4

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. “Or she has a death wish,” Milo adds in a dark tone. I shake my head slightly. “She can’t fear death. Not if she stepped into Verdigris.” The underground games at Verdigris are notorious—brutal, unforgiving, and typically a man’s domain. “A woman joining those games...” I trail off, my interest piqued. “She must be desperate,” Milo concludes, and I nod in agreement. A woman like her risks far too much by stepping foot into those games where women are swapped like currency or used to settle debts. Indeed, she wouldn’t risk her life in such a way without a compelling reason. I turn back to the scene below, a plan forming in my mind: Fallon McAllister, a dealer in my casino, a card shark at Verdigris, a woman who doesn’t flinch under the gaze of the city’s most dangerous men. There’s an undeniable allure to her. She deals another hand, her fingers deft and sure, oblivious that her fate is being decided just a few feet above her. Turning to Milo, his gaze is still on her. “Keep a close eye on her. She’s clever, more so than she lets on. And Milo,” I pause, ensuring I have his full attention. “Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment. We can’t afford any slip-ups.” “Understood,” he says, but there’s a lingering trace of something unspoken in his eyes. Something that has me questioning my decision to kill her. Either way, I want to see her reaction when she realizes my gaze is more sinister than she comprehends.