Page 54 of The Gambler

“Bingo.”

Then another thought hit her. “Is this an ‘I’ve told you my secret identity so now I have to kill you’ moment?” That would suck.

“If I’d wanted you dead, you would already be dust in the wind.”

She imagined that to be true. There was a certain kind of crazy in Onyx’s eyes. Also, something very familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“Then why would you come out now? Tell me who you are?” It didn’t make any sense.

“Because I needed to meet you in person. I always resented you. Believed he chose to be with you and not me.”

“He?”

“The sperm donor. Your dad. Then I learned he sold you out to the Irish. It wasn’t the first time you had to clean up his mess either, was it? And afterwards, when you once again got him out of trouble, he didn’t even call you to check up on you, did he?”

A hard knot of shame lodged in her throat. There were no words to defend her father. But why did Onyx—

Oh no.

No, no, no, no.

Those eyes, the slightly too-big bottom lip, it was almost like looking into a mirror. How had she not seen it before? Suddenly, everything made sense.

“All of this. It’s personal, isn’t it? But how? I mean, I would’ve known if… He would’ve told me if…”

“If he had another daughter?” Onyx snorted. “Yeah, ‘cause he’s such an honest man. The very definition of an open book.”

“That’s it,” Tess whispered, everything crystal clear now. “The reason you’ve been following me online.”

“Duh.” Onyx rolled her eyes. “You didn’t really think it was a coincidence that I found you, did you?”

Actually, she had. “This explains so much. Why you are out to get me. It’s not just rivalry.”

Onyx cocked a dainty brow. “What rivalry? I could make you spin circles, sis.”

Tess snorted. “As if.”

Then Onyx got serious again. “My mother was right. The sperm donor isn’t capable of love. It was a waste setting up an opportunity to meet him. I always wondered why he didn’t love me. Now I know. He doesn’t love you either.”

She wished those words didn’t lodge into her heart like little needles. No, her father didn’t care much for her. The man was a con artist who used people. Still, he was her dad. A part of her would always wait until he would show her love. Obviously, Onyx didn’t have any such hope.

“So, now you know,” she said softly. “You have absolutely no reason for resentment. Does this make you feel better?”

“I wish it did, but it doesn’t. Only makes me miss my mother more.”

Tess had a feeling they were getting to the crux of the problem. “What happened to her?”

“She died.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that.”

There was a fire in Onyx’s eyes similar to the one in Luca’s when he talked about revenge. Whoever it was her newly-found sister was after, Tess didn’t envy them.

“You need to leave,” Onyx said.

“Can’t. I need you to hand over Cruz to me.”

“No.” The fire in her voice had turned into boredom. She even had the audacity to check on her phone, as if Tess was merely a pesky problem she had to deal with.

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