Queen of Hearts

by Jami Denise

  It was the truth. I didn’t know what to say to her. I knew nothing about Kristine, or what the hell she had to do with anything. I barely knew her, period. I don’t think we shared three words the entire length of time she was with my father. I did feel badly for Cherese, honestly.

  “She knew what she was doing. She is a very ambitious girl.”

  She chuckled, but it was without humor. She was bitter—vengeful to the very core. I felt bad for Kristine, wherever she was. Having Cherese Maguire as an enemy was definitely not on my to-do list.

  But I had to admit, she had Kristine nailed. She had been screwing one hundred thousand-dollar clients left and right. I never understood what she was doing with my father. Not only was he over twenty years older than her, but he was a two-bit—hardly equal to the plethora of powerful men she had on a daily basis.

  Now, I wondered even more.

  “But, you know all about ambition, don’t you?”

  Oh God... she was back to being bitter, and armed with liquor, it was anyone’s guess what she’d do or say next. I swallowed down a mouthful of the amber poison she’d filled my glass with and cringed. Thank God it was strong. I was going to need it.

  “If you’re implying that I’m trying to ensnare your son to further my ambitions, you’re dead wrong, Mrs. Maguire. I used him, and he used me. Period.”

  She huffed. “Do you make a habit of telling your clients that you love them, Miss King?” she snapped.

  I scowled and stood to face her. “I don’t. No.”

  “Hmm,” she hummed, turning from me and making another lap across the floor.

  It was mortifying to watch the woman fall apart in front of me. Her grief was tearing her up.

  “Flynn is selfish. Spoiled. That’s partly my fault. He’s my only son, my only child.” She took a shuddering breath and sat back down in the chair she filled earlier. She looked up at me, tears still brimming in her eyes.

  “You need to know that what he feels for you is genuine. You’re not a toy to him. I recognize that—especially now. You love him, or at least you did.”

  I looked away, too overwhelmed to meet her gaze. Admitting that to her was dangerous. I couldn’t even admit it wholly to myself at that point. She was obviously unstable, and I still had no reason to trust her.

  “So, as you now know, I have my reasons to distrust women like you, Jayne. I’ve lived this life for over thirty-five years. Kristine wasn’t the first, but she was the smartest. She managed to take him completely away from me. He discarded me, his son, and his sanity. For her.”

  Shaking my head, I squirmed in my seat and crossed my legs again. Did she think I was trying to take Flynn away from her? She confused the fuck out of me.

  I was exhausted.

  “She is the reason your father was murdered. She finally left Doyle, after robbing him blind and turning him over to the Feds. He blamed your father because she’d gone to him, Jayne. She used him for information against Doyle, and in turn, threw him back at the den of wolves to suffer.”

  “Jesus,” I hissed. I took another gulp of Scotch and slammed it down on the table before running my fingers through my hair nervously. “None of this makes any sense!”

  “Men that crave power the way Doyle does don’t care who they hurt as long as they get what they want, darling.” She took a deep breath and settle back against the chair. “They have to control everything and everyone. Your father knew Doyle was seeing Kristine, and in typical male fashion, it was an all-out pissing contest the night your father put his money on that table and made that bet. Doyle took it as a slap in the face that your father had the audacity to challenge him that way. Not only had he touched what Doyle believed to be his, but Sammy was reckless. Honey, his fate was made before he even drew a card.”

  I shook my head, shocked. “My dad was a lot of things. Reckless, yes. Suicidal, no.”

  “I’m sorry for what happened to him, Jayne. Truly. I knew him for years, and I have to tell you that I saw this coming. One day, I knew Sammy would end up this way. He was swimming in a pool of killer sharks, and he was no killer.”

  My head dropped into my hands, and I fought the urge to just burst into tears. I hated hearing what she was saying. I hated having to listen to stories about my father and how stupid and ignorant he was. Damn it!

  “Where is she now? Kristine?”

  She shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. She stole over five million dollars and hit the road over a year ago. No one has been able to find her. Trust me—I’ve tried.”

