King of Hearts

by C. A. Szarek

  Jamie had already put her two weeks in at her job, and their stuff was already shipped, even though they didn’t have to be out of the old place until the end of the month.

  The live-in childcare was a bonus, but Maddie had raised Jamie on her own from age nineteen—to Jamie’s tender age eight—and she couldn’t imagine life without her close by. Even at twenty-four, Jamie was more like a daughter than sister.

  Their parents had died in a car crash; hit by a drunk driver, which was part of the reason she’d gone into law enforcement.

  Her sister laughed. “I told him to be nice.”

  “You’re not supposed to ruin it.”

  Jamie giggled again, as unrepentant as always. Something Jake had picked up, too. Not always a positive thing, but Maddie still loved them.

  “I’m glad you guys called, but I just got to baggage claim. Let me get settled, and I’ll call you later. I’m eager to see the apartment. Hopefully I can get most of our stuff set up before you get down here.”

  They chatted for another minute, and she told them she loved them before ending the call.

  Before they stepped one foot off the plane, she needed to decide what exactly to tell Gio.

  Maddie cringed.

  The blurted confession when he’d been too drunk to comprehend had crushed her, and pissed her off. Her lover hadn’t retained a damn thing, and the hurt over that had only carried her justification so far.

  Right?

  Her reasons had been sound—eight years ago.

  The more time that’d passed, the more her baby grew, the weaker they’d gotten, sounding more like poor excuses as the years flew by.

  Jake wasn’t a baby anymore. He was a sturdy, smart-as-a-whip kid, and he would only get older, ask more questions.

  If Gio never forgave her, she wouldn’t blame him.

  Now that they’d be living in the same city, Maddie couldn’t keep silent anymore. Not that geography should’ve made a difference; it only made more guilt swirl in her gut.

  She wasn’t looking forward to seeing him again. Since she had to work with his police department, she’d eventually have to face him. Not to mention how her case was interwoven with his family. Avoiding him would be impossible.

  Maddie closed her eyes and took a breath. Grounding herself was going to have to be a part of her new routine.

  ****

  Gio shoved his heel into the kickstand on his bike. He sighed as he tucked his helmet under his arm and dismounted. Sometimes he left his headgear with the Ducati, but today he’d leave it on his desk.

  He loved his job, but for some reason his feet fought his intent to enter Las Vegas Metro PD.

  What’d happened last night churned in his head as much as his gut. Like a movie stuck on a loop, but all the worst parts—when the villain was on screen—were on slow-mo. Haunting him.

  His dad. His sister. That cockwaffle, Marco.

  The way Elise had regarded her fiancé, like the ass was her salvation, left more than a bad taste in his mouth. Not because she’d finally settled on a spouse, but because his instant disdain for the guy shouted something was wrong.

  Fiancé? Jesus.

  He’d have to figure it out, since Armani would be family soon. He was still a little more than bothered that his sister, as close as they were, had neglected to tell him about Marco, no matter how much of a douche the guy was.

  Gio snorted. Well, it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to ignoring family, but he couldn’t do that to her. Wouldn’t put that added stress on her.

  So he’d have to figure out just what it was about her man and get over it. Or convince Elise she’d picked the wrong dude.

  That sounded like a plan.

  His sister had been upset when Gio wouldn’t agree to go to the hospital. The casino was one thing; he couldn’t bring himself to look Big Tony in the eye. Didn’t know when he could.

  If he could. Ever.

  She’d guilted him.

  Their father could be…dying.

  His youngest brother, Sam, had found them, and his youthful face had worn such grim turmoil, it’d made Gio want to puke all over again.

  Elise had said she needed his help. They needed it. They’d freaking double-teamed him.

  She and Sam wanted the four of them; provided they could find their brother Dom—to approach their dad at the hospital and convince him to start treatment for the cancer. A controlled environment, his sister had said.

  Gio couldn’t do it.

