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Nik moves to sit beside me, a clear invitation to spill. So I take a deep breath. “Despite what you said to them, I’m just a figurehead for the Colombos. Frank and the others, they’re the ones really running things for the Family. But I’m…worried about the direction the Family is headed. We have two main candidates to take over, and neither option is great.”
I pause, reminding myself that Nik is the enemy—or if not the enemy, certainly not an insider. She senses it, though. “You might as well just say what’s on your mind. Everyone knows the two top picks. Sabatelli and Caruso, right?”
In this case, I’m pretty sure it’s not just Frank’s big mouth to blame. Plenty of Colombos are talking about which man they’d prefer, and they’re not shy about sharing opinions.
“That’s right. Vince Sabatelli, late forties, been with the Family for over two decades. One of Terry’s most competent Capos. He’s shrewd, ruthless, always had his eye on the top spot. But he’s the kind of guy who’d sell his own mother if it meant more power, and I don’t know if that’s the kind of guy you want at the top.”
“And Caruso?”
“Larry Caruso is respected, feared even. Fair in his own way, but brutal when he needs to be. He’s great at maintaining order, but…he’s not exactly a strategic thinker. More brawn than brains, if you know what I mean.”
“Neither sounds ideal.”
“And the worst part is, I don’t know which one would be worse for the Family in the long run.”
We sit in silence for a moment, the only sound the hiss of steam. Finally, Nik speaks up. “So…what’s your play?”
“Myplay?”
“You might just be a figurehead, but you said yourself you have an important job here at the casino. I bet that extends to the Family side of things, too. Right?”
I shake my head with a laugh. “I’m no Juno Bianchi or Hadria Imperioli. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very good at what I do. But I’m not looking to crown myself.” I stand, stretching, and look down at Nik, who is still regarding me with thoughtful eyes. “Well, bodyguard, have a front-row seat to the Colombo Family politics tonight. There’s an event, and both Vince and Larry will be there. You can see for yourself what we’re dealing with.”
Nik raises an eyebrow. “An event? What kind of event?”
“Oh, you know,” I say, very aware of Nik’s eyes on me as I stretch again, “just a little poker game. Nothing too fancy. Just the who’s who of the Vegas criminal underworld, all dressed up and pretending to be respectable citizens.”
“Great,” Nik mutters.
I can’t help but laugh. “Welcome to my world, darling. Hope you brought something to wear.”
CHAPTER 14
Brie
I smoothdown the front of yet another gold dress, the fabric cool and slippery beneath my fingertips as I prepare for tonight’s high-stakes poker game. It’s a monthly ritual, one Terry used to oversee himself—a gathering of Vegas’s criminal elite to align business interests over cards and whiskey.
As I fasten a pair of diamond earrings, I catch my reflection in the mirror. The woman staring back at me is a far cry from the trailer park girl I once was. I’ve reinvented myself, shedding my past like a snake sheds its skin. But underneath this gilded exterior, that scrappy survivor still lives, ready to fight tooth and nail for what’s mine.
That’s the thing, though.
What, exactly,ismine? I don’t mean the will. Although I should probably ask Frank what’s going on with that. But in Terry’s absence, what will my role be in the Colombo Family?
What do Iwantit to be?
A soft knock at the bedroom door pulls me from my thoughts. “Come in,” I call, expecting Holden with some last-minuteinformation about the guest list tonight. As part of the less-legit side of the Golden Sands, the poker night is always under his purview.
But when the door swings open, my breath catches in my throat. Nik steps in, wearing a close-cut tailored black tux, her dark hair slicked back, and a gold waistcoat indicating her connection to me.
She looks…stunning.
Literally stunning. I feel like I’ve been thumped over the head.
“Ready?” Nik asks, seemingly oblivious to the effect she’s had on me. But there’s something in her gaze, a heat that makes my skin tingle.
I nod, collecting myself. “Let’s go.”
As we make our way down to the high roller rooms, and the specially-secured poker table rooms for the night’s entertainment, Nik’s presence is both comforting and electrifying. I’m acutely aware of her every movement, the way she scans our surroundings, always alert, always protective.