  I massaged my scalp with my fingertips and tried to process all the information she was throwing at me.

  What the hell was going on in my life?

  “Tell me something, Jayne. Why did you come back here? Why return to this place when you had the opportunity to start over?”

  I looked up at her slightly, still holding my head in my hands. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  I was deflecting, ignoring all the reasons why I returned. That was a ticking time bomb if there ever was one. I didn’t want to spread all the mangled pieces of my heart out on her coffee table for her to dissect and analyze. She was fucking crazy as far as I could tell. A woman full of hatred and contempt. Jesus... I’d walked into the lion’s cage without a stick, and I was scared shitless of the maned beast across from me.

  There was just no telling what the old bat was up to or what her intentions were. I wasn’t ready to risk my neck just yet.

  “It’s a moot point, isn’t it? I don’t need to ask, to be honest. I, too, loved a man beyond reason. Any woman that would put herself in danger to save someone she loved would never walk away without closure. You want to put your father to rest, but you also left something behind, something far more important. Sacred. Your heart is tethered here. I feel it.”

  I sucked in a breath, startled by the clarity she expressed. She had me pegged, and easily it seemed.

  “He’s hurt you, but you love him nonetheless. You can’t let go of my son.”

  My eyes dropped, and I felt the prick of tears. It seemed she was right the whole time. We did have a lot more in common than what met the eye.

  SEVENTEEN

  I smiled at myself in the mirror as I swiped on a fresh coat of lipstick. I couldn’t wait to meet up with Flynn and Vince, especially after my visit with Mrs. Maguire.

  The woman was quite a force to be reckoned with. I wasn’t easily intimidated by people, especially women, but she had me close to peeing my pants a few times during our talk. It had been worth it, though. I’d learned a lot from that woman, and I was ready to set things into motion.

  I could almost picture the looks on their faces once I told them about meeting her. Especially once I explained that after all their avoidance and vague bullshit, she managed to fill me in on more information than I needed in a lifetime.

  I’d asked them both to meet me at the Scarlet Lounge—via Collins. I didn’t want to talk to either of them before I sat face to face, so I took a page out of their playbook and used the old man to aid in my messaging.

  He was thrilled. Really.

  After a restless night, I used my day to nap and refresh in my new luxury suite. The moment I walked through the doors, I was in heaven. The room was extravagant from floor to ceiling. I had been impressed from the get-go.

  I could pretend I didn’t need lavish and flashy all I wanted, but the way I felt when I saw that room, the room that would be mine for the duration, I was the biggest liar of all.

  Let’s face it—what girl doesn’t enjoy posh furnishings, four-poster beds with down mattresses, or soaking tubs and steam showers? No girl could deny the thrill. None. I was no different.

  I spent a good part of the evening when I returned lounging in that tub full of vanilla-scented bubbles and a glass of priceless champagne. That was the giveaway—the champagne. There was no way in hell Vince was that thoughtful. The bubble bath, the satin sheets, the champagne and caviar in the refrigerator was all Flynn’s doi
ng. He was doing his best to sway me, and hell... he was doing a damn good job.

  His mother did put a new twist on my feelings for him. Maybe she was right. Maybe I owed him the chance to prove he was something other than the asshole I’d painted him to be. It still remained to be seen. She had a point, though. Not only did I owe it to him, I owed it to myself. I still had feelings for him, and could I live with myself if I didn’t see where things went?

  The answer was no.

  I couldn’t.

  It was a humbling revelation, but that didn’t mean I was letting him off the hook so easily. If he wanted me, the real me, he was going to have to work for it, and I wasn’t an easy girl to charm. He was used to getting what he wanted, and the first time, I gave him everything without reading the small print. This time, my blinders were off and my guard was up. To get past the wall of pain and deceit he’d contributed to, he was going to spend a lot of time on his knees begging for my heart.

  I smiled again, puckering my lips, and blew myself a kiss. It was showtime. It was time to see what the man was really made of.

