by Kelsie Rae
A low growl rumbles up my throat, but he raises his hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not stupid enough to touch her until Burlone’s plan comes to a head. Besides, my hands have been plenty full with the peach in the back of your car.” Leaning closer to me, he drops his voice low. “Want to know a secret?”
“What’s that?”
“He’s even going to let me keep her.” His mouth stretches wide, reminding me of a little kid on Christmas who was gifted the perfect present.
“Who?” I ask, confused.
Cocking his head toward my car, his eyes practically sparkle. “Don’t forget to put her collar on nice and tight. See you inside.” Then he rushes after Regina, leaving me alone with a girl whose fate is worse than death.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Regina
I can feel him stalking closer as I walk up the steps to the back entrance. It takes everything inside of me to keep my spine straight instead of cowering away from him. Hands shaking, I reach for the door handle and twist.
I didn’t want to leave Dex’s side. It almost killed me. But I could tell that the other girl needed him more than I did in that moment, and I wasn’t about to leave her alone with Sei. Not when she was already so broken.
A hand pushes me from behind, and I fall to my knees.
Gasping in pain, I look over my shoulder to see an amused Sei staring down at me. “So this is what you look like on your knees,” he notes. His eyes darken at the prospect. “Interesting.”
“Don’t we have somewhere we need to be?” I return, barely keeping the trembling from my voice.
His hand comes out of nowhere, smacking me across the face. My head swings to the side as a sharp ache explodes across my cheekbone. My mouth opens wide in pain, but I don’t say anything in an attempt to keep him from snapping a second time.
“Good girl,” he praises. “You’re learning.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I clutch at my bruised cheek that’s tender as hell.
“Get up and put your hands out. We have some special jewelry for you this evening.”
I do as I’m told and watch him cuff my wrists together before placing another piece of metal around my neck. It’s so tight, I feel like I’m suffocating. When I look into his dark, beady eyes, I realize that’s exactly what he’s hoping for.
And I hate him even more for it.
“Beautiful,” he mutters under his breath, dragging his finger against the column of my throat while admiring his handiwork. The sound of the backdoor squeaking grabs his attention, and I swallow thickly. When my gaze connects with Dex’s, I want to cry and run into his strong arms, but I try to stay strong.
“You touched her,” Dex growls, assessing my bruised cheek.
“I had to remind her of her place. Seems she’s forgotten while under your supervision.”
Dex takes a step forward when Burlone walks in and interrupts, “What the hell is taking you both so long? Dex, get the fruit upstairs. Now. Sei, we’re still waiting on our guest of honor. Greet them at the door and make sure he knows our standard protocol. Understand?”
I watch both men nod, though Dex’s is much more jerky than Sei’s.
Satisfied, Burlone exits the room just as quickly as he’d entered. There’s so much tension remaining from his absence that I’m afraid I’ll drown in it.
“Sure you don’t need any more help?” Sei offers condescendingly.
Ignoring him, Dex quips, “Better run along, Sei. Wouldn’t want to keep the guest of honor waiting.”
Sei gives him a final glare then disappears through a second doorway that I assume leads to the entrance. Once he’s gone, Dex’s hand gently caresses my throbbing cheek.
“You okay?”
I nod. “I’ll be fine once this is over.”
Dropping his hand from my face, he gives me a somber look then cuffs the second girl before guiding us upstairs through a back stairwell. The opulence in the open room is staggering, but I’m too distracted by the filth in the space camouflaged in black tuxedos and silk ties to appreciate it fully.
Jaw tight, Dex tugs on the cuffs and leads me to an old man with salt and pepper hair before urging me to place my hand on his shoulder. My brows furrow in confusion.
“Look around, Little Bird,” he mutters under his breath. “Follow their lead. Blend in. And do anything they ask you to do without question. If you don’t, there’ll be consequences.”
It’s the last line that makes me pause until I remember there are witnesses here, and the cool, indifferent Dex is back with a vengeance.
Digging my teeth into my lower lip, I nod. “Yes, sir.”
“Good girl.”
Then he’s gone, and I’m left standing around a poker table like a little piece of fruit while the despicable men leer at me from all sides.
And I can’t wait to watch them all burn.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dex
Taking a deep breath, I roll my shoulders and release the pent-up oxygen through my mouth. It about killed me to leave Regina all by herself in a room full of human traffickers, but I needed to cover all my bases, which includes a certain nemesis who has no idea what’s coming to him.
When I see Sei round the corner from the front door with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, I raise my arm and motion him to come closer. I assume he’s just finished greeting Kingston and Ace, which means it’s time.
“Hey, what’s up?” he asks, lifting his chin while remaining completely oblivious to the fact that his world is about to get rocked. It’s always amazed me that he can be so conniving, yet so blind at the same time. He knows that I’m likely still pissed about him touching Regina, but he also thinks he’s protected. Hell, he thinks he’s a god. That he’s untouchable. He’s in for a rude awakening.
“There’s been a change of plans,” I explain, keeping my voice even.
“And what’s that?”
Taking another casual step closer while confirming that we’re very much alone in the empty hallway, I keep my hand at my side and flick off the lid on the syringe that’s filled with a homemade concoction meant to bring down a gorilla.
