by Kelsie Rae
Interesting.
Once Lou breaks into his email, we might be able to find out the location of Q’s buyer and can keep her far away from him to avoid any chance encounters. We can’t let anyone recognize her, or she’ll end up in a casket.
Satisfied, with his previous answer, I say, “Last question. Was Vince the only guy you were in contact with in the Romano family?”
I keep my expression indifferent, though my entire body is vibrating with anxiety.
The asshat gives me a sinister smile. The blood from his internal bleeding––I think I can thank Q for that––stains his teeth, making him look like something straight out of a horror movie.
“I’d heard about Vince’s disappearance. It’s a shame. I didn’t even have to work for his intel. He gladly handed it over in a handbasket.”
“Answer the question.”
Beady eyes narrowing, he assesses me. I know what he’s looking for. Weakness. Uncertainty. Fear.
I show him nothing.
“Watch your back, Kingston,” he divulges cryptically. “Someone has a target on it.”
“Who.” It’s a question, even though I’ve voiced it as a statement.
He sneers. “Who doesn’t?”
Patience obliterated, I grab the handle in his leg from Ace’s switchblade and twist it deeper into his thigh muscle.
His curse is loud and shrill as he drops his head back and looks toward the ceiling.
“I don’t know who it is! I don’t know!”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“He never reached out to me,” he pants, breathing through the unbearable pain. “I only heard Vince mention him once, but he never said a name. That’s all I know. I swear that’s all I know!”
Satisfied with his response, I withdraw the switchblade and toss it onto the cement floor near the corner of the room. The clang of it hitting my target echoes through the room before an eerie silence replaces it.
“And what did Vince say?”
“Not enough. Obviously.”
“Tell me.” I step forward, and the bastard flinches in response.
“Your shipment dates. Your contacts in Congress. Little things.”
“And what were you going to do with the information?”
“Nothing.”
My face stays blank, while my mind reels. “Nothing?”
Shaking his head, he divulges, “I didn’t ask for the information. I had no use for it. Well, other than the location of your warehouses. But that plan didn’t exactly pan out the way I’d planned, now did it? Regardless, you and I have never been competition. You were merely an inconvenience for me.”
“And getting rid of your body will be an inconvenience for me,” I quip. With my shirt soaked in crimson from another hour of torture, I roll up my sleeves then pick up a Glock from the cabinet.
“Any final words, Burlone?”
“Go to hell,” he spits through a mouthful of blood. The bruises around his eyes nearly swallow his beady pupils, and the image is nothing short of perfection.
“See you there.” Pressing the gun to his forehead, I pull the trigger without hesitation. Ace watches me end Burlone’s life, looking numb until I drop my gun-wielding hand to my side. Rushing toward me, she wraps her arms around me and takes a few slow, steady breaths before whispering, “Thank you. Thank you for saving me. For ending him. For everything.”
Gently, I lean forward and press a kiss to her lips. She’s never tasted sweeter.
“You’re welcome, Ace.”
Ushering her outside, the sun glowing brighter and brighter, I pull out my phone and send a quick message to Stefan.
Me: Need a cleaning crew.
Stefan: Done.
“So, what now?” Ace asks, snuggling into my side.
“Now? Now, we let your past stay in your past and focus on our future. Together. Think you can do that, Wild Card?”
“Yeah. In fact, I think it should be a rule.”
I roll my eyes. “You and your rules. Which one is that now?”
“Number one.”
“But I thought—”
“Nope. The rest don’t matter as long as you’re by my side. What do you think?”
“I think you’re sexy when you talk like that.” Grinning, I bend down as she rises on her toes, meeting me in the middle for a long-overdue kiss. I find it funny that she doesn’t care I’m dripping in Burlone’s blood or that I’m a monster to most. She loves me for me, and I’m a lucky bastard to call her mine.
I agree with her. As long as she’s by my side, nothing else matters.
I’m all in.
