Chapter 59 Ace
Ace
It’s been hours since D drove his brother home then holed himself up in Kingston’s office. The two have been going at it with the door closed, trying to work the final kinks from their plan. Pacing the hall in front of his locked door, I finally slam my hands against it.
“This whole no-women thing is bullshit! Open up, Kingston! Let me help!”
Resting my head against the solid oak door, I wait for their verdict. The muffled voices go silent for a solid thirty seconds before the thick piece of wood squeaks on its hinges, and an amused smirk appears on D’s face.
“Why, hello, Ace. Fancy seeing you here.”
With a roll of my eyes, I shove him aside and step into the man cave. “So, what’s going on? What’s the new tidbit of information? And how can I help?”
A stressed Kingston crooks his finger at me, and I saunter over before plopping in his lap and kissing him lazily.
“You okay?” I can feel his stress as if it’s my own.
His fingers squeeze softly against my jean-clad thigh. “Yeah. We’ve been working on something. We just need to play our cards right.”
“Speaking of which,” D interrupts. “King, what does she know?”
“Not much,” he admits, appearing contrite. I turn in his lap and stare him down.
“I can help. You just need to fill me in. Plus, if we’re talking about playing cards, then I’m your woman,” I tease in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Leaning forward, King gives me another soft kiss before releasing a sigh against my lips.
“We’ve been having discussions with a few of the men who are invited to the tournament.
These men are scum, Ace, but they’re also superstitious fuckers who don’t trust anyone.
For the past week or so, D and I have been proposing the possibility of Burlone working with the Feds. ”
With my jaw on the floor, I screech, “Burlone is working with the Feds?”
No freaking way.
“No.” D’s laughter echoes throughout the room. “We’re just hinting at it.”
Wait. What?
“But why? And how the hell would you get them to believe you over Burlone?” I inquire, my attention switching from Kingston to D, then back to Kingston, begging either of them to fill me in.
“Because Burlone’s been acting batshit crazy lately,” D remarks matter-of-factly.
Kingston laughs dryly then gives me the details I’m craving.
“The Feds have been sniffing around Burlone for the past couple of years, but Burlone was pretty good at dodging them until about six months ago. Burlone was getting desperate and decided to set up the Romano family in an attempt to throw the Feds off his scent.”
The tournament at Sin flashes through my mind along with memories of the first time I met King at the Charlette, piecing together my part and how I gave Kingston the date of Burlone’s plotting.
Kingston continues, “The only problem was that we found out about it and screwed up his plan. Instead of letting him frame us for all of the trafficking going on in the area, we picked up the guy he’d paid to drop off the girls on our property before the Feds could flag the operation.
The buyer was ready and waiting at the pick-up site, but Burlone’s guy never came.
However, the Feds were there to pick up the buyer anyway, which ended up making Burlone look shitty for not giving the buyer a heads-up.
Since then, everyone’s been hesitant to work with him.
All we’ve been doing is whispering the possibility that Burlone has been working with the Feds and set up the buyer.
Unfortunately, we need to find something that will tip them over the edge and convince his colleagues that the rumors are true.
If we can give them some kind of solid evidence that Burlone’s a snitch and has been turning in people to the Feds, then Burlone will lose his backing at the tournament. ”
My forehead wrinkles in confusion as I process the information before stumbling on his last sentence. “What do you mean, his backing at the tournament?”
D answers my question while leaning against the doorframe of Kingston’s office looking like a stone-cold killer.
“He’s planning on raping you and Regina in front of everyone before putting a bullet in Kingston’s skull at the end of the night.
Burlone thinks the men coming to the tournament are all on his side since he’s worked with them in the past while the Romanos have always stayed far away from trafficking.
He thinks they won’t care if he doesn’t honor the protection rules that are set in place for these very circumstances.
If we can cast doubt on their relationship and prove Burlone’s a snitch, then they’ll back us instead. ”
“And if they do back the Romano family?” My voice is shaky, and I’m sure my eyes are the size of saucers, but I swallow down the fact he just mentioned the possibility of me getting raped in front of a bunch of men before killing Kingston.
Nope. We’re going to pretend that little tidbit doesn’t affect me at all.
Kingston’s chest rumbles with his response. “Then we pull the rug out from under the Allegretti family and put Burlone in the ground.”
If it were anyone else, I might flinch at the prospect of burying someone, but with a man as wicked as him, I feel almost giddy at the promise in King’s voice.
“Is that possible?”
“Don’t look too excited, Ace,” Kingston teases with a smile.
It’s clear he’s pleased with my response to the glimpse of darkness he just gave me.
“Yeah. It’s possible. If it looks like he’s working with the Feds.
The rumors aren’t enough to wipe out an entire family, though, and if we take down Burlone, then we need to take down the entire Allegretti family.
It helps that his right-hand man can vouch for the lie, saying he’s overheard conversations and shit, but we don’t think it’s quite enough.
We need something concrete, which isn’t possible because he’s not a rat. ”
“Rock, meet hard place,” D pipes up sarcastically.
Digging my teeth into my lower lip, I turn to King as a thought reveals itself to me.
No, it’s a terrible idea. But maybe…
A burst of adrenaline rushes through me, but I force my mouth to stay closed.
Voicing a possible solution to our problem might end with a bullet in my own skull if the wrong person were to find out.