  ~~***~~

  Once again, the club was in full swing, patrons waiting by the hundreds to get inside the elite playhouse. I felt the air of jealousy and the sneers of envy as I bypassed the crowd and moseyed past the bouncer with a smirk.

  I walked straight to the back, to the table that I associated with being “theirs”. They were waiting for me, and again, as I walked up, Flynn’s eyes watched me with a passionate hunger. He looked me up and down, obviously admiring the strapless number I’d chosen to wear. It was much more modest than I usually wore around him, but something I was much more comfortable in. It was what I preferred, and that was what I was all about. Me. I’d worked on that part of me while I was away, and I’d chosen to ignore that in an effort to make him pay attention.

  I didn’t need to do that. He paid attention no matter what.

  The dress flowed from breast to toe, a soft, lavender knit fabric with a dainty floral pattern. It wasn’t clingy or revealing, but I felt sexy. My freshly painted toes matched the tiny rosebuds on the dress, and my little leather sandals led to an air of casual nonchalance.

  “You look stunning.” He pushed my hair over my shoulder and leaned down to kiss the side of my mouth. “Breathtaking.”

  I looked up and smiled. His eyes were clear, free of bullshit or false charm. That was the Flynn I adored, the one I fell in love with. The one that could see right through me.

  “Thank you.”

  “Kiss?” he asked. He didn’t wait for a reply, as it was more of a statement than a question.

  His lips were soft, tentative as they brushed over mine, and I allowed it, willingly for once.

  “Damn,” he whispered as he pulled away.

  “I’ll say.” I slid into the booth and pushed so that I was in between him and Vince. I wanted to make sure I could see the look on both of their faces when I made my announcement. They’d messed with my head long enough. They may have felt it was in my best interest, but I didn’t. It was my life, and I was taking it back.

  Vince raised an eyebrow as he caught my eye, and I just smiled. It was really none of his business. He wasn’t my damn babysitter.

  “So, what’s going on? You’re acting like you’ve got something up your sleeve,” Vince said, pushing his arms out in front of him and clasping his hands on the table.

  I shrugged. “I do.”

  Flynn sat down, pushing himself as close to me as the seat would allow. He had no self-preservation. I was obviously about to drop a ball, and there he was, front and center like Wile E. Coyote falling into his own trap.

  I turned, folding one leg underneath me and faced Flynn. “I had a delightful visit with your mother yesterday.”

  I just put it out there. Why beat around the bush?

  “My mother?” His eyebrows dipped into a deep crease, and he sat back slightly, almost as if I would bite him with my words.

  “Yes. Cherese. She’s lovely.”

  He gave his head a strong shake. “Excuse me? How did you meet up with my mother? Why?”

  Oh, he was defensive. Awesome.

  “Actually, she came to me. She’s quite an interesting woman. She had all kinds of things to tell me.”

  The two of them shared a look, and I wanted to slap my hand against the table and yell boom. Gotcha, motherfuckers. Their little secrets were unraveling, and frankly, I didn’t see the big deal. It didn’t seem like any of it had anything to do with me, and with my father gone, there wasn’t any reason for me to play hide-and-go-seek with the world. They needed to chill out.

  “Jayne, my mom has a very jaded outlook on things. I’m sure she told you most of it. It’s her favorite story.”

  I held my hand out for him to stop. “Don’t make light of what she’s gone through. There are always two sides to every story, but I’ve been fucked over by men my whole life, Flynn, and it doesn’t make for a very nice place inside your head. I get her. Your dad is a bastard—worse than I thought he was.”

  “You think I don’t care what he’s done to her? She stayed with him! She could’ve left a long time ago!”

  I sat back and chuckled. “No. She was smart to stay. You see, with men like your father, it’s all about money and power and who holds the cards. Doyle thought he was pulling one over on her, but that’s where he was wrong. When he dies, she owns everything he owned. Every cent, every home, every shiny pair of Italian shoes. She does. She was smart to stay, no matter what he did. Leaving him would have just let him off the hook. I like that she makes him suffer.”

