Page 58 of The Gambler

“We need to leave, right now,” Onyx urged. “I counted at least thirty men in that warehouse. You need to round up as many people you can get, stat. You free Tess and I will give you Cruz.” She gave the twins a once-over. “Maybe your Bratva posse can help you out.”

“You would owe us,” Damon said.

Onyx pursed her lips. “Fine. I will pay you whatever—”

“Not the currency we’re looking for, love,” Damon said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“One night with the both of us,” Angel clarified. “That’s what it takes.”

Luca waited for her to blow up, but she went eerily quiet. Then she nodded.

“I’ve called in reinforcements, they’re waiting outside,” she said, and left, a mountain of dreads like that of a lion following in her wake.

“Damn, that woman is vicious.” And totally off her rocker.

“She’s an alpha,” Damon said, his eyes fixated on Onyx’s leather-clad ass.

“I think I’m in love,” Angel added.

Hell.

CHAPTER 22

TESS

Tess stared right into the barrel of a gun. The man holding it wore a blue tracksuit. There was something familiar about him, something she was seeing a lot of tonight. She pondered taking her chances, but then two more men entered the building. Both of them held big ass guns that should only be allowed in video games.

One of them looked down on Onyx, who was passed out on the floor. Then his gaze went to her. “That the egghead?”

She bit her lip, afraid she’d piss someone off and they would shoot her just to shut her up.

Progress. That’s called progress.

Yay, me.

“Finally found you without Detta on your ass,” Tracksuit said, in a heavy Irish accent. “Been trailing you for days now. Guess today was my lucky day.”

She forced a watery smile into place. “Must be nice. To have lucky days.” Sometimes she felt like if it weren’t for bad luck, she wouldn’t have any luck at all.

“Know who I am, girl?”

“Can’t say I do, but I suspect you work for Irish Brian.” Though, that didn’t explain why she was being held at gunpoint. Last time she checked, she’d helped the guy out. Maybe it was true what they said; no good deed goes unpunished. Hadn’t Luca warned her as well?

Luca.

Thinking of him caused a feeling of hollowness in her core.

“I’m Jamie. I used to work for Brian. But then the pretentious fuck killed my half-brother, Mick.”

Crap. Bad karma had caught up with her, yet again. “I get that you want to avenge your brother,” she hastily said. “I truly do, but—”

His face reddened. “Avenge Mick? He was a dick!”

“He was? I mean, of course he was.”

“I don’t give a shit about that asshole. He promised me we would make it, and then he got himself killed. You’re my last bloody option. My ticket away from that crazy Crusader asshole.” He gave her a hard look. “I heard what you did in Brian’s office. Now, we’re going to get inside, and you’re going to weave your magic, transferring every dollar Brian owns to an account number I’m going to give you.”

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