  The disappointment on Elise’s face, as well as reflected in Sam’s eyes had slayed him. Like a gut shot in an unfair fight.

  Dom was another story. As of when he’d left The Giovanni, the guy was still unaccounted for. Not answering calls or texts from any of his siblings, and no one at the casino had seen him.

  He was probably holed up with some chick, and Gio had left that for Elise to clean up, too, but he’d told her to call when their dickhead little bro finally showed.

  He’d try to have a heart-to-heart with him so she wouldn’t have to.

  “Fuck my life,” Gio whispered as he fobbed into the back door of the PD.

  He’d just wrapped up a double homicide, so he didn’t have work to distract him, provided the murder board in Robbery/Homicide was empty. Well, it’d never be empty, but he couldn’t remember the detective order; wasn’t sure who was up next.

  No matter how he tried to push it to the back of his mind, he couldn’t banish the desperation on his siblings’ expressions from the previous night.

  What Gio didn’t want to face teetered between the idea of losing his father, and things he didn’t want to reconcile.

  Was he being selfish?

  Of course he was.

  Self-preservation, at least mentally, had kept him away from The Giovanni. His father had never threatened him physically, but nothing crushed him like a fight with Big Tony, or memories of his mother and the last time he’d seen her. So happy. So pretty in the silver dress at the gala.

  Could he live with himself if his father died without things being right between them?

  Could he get over Elise and his brothers looking at him with pain in their eyes all the time? Or worse, pity?

  The guilt would eat him alive.

  Gio shook himself and made is feet work.

  One good thing about work; no one knew his business. That wasn’t about to change.

  He made his way to Robbery/Homicide with his head down, and trying to project broodiness, so everyone would leave him alone.

  He wasn’t next in line on the murder board after all, so even three cups of coffee later, it was apparent it’d be a looooooong day. It was only 8:42.

  Gio needed to finish up his final reports on the double homicide. The captain had approved his sequence of events, but Chief Patton had had additional questions, and he needed to close out their side of things and wait for whoever the District Attorney’s Office assigned to the case.

  Fun times.

  He had some vacation hours built up. Olinsky was always telling him, while his dedication was appreciated, he pushed too hard.

  Maybe, considering what was going on with his father, he could take a week or two off. Didn’t have to explain why if he didn’t want.

  He’d never want.

  Elise might appreciate it. He could even end his ghosting on the fam thing, but…

  Gio sighed. Not working would make things worse. He didn’t need or want more time to think.

  Although, he had promised his sister he’d consider going to the hospital. Help the cause on the united sibling front. Provided Dom—

  He dug his phone from his pocket and fired off a quick text to his brother.

  Hey, dude. Need to talk to you. Call me or Lise. Important.

  He shoved his device away, doubting his brother would answer him any time soon. If Dom was on a bender, he was allergic to mornings.

  Elise had explained the likely reason for Dom’s scattering. Their father had removed him from being The Giova
nni’s head of security a few days ago, a job he was in no way ready for, and their brother hadn’t taken it well. Big Tony hadn’t fired him, just demoted Dom for being irresponsible, which was an understatement, but the guy was having an issue coping.

  Like fucking always.

  The problem was being a Giovanni meant Dom couldn’t get permanently fired, so when he showed back up, their father would give him his job back. If it wasn’t the same position—hopefully it wouldn’t be—he’d put the guy in middle-management, like always. It was an annoying game they played, and one of the reasons Dominic had no reason to grow up.

  Gio rolled his eyes. Even Sam was more grown up at twenty-two.

  He fired up his PC and logged on, then adjusted the volume on the handheld radio he kept on his desk. He clicked on the icon for his email. Notifications told him there were a dozen or so.

  “Listen up.” Captain Olinsky caught his attention and he peered up from staring off into space, more than reading the emails he should’ve been addressing.

