Crap on a stick. “Onyx?” she asked.

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