Page 55 of Betting Blind
Cassidy
Anervous laugh bubbles up in my throat. “You can’t be serious.”
Feet planted firmly on the ground, he crosses his arms over his chest, mirroring me.
“No,” I breathe unsteadily, picking the layers of what I’ve learned apart. “It’s absurd. Bruce isn’t capable ofkidnapping.” Panicked tears threaten to spill over when I search Jack’s face for a single lie, a chink in the armor—anything that will tell me it isn’t true.
“The title of supervisor doesn’t even scrape the surface of everything Bruce is in charge of. Half the town refers to him as Diablo. No one, except those in his inner circle, know who he really is. He’s like a pit boss on steroids, and he knows every move anyone within his businesses makes and—”
“What did you do?” I cut him off. “I want to know what you did while you worked for him.”
I swallow hard, not sure I want to know the truth of Jack’s past. The scent of cigarette smoke toys with my emotions. I can still feel my hot breath against my palms as I hid my screams while they roughed Jack up in that alleyway.
He towers over me with dark shadows playing across his face, and for the first time, I take a good look at the man I’ve allowed to consume me. His confessions from his childhood and the trust we committed to giving each other… To learn that he’s been keeping secrets from me makes a mockery of what we’ve built.
Do I know you at all?
“Answer me,” I grind out.
This time, he steps toward me, and fear ripples under my skin when he all but traps me in the corner of our stoop. When I reach a hand out to stop him, shame blankets his face, but he presses the center of his chest into my hand rather than backing away.
I force my eyes to meet his as he speaks angrily, “I did exactly what you’re imagining. I was the asshole who beat people into submission, exactly the way you’ve seen those guys do. I tracked down those who were unable to fulfill the petty favors they traded for cash—and I punished them.”
Punished them?My body visibly shakes. “H-have you killed anyone?”
He has the audacity to take offense to my question after confessing that he was essentially working for a mob boss. “No, Cassidy. I’ve never taken a life. But I have beaten many men within an inch of theirs.”
I don’t hide my cringe.
“I didn’t lie to you,” he says quietly.
“Omitting the truth is no better than lying, Jack.” My anger makes the skin covering my chest burn hot. “What’s worse, you left me there with him. You knew I was working for someone who is dangerous, and not only did you keep that from me, but you ran away from it!”
The thought of something bad happening to Momma has terror gripping me. All because I had to have the hots for the bad boy. I point to the front door of the house I’ve lived in my entire life. “That man has been family to us for years. Bruce knows nearly everything about us, and you’re telling me that the man I know him to be is alie?”
A muscle in his jaw twitches. “Yes.”
Exhausted by this entire charade, I throw my hands up and back down, letting them slap against my thighs.
“I had no idea he was your boss, Cassidy. If I’d known before today, there’s not a chance in hell you’d still be working there. I told you, I put that part of my life behind me the minute I quit Royals for The Pound. Aside from dragging Ben out of that damn casino every few months, I haven’t looked back, let alone thought about Bruce or what he’s been doing.
“I know you’re afraid, but I took off at the diner today to confront Bruce face to face about Ben, instead of communicating through those two idiots he has working for him. Believe me when I tell you I’m sorry, but I wasn’t about to let him run away after everything he’s put us through.”
Closing my eyes, I rub at my temples vigorously.
“He’s agreed to meet me tonight to make the exchange,” he supplies when I don’t respond.
“But why kidnap Ben? If those guys are as dangerous as you say they are, why not… you know…” I mutter while making an axing motion over my neck.
He grabs a fistful of his raven hair, tugging it while he paces in front of me. “I don’t know.”
I watch him thoughtfully, stepping back and forth as everything he’s unloaded on me gradually sinks in.
My eyes widen. Jack may not know, but I do.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I unlock it and scroll to the pictures I took from Bruce’s office. “Do these mean anything to you?” I ask as I hand it to him to inspect.
His lips form a thin line as he swipes furiously through the images, zooming in on certain areas. “Where did you find these?”
