Saint: A Dark Romance (Saint and Sinners Book 1)

by Ruby Vincent

  “Your men know me as Serenity,” Adeline replied.

  “Your real name?”

  “I don’t know you at all.”

  “Angelo Castillo, leader of the Kings,” he said. “Your real name?”

  She hesitated for another second. “Adeline.”

  “Beautiful.” He lingered on her—longer than I liked.

  “We’re busy men,” I said. “Let’s not waste any more of each other’s time.”

  He finally flicked off her. “I agree.”

  Adeline took our seats in the armchairs against the opposite wall from Angelo and Tony. First rule of negotiations: Never be within strangling distance.

  “The attacks on my business stop today.”

  “What? Still no thank you? The Castian Hotel was a gift.”

  “As I said, I handle my matters internally. Corbin Dumont will be taken care of for the wrong turns he took, and for telling you where to find my casino. Is he still alive?”

  “For now.”

  “Then, his return is another condition.”

  I leaned back in the seat, drumming my fingers on the arms. I couldn’t conceal my grin. “What are the rest?”

  “The Merchants are over. You’ve claimed no specific territory, but I will settle for your money, weapons, and you.”

  I cocked a brow. “Me?”

  “You have a talent better used toward working for me. You. The men who lead alongside you. Your gang will become Kings. Not at all of you, of course,” he relayed calmly. “Most will die. But you won’t and you can’t ask for fairer than that.”

  “My life in exchange for becoming a King. Why do I sense coming into the fold won’t be quite that easy?”

  Angelo was looking at Adeline again. “Easy is not the word I used,” he said. “You’ll be beaten severely. Fingers, ribs, and many bones broken. When you recover, you won’t earn a paycheck until you payoff the money you’ve cost me in the last five days. You should know that number has hit seven figures.”

  “All right,” I replied, tone light. “Now for my terms. I want Kieran.”

  I now had his full attention. Expressionless, he said, “That request did not make sense on the phone, and it doesn’t make sense now. How can I deliver you Kieran? I don’t know who or where he is.”

  I smiled. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve been in the game for as long as he has. You’ve heard the whispers. You stood in awe of the legend. You know about the ledger. I don’t buy that you haven’t searched for it. Every who knows of its existence is after it, and you have the resources to get closer than most. You’ll tell me everything you’ve discovered about Kieran and the ledger, then the attacks stop.”

  “What about my gang, money, and territory? Have you given up on your other demands so soon?”

  “Nope,” I said. “I’ll get those after I’ve killed you and every King who remains loyal to you.”

  Adeline shot me big eyes, silently screaming at me to pull back.

  “I prefer that ending to be honest,” I said. “It’s no fun if you just hand it to me.”

  “You are a disrespectful little pup,” Angelo hissed. “You believe this makes you appear strong. It simply makes you stupid.”

  “If we’re skipping to the insults, you’re a geriatric, paranoid shit who thinks we’re back in the days the Cosa Nostra ran the streets. Times have changed, Angelo. You don’t rule by respect or even by fear. You rule by blood.

  “You want my gang? Kill me and take it. I will never kneel beside you.”

  Angelo was silent through my speech. His expression wasn’t. He cycled through each stage of rage.

  “You will, Sinjin Bellisario. I can promise you one thing. You will.”

  A man in black pants and a red vest walked inside. Two bottles of wine were tucked under his arm. His name tag flashed the name of the casino and Nikolai.

  “There we have it,” I said. “We’ve laid out our terms. Time to find out who leaves satisfied?”

  “How do you propose we do that?”

  “Blackjack.”

  If I expected surprise, I didn’t get it.

  “Putting your fate in a card game,” he said. “Against a man who’s been stacking chips since before you were thought of. I’m forced to amend my opinion on your intelligence.”

  “Putting my fate in card games is what I do. You won’t give up Kieran and I won’t give in to you. Seems to me our only choices are to kill each right here, or let the matter be settled out of our hands.”

