Page 48 of Dealing Dirty
“You’re being watched,” I whisper, and her hand stills. “I need you to go back the way you came, get in your car, and drive far away from here. Do you understand?”
She tears open a creamer packet with her teeth. “Did you practice that speech on the way over here?”
“This isn’t a joke, Sash. Do you even realize what you’ve walked into? You’re lucky Ben is here or you’d be in the back with those guys doing whatever the fuck they want to you.”
Her eyes widen a touch at Ben’s name, but her little fist clenches tight enough to leave her knuckles colorless. “This is my case, Derrick. I will do whatever I need to do to take these guys down. I’m armed. I can take care of myself.”
I begin to panic when she plucks her cup up off the counter, making like she’s going to leave.
“I know who’s in charge,” I blurt, struggling to keep my voice even. By some miracle, my stubborn sister halts. She just can’t resist getting a lead.
“A lot has changed since you moved. Hell, it’s deeper rooted than we ever imagined, but believe me when I say there’s no stopping these guys. At least, not alone. I won’t talk about it here. You’re just going to have to trust me on this one, sis.”
The cup she’s holding bows with the force of her grip. “Do you know what a big break this is for me? I didn’t come all this way and follow this guy and his friends for weeks just to leave when my nosy older brother decides to get involved.” Her cup squeaks when she sets it on the counter with a shaky hand. “You’ve got two minutes to tell me what’s going on before I call for backup.”
“Goddamn it, Sasha.” I flatten my palms against the counter, keeping my voice hushed. Her irritation is palpable, even without meeting her gaze.
“They call him Diablo,” I murmur. “Over four months ago, he attempted to take The Pound from Jack to remodel it for… we aren’t even sure what. All we know is that he wants anyone he can get to bend to his mercy and be mules for shit like this.”
We’ve lingered too long to be casual.
“I think there’s something much bigger in the works.” Aware that someone can be watching, I don’t dare meet her eyes. “What’s worse, he’s had decades to coerce or threaten the figureheads in town, and that includes the chief.”
Her breathing is unnaturally calm. “I can’t believe you hid this from me.”
Disappointment burns like a knife in my gut. I’m supposed to be her protector, but that’s not what she needs from me. And she’s right—she doesn’t need me butting in.
“I’m sorry, Sash, but you can’t do this alone. Andifyou could convince someone to back you up, they wouldn’t get here until long after you were discovered and dead.”
For one gut-wrenching second, I know she’s going to tell me to piss off, but she surprises me.
“Fine. But I want the rest of the story from you later,” she clips.
“I swear, I’ll tell you everything you want to know, on the condition that none of it gets back to the chief. We aren’t exactly sure what his position is in all of this or whose side he’s on.”
Giving me a curt nod, she quietly slips into the main casino.
My shoulder blades ache with stress. I pull my phone out to let Ben know we’re done here, but when I turn back to the blackjack table I was playing at, a fresh wave of terror washes over me.
The cup of goop that’s still in my hand trembles.
Where is she?
I was so caught up in reaching Sasha that I left Juliana in a tank full of sharks. Alarms blare in my head as I make my way through row after row of slot machines, searching for her.
“Where thefuckis she?” I whisper between gritted teeth.
I circle back around, ducking past a pair of guards, thankful not to see Sasha anywhere. For once, she may have done what she was told.
Random bells chiming, in combination with my already frayed nerves, has sweat gathering across the back of my neck. She’s not at any of the tables or back around the entrance we came through.
Blind panic sets in as I continue around the perimeter of the room. I unlock my phone to send an SOS to Ben just as I see two figures emerge from the dark hall directly in front of me. The center of my chest clenches so tight, it feels like someone’s knocked the wind out of me.
There’s a man escorting Juliana toward the main floor, only this isn’t just any man, this is Jackie Williams. I practically sprint toward her. The muscles in my thighs burn and my biceps flex, readying my body for a full-on brawl.
Knocking this bastard’s teeth out in front of these guards isn’t the smartest plan, but it doesn’t stop the white-hot rage encouraging me to do so.
I’m well past remaining calm as I pin Jackie with a vicious glare. He dares to place a possessive hand on top of Juliana’s shoulder as I silently scan her body for injury. Tucking strands of hair behind her ear, she averts her gaze.
