Page 100 of Rise of the King (Checkmate 5)

“Aye aye, Captain. Can I go down to Caitlin’s and get my hair done? I already made the appointment, and I was intending to sneak out while you were busy.”

Laughing, he shakes his head. “Sure thing, but we’re in full lockdown. You don’t gossip with those girls about who’s in this office today.” His eyes meet mine. “You have no clue what’s happening, okay?”

“I got it, boss. I know who pays my bills, and as soon as you send your itty-bitty bimbo packing, I’ll know who’s waiting for me in bed, too. You have my loyalty, handsome.”

Hanging up, he shakes his head and presses a kiss to the ball of Jess’ shoulder. “I don’t know if Dolly was my best idea or my worst. I haven’t figured it out yet.”

“If she’d stop plotting my death, she’d be pretty cool,” Jess replies easily. “But I guess she’s okay. She’s tolerable.”

“I can hear you, white girl!” Dolly swings her voluptuous ass around the corner and pokes a finger toward Jess. “I can hear everything you say. Watch it.” Then she turns to me. “As far as the girls at the salon know, I know nothing. But it does my heart good to see your handsome face, sugar. Stick around, because I wanna hang out later.”

“She’s gonna hump your leg,” Riley says. Turning my gaze to him, I find another clamp around my heart release when he smiles. He doesn’t have to say what his eyes so clearly scream. He knew me as a junkie. He knew me when I was sick and dying.

Now I’m here, healthy, eating real food, and can see clear as day.

I shouldn’t get on Kane’s case about Angelo too much, considering I thought of Riley as a brother too.

“I need answers.” Kane’s words bring me back around. “Start at the start.”

“I got shot.”

His eyes narrow. “I know, motherfucker. Don’t remind me.”

“I had him yanked from Infernos,” Soph says. “I’ve been watching for a long time.”

“Why him?” Kane asks. “Why’d you pick him?”

She gives a casual shrug. “Because he’s sexier.”

“Told ya so!” I take a fry from the paper spread out on the desk behind me and toss it in his face. All I get is Jess screeching and tossing it back, but behind her, Kane smiles.

“Because he just seemed a good fit,” Soph amends. “I researched you both. Well,” she looks to Spence, Eric, then Riley, “I researched you all, but Jay was the one who kept popping up as highest match for what I needed. Eric was brass, and our target is brass, so how was I to know he wasn’t part of it?”

“I’m not part of shit!” Eric snaps. “I’m not dirty.”

“You’re fine,” she huffs. “I researched you all so much, I know about Gemma. I know that your cable comes out on the fourteenth of every month, and that Spence likes to collect guns. Riley’s sweet momma likes cupcakes, and Kane’s only mission before Jess came along was Jay.” She turns from Eric’s fiery gaze and looks to Kane. “You were in Infernos only because it was your job, but if given the choice, you could take it or leave it. It was almost like…” Pausing, she picks up her own fry and slides it into her mouth. “I guess you were lacking the humanity I was searching for. That’s not a fault,” she adds. “Your job sucked ass, so I know why you turned into an unfeeling machine. But Jay didn’t do that; he was still making jokes and buying online comic books. I have surveillance of him laughing more than anything else…” She shrugs and turns to me. “I guess it drew me in.”

“You were in love with me since before we met, weren’t you, Sophia Solomon?”

“No!” She fights me when I loop my hand around the back of her neck and pull her in. Puckering my lips, I laugh when she continues to arch her head away, even as I stand and smack a noisy kiss on her cheek. “Get off me! We’re working now.”

“Oh.” Spence wags his brows. “Does he call you Ace when you’re working? Oh! Does he call you Ace in bed?”

“Shut up!” I toss my empty soda bottle across the room and laugh when he bats it away. “Don’t ask her about what we do in private, asshole.”

He lifts a brow that I know for a damn fact is his attempt at seduction. “You said you’re a stripper. Text me your rates.”

“Dude!” Surging to my feet, I bring the gun from the back of my jeans and aim. “You done? Because I practiced since I last saw you.”

“She said she strips! I didn’t ask her out on a date.Thatwould be crossing a line. But stripping is business, and her legs are–”

I cock the gun and take satisfaction when his brows lift in disbelief.

“Well, alright then.” He smacks Eric’s arm. “Told you she ain’t open for business.”

“Get the fuck outta here.” He shoves Spence’s hand away. “I didn’t ask. I don’t want Jay’s leggy dancer.”

“Yeah, because we all know whose legs you’re actually looking at,” Laine finally says. She’s so much quieter than the rest of the group, but with Angelo’s hand clasped in hers, she leans forward and smiles.

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