Sei notices the minor movement, and his brows pull together in confusion.
“What’s going on?”
Clearing my throat, I explain, “I grew a conscience.”
Sei’s eyes widen in shock as I lift my arm to strike, but he dodges my move at the last instant, and the syringe only finds air. Turning around, I’m sucker-punched in the kidney, followed by a swift kick to my arm that makes me lose my grip on the needle. The syringe flies through the air before skidding across the ground.
I snap my attention back to Sei, making sure to keep my front to him as we slowly start to circle each other. The familiarity reminds me of all our times in the ring during our hours off before Regina came into my care and consumed me completely.
My mouth quirks up on one side. “Scared, Sei?”
Growling, he lunges forward. I counter the move by stepping to the side, landing a swift uppercut he never sees coming. When my fist connects with his jaw, his head swings to the side followed by a spray of crimson saliva, and shit, it feels good. Sei shakes off my punch then ducks low, ramming his shoulder into my stomach.
With a huff, I stumble a few steps before wrapping my arm around his neck and shoving my knee into his ribcage. Floundering, Sei lets me out of his hold, bends down, and reaches for the knife he keeps strapped to his ankle. But I know him too well. Reading his intentions, I kick him in the face, and he drops to the ground like a bag of bricks.
“You can’t fight this, Sei. Burlone’s time is up. He needs to be dethroned from his screwed-up empire, and you need to be put down too.”
Spitting a mouth full of blood, Sei slowly gets to his knees. “Go to hell, Dex. What makes you think you can take down Burlone?”
I shrug off his question and reach for his knife that had skidded across the marble flooring before squatting low and getting in Sei’s face. “There’s a
new king in town. One that has morals I can align with.”
Scoffing, Sei mutters, “Of course, you did. You’ve always been a little bitch with family issues, Dex. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you crumbled under Burlone’s reign and decided to run to brother dearest for help. But what’s that saying? Once a traitor, always a traitor?”
I clench my jaw. “Shut the hell up, Sei.”
“Make me,” he growls, completely disregarding the knife that hovers a few inches from his face.
With a shake of my head and a flick of my wrist, I slice a three-inch gash from his diamond tattoo below his eye down to his jaw.
As he grabs his cheek in agony, I tsk, “Don’t test me, Sei. I might have a soft spot for innocent women, but I’m not afraid to remove every inch of skin from your body.”
Slowly, Sei drops his hand from his cheek and peers up at me with so much hate, I’m surprised I’m still standing. “You gonna kill me, Dex? We might not be blood, but we were raised together. You’d throw that away?”
“In a heartbeat,” I laugh. “Now get up, and get in the closet, and don’t try anything, or I’ll make that pretty little gash on your face look like a paper cut.”
For once in his life, Sei listens and pushes himself up from the ground with his hands raised in the air. Apparently, he does have a sense of self-preservation. I watch as the blood drips down his cheek and off his chin in rivulets. Tilting my head to a small coat closet, Sei turns on his heel and gives me his back before plopping into the chair I’d placed there earlier. I take a moment to pick up the unused syringe then follow him inside.
“You gonna cuff me or kill me?” he asks, though he looks indifferent either way.
With a shrug, I offer, “Maybe both,” before lunging forward and driving the needle into his neck, plunging the concoction into his veins. I watch in fascination as his eyes roll back, and his head lolls forward.
Cautiously, I make sure he’s really out then cuff him to the chair.
“Goodbye, Sei. Hope you enjoy prison.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Regina
Once Dex disappears, I’m left with a growing sense of unease as I listen to the men surrounding the poker table. One mentions a delayed import that is causing him issues with the Mexican cartel. I assume he means drugs. Another brings up basketball and his money laundering business that he hopes will be more successful this year. I almost roll my eyes, growing more bored by the second when movement by the entrance grabs my attention.
With a girl on his arm, my brother appears over the threshold, and it takes me a second to recognize his guest for the evening.
My jaw drops.
What the hell is she doing here? I think to myself, my breathing growing more and more shallow by the second. My gaze shoots to my brother, but he’s too busy assessing the entire room to notice me. I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised. He’s here for one reason, and even his little sister won’t distract him from finding success.
“Gentlemen, I’m glad you could all make it,” Burlone starts, distracting me from Ace’s terrified expression. My throat tightens, but I try to concentrate on what he’s saying. “Now, as you all know, the rule is a simple winner-takes-all format. However, while I’ve been gracious enough to prepare your women for you, none of you have compensated me for my efforts in acquiring them. Instead, you requested to pay in person this evening before the official tournament started. As you all know, this is highly irregular, but I’ve been generous enough to comply. Well, gentlemen, the time has arrived. Now, if you will….” His voice trails off as he motions to the table, silently asking the slimy assholes willing to sell and buy women sitting around the table to pay up.
No one moves a muscle.
With my heart racing, I watch my brother while assuming this was his doing. He doesn’t move an inch. And neither does anyone else.
Clearing his throat, Burlone tries again. “I’m sorry, were those instructions confusing? I mean, I know there’s an open bar and all but—” He chuckles awkwardly at his pathetic joke while the rest of the room stays motionless.
