by Shanna Bell
Tit for tat. Everything comes at a price.
The old Luciano Detta was dead.
Cruz.
Grace.
Cruz and Grace. Except, Grace wasn’t alive anymore. Her body had fucking dropped out of his pantry. Someone was trying to put him back in jail by planting a body in his house. Or perhaps send him a message. Several scenarios went through his head, but he came up empty. He would know more once he’d found his ex-partner. He must have killed Grace. Perhaps she’d threatened to speak and tell the truth after she’d learned that Luca got out. Who else but Cruz would have a motive? That was something he would have to worry about later. First, he had to get Tess back into the game.
Meanwhile, he unfortunately also had to deal with Damon’s threat looming over his head. It just was bad timing. He had other things on his mind than to duck a fake marriage. Finding Cruz and bringing him in for Grace’s murder had just become more imperative. He’d known Cruz to be a backstabbing asshole, but a murderer? That was low, even for him. Then again, it made sense he was covering his tracks. Hector’s team didn’t come up with any more info on Cruz than he already had, so right now, Tess was his best option.
There was more to her than met the eye, he’d known that from the get-go. It was the reason why he needed her help. But now, not only did he need to convince her of helping him out, he actually had to keep her alive. Not just because he owed her his freedom but because she was the key to his revenge.
Also, there was the bet with Angel. It was a dick move on his part, but then again, he had to keep her with him anyway, right? Being a nice guy had only given him grief. Making her fall for him would make her more cooperative. It wasn’t like she was a Detta. He didn’t owe anybody anything, unless they were family.
Protect and provide.
He remembered his father’s words. He barely remembered his parents, but Gio had told him about his father’s mantra many times. How a man was supposed to protect and live for his family. But his father had never been betrayed by a woman. Their mother had worshiped the ground on which he walked, she hadn’t stabbed him in the back. Their marriage had started out as one of convenience but the second their father had spotted their mother, it had been one of love. They had never been a day apart since the moment they said their vows. Their mother had been their father’s wild flower, his biggest supporter. Luca had believed he had found his flower in Natasha.
Sadly, she turned out to be a thorny rose, one that had made him bleed over and over again. No, women were not to be trusted, he had learned his lesson. The marital bliss Gio and Hector had found was a once-in-a-lifetime deal. He knew that now. Part of him envied them for it, another part knew that his heart, like a flower bereft of water and sunlight, had withered and died. Tess was just a means to an end. No one would stand between him and his vengeance. Anyone who tried, he would reap with a scythe. For in his heart was darkness, and in his veins, there was fire. Not even a unicorn had the magic to cure that.
Tess was an innocent bystander in all this. Then again, he once thought his fiancée was innocent as well. It was odd how, when playing cards, he could read a table like the back of his hand, but he’d been fooled by a woman wearing a poker face. Her mask hadn’t slipped once in the year they had been together.
“So, you found out how we’re going to save my dad?”
Right, her dad. She must be really close to her father. He didn’t remember his father much, but for Tess, it would be different. She was the type of person who made transactions with a loan shark to save her dad.
He frowned. What kind of a father would give up his daughter as collateral to someone from Brian’s crew? The man made women work for him on his back. For some reason, it didn’t sit well with him that her loyalty was repaid like that by the one man who was supposed to protect her from scum like Brian.
From scum like you who want to use her.
He immediately shut up the voice inside the one bright corner of his mind. A little corner that was still good. The small part that wouldn’t do anything and use anyone just to have his way. She was right about some aspects of his life. He was used to getting what he wanted. He was used to having women fall at his feet. To have people at his beck and call.
Gio, especially, had shielded him from the ugly parts of his life. He and Jackson had had a preppy upbringing. The best cars, the best school, the best clothes. All paid for with the family business. He knew Gio had made a way for them in more gray areas, and they had all reaped the benefits of it. Perhaps that had been his biggest mistake—not taking his brother’s money to build his own empire. To want to go at it alone. To team up with Cruz, someone he’d befriended at boarding school, who ended up stabbing him in the back.
He blinked when Tess waved her fingers in his face.
“Hello, Earth to Luca Detta. My dad. Mick the Dick. Remember?”
Right. Just one more thing he had to take care of before Tess would be totally free to help him out. Thing was, Mick was just an enforcer. He wouldn’t do anything without his boss’s knowledge. Not if he wanted to live. Irish Brian was an Old Testament kind of guy, taking an eye for an eye literal. If he wanted to make Mick back off, he had to go to the hand that held him by the leash.
“Let’s go find Irish Brian.”
***
It had been years since he’d been to Brian’s place. The resident leader of the Irish mob was into gambling and specialized in underground fights. Some called him the Last Crusader because he was said to be fair, but went for the sword when you crossed him. Even before his incarceration, Luca hadn’t been much into this world. The only gambling he did was by card; poker, more specifically. He found back alley fights beneath him.
That is, until he’d had to learn to defend his back in jail. Until he’d learned that a suit didn’t make a man a man. When all his so-called friends had abandoned him. None of the polished, ten-thousand-dollar suit guys in fast cars had ever visited him. Oddly, the only ones, besides his family, that had visited him were the twins. It was behind bars he’d learned the value of true friends.
