Page 23 of Phoenix

I sat back in the chair, the notebook resting in my lap like it had suddenly doubled in weight. We had locations. Times. A way into something that wasn’t supposed to be traceable.

“So now what?” I asked, glancing between Beck and Deviant. “You guys stake out the last entry and hope someone shows since it’s dated for tomorrow night?”

Beck flashed me an approving smile. “That’s a great idea.”

“If we want to know who’s running this and find the guys who beat Paul and came after me…” Beck’s jaw ticked, but he didn’t say anything. “Then someone needs to go inside.”

10

PHOENIX

Deviant paced a tight circle in my office, muttering under his breath as he scrolled through whatever was on his tablet. His mind worked fast, and I let him spitball while I stood with my arms crossed, leaning against the edge of my desk, watching Lindsay flip through Paul’s notebook again.

“Alright,” he muttered, tapping the screen of his tablet. “Next drop is tomorrow night at 2100. Coordinates match a warehouse near the quarry entrance.”

“And it’s off the main road,” I added. “Perfect spot for a backroom game. Quiet. Isolated. No foot traffic.”

Deviant nodded. “If someone shows, you going in?”

“Yeah,” I confirmed. “If I walk in wearing my cut, they’ll assume I’ve already been invited or told where to go. Not like they're gonna piss off an Iron Rogue until they’re sure I’m alone. I’ll play dumb and win a few hands.”

“Gotta win a lot,” he reminded me. “Enough that they think you’re a threat to the house take. If they realize you’re counting cards, they’ll want a talk. That’s when we’ll get answers.”

“I’ll play offended and get ’em talking shit.”

Deviant gave me a look that was full of warning. “You’ll be on your own unless you give the signal. If they get even a whiff that you have backup, they’ll clam up and shut the operation down before we learn anything.”

I nodded. “I’ll push them just enough to piss them off, not enough to get my head blown off.”

He barked a short laugh. “They won’t take you out right away. They’ll try to intimidate you first. Big biker with a sharp eye and a lucky streak? Especially if they think you’re alone. They’ll want to know how you found out about them.”

“Exactly. I want them looking hard,” I muttered. “Gives me a reason to push back. Dig deeper.”

Lindsay closed the notebook with a snap, her green eyes sparkling. “Or you could bring someone else who can count cards and won’t make it obvious. Backup they’d never expect. Like your girlfriend.”

I blinked. “No.”

She tilted her head and frowned. “No, ‘That’s too dangerous, baby?’ Just a flat-out no?”

I pushed off the desk, my tone hard as steel as I turned to face her. “No as in, not a fucking chance in hell.”

Lindsay crossed her arms, the sparkle morphing into a stubborn glint. “You don’t even want to hear my plan?”

“I don’t give a shit what your plan is,” I growled, stepping closer. “You think I’m letting you walk into a goddamn illegal gambling ring—one that nearly got Paul killed and had masked pricks trying to stuff you in a van—just to play wingwoman?”

“I’d be with you?—”

“That’s not the point,” I snapped, cutting her off. “You think I’d let you walk into that den of bastards, dressed up and flashing those pretty green eyes around while you feed me card signals like a fucking movie scene? You really believe I’d be able to focus on a game while every asshole in that room looked at what’s mine?”

Deviant stood abruptly. “I’m gonna go, uh…handle setup,” he muttered before bolting for the door. Smart bastard.

“You’re being an overbearing jackass,” she hissed the second we were alone. Her pretty green orbs were burning with angry fire now.

It was nothing compared to the molten rage inside me. “Good. That means I’m doing my job.”

“Beck—”

“No.” I grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward, crushing our bodies together. “You don’t get it. I see red just thinking about you in that place. I have no room left for logic when it comes to you, Lindsay.”

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