Page 23 of The Gambler

“What the fuck is this?” Mick’s eyes darted from her mini-laptop to the other screens. A dot of sweat had formed on his upper lip.

Tess pointed to the screen. “I took the liberty to circle the money Mick’s been skimming off you, Mr. O’Connell. Those are the red ones, ‘cause I’m helpful like that.”

As Tess explained more and more because she was “helpful like that,” it became apparently clear that Mick was doing a side business, one Brian had no idea about.

It didn’t take long before Mick’s scheme unraveled. Luca had to give it to Brian. His enforcers were that well-raised that Mick didn’t even put up a fight. One look at Brian, and the two men standing beside him, and he correctly assessed his situation—there was no way out.

“Call her father and give me your phone.”

Mick did as Brian said, looking pale as a ghost.

When Brian passed the phone to Tess, a strange thing happened. Luca expected Tess to relax while she talked to her father. Instead, the opposite happened. He was adept at reading faces. What gambler playing cards wasn’t? Turns out, Tess Gibson didn’t have a poker face. She didn’t look like a woman who just had the weight of the world lifted off her shoulders. She looked… strained, and a little tired.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Tess Gibson was a puzzle that needed to be solved.

CHAPTER 11

TESS

Tess ended the call with her father, even though he was still complaining on the other end of the line. She gave the phone back to Brian and took a deep breath.

“Thank you.”

“He’s a free man.” Brian’s gaze turned to Mick, who was standing behind him.

It happened in the blink of an eye. Brian’s hand went to the large cross against his chest. With a whooshing sound, he made a half turn and suddenly Mick’s hands were clutching his throat. Ropes of blood trickled over his fingers, right before he collapsed to his knees.

Her stomach lurched. Oh, God. Brian had used the edge of his cross to silence Mick permanently.

She hardly noticed when Luca grabbed her arm and ushered her outside.

“I didn’t want this,” she whispered as Luca put her in the car and buckled her in.

“I know.”

“I… Oh, God.”

He grabbed her chin. “This isn’t on you. Brian would have found out sooner or later anyway. The result would have been the same.”

How could he talk about this so easily? “I just got a man killed.”

Again.

Only when Luca cranked up the heat did she notice she was shivering. They were driving for a few minutes when he took a turn in the wrong direction.

“Where are you going?”

“My place,” he said.

“Aren’t you forgetting something? I need my stuff.”

I also need to barf, but that can wait.

“You can get anything you want when we get to my place. There’s no need to waste time by going for an overnight bag.”

“Must be nice to order people around and manage their time, as if the world revolves around you. Unlike what you seem to think, I don’t want to go home to get myself panties. What I need to help you out can’t just be bought online.”

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