  He whirled his chair to face his immediate supervisor, and noticed all his squadmates do some version of the same when the captain stopped in the middle of the bullpen.

  “The US Marshals will be teaming up with us to form a taskforce. Details to follow, but I need three or four of you. Anyone game?”

  Hector Garcia, his longtime friend and fellow detective leaned on Gio’s desk and threw him a wink. “Nothing like a good man hunt. How about we dive in, amigo?”

  He nodded and threw his hand up when Olinsky glanced his way. “Me and Gar are there, Cap.”

  Hector flashed a grin and echoed his nod.

  “Excellent,” the captain said.

  “Count me in,” Ollie Navarro said.

  “If you need four, I’ll do it,” Mary Foster, one of the two female detectives on their squad offered.

  “Sounds good. The marshals should be here for briefing shortly. I’ll give y’all a holler when they arrive.”

  Gio went back to his computer when his boss left the room, and Hector headed to his own cubicle. Thank God the guy sensed he didn’t want to chat; dude could be like a teenage girl when he wanted to talk.

  Maybe working something new, different, would help him deal with his…everything.

  Couldn’t get any worse, could it?

  Chapter Four

  The sense of dread only grew every step Maddie took farther down the hallway; farther into Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

  One glance at her Fitbit told her she wasn’t late; the meeting was at ten, and she had fifteen minutes to spare. Bonus, she already had over 5k steps for the day.

  Happy Monday and all that shit, right?

  Except, wasn’t it…

  It was.

  Wednesday.

  How had she really lost track like that?

  It only felt more like the first day of the week instead of three days away from her first weekend in her new place.

  Alone. After the longest week of her life.

  She couldn’t blame it on the time change, Vegas was only two hours behind Chicago. Maybe the flight, the move, and getting her crap dropped off had scrambled her brains. She hadn’t made it very far with the unpacking, but was trying to give herself a break.

  Maddie needed to get a heads-up on it before Jamie and Jake came, though. She didn’t have that much time, and wanted things to feel homey for them.

  Before she’d arrived at the PD, she’d stopped in at the Marshals Office in the US District Court building on the other side of downtown, only to discover her colleagues, Roger Griggs and April Bailey, hadn’t arrived yet. They were supposed to act as her second and third in command for their operation.

  She assumed if they needed an office, they’d go back and forth from the courthouse and the PD. Most of the time when she’d worked with the local police in Chicago, her last posting, she’d stuck close to the police department. She had a government issued laptop for everything she needed federal-related.

  The local personnel had been welcoming enough, but she hadn’t stuck around to get really settled. Just checked in with her new boss, Doug Randall. She’d acquiesced at the clerk’s urging, and had let the woman, Melissa Pearson, show her to her permanent office, and give her a brief tour of the building as well as the rest of the dedicated Marshals’ space.

  At LMVPD this morning, Maddie had to see the deputy chief and captain they’d been assigned to on her own to get the taskforce under way.

  Her new boss had assured her Griggs and Bailey would join her soon enough. She left her cell number so someone could give her a call if they showed today, but it wasn’t likely.

  She didn’t know either marshal inspector well. Griggs was from the Chicago office and they’d worked together a few times, but Bailey was new, in from El Paso temporarily.

  Maddie wasn’t leery of new coworkers, as long as they respected her lead. However, her tummy threated to eject her meager breakfast of coffee and a protein shake.

  Her imminent meeting wasn’t the cause of her nerves.

  He’s here.

  She was bound to run into Nico Giovanni.

  Maybe she should’ve stayed at the office. Waited for Griggs and Bailey. Chatted her new coworkers and boss up; Melissa was a talker. Set up her office. Hell, running errands or making copies held more appeal.

  Her gut somersaulted; her palms were clammy. Opening and closing her hands didn’t help worth a shit.

  Somehow, instinct told her Gio was actually in the building, not out on a case, out sick, or hell, out to breakfast.

  He’s here.

