Page 87 of Black Jack (Advantage Play 5)

“That doesn’t answer my question, Jack.”

With a groan, I rub my hand across my face and pray for patience. “Do you want me to spell it out for you? In exchange for your help in killing Reed, I’ll work for you. I’ll be a soldier. I’ll do whatever the hell you want me to do so that I can keep Bianca safe.”

“So this is about Bianca,” Kingston surmises.

I grit my teeth, but stay quiet. I swear, this guy is going to be the death of me.

“Do you love her, Jack?”

“I want to keep her safe,” I answer carefully. “And as long as Reed’s alive, and he sees her as a threat, she won’t be.”

“Can you move forward without letting her past taint your future?”

“Why the hell do you care?”

“Because I want to know what I’m dealing with. Becoming a soldier isn’t a side gig, Jack. It’s for life. Family first. Always. And when you become a soldier, you become a member of the family. I need to know if there’s a chance you’ll regret that decision in the future if it doesn’t work out with Bianca.”

“Who said I’m going to try to make it work? She betrayed me––”

“Ace insists you’ll get your head out of your ass sooner or later despite her betrayal. My Wild Card’s never wrong.”

My lips pull into a thin line, but I don’t bother arguing.

“She’s your wife,” Kingston reminds me, adding salt to the wound.

“You think I don’t know that?”

“If I do this for you, then she’ll be welcomed into the Romano family as well, and we don’t take marriage lightly. Like I said, family first.”

This is insane.

Rubbing my hand over my face, I inhale slowly through my nose before clarifying, “Are you telling me that if I want Reed taken out, then I have to be a soldier. But in order to be a soldier, I need to honor my marriage to Bianca?”

“Do we have a deal?”

“You can’t be serious––”

“It’s now or never, Jack. Make up your mind.”

“She lied to me,” I argue.

“Yeah, I know. And the only reason you’re pissed about it is because you care about her.”

“I don’t––”

“Don’t lie to yourself, Jack. You’re all torn up inside because you love her, and now, you feel guilty because your anger is starting to fizzle out, and your regret is taking its place.”

“How the hell do you know how I feel?” I growl, my defenses higher than ever.

“Just fight for her, Jack. Give her another chance. If you don’t, you’ll regret it for the rest of your sorry life.”

Jaw tight, I try to breathe past my anger, but it’s a hell of a lot easier said than done. He’s right about one thing though. Despite her betrayal, the idea of never seeing Bianca again, of never holding her, is torture.

“You still there, Jack?” Kingston asks.

“Yeah. I’ll…I’ll try.”

“And you’ll let go of her past?”