  Angelo studied me for a long stretch. In the background, Nikolai shuffled cards.

  “All right,” he said. “I will play your game and, most importantly, honor the results.”

  “Let’s get—”

  “But I’m changing the terms.” Angelo closed the distance. “If you win, I’ll tell you what I know about Kieran and the ledger. If I win, I take her.”

  “What?”

  “Excuse me?” Adeline cried.

  “I take her. You can keep your gang, and your lives. The girl comes with me and I’ll accept a truce between us.”

  “No.”

  He cocked a brow. “No?”

  “No!” Adeline echoed. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “She’s not apart of this,” I said.

  “She’s here. She’s a part of this.”

  “No.”

  “Good bye, Bellisario.” Angelo headed for the door. “Hopefully, your fruitless search for Kieran turns something up in the days you have left. When you blood runs on the streets, I’ll have the girl then.”

  Tony threw open the door for my last chance to stroll out of it.

  “Wait.”

  Angelo paused all too easily. “Yes?”

  “Saint?” Adeline whispered, sliding her hand into mine again. “What are you doing?”

  “You’ll honor the result,” I pressed. “If I win, you give me Kieran and a truce that lasts until nature takes its course?”

  “I will.”

  “Then, it’s agreed.”

  “Saint?”

  Angelo backed into the room, the triumph curling his lips. “And if I win...?”

  The words scorched my tongue coming out. “The girl goes with you.”

  “Saint!” My hand was flung away. I couldn’t look at her though she jumped in front of me, grabbing jaw to turn me where she willed. The betrayal in those brown pools poured in and scorched the rest of me. “What are you doing? You can’t t-trade me.”

  Her voice broke, and my resolve along with it.

  I opened my mouth to tell her to trust me, and glanced at a watching Angelo. I told her with my eyes instead.

  Trust me, Adeline. I always have a plan.

  “Let’s not waste another minute.” Angelo swept out a chair, getting comfortable at the blackjack table. “I’ll have a glass of that.”

  Tears collected on her lids. She wasn’t hearing my message. She couldn’t see it.

  I reached for her.

  “Don’t!” she screamed. “Just don’t.”

  I withdrew, jaw grinding. She couldn’t see what I was doing then, but she would.

  “Let’s play.”

  I took my seat. The one two down scraped over the carpet.

  “I’m playing too.” Face soaked with tears, and her chin was raised. Shoulders steady. “You can give a glass while you’re at it too. Actually, I’ll have the whole bottle.”

  “What are your terms?” Angelo asked. Amusement laced his tone. “That you stay by your boyfriend’s side?”

  “Sinjin knows my terms.”

  Sinjin.

  “We’re continuing a previous game.”

  I tried again to catch her eye. She’s always knows what the fuck I’m thinking. Why not now?

  “Ready, lady and gentlemen?” Nikolai asked.

  Angelo signaled for him to get on with it.

  “Ladies first.” He placed the deck before Adeline.

  Adeline laid her card face down. She dropped a ten for m
e, and a three for Angelo. A nine fell on her face down card.

  The game began.

  “Hit.”

  “Stay.”

  “Stay.”

  “Hit.”

  Angelo and I went back and forth.

  Adeline dealt my final card.

  Twenty-one.

  We switched. I took over dealing and both lost against me.

  Angelo’s grin was gone. He snatched the deck, roughly shuffling and dealing out the cards.

  “Hit.”

  “Stay,” Adeline said.

  “Stay.”

  “Hit.” A queen of spades landed on her pile, putting her over.

  “Stay,” I said.

  Angelo flipped his face down card.

  Sixteen.

  I stayed.

  He hit.

  I won.

  “Argh!” Angelo swept the cards off the table, showering the floor red, black, and white. “You cheated!”

  “How? You handled the same deck I did. Was it marked?”

  He swung to Nikolai who stood impassively off to the side. “You worked together. That’s why you suggested this place.”

  “This is sad, Angelo. I won. Honor the terms,” I said, “Tell me what you know about Kieran.”

