Page 58 of Caged

We had different approaches to dealing with our captor. Not that I would’ve expected anything less.

“What happened to Wendy?” Jaden barked.

“Poor Wendy met with a sad end.”

I glared at Jaden, willing him to keep his mouth shut. He didn’t. “What’d you do to her?”

“Me?” He sounded shocked to be accused. “I didn’t do anything. It was that reckless nephew of mine.”

Robert.

“He’s always getting himself into trouble. That’s why my sister sent him here. I’m supposed to straighten him out,” he said, acting like we were old friends sharing our stresses over a beer.

“He’s gotten in trouble before?” I asked.

“You have no idea. He thinks because he has the Roman name I’ll always bail him out.”

“Did you?” I asked. “Bail him out?”

“Of course, he’s family,” Roman answered like it was a given.

“What happened to Wendy?” Jaden asked. He played the bad cop to my good cop, though I hadn’t wanted him to. We wouldn’t get anywhere with Roman being rude, instead we’d have to play his game and stroke his ego.

“So impatient. You really should learn some manners.”

Roman nodded, and the goon punched Jaden, causing his head to whip to the side.

Jaden stretched his neck before glaring at the goon.

“As I was saying. Young Robert attracts trouble like a magnet.”

Roman told us how Robert and Wendy met at the cleaners, and how Robert wined and dined her. Emphasizing how eager Wendy was for his attention.

“She threw herself at him, and he liked the power dynamic of dating the daughter of someone who owed us money. His words, not mine. I’d never stoop so low.” He was clearly disgusted by Robert’s actions. “He told Wendy she had to keep their relationship a secret, that way her father wouldn’t figure it out. Poor man.”

“So Robert runs the gambling ring?” I asked.

“Oh no, he gets a cut of my winnings for each person he brings in. He’s barely more than an errand boy.”

Like his uncle, Robert like to play games but I had a feeling he didn’t have half his uncle’s patience or control when it came to dealing with people.

“Do people ever win in your game?” I asked.

“The house rarely loses,” he answered with a wink. “And Mr. Darling was no different.”

Of course not, Roman was good at putting people in debt with his gambling ring.

“So your nephew was using Wendy?”

“Oh, he liked her well enough, but she started asking for more than he was willing to give.”

Money? Relationship?More what?

“I see your wheels turning. Wendy was blinded by Robert’s charm. He’s chip off the old block.” He chuckled at his self compliment. So did his goon.

“So what happened?”

He studied me.

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