Page 21 of Queen of Diamonds

“How about you give me my gun and fuck off?” I asked.

Knight ignored me entirely, turning his back to me. Kyan grinned at my expression.

Did I feel confident taking on a bunch of Ace’s guys at once? I might be good with a gun, but my odds weren’t great. And still, I’d rather take my chances than end up in the mess that was barrelling full steam toward me with no brakes.

I needed them gone, and that meant I needed my goddamn gun.

“I could use a spare blade.” Zed’s eyes flicked to me as I walked.

I glared at him as Kyan shifted closer to my side.

Fuck.

They weren’t going anywhere. Stubborn fucking Alphas.

But I didn’t have time to argue, so I slipped him the blade and tugged out the one fixed to the inside of my purse. Not really a big enough blade for a fight like this, but it would have to do.

Knight, at least, was tricky with a gun, better than I’d ever been able to match even if he’d never come close to Kyan.

If things hadn’t changed too much…

Three years…

Kyan dropped my hand, instead sliding his arm around my waist, pulling me close.

“What are you doing?” I asked, stifling the shot of warmth coiling in my tummy at his touch.

“Do you think they know, yet?” he breathed. “Pretend we’re just a pack in love. Throw them off.”

I don’t think Kyan was stupid enough to believe we weren’t way past that, but he didn’t seem to care. Again, I fought the comfort his scent brought. Fought the desperate creature deep within me who wondered if, after so many years of taking care of myself, I was finally complete.

Mafia princess, I might be, but I was still an Omega. A pack creature—shattered beneath years of loneliness as much as I pretended otherwise. And that creature was so touch-starved, she was making it hard to focus on the brink of a literal gun fight.

We were nearly at the end of the alley. On the other side were a few mini back-end parking lots and an abandoned building.

“Still four?” Zed asked.

“Yup.” Kyan sounded so fucking confident, even though he’d barely turned. Even in the dim light, and through the golden mask, I could see his jade eyes burning with pure thrill.

“The car’s up ahead. Put four down and we’re out.”

“Wait—you parked down there?” I hissed.

An old lot in the back end of fucking nowhere? How goddamned easy would it be for someone to hide a body in this place?

Cheap fucks.

Zed turned on me. “Do you have any idea how much that club of yours charges for parking?” he demanded. “You’d think locals would be able to catch a fucking break.”

“How much did you pay for Bluff?” I asked. That room they’d waited in for me was expensive.

“Would you lot shut the fuck up.” Knight spun on us. “There’s still a chance we can deal with this without too much attention.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I want my gun back,” I hissed. I needed them gone, and wouldn’t blame them for ditching me, but if they did, I’d need the gun.

Knight sneered. “Too bad, Princess?—”

Bang!

---