  Maddie tried to prevent the words from becoming a chant, a mantra in her head, but had little luck.

  She was going to puke.

  She fought nausea as best she could; ordered her feet to keep moving. Looked straight ahead, refusing to peer into any open doors she passed. Just wanted to get to Deputy Chief Patton’s office.

  Maddie had scanned the vast parking lot when she’d pulled her rental in. Her new boss had told her she’d get her assigned government unit in the next few days.

  Her former lover had had a motorcycle back in the day, and there were a few in the lot. Her eyes had zoned in on a black Ducati that’d practically screamed Gio. She couldn’t put her finger on how she’d known. She just did.

  Breathe, just breathe.

  Seeing the man she’d slept with didn’t have to result in chaos. It wasn’t like he could merely see her and find out about Jake. Not like she was going to blurt, ‘hey, I had your baby. He’s seven now, and a great kid. Wanna meet him?’

  Maddie snorted, but the shakes overtook her body, starting in her hands and arms, working their way down her spine and into her legs until her knees wobbled.

  Her stomach flip-flopped again and she wanted to flee the police department.

  The desk sergeant had given her directions to find the deputy chief’s office, and she only had one more turn; one more corridor. Needed to concentrate on that.

  Not Nico Giovanni.

  “Marshal Granger?”

  She jumped, then cursed herself to hell and back. Turned to meet a pair of hazel eyes.

  The man was pleasant-looking, with light hair on the prematurely-thinning side, because he couldn’t be much older than forty-five. He had a red-blond mustache, and wore a smile.

  He wasn’t in uniform, but was dressed in dark slacks and a white button down, also sporting a shoulder holster. His badge winked from his belt in the fluorescent light. He had a seaming Styrofoam cup in hand, as if one of those rooms she’d just passed was a breakroom, and the reason for him running into her in the corridor.

  “It’s actually Senior Inspector.” She smiled. Not many knew the correct title for marshals assigned to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Department, but it wasn’t like she wasn’t used to gently correcting. Hopefully, the guy didn’t take offense. “Deputy Chief Patton, I assume?”

  The man shook his head. “Captain Roman Olinsky. Sorry about that
, Inspector. I’ll be working with your team, leading the PD side.” He threw his hand out for a shake and she accepted.

  His skin was rough, but not offensive. However, she had to tug free, as if he was reluctant to let her go.

  “No worries. Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” He smiled.

  The lack of a uniform meant she couldn’t spot captain epaulets that would be on a Class A collar.

  “How’d you know who I am?” She fought a cringe; there was probably a bad detective joke in there somewhere. Even so, Maddie had her gun at her waist, and her badge around her neck on a chain, but she wasn’t labeled. She was dressed casually, in dark jeans and a plain maroon button-down.

  “I’ve seen your picture, and let me say, it didn’t do you justice.” Olinsky smiled again, and gave her an obvious onceover. Appreciation shone in his eyes, and she wanted to roll hers.

  He wasn’t bad-looking, and he didn’t wear a wedding ring, but she’d learned her lesson regarding sleeping with coworkers; even if she had been interested, which she wasn’t.

  She’d never have another Gio.

  Not that the man before her could hold a candle to Nico Giovanni.

  Maddie had always been a sucker for blue eyes, and Gio’s might as well have been sapphires. He was much taller than the blond man, too, this guy had to be close to her own five feet six inches.

  Her former lover’s muscles certainly hadn’t hurt her original attraction to him, either. He had dark hair and a sculpted face right out of GQ, of course.

  Too bad her heart had gotten itself involved and mucked up a perfectly good fuck-buddy situation back then.

  Stop. Thinking. Of. Him.

  It was bad enough she could run into him at any moment.

  Olinsky was talking, and her cheeks heated up to her ears, because she’d totally blocked him out and had no idea what the man had said.

  “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  He cocked his head to one side, making his hair shift. Pretty soon he’d need a comb-over.