Ace of Hearts

by Gray, Khardine

  Frankie warmed to me earlier when we talked about Brazil. Apparently he’d lived there for some time. I’d casually dropped the comment about the food I’d had in a restaurant and he knew the place. Then we got talking and he gave me the four one one on these high stakes poker games, probably telling me more than he should have.

  Apparently, there were a number of them and Giovanni often had people betting in the millions. When they lost to him he’d take the winnings just like that.

  It made me wonder what the hell kind of people came in here to bet with those kinds of coins.

  There was one large poker table in the center of the room just like a meeting room setup, except this was done for poker.

  Several other tables and chairs were set up in the corners and then some high stools by the bar. That was where I stood with Frankie. It gave me a good view of everyone. Those coming in and out.

  There were twenty people here now including two waiters walking around with drinks. Everyone was here except Armand and Vinny.

  Apart from Giovanni and Jia, the men I’d seen come in here to play did not look like those who would throw down an easy million.

  Today was about getting a feel of the place and continuing my assessment of everyone’s movements. Their routines. What I was trying to arrange was a time slot when I could go around the place by myself and do some old fashioned detective work. Snooping around.

  Frankie leaned in closer. He’d been looking at Jia.

  “The daughter definitely takes after the father. The woman went to slap me yesterday.” He muttered keeping his voice low.

  “Did you deserve it?” I asked.

  “Like fuck I didn’t. She was pissed about her car. Such a shame she couldn’t be one of those dumb broads. I’d put that mouth of hers to good use if you know what I mean.” He chuckled and looked away from me.

  Good thing he did that because he wouldn’t have liked the look I gave him.

  I did know what he meant, and I couldn’t lie that I hadn’t thought about Jia’s mouth too. I just wasn’t so crass.

  He knocked back his shot and moved away from me when Giovanni went to speak to the tall bald man by the window.

  That left Jia alone.

  I wanted her by herself so I could talk to her.

  The opportunity came when she moved over to the little seated area. I knew she would have seen me but probably avoided eye contact.

  Her piercing eyes focused on me as I walked up to her. Up close I was practically a goner. Now I thought I deserved an award for my resistance.

  The plan was to let her down gently. The first mistake I’d made yesterday was telling her I wanted to touch her. I shouldn’t have said that because it was the moment when light flirting went out the window and desire took over.

  Desire took over big time making me want her. It made me want her as badly as I wanted her now.

  “You okay?” I asked, deciding I’d speak first since we were just staring at each other.

  “I’m okay,” she said with a curt nod.

  This was the part where I should tell her something, some excuse as to why I couldn’t cross the line she wanted me to cross. It was the perfect moment since we had privacy with everyone busy talking.

  I just had to find the right words to pull out of my proverbial hat.

  If only she didn’t look so damn irresistible. I could hardly look at her and not think about the way she’d danced for me that first night, running her hands down her body, making my damn cock hard just from looking at her.

  “You know, if you stare at me like that, I’m going to get the wrong idea.” She smirked and shook her head.

  “I’m sorry… you look beautiful.” I thought I could tell her that.

  “Thank you.”

  “I guess you already know that though. People must tell you that all the time.”

  “It’s the first time you’ve said it.” She said that more as a challenge.

  “Yeah.” Okay now… it was time to set her straight and I wouldn’t say what I actually wanted to say. Which would be a continuation of the question she’d asked last night when she asked why she shouldn’t like me. The answer to that was simple. I wasn’t a good person. I may be doing this gig but that didn’t mean I was good. “Look, Jia. I’m sorry about last night. I can’t go there with you. I have a job to do and your father trusts me to do it. I got carried away a lot and I led you on.”

  There… I couldn’t have said it better if I’d rehearsed it.

  “Okay,” she answered, shuffling her weight from one foot to the other.

  She might have given an answer that looked cool and as though what I’d said didn’t bother her, but her eyes gave her away.

  I wished they didn’t because I could see she really liked me.

  The last person to look at me like that ended up dead.

  I couldn’t deal with that, or rather I didn’t want to.

  Better to nip it and cut it off – whatever it was – before it got out of control.

  She would be fine once the shit was over. She just needed to be free of her father. This mission would go one of two ways. He could end up dead or behind bars. Both would be sad for her because no matter what he did, she loved him.

  “Is that all? I was on my way to speak to a friend,” she said.

  I went to answer but my heart stilled when my gaze took in the man coming through the door.

  It was The Chameleon.

  He’d just walked in and Giovanni greeted him like they were old friends.

  Chapter 13

  Xander

  * * *

  I hadn’t meant to but I’d taken Jia’s hand.

  It was an involuntary action based on instinct.

  She looked at me with her lips parted and a soft color creeping into her cheeks.

  “What is it Xander?” she asked, looking over to The Chameleon.

  “Do you know that man?” I asked her. Maybe she had a name for him. A name other than The Chameleon would sure fuck help track him.

  “No. Pa has different people come for these games. I never usually take part because they go on forever but he wanted me to come tonight. Bought me this dress as a peace offering.” Her voice took on a cold edge.

