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“Since when is your father worried about the Mexican Cartel?” Milo asks.
“He isn’t, but we may need them if things go south with the Russians, and right now, my father has the governor breathing down his neck,” I tell him.
“So, why does that matter? The governor is in your pocket,” Milo states with a shrug.
“Yes, but he said he can’t afford cartel wars with the upcoming election.”
“So, what are you going to do? Marry to please the cartel?”
“Definitely not for them. But I need to figure something out. My brother has agreed to marry Santos’ daughter to strengthen alliances. I know he’s doing that because he hopes to get his hands on that club,” I tell him.
“I can’t believe your father still tolerates him after everything with Lyd…” I glare at Milo. I don’t need the reminder of my ex-wife and what he took from me.
Milo knows better than to mention her name, so I’m surprised at his slip of the tongue. Changing the subject, I motion toward the card dealer on the floor below, whom I’ve been watching since I left the meeting with my father.
“You’re positive it’s her?” I ask, my voice a low rumble.
His gaze goes to where Fallon deals cards with grace and precision, which belies the tension simmering beneath her calm exterior. “Positive,” he confirms, not taking his eyes off the girl. “It was her.”
Milo lets out a heavy sigh, the weight of his unspoken thoughts pressing between us. “You know what this means?” I ask, although it’s more a statement than a question.
His fascination with her is a curious thing, uncharacteristic of a man of his stature. Yet, this girl has had his attention unbeknownst to her for five years. Despite this, he still came to me when he caught her cheating Verdigris. She may have stolen his attention, but I hold his loyalty, and soon, I’ll hold her life in my hands.
Milo knows this, but I must be sure this won’t break him. I worry it will, the fact is that he could easily kidnap and bend her to his will. But he hasn’t disclosed much about his obsession. Instead, he has watched her from the shadows, through the cameras, for five years and done nothing.
Milo shifts uncomfortably, his loyalty battling against the draw he feels toward her. “My loyalty is to you,” he states, a hint of resignation in his tone. “She cheated you. Do what you gotta do.”
“I’m curious how she bought into those games,” I admit. Milo lets out an exasperated breath, and I glance at him; he knows how.
“You know?” I ask. Although it is more of a statement than a question, I can tell by how he doesn’t want to answer. He nods once, and I curse under my breath.
“She is a daring little thing,” I mutter. No one crosses me, and she would have to know it’s suicide to steal from me.
“And feisty. I spoke with Verdigris security earlier. Apparently, she waltzed in there and demanded to be allowed to play. When they said no, she gave them a mouthful.”
“And they still let her enter?” I scoff.
“Probably thought she would be an easy win.” Milo shrugs. My eyes narrow on him.
“Well, they were wrong,” I say, slightly annoyed.
“So, what do you want to do?” Milo probes, and I know he is curious about what I have planned for her. Usually, those who cross me are men, none of whom live for much longer. However, women are easy to sell off or willing to negotiate their pussy for payment.
I don’t traffic women; that’s my father’s way of dealing with them. But this woman owes a lot, so I am seriously debating selling her ass to the highest bidder to get her off my plate. Part of me, however, has a strange feeling Milo would probably buy her for himself. Which in turn would cost me more, knowing he won’t have what she owes me and would have to borrow it.
I study Fallon’s movements, the way her deep green eyes scan the room, missing nothing. Her blonde hair cascades over her shoulders. She is beautiful, undoubtedly, but her beauty is not what captures my attention. It’s the sharpness of her mind, the calculated risks she takes; she didn’t just play the slots; she entered the underground games, which are teeming with men who easily scare off most women.
Instead, she challenged them, and I want to know why.
“That’s the thing,” I muse aloud. “I don’t have to do anything. I could leave Fallon for you to handle, knowing your... what would we call it, fondness, obsession? You watch her more than you watch my back when here.” I laugh. Milo nudges me with a shake of his head before turning his attention back to her.
Milo’s gaze hardens as he watches her, a conflict raging behind his eyes. “So, what do you want to do?” I ask, turning the decision over to him.
“What we always do,” he replies after a moment, his voice firm. “We take care of it. We can’t show weakness, not now, with the Russians breathing down our necks.”
The Russians have been a thorn in our side, interfering with my shipments. A bold move, signaling a dangerous shift in the underground power balance, so a cheating card dealer playing her own house is the last thing I need.
Fallon meets our gaze from below unflinchingly. “She doesn’t scare easily,” I muse, astonished at her audacity.