  Adeline sat silently through the exchange.

  Planting his hands on the felt, he leaned over the table, and said, “I will make good on promise.”

  Something hard pressed into my skull.

  “I promised you’d watch while I destroy everything you touch.”

  I held still. “How’d you get a gun in here, Tony?”

  Angelo laughed. “Security’s only as good as the price of their bribe.”

  “I’ve always said that,” I replied.

  “This is good. Play cool.” Angelo rounded the table. “To have a worthy opponent whimpering and mewling at the first hit reflects badly on me for being taken by someone so pathetic.” He put his hand on a still Adeline’s shoulder.

  “You’re going to watch me walk out of here with your girl. After, Tony will escort you outside to an idling van and the men waiting inside for you. As I mentioned, you will be severely beaten. While you recover in the deep, dark hole that is your new home, I’ll visit regularly to update you on my progress wiping out every Merchant in Cinco.”

  “Last chance,” I said, voice calm. “Tell me about Kieran.”

  “Shall we, Miss Adeline? I—”

  A faint click sounded behind him. Nikolai, aka Memphis, leveled the gun on Angelo’s neck.

  “Look at that. We’re at a good old-fashioned impasse.”

  I felt the second he twitched.

  Tony swung the gun on Nikolai. I pushed up his hand, sending his shot wide, and grabbed the bottle in front of Adeline. A quick smash and the jagged pieces were in his neck.

  Tony grabbed me on the way down. We collapsed on the ground amid Angelo’s shout.

  Adeline pushed her seat back and stood. She turned to leave.

  Angelo lunged at her.

  Bang!

  He dropped clutching his arm—cursing and shouting fit to bring the place down around us.

  Adeline stepped over him and kept going.

  “Adeline? Adeline!”

  She walked out the door.

  Shoving the dying man off me, I raced across the casino floor. “Stop!”

  “No.”

  I held her arm, making her stop. “You can’t go out there. Angelo’s guys are waiting for us.”

  “I don’t care,” she said, pulling free.

  “At least wait until Cash and the guys clear them out.”

  “Goodbye, Sinjin.”

  “He was never going to win!” Everyone in my vicinity stopped what they were doing—gaping at us. “You know that. I don’t lose.”

  “Yes, you do.” There was no heat. No fire. No pushing back. This cool, toneless woman, I didn’t know. “We’re done.”

  She turned her back on me, continuing on.

  “Adeline!”

  I ran after her.

  “Hey.” Hands seized me, hauling me back. “Walk it off, man. Cool off.”

  “Leave the lady alone.”

  I fought free of my captors—punching one across the face. Skidding outside, I swept the street for her, but that bobbing head of auburn-gold was gone.

  Cursing, I returned to the VIP room.

  Memphis groaned on the floor by Tony, blinking awake. The remains of the final wine bottle covered him.

  There were the only two in the room.

  Angelo disappeared.

  CASH, MERCER, BRUTAL, and I spent the night searching the streets for her.

  Angelo’s waiting party was taken out. Then we dispatched the second one that came for me as I ran to my car. The delay gave Bunny a significant head start.

  Three in the morning, I walked inside the fire station. The others were still out looking for her.

  That friend of hers and her father’s retirement home. I’ll wash off the blood and then break inside both.

  I trod past her door.

  Thump.

  I stopped.

  Clang.

  “Adeline?”

  The shuffling on the other side of the door stopped. Then another thump.

  “Adeline.” I fell on the wood, pounding and ramming against it. “Adeline, let me in!”

  The frame splintered but didn’t budge. The obstruction were back in front of her door. Her sign she wanted me out.

  “Fuck that.”

  I shot down the hall and yanked down the stairs to the attic. When the builders remodeled this place, stashed the floor-to-ceiling fireman’s pole behind four walls rather than rip it out. It was why we bought it. The secret door in Adeline’s closet gave us an escape route if we were attacked. It also let me spend nearly every night with her.

  Sliding down the pole, I dropped off on the small platform outside her door. My busting in made her shriek ring through the station.