  I really didn’t want to do anything that looked suspicious or out of character. It was just hard not to when I knew who he was.

  “I’d better go.” She nodded. “You have a job to do.”

  Right now my job felt like it should be to protect her, that was what instinct compelled to do. If however, I started acting like she needed protection, I would draw attention to myself.

  Giovanni was already casting a glance my way as he seated himself down with The Chameleon who looked exactly like the shots I’d seen of him - dark hair, sallow eyes that looked a little sunken and a gaunt appearance, tall and lanky with a cunning expression on his face.

  It was always that cunning expression that got to me. Like he knew he couldn’t be caught.

  Just like Balthazar. He knew he couldn’t be caught too.

  The thing was, both men couldn’t have been more right.

  Look at me here in this room, not a stone’s throw from him and I couldn’t do squat.

  He smiled and took a drink of champagne from a passing waiter like he was just a random person here, not wanted for so many crimes. Yet, he’d had some hand or dealing in nearly all the terrorist crimes that had happened over the last decade.

  That was the reality of the matter and I stood here playing secret agent to Ethan/ knight to Giovanni Marchesi.

  “Welcome everyone, please take your seats,” Giovanni boomed. He stood but meant for the likes of me and Frankie to keep our stance, standing where we were on guard. He looked around the room. “Where are Armand and Vinny?” he asked.

  “They should be joining us soon,” Frankie answered.

  As he did, a man at the far end stood up.

  “Giovanni, it wasn’t wise to come up here without the protection of all your knig
hts,” the man stated.

  His words threw me. It was due to being in the presence of so many bad guys that I couldn’t tell friend from foe. This guy though was definitely foe.

  I saw the gun first. He pulled it from his jacket pocket and aimed to fire, but I stopped him with my own gun, ending him with a bullet to his neck.

  It took him down but when I saw two more guys rise up and open fire, only one thing was on my mind.

  One person who’d screamed when the first shot was fired.

  Jia. She’d hidden behind the table but it wouldn’t be enough.

  I went for her, shooting anything that moved and shielding her with my body while more shots sounded.

  She clung to my shirt, burying her face in my chest and hanging on to me.

  I chanced looking up and around. With her shaking against me, I saw five bodies spread out across the floor.

  “Fuck!” Giovanni bellowed. “How the fuck did they get in here?” he cried.

  “I don’t know Boss,” Frankie answered.

  Vinny must have come in while Jia and I were crouched down in the corner.

  Armand had only just arrived, gun at the ready, late to the party. His fucking face was red and his fly was undone.

  Giovanni looked around the room frantically. “Where is my child!” he shouted.

  I shuffled so he could see I had her and he came flying over, face looking as panicked as he’d sounded.

  I stood with Jia who was crying and shaking. Giovanni took hold of her like she was indeed his child and hugged her hard first, then proceeded to check her over like he was inspecting her to make sure she’d come to no harm.

  Hell, I wouldn’t have thought he was the same man from yesterday who hit her. Instead of the darkness that had filled his face I saw fear.

  The fear of a father worried sick over his daughter.

  “Please, tell me you’re okay bellezza,” he said, holding her face.

  “I’m okay.” She nodded.

  He only looked away from her once he was sure she was truly okay. Then he looked at me and gripped my shoulder. “Thank you. Thank you, Xander.”

  “It’s okay. She’s okay Giovanni,” I assured him.

  He nodded but the darkness from yesterday came back into his face when Armand approached him.

  Giovanni pulled his gun on Armand and snarled. “Where were you?” he barked.

  Armand raised his hands and backed away. Giovanni responded in true boss mode by shoving the gun in his throat. Both men were the same height. Armand I knew could have put up a fight, but Giovanni was what people called one of those old tough guys who didn’t play around with shit. Breathe the wrong way and he’d kill you. Look at him the wrong way or don’t give the answer he wanted and he would end you before your next thought.

  I thought this was Armand’s end indeed.

  “Answer the fucking question,” Giovanni cried.

  “I was with Maria,” Armand answered with the fear of God in his eyes.

  “Doing what?”

  “Screwing around Boss.”

  Well at least he was being honest.

  “Is that how you protect my daughter, fucktard?” Giovanni hit him upside his head with the gun and pulled the trigger back to blow his head off. He would have too if I hadn’t rushed to him and grabbed his hand. It was crazy and I was crazy for doing it. A person in the blind panic of a moment could release that trigger and the bullet could fly anywhere. It could have headed for Armand or equally, someone else.

  Giovanni looked at me. I was surprised to see him shaking.

  Instantly, I remembered what he’d said to me when I met him on my first night on the job. The first words were to tell me that his daughter was the most important thing to him. Basically fuck everything else, drop everything else and protect her.

  “No,” I said shaking my head. “She’s alright. See look at her. She’s alright.” I pointed over to Jia and while his hands still shook, his face softened.

  As I looked at him now I got the impression of a man who was in too deep with something and hadn’t quite realized how deep the shit went.

