Page 33 of Double or Nothing

“I want to make him suffer as much as possible,” she replies. “Only then will I kill him. There is no death too painful for him, or any torture too cruel.”

The pain in her eyes is evident. I can only imagine what she’s gone through being groomed from the time she was twelve to serve a mob boss.

“There’s one thing you should know before we begin working together,” I tell her. “I basically have three bodyguards who insist on accompanying me everywhere. Four bodyguards, if I include the real bodyguard who is supposed to be protecting one of them.”

A long sigh escapes her lips. “And who are these men?” Her eyes dart over to Kit, huddled awkwardly on the edge of his ice sofa, his eyes pinned on us. “Cat Man is one? Magic Man is two, I presume?”

I nod back at her.

“Who is the third man?” she asks.

“His name is Vulcan,” I respond, noting the slight flicker of recognition in her eyes.

Her lips curve into a knowing smile. “Ah…Motorcycle Man. Yes, I’ve heard of him too. And who does the bodyguard belong to?”

“He’s Seven’s bodyguard, Leroy. You saw him at Platinum. He sticks close to us, but he’s not directly linked to me.”

“By linked, do you mean lovers? The other three men are your lovers? All three?”

I consider lying and don’t. “Yes, all three.”

“They’re each aware of your relationship with the others?” she continues with a faint hint of amusement.

“Yes, they are,” I admit.

“Interesting,” she remarks. “You must possess truly unique talents, Jade. Perhaps one day you’ll share your story. Until then, I won’t pry. Privacy is a privilege I cherish, and I shall respect yours.”

“Thank you.” I’m touched by her understanding. “I trust them implicitly. They would do anything to protect me.”

“Then I’ll take your word for it,” she says, putting an end to the discussion about the men.

For now.

I take a deep breath. “Okay, then, how do we get started? We need to work out the details for the payout split.”

“What do you suggest?” Natasha asks.

“Fifty-fifty,” I offer without hesitation.

“I could hire someone to do the job without splitting the payout for much cheaper,” she says.

“You could,” I say with a shrug. “But then you would still need someone to implement the plan. And you would need other people to pull it off smoothly.”

“Let me guess,” she says. “You want to bring in your bodyguards as your team?”

“Possibly.”

Her eyes scrutinize me for a long moment. “I admire your audacity, Jade,” she finally admits. “However, I must consult with Eva, who is a crucial part of my team.”

“Is Eva your partner?” I ask, my curiosity piqued. “Are you a couple?”

“No, she is my savior,” she replies, amused by my question. “Not everything is about sex or even love in this world. I have other priorities.”

“Such as?”

“Revenge.”

Feeling an unexpected resonance with her ruthless determination, I raise my glass towards her. “And I appreciate your perspective, too,” I declare before downing the remaining vodka. I’m almost getting accustomed to the piercing bolt of fire down my throat. Either that or my throat has gone completely numb from the previous shots.