  “What the fuck?!” Her huge eyes trailed me staggering over the carpet. “Where did you come from? Is that— A secret door? How long has that been there?!”

  I didn’t reply, taking in the scene. Adeline’s bags were open on her bed.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like?” She snatched up the discarded dress she wore that night. She was in her jeans and t-shirt. Shoes on and laced. “I’m leaving, Sinjin.”

  “No.”

  She kept packing, stuffing her clothes in suitcase. I grabbed it and flung it across the room. It dented the plaster crashing into the wall.

  “Feel better?” Arms folded and eyes darkening, she was my snapping she-wolf once again. “Because it changes nothing. I’m leaving.”

  “Why?”

  “Why? Because you threw me on the table like I was a five-dollar poker chip!” Now she was screaming. “That’s why.”

  Then, I was shouting too. “I wasn’t going to lose! Blackjack is my game. The advantage is always mine.”

  “That’s not the point.” She tore out her hair. “Why don’t you see that?”

  “What don’t I see? Even if by some fucking miracle he beat me, I’d have killed him before letting him walk out the door with you. You’re overreacting.”

  She tossed her head. “Overreacting? Damn hell, Sinjin, it’s so obvious you don’t have a clue what to do with a girlfriend. Here’s your first tip: don’t bet her in your war against a merciless gangbanger.”

  “Our war,” I said. “I thought you understood what it would take to get to Kieran.”

  “I don’t give a fuck about Kieran. I don’t even know who the hell he is and neither do you,” she flung.

  “He killed my father!”

  Her shout died on her throat. Adeline stared at me, jaw working. “He what?” she breathed.

  “My father was killed. Murdered on the steps of his alter because of Kieran. I know who he is.”

  She took a step back as if to distance from the truth. “Why would Ki
eran kill a priest?”

  “He didn’t.” The words spilled out unbidden. The dam was broken. They couldn’t be put back in. “When I was eleven, a man started visiting the church. He’d hid his face. Stick to the shadows on his way to the confessional.

  “It became a regular thing. This faceless man arriving weekly to spill his sins to my father. One night, men broke into the church. They dragged him out of his office. Beat him to a pulp. All the while demanding he tell them what Kieran told him. He refused.”

  The scene unfolded with sharp clarity, sending seventeen years in the past.

  My father on broken and bleeding on his knees. The cross he gave me breaking the skin of my palm as I clutched it, begging for help.

  The man in the black hood and blue sneakers slipping past me into confessional.

  “My father refused to break the seal of confessional... until they found me.”

  “Sinjin...” Adeline trailed off.

  “They held a knife to my throat,” I said. “Drew blood so he’d know they were serious. Tell them about Kieran or watch me bleed out on the floor.

  “Told them everything,” I rasped, “and they killed him anyway.”

  Adeline dropped her eyes—too slow for me to miss they were shining. “So, that’s why you’re doing this. It’s always been about Kieran.”

  I frowned. “My father betrayed everything he believed in for the walking, talking incarnation of his sin. His one moment of weakness lost him the respect of his community and peers, and then it cost him his life. Someone will answer for that, Adeline, and that someone is in Kieran’s ledger. The name of every man and woman in this city so desperate, they’d hire two thugs to murder a priest. I took care of those bastards years ago. There is only one person left, and one person who knows who they are.”

  She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Sinjin, what happened to you and your father was horrible. I can’t imagine the pain you’ve lived with all of these years. Or the hatred. But you asked me that night if what we were doing was vengeance or justice? I thought it was justice.

  “I was willing to do what I had to do to end the Kings because were doing good. We were proving that someone comes. When the helpless are cheated, or a child is trapped in hell. The Merchants will come.”

  A snarl leaked through my teeth. I was hot—sweating. A torrent was rising in me and I didn’t know where to direct it. A first for me. “That’s a real sweet sentiment, Bunny, but that’s not who we are. It never has been, and you don’t get to play shocked and naïve now. You knew what I was we started this.”