  The blueprints…

  The was clearly about that. It was some sort of attempt to get to them and here we all were caught up in the mix.

  Giovanni actually looked like he was way in over his head.

  And surprise, surprise, The Chameleon had left the room. Disappearing like he did best.

  I hadn’t seen when he’d left, couldn’t even guess when it might have been. When the bullets initially started to fly or during the shootout. That fucking piece of shit. In all my years as an agent that had been the closest I’d ever gotten to him.

  I guess though if I could see him so easily in this chance meeting there would be another time to see him again. What if tonight was the night he was going to collect the prints though?

  Fuck…

  A quick glance at the dishevel around the room told me he probably wouldn’t. The bodies of the dead men were all in my view. Five of them dead.

  Who were they? Who were they working for? This could have been a replay of the warehouse when the first four knights were killed.

  No… The Chameleon wouldn’t do anything tonight. It would be too risky. It would be foolish.

  So, for now I had to focus on this situation.

  Just one part. Jia.

  “I’ll get her home,” I assured Giovanni. “You look into what happened here, Boss.” It was the first time that I’d called him that.

  “You’ll get her home safe?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’ll get her home and I’ll stay with her.” It was only once I promised that the tension left his face.

  “Thank you.” He nodded and placed his gun back in his pocket.

  I left him and went back to Jia.

  Like the day before, I took her hand and led her away.

  We drove to her place in silence.

  The silence filled the space between us. It was that silence filled with tension and worry.

  Both of us thinking. Both of us contemplating. Her shaken. Me being careful. Cautious.

  I’d messaged Ethan and Wes so they could keep an eye out at the Marchesi. Keep watch to see if anything happened, or if the prints would be moved. Just anything. Realistically I should have called but the opportunity hadn’t presented itself and I didn’t think the discussion was one to have on the phone.

  Knowing they had their eyes on the streets freed my mind to focus on Jia.

  She was really shaken up by what happened. I could see it, although she seemed to be doing her best to hold her emotions together.

  I noticed the tremor in her hands a few times and I wanted to reach over to her and hold her hand. I stopped myself, however, thinking better of it.

  Better to keep things professional. I’d already crossed over a line I shouldn’t have crossed when I kissed her. Not that I regretted the actual kiss. It was the act because I did lead her on.

  That was what happened when you kissed her the way I had and knew nothing more should come of it.

  Should…

  That word was such an asshole. It left a damn gray area that wanted to be filled.

  It taunted and teased with emotion.

  Tonight… what happened was strange and I hated not knowing.

  Wes had mentioned this. He’d steered me toward this because essentially he was right. We should know the bigger picture so we’d know all the players involved.

  That was something I needed to know to carry out my job the best way I could.

  Tonight The Chameleon was there. He was there and the only way he would have been there is if he felt safe, except he wasn’t. Someone came and tried to kill Giovanni.

  Who were the guys?

  That was what I would have tried to figure out if I’d stayed.

  But she needed me more. Or, someone. She needed someone. It didn’t have to be me. I’d just volunteered myself.

  It wasn’t until I pulled up on her drive and got out of m
y car that my awareness of being alone with her really waved itself at me.

  I said I’d stay, but how was I supposed to babysit a woman I’d wanted to devour only last night.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled when I opened the door for her.

  She walked on ahead and unlocked the door to her house.

  The motion sensory lights turned on and we went inside. As I looked over the décor I had to admit the place suited her. It was stylish like her, from the outside to the inside with its beige and champagne colors.

  It was what I’d call cosmopolitan and classy. Yet, maintaining the elements of an average home because the exterior blended in with the standard Georgian houses lining the suburban lane she lived on.

  That, however was as far as average went. The interior of her home screamed of wealth with that ‘less is more’ look and she showcased the paintings I assumed she’d done herself.

  I followed her as she walked on ahead to the sitting room.

  Jia stopped in the center of the room, slipped out of her heels then turned to face me.

  Without her heels she seemed more fragile and I saw her as petite and dainty again. Willowy like a fairy but with those curves that made me crazy. Erotic Tinkerbell.

  “You don’t have to stay with me,” she stated. “I’m fine. No one will come here.”

  “I’m staying,” I insisted. “You know I told your father I’d stay with you.”

  “Xander…” she drew in a deep breath before continuing. “My life right now is complete shit. Every day gets worse and worse, and this is just the cherry on top of the shit. You’re here because you’re doing your job. The job is done and I’m relieving you of it, and me. So just leave. Thank you for the ride home.”

  She turned away, practically dismissing me and moved over to a cupboard. I watched her, not quite knowing what to say.

  Realistically what I should have done is go wait somewhere and watch the place maybe for a few hours until Giovanni contacted me. Then I should go check in with Ethan and Wes.

  Jia actually wasn’t in any immediate danger. I just didn’t have the heart to leave her. The other part of me didn’t want to.

  She opened the cupboard, showing a display of bottles of wine. She grabbed four bottles and a glass then set them down on the counter in the open plan kitchen.