The End
Interested in reading Little Bird? Turn the page for a sneak peek!
Sneak Peek of Little Bird
Chapter One (Copyright Kelsie Rae, Subject to change)
I don’t know how I got here. Not really. I remember walking down the street before a strange set of arms wrapped around my waist, and the burning prick of a needle pressed into my neck. After that? Darkness.
That is, until I woke up in an office surrounded by naked women who were just as beaten––just as bloodied––as me. When I saw Burlone behind the desk, my pulse spiked, and my breathing grew shallow before I remembered the importance of not letting them see. Not letting them see the real me or my emotions.
Fifteen minutes later, I was dragged into an empty room with a twin-sized bed in the center of it, which is where I find myself now. Looking around the space, I notice a pair of handcuffs attached to the metal bed frame and struggle to pull my eyes away from the promise they hold. Inhaling a shaky breath, I hold it for ten seconds then release it through my mouth. But on the next inhale, the lingering scent of pee that clings to the stained mattress burns my nostrils, making me cough.
I’m in so much freaking trouble.
Panicking, I force my eyes closed and squeeze them shut as tight as I possibly can.
I’m screwed. I’m so screwed. I’m so freaking screwed.
The mantra continues over and over again before I drive my fingernails into the palm of my hand in hopes that the bite of pain will ground me. With another deep breath, I dig deep and search for the courage to look around the rest of the room. Opening my eyes, I do another quick scan of my prison. Other than the bed, it’s empty. The walls are made from cinder blocks, the floors are nothing but a slab of cement, and there aren’t any windows. As soon as I come to that realization, I feel the walls pressing in from all sides.
I think I’m going to be sick.
Chapter Two
Dex
“Hey, man. Burlone wants to see you in his office,” Sei greets me with a shit-eating grin as I step inside the lobby of Sin.
“Why? I’ve already clocked out. I need some sleep.”
“Don’t be a pussy, Dex. It’s not like your job last night was that rough.” He’s talking about my orders to kick the shit out of an innocent girl for beating my boss in a game of poker. My hands close into tight fists, and the bruised knuckles burn at the memory. I took my time coming back to the casino, walking around the empty streets and wondering how different my life could’ve been if my father had accepted me as his own. A few hours later, as the sun began to creep up over the horizon, I found myself in front of Sin with the expectation of collapsing onto my bed and sleeping for a solid ten hours. Unfortunately for me, Sei got to me first.
“I said I’m done for the night,” I grit out in hopes of escaping to my room.
Reaching out, an amused Sei grabs my bicep, stopping me in my tracks. “Do whatever the fuck you want, but don’t say I didn’t relay the message.” A cigarette in hand, Sei places it between his lips before letting go of me as the other hand searches for his lighter.
“Later, Sei,” I mumble, turning toward the elevators.
He doesn’t bother to answer.
Hustling through the lobby of the casino, I adjust my suit and press the ‘up’ button. When it arrives, I hover my finger over the floor that wil
l lead me to my suite on the top floor.
“Shit,” I curse under my breath before hitting the one that leads to Burlone, instead.
I’m not in the mood for this.
With a knock on the office door, I wait for Burlone’s invitation.
“Get the fuck in here.”
Twisting the handle, I step inside.
“Sei said you wanted to see me?”
“Yeah. Take a seat.”
I grab the closest chair I can find and sit my ass down then wait for him to get to the point. Crossing my arms over my chest, I lean back and hold his stare.
“You’re awfully pissy this morning.”
“Long night,” I grunt.
His lips tilt up in amusement before he rests his elbows on the table and steeples his fingers, brushing his index fingers against the dimple on his chin. “Aw, yes. Sometimes I forget how much you hate hitting women. Interesting that you don’t mind working for me. Ironically, that’s why I called you in here.”
With a slow swallow, I probe, “And why’s that? No offense, Burlone, but like I’ve said, I had a long night and want to go to bed. Is that a problem?”