He closed the door to reminiscing the old days as they entered Brian’s warehouse at the docks. Judging by the men guarding it, it was a busy night. Tess walked by his side with a determined expression on her face. An expression that didn’t bode well.
“Let me handle this,” he warned.
“I will give you one chance,” she replied. “Though I can’t say I’m very confident in your abilities to best this Brian O’Connell person. After all, he’s a Crusader and you are”—she gave him a once-over—“well, you aren’t exactly on his level. If he doesn’t go for the money to let Mick hand over my dad, I don’t think you can make him.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? And since when do you know about Brian’s nickname?”
She rolled her eyes. “I know a lot of things. Anything you want to find about anyone is accessible once you have a name. I copied Mick’s phone during our first visit. From there on, I followed the breadcrumbs. It was child’s play, really.”
It irked him that she saw him as less of a man than the twins or even Brian, a guy she hadn’t even met yet. He saw it in the way she’d looked at Angel and Damon. There was a little fear and a slight hint of awe there. The look she gave him was more… passive. Worst of it was, he didn’t even know why he cared. Perhaps because he’d never met a woman before who made him feel… less.
It’s because you’ve never met a woman before who wasn’t impressed by your looks, cars, and jet-set lifestyle.
He hushed that voice in his head and came to a halt when one of Brian’s men stopped them in front of a door.
“Don’t do anything stupid when we get in,” he warned her.
“Define stupid.”
He didn’t trust her innocent look for one second. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with here. Not really. People aren’t what they seem on a computer screen. Data doesn’t make a person. Brian has a way of dealing with people. He hates liars or r
ude people. Both men and women pay him with blood and sweat. Men, usually by fighting in the ring. Women, by working on their back, if you get my drift. So, when we get inside, let me do the talking.”
Tess grumped a bit but didn’t contradict him. Then again, surely she was smart enough to shut her trap.
He exchanged a few words with the guard, and then they were let inside.
Two men sat around a square table. Behind them was a desk with several large screens, no doubt giving an overview of the several bets that were going on. Brian had a finger in a lot of pots, from real-life gambling to online poker. Luca immediately recognized the man. He was as large as a warrior back in the days, with a beard and barrel chest. His arms were covered in tattoos and a large cross was burned in his neck. No one knew who’d done that. No one was stupid enough to ask him to his face. Two large, bald men stood behind him. Next to him sat a rat-faced man in a green tracksuit. Must be Mick, judging by the scowl he gave Tess.
“That’s him,” she exclaimed loudly. “Mick the Dick.”
The dick in question jumped from his chair. “What did you just call me?”
Tess frowned. “Oh, did I say that out loud? I sometimes do that, though I’m working on it. You know, to not broadcast everything that comes into my mind. I know some people find it offensive.”
Mick gave her a dazed look. “What?”
“But to answer your question, yes, I called you a dick. Mick the Dick, to be more specific. Because you are one.”
Fucking hell.
When Mick stepped forward, Luca positioned himself in front of Tess. Sure, she deserved her ass to be slapped, but not by Mick.
Or any other man but me.
Brian made a sound and his enforcer stopped in his tracks.
“You’re gonna pay for that, little girl,” Mick spat.
“I can’t because sadly, you already have all my hard stolen money.” Then she looked at Brian. “I know who you are, Mr. O’Connell. It’s very nice to meet you. I tried to contact you after the first time Mick ripped me off, when I gave him the money to release my dad. I’ve heard you are an honest man and, like all thieves, I’m sure you have a code of honor.”
Fuck. This was going even worse than he’d pictured.
“Tess.” He grabbed her arm and pushed her behind him. She was going to get herself killed.
“What?” She frowned. “It’s true. Even the pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean—”
Mick cursed. “Let me cut off her tongue, Brian. Calling you a thief. What the hell?” He was almost foaming at the mouth.
“It was meant as a compliment,” she replied from behind his back.
“Could you please stop talking,” Luca snapped.
“I’d rather not. Do you know how long it took for me to get this meeting?”
Then Brian got up from his chair, his face impassive. The only color in his black ensemble was the silver cross around his neck. He was a large man, easily twice Tess’ size. Luca pondered their options. They were outnumbered, and even though he didn’t believe Brian would be stupid enough to start a war with the Dettas, one could never be sure. The Irish were known to be unpredictable. Especially this one.
“Let her speak,” Brian said.
Tess shouldered past him and pointed a dainty finger at Mick. “I’m Tess Gibson and I call your enforcer, Mick, a lying cheat.”
“You lying bitch!” Mick went red and looked like a raging bull. As Luca expected though, he didn’t dare move with Brian there.
“As my grandfather says, if you don’t like me calling you a liar, then don’t lie,” Tess said. “I’ve learned not to. Pity nobody taught you.”
Brian looked utterly fascinated. A look Luca didn’t care for at all. Men like Brian had a tendency to keep the things they found fascinating.
“Your man has taken Tess’ father because of a debt,” Luca intervened. “Even though Tess paid her father’s debt off, Mick didn’t release him. Instead, he’s asked for more, every week.”