But I also know I can’t risk that bullet winding up in Kingston’s skull, either, and if I don’t tell him my idea, then one might.
Sensing my unease, he tilts his head and assesses me.
“What’s going on?”
I continue to chew on my lower lip.
“Ace?” he presses.
On shaky legs, I stand up and shuffle a foot away from Kingston to give us both some space.
“Do you trust me, King?”
“Of course, Wild Card. But that look is freaking me out.” He laughs, though there isn’t any humor in it, and I have a feeling he can feel the same foreboding as I can. Swallowing thickly, I reach into the back pocket of my jeans and pull out a business card. Jack’s business card.
“I have an idea.”
His brows furrow in curiosity before taking a closer look. “And?”
“Do you remember—”
“What the fuck is that?” King explodes, eyeing the small piece of cardstock in my hand as if it were a ticking time bomb.
I jump from his outburst as D looks over his shoulder toward the empty hallway then rushes to close the office door.
His chiseled jaw hardens, and I know exactly what he’s thinking.
He thinks I lied to him. That I lied to both of them.
Under their scrutinization, my tongue fumbles over the words, “It’s not what it looks like.”
“Better not be what it looks like, Wild Card, or you’d put me in a pretty messed up situation,” Kingston spits, his gaze narrowing in suspicion.
“Boss,” D murmurs, his tone heavy.
I look over at him to see his hand resting near the Glock I know is tucked behind his suit jacket.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Start talking, Ace. Now.” The steeliness in Kingston’s voice surprises me, making me flinch.
“Do you really think I’d betray you?” I whisper.
My feet seem to have lost all desire for self-preservation as they take a cautious step toward him.
If I can just touch him. If I can make him see that it’s me he’s glaring at, and not the enemy, then I might be able to bring my Kingston back to the room instead of the stranger who’s glaring at me like I’m a double agent.
With his spine made of steel, he watches me warily but doesn’t move a muscle. “I told you to start talking, and I suggest you don’t make me ask twice.”
My feet stop their pursuit. Shit. He’s pissed. As I release a shaky breath, I look over my shoulder and address Diece. “Do you remember the grocery store?”
Fists clenching, he gives me a jerky nod.
“You saw Jack there. He approached me—” The news pulls a roar from Kingston’s chest, and I raise my hand in a silent plea.
After shaking his head in disgust, he quiets down long enough for me to continue.
“I didn’t know he was going to be there.
I promise, Kingston. I need you to trust me right now.
” Roughly, the palms of his hands rub against his face, but he remains silent, so I press on.
“Jack thought I was in danger and gave me his card. I promise you that I had no idea who Jack was, or that he’s been undercover.
I met him at Sin, and then he just…started popping up places.
For some reason I still don’t really understand, he was trying to look out for me, and when I disappeared, he lost it.
Then he saw me in the store with D––which was completely coincidental––and gave me his card.
He told me that if I ever need anything from him, he’s here to help, but I promise you that I would never tell him anything, Kingston.
Ever. Not unless I spoke with you first, and we both agreed it was in our best interest, and after what you’ve just told me, I think it might be. ”
The silence in the room is so thick that my lungs struggle to breathe, my chest constricting in agony as I watch the man I’ve fallen for observing me so coldly.
With a tense voice, he continues his interrogation. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“Because he’s only doing his job, and I didn’t want him to get hurt. A-and I didn’t want you to look at me the way you’re looking at me right now,” I confide before dropping my gaze down to my bare feet.
“D,” Kingston barks. “Out. Now.”
“But—”
“Now.”
The door opens then closes with a soft click seconds later, and I’m left with the most powerful man I’ve ever met who’s making me feel like his enemy when I’m supposed to be on his team.
“Sit.” My neck snaps up to see him leaning against the desk with his ankles crossed and a frown firmly in place.
I gulp before taking a seat on the chair opposite him. With my butt on the edge, I wait for him to say something. Anything.
“Do you know what a connection like this looks like?” he asks in a lethal tone.
Peeking up at him, I nod.
“Do you know what kind of position this puts me in?”
Again, I nod.
“Do you know what I should do with this information?”
I squeeze my eyes shut only to hear his hand slam against the top of his desk, making me jump for the third time in five minutes.
“Answer me,” he growls.
“Yes.”
“Then tell me why you think I shouldn’t. If it were anyone else in this room with a card like that, they’d already be dead. Why should I treat you any different?”
The image he paints steals my breath. If I ever wanted to truly see how strongly he feels about me, it seems like now is the perfect opportunity.
Licking my lips, I chance another glance up at him. His eyes are hooded and pitch black. His fists are tight in barely restrained anger. And his muscles are bunching beneath his shirt like a damn tiger who’s been cornered. This is the Dark King. And I’m challenging him.
“Because I’m trusting you.”
“Or you’re using me,” he counters.
“Do you really think I’d use you like that, Kingston?
Think about it, and I mean really think about it.
I’m putting my life on the line in hopes of finding a solution, and one fell into my lap.
You can’t blame me for that. I didn’t go out looking for Jack.
I didn’t know who he was. But if you could just…
trust me. I think I have an idea. One that can fix everything. ”
“You’ve said that already. Better keep talking, Wild Card.”
Clearing my throat, I dive right in.