Page 238 of Wild Card

“That’s why the SOB came to us in April. He knew this would go south.”

“Talk about complicated fucking story time. Are there any other secrets he’s hiding behind the curtains?”

I chuckle at Major’s choice of words. “We never know. Every day, we uncover a new piece to the puzzle.”

“Do we even know if they’re alive?”

“We didn’t, but Rosa just delivered our first break. If she did hear something in the basement, that could be our guys.”

“We’re going off the spooked sister’s word that she heard sounds coming from the basement?” Ace shakes his head. “Guess we’ve had less to go on.”

“What’s our plan, Wild Card?”

At the use of the name, my head swings to Ford, who is grinning like a loon.

“You really pulling out that shit?”

“Hell yeah, it’s been a while.”

“Because the name sucks.”

“Seems fitting considering your disappearing act.”

“Sneaking out in the middle of the night…” Major lets his words hang.

“Leaving your team behind…” Ace jumps in.

“Slipping a ring around Willow’s neck…” Ford finishes, raising his eyebrows. “Nice ice, by the way, but rookie move. You didn’t seal the deal.”

“The deal was sealed a while ago. At least my woman wasn’t on her phone on my wedding night. You lost your touch.”

Ace and Major cough, covering their chuckles. Ford cuts his eyes to all of us.

“She scheduled those messages.”

“Sure, she did.”

“How the four of you slugs convinced those women you’re worth shit will forever go down as a great mystery,” Hugo comments. “They need to have their heads examined. If I get one more picture from you fools about fucking twinkling eyes, I’ll puke. What fucking badass uses the word ‘twinkle’?”

His amusement is contagious and I smile the first genuine smile in over a week. “Learn quick. When you find the one, don’t give them a choice. Now if we’re done with story hour, we have a scumbag to interrogate.”

“Lead the way, Frat boy.” Ace motions ahead of him with a smug grin.

“I like Wild Card better,” Rand throws in.

“You’re all fucking hilarious.” I head through the house, a weight off my shoulders.

Rand, Blade, and Hugo are solid.

But man, it’s good to have my brothers at my back.

34

WILLOW

“That’s it for today.”

Lucas’s voice draws me back to the present, and I find him and Bex staring at me.

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