  He started to say something else, but the look on my face must have stopped him. Instead, he shook his head, mumbled something under his breath, and grabbed his drink.

  “So listen, boys,” I started, clasping my hands in front of me. “She told me all about Kristine. Do either of you know where she is or how she’s involved?”

  I gave Vince a pointed look. Something occurred to me the night before while I was trying to find sleep. There was someone living in his house, and in all the confusion, it had slipped my mind. Now it made sense to me. He was obviously hiding Kristine.

  “I know Kristine. You know I do, Jayne. She’s gone. No one knows where.”

  “Are you sure about that?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “You accusing me of something?” he snapped back.

  I held up my hands calmly. “Not at all. Just wondering who you have staying in your house. I was there a couple weeks ago when I first returned, and there’s definitely a woman living there.”

  “You’re digging in a hole you have no business being in, Janie,” Vince seethed.

  I expected that, but I wasn’t backing down.

  “Is it Kristine?”

  “No! Damn it, Jayne. Drop it.”

  I chanced a look at Flynn, and he looked bothered by Vince’s outburst. That would work in my favor.

  “I’ll leave it—for now. But we will talk about this, Vince. You said you’d be open, and you’re not. Trust goes both ways. Remember that.”

  I glared at him once more and then sat back. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. I want to go back to work.”

  “Over my dead body!”

  “We’ll see.”

  They spoke over each other, then stared each other down. It was cute the way they thought they had a say in what I did.

  “Listen to what I have to say before you say anything else.”

  Thankfully, they both shut their mouths, even though it was obviously painful to do so.

  “I want the girls.”

  “You’re not going to fuck other men, Jayne,” Flynn snapped. He scooted closer and grabbed my arm. “There’s no reason for you to do anything. You have a place to live, Vince and I will provide for you, and you’re just fucking not.”

  I ripped my arm out of his grasp and glared. “First of all, I didn’t say anything about hooking. I said I wanted to go back to work. Back to wha
t I’m good at. I want to handle the girls. Your girls, Vince.”

  “Shit,” he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair. “Things have changed. I’m not dealing with the girls anymore.”

  I chuckled, but nothing was funny. “I happen to know that. Flynn’s mother informed me that somehow the Maguire goons have taken over your business. The girls and the books. So here’s what I’m asking for. Flynn is obviously ‘in charge’ while daddy is off on vacation, so I want access to the girls. I can steal them away with me.”

  “Just leave it alone,” Flynn groaned. “We’re taking care of them. They aren’t being treated badly. They’re in the same position as they were before. My father’s employees follow my instruction now. As far as they’re concerned, I’m in charge—as you say.”

  I smirked. “So, it’s easier than I thought. I run the girls, and you won’t have to do a damn thing.”

  He shook his head and looked away, pissed off and frustrated.

  “Look, Janie, I get it. You’re bored. I can put you to work on something else. Leave the girls alone. There’s more to it, and we’re not getting into that right now. Doyle may be gone, but he’s not gone for good. I don’t need any trouble.”

  I tapped my fingers on the table and sighed. “What makes either of you think he’s coming back? Mrs. Maguire told me all about the legal trouble he’s in. If I take the girls, that’s just one less problem for you two to deal with. They are off your radar, and I make myself useful around here. If he comes after me, I’ll be ready.”

  “Fine. Take the girls. You set up shop somewhere else—and if any of them refuse, you let them go, you got it?”

  I smiled victoriously. “Thanks, boys. See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  Neither one of them looked very happy, but they would just have to wait and see how things worked out. I knew what I was doing. I was the best, and Vince had trained me well.

  “Where is this coming from? Why can’t you just listen and wait this out?”

  I gave Vince a pointed look. “When have I ever sat back? What am I supposed to do? I have nothing, Vince. Nothing. I lost my money, my home, my career, and my fucking life. Am I supposed to just sit around in some posh little hotel room like a good little girl and wait for you to dish out an allowance? You know me better than that. I refuse to let someone else run my life.”