Brian’s sole attention was directed on Tess. “You claim to never lie?”
Tess nodded. “I was raised with the radical honesty principle. It’s not always easy to live by, but nothing easy is ever worth anything, right?”
“The truth is never easy,” Brian agreed. He crossed his arms and turned to Mick. “Speak.”
“She’s lying,” Mick spat. “Yeah, Rufus didn’t pay, so I had him roughed up. Then he claimed his daughter would pay for him. And she did, just once. Then I released him. It’s not my fault if he didn’t contact her.”
Tess gasped. “You slimy…”
Luca put his hand over her mouth. This was not the time to interrupt Brian.
“How much was his debt?”
“Ten large. You can find it in the books.”
Brian nodded and turned back to Tess. “Mick has another story. Which means one of you is lying. I hate liars. As the Book says, ‘The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.’ Do you have anything to back your claim with?”
Luca expected Tess to pale and sputter. After all, he doubted that Mick gave her a receipt for paying him off. The transactions had all been made in cash. He was just about to step in and offer to take care of it when a grin appeared on her face. Not a normal grin, but one of an evil Disney character, he just couldn’t figure out which one.
“I certainly have,” she said sweetly.
Brian’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not too late to take back your words. I will give you one chance. If you can’t deliver, you will have to either fight or work with my girls. There’s no coming back from that.”
“I will fight him,” Tess called out.
Like hell you are.
Brian gave her a dubious look. “Really? With what mass? One kick to the stomach and you’d be flat on your face.”
“I understand.” She pointed at the computer screen. “May I?”
At Brian’s nod, she went to the computer, took a small device from an inside pocket, and locked it to the screen. Tess fired up her little device, putting in numbers and code to her password. A row of numbers popped up on one of the big screens behind Brian.
“I didn’t mean fighting in the ring,” she clarified. “That is so Middle Ages. The time of fighting with fists is nothing compared to the digital fight.” A few taps on her computer, and the info on her small screen got projected onto three larger screens in the office.
“What the fuck is this?” Mick’s eyes darted from her mini-laptop to the other screens. A dot of sweat had formed on his upper lip.
Tess pointed to the screen. “I took the liberty to circle the money Mick’s been skimming off you, Mr. O’Connell. Those are the red ones, ‘cause I’m helpful like that.”
As Tess explained more and more because she was “helpful like that,” it became apparently clear that Mick was doing a side business, one Brian had no idea about.
It didn’t take long before Mick’s scheme unraveled. Luca had to give it to Brian. His enforcers were that well-raised that Mick didn’t even put up a fight. One look at Brian, and the two men standing beside him, and he correctly assessed his situation—there was no way out.
“Call her father and give me your phone.”
Mick did as Brian said, looking pale as a ghost.
When Brian passed the phone to Tess, a strange thing happened. Luca expected Tess to relax while she talked to her father. Instead, the opposite happened. He was adept at reading faces. What gambler playing cards wasn’t? Turns out, Tess Gibson didn’t have a poker face. She didn’t look like a woman who just had the weight of the world lifted off her shoulders. She looked… strained, and a little tired.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Tess Gibson was a puzzle that needed to be solved.
CHAPTER 11
TESS
Tess ended the call with her father, even though he was still complaining on the other end of the line. She gave the phone back to Brian and took a deep breath.
“Thank you.”
“He’s a free man.” Brian’s gaze turned to Mick, who was standing behind him.
It happened in the blink of an eye. Brian’s hand went to the large cross against his chest. With a whooshing sound, he made a half turn and suddenly Mick’s hands were clutching his throat. Ropes of blood trickled over his fingers, right before he collapsed to his knees.
Her stomach lurched. Oh, God. Brian had used the edge of his cross to silence Mick permanently.
She hardly noticed when Luca grabbed her arm and ushered her outside.
“I didn’t want this,” she whispered as Luca put her in the car and buckled her in.
“I know.”
“I… Oh, God.”
He grabbed her chin. “This isn’t on you. Brian would have found out sooner or later anyway. The result would have been the same.”
How could he talk about this so easily? “I just got a man killed.”
Again.
Only when Luca cranked up the heat did she notice she was shivering. They were driving for a few minutes when he took a turn in the wrong direction.
“Where are you going?”
“My place,” he said.
“Aren’t you forgetting something? I need my stuff.”
I also need to barf, but that can wait.
“You can get anything you want when we get to my place. There’s no need to waste time by going for an overnight bag.”
“Must be nice to order people around and manage their time, as if the world revolves around you. Unlike what you seem to think, I don’t want to go home to get myself panties. What I need to help you out can’t just be bought online.”
“You need your computer stuff.”
“Spoken like a true dinosaur, Mr. Detta. Yes, I need my computer stuff.”
“Are you always this crabby in the evening?”
“You mean, after witnessing a murder, or do you mean like a Gremlin after midnight?” Of course, he wouldn’t get that reference. Mr. Boarding School had probably never seen—
A smile tugged at his lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll be sure not to feed you or get you wet after midnight.”