I know I’m pushing my luck by the way his amusement vanishes and is replaced with barely contained frustration. “Wanna try that again, Dex? Maybe with a little more respect this time?”
My jaw is clenched as I search for the self-preservation to give a shit. It takes me a few seconds to find it. Releasing a sigh, I try again. “You’re right, Boss. I’m sorry I’m being short. I haven’t slept in almost,”––I lift my wrist to check the time on my watch––“thirty-two hours, and I’m a little tired. Won’t happen again.”
His nod of approval sets me at ease. “Good. Since you’re tired, I’ll get straight to the point. I have a new job for you. One that will likely not involve punching anything for the next two weeks, so you should consider it a vacation. All you have to do is keep an eye on some fruit. That’s it.”
Fruit is a slang term we use for the women he’s selling. The women his men have collected who are kept in tiny rooms in the basement while Burlone either sets up a buyer or uses them for their bodies like a punching bag with holes. On occasion, he’s asked someone to watch over a particularly valued piece of fruit until he can get her transported. His men have no self-discipline and have never been good at following orders, so it’s always a risk to leave them alone with the fruit for long periods of time. However, I’ve always kept a wide berth from the human trafficking aspect, and I don’t like the feeling of being dragged in with Burlone’s request.
“That’s never been my job before,” I grit out.
He waves me off. “Yes, well, I’ve never had such a variety of fruit before and don’t want it to spoil before the tournament.”
My brows pinch; my head tilting in confusion before asking, “What tournament?” I barely survived this one.
With a wicked grin, a satisfied Burlone sits back in his chair and explains, “You’ve been with me for a long time, Dex. But I think you were a kid when I started hosting these tournaments. Ones where we gamble with things other than money. And in two weeks, I’ll hold another one.”
“Which is why you need me to make sure the fruit doesn’t spoil before then.” I shake my head as my blood starts to boil. “You and I had an agreement, Boss. I’d be your muscle. I’d kick the shit out of anyone you asked me to without asking questions. I’d collect any debt that was owed to you. Those were my requirements when I requested and accepted the job.”
He scoffs. “You were ten when I found you on the streets, Dex. Hell, I practically raised you, and you were begging to work for me by the time you turned sixteen. Don’t pretend you’re a martyr. Don’t act like you shouldn’t be worshipping me like a God for saving you. I understand you’re a little skittish because of your whore of a mother and the things you saw as a kid, but I think it’s about time you grow the fuck up. I’m needing you to take care of a few girls. Make sure they’re fed. Make sure my men keep their hands to themselves. And make sure they’re where they need to be when I need them to be there. That’s it. Understand?”
Everything inside of me is begging to reach for the gun tucked into the waist of my slacks and pull the trigger. But I don’t.
Taking a deep breath, I dig my fingers into the armrests on my chair and ask, “That’s it?”
He narrows his eyes. “Yeah. That’s it. Now get the fuck out of my office.”
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Also by Kelsie Rae
Signature Sweethearts
Liv
Breezy
Jude
Luke
Rhett
Sophie
Marcus
Anthony
Skye
Saylor
Stand Alones
Fifty-Fifty
Gambled Soul
Advantage Play Series
Wild Card
Dark King
Little Bird
Bitter Queen
Dear Reader
I want to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for taking a chance on The Advantage Play Series, and for giving me the opportunity to share this story with you. I couldn’t do this without you!
I would also be very grateful if you could take the time to leave a review. It’s amazing how such a little thing like a review can be such a huge help to an author!
Thank you so much!!!
-Kelsie
About the Author
Kelsie is a new indie author who has loved the amazing community she plunged into. Kelsie likes to spend all of her time with her three kids, an amazing husband, and two fur babies.
She’s addicted to sugar and goes through books like she does Ben and Jerry’s ice cream! When she isn’t reading or juggling kids, Kelsie can be found binging the newest television show on Netflix.
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