“You’re awfully insistent we pay up,” the man to my left mutters under his breath.
With his salt and pepper hair slicked back, the stranger is busy fiddling with his hands as his gaze springs around the room in search of backup before landing firmly on Kingston, who looks like a freaking statue. Clearly, my brother is biding his time. I just don’t know what he’s waiting for.
Speak up, Kingston! I want to shout, but I keep my mouth shut tight. And where the hell is Dex? I peek over my shoulder but don’t find him.
“Excuse me?” Burlone scoffs. “Dex, escort Mr. Carbonne from the premises.” At the mention of Dex, I continue my search with renewed fervor while trying to look inconspicuous. Burlone adds, “It seems he’s misunderstood the dynamic of our relationship. But don’t worry, I’m sure we can find a way to rectify that as quickly as possible with a little persuasion.”
Mr. Carbonne, however, gulps loudly before tugging on the collar of his button-up as if it’s choking him. I want to laugh at the irony since the girl behind him is literally wearing a collar too, just like the rest of us women in the room.
From the shadows, my savior appears with a cocky smirk that makes me want to melt. Casually, he rests a handgun at his side. “Apologies, Mr. Allegretti. But I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“Excuse me?” Burlone turns in his seat with a glare, searching for Dex around the perimeter of the room. When he finds him, his gaze narrows.
“What the hell are you doing?” Burlone grits out.
“Nothing.” Dex shrugs. “Just making sure to keep everything in check, which means Mr. Carbonne gets to stay here for a bit longer.”
“Have you forgotten your place, Dex?”
“No, I’ve found it,” he returns, his eyes finding Kingston’s for a split second before returning to Burlone. But it’s long enough for Burlone to start piecing things together. His mouth opens in disbelief.
“Sei!” Burlone shouts. His neck snaps to the front of the room as he searches for his other loyal soldier, and I find myself doing the same thing, but he’s nowhere to be found.
“I’m afraid Sei’s not available at the moment,” Dex adds conversationally. “And neither are the rest of your men.”
“What the fuck did you do?”
“Just taking out the trash, Burlone. And those that didn’t need my assistance in disappearing were generously compensated. I’m sure you understand,” Dex explains. Motioning to Kingston, he adds, “Boss, I think now would be a great time to step in.”
Kingston chuckles darkly, gaining the attention of everyone in the room as the spotlight shifts from one man to another. I don’t miss the way Dex calls him boss, and I’m positive everyone else here heard it loud and clear too.
“I dunno, Dex. I think this is rather entertaining, don’t you?” Kingston finally voices. Not a single person utters a word. They’re all too engrossed in the scene unveiling around them. Just like me.
“What the fuck is going on?” Burlone bellows angrily. He’s sweating like a sinner in church, and it takes everything inside of me to keep my expression blank when I want to grin at his discomfort.
Go to hell, bastard.
“Alright, alright. I’ll step in,” my brother interrupts, not bothering to contain his amusement. He’s always been a cocky sonofabitch. I always thought I hated that about him, but right now, I want to cheer him on with a set of pom-poms and a catchy tune that gets the crowd as invested as I am.
“Dex came to me recently. Can you believe that, Burlone?” Kingston asks though he’s addressing the whole room. Hell, he’s commanding it. “Your own right-hand man? I thought it was a little out of character too, but Dex felt the need to voice a suspicion he had about his dear old boss. Secret meetings. Intentionally botched drop-offs. I found it fascinating, so I decided to do a little research of my own. What I found was…interesting, to say the least.”
/> Burlone shakes his head in disbelief. “What the hell are you talking about, King?”
Yeah, what the hell are you talking about? I want to ask. My eyes find Dex’s. He gives me a subtle wink, silently reminding me that everything is going to be okay before turning his attention back to Burlone.
“I’m talking about your association with the FBI and your plan to incriminate everyone at this table tonight as soon as they handed over their money for the beautiful women you’ve found.” The way King says the word found is enough to insinuate the opposite.
Burlone sputters, “What the hell does that mean?”
“Dex,” King calls while ignoring Burlone completely.
Gun at his side, Dex steps out of the shadows. “Yeah, Boss?”
“Were the women in this room handled differently than usual?”
“Yeah.”
“Care to expand?” My brother prods with a dry laugh.
Dex joins in before explaining, “The men were explicitly told not to touch them. In fact, Burlone brought me in and ordered me to keep them from being spoiled before they were officially purchased, which he’s never done before. If we’re being honest, he’s usually one of the first to break them in.”
The men around the room all laugh, and my brother joins in, pretending to be one of them when I know for a fact that he finds the situation just as despicable as Dex does.
“And why do you think they were being protected?” Kingston probes.
“Because he didn’t want any incriminating evidence on the Allegretti family. Only his associates.”
“And why is that?”
“Because he cut a deal with the Feds,” Dex finishes, matter-of-factly.
Burlone’s outrage is palpable as he shoves his chair away from the table a few inches but stays seated in the process. “That’s bullshit, and you know it. Gentlemen, why would I talk to the Feds? It’s not logical.”