Page 42 of The Wicked

Angelo hummed in agreement. “I know her kind. Always searching for ways to mess with people for their gain,” he said. “What I don’t understand is how she almost killed our boss.”

They both looked at me, waiting to hear how I had let that happen.

I looked between them before shrugging. “She was faster than me. It was quite impressive.”

“There aren’t many who would have the guys even pick up agun in your presence, let alone shoot at you or punch you in the nose,” Angelo said.

“She’s the one we need to watch. We know nothing about her, and I have a gut feeling that the little we know is—staged; it’s what we’re meant to see when we do our research.”

Casmiro sighed. “They’re useful, but they’re trouble.”

I took in a breath. “Here’s what we can do. Their security will have to be assigned shifts to avoid any familiarity. We keep a close eye on them. No cameras. Physical watch only. No one touches any of them. No matter what.”

“We could take one of them. An example to keep the rest in check,” Casmiro suggested.

“No.”

“How do we control them, then? You lost the chess game, giving them the right to return to the casino.”

“Let them.”

Casmiro glared. “What exactly do these people have on you, E?”

“Don’t question me.”

“It’s hard not to.”

I sighed. “Is it that you are blind, or you’ve just decided to block your sense of reasoning for the night? Mancini, please explain to this dumb friend of mine why we can’t make an example of one of them?”

Angelo put down his glass. “Because they complement each other; hurt one, hurt them all.”

“So what the fuck do we do about them? We can’t let their intrusion at the casino go. I have double my task tomorrow thanks to them. People were angry; bets were lost. The casino was chaos after they left.”

“It will be handled.”

“How?”

“We just need a scapegoat, one provided by their own hands.”

Casmiro frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I have seen them interact,” I told him. “I have them undermy roof, and they have a job to finish for me. I know one of them is messy and impulsive, and I have a gut feeling she is bound to make a mistake at some point.”

“She makes a mistake, then what?” he asked.

I picked up my glass. “Then I intervene,” I said, downing the drink and dropping the glass back on the table, leveling him with a stare. “And make her a scapegoat.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Zahra

Devil was quiet as he helped redo the stitch in my shoulder. His form was tense, his jaw clenched, and his brows were drawn down in a frown.

It was clear that he was upset with the state I had returned in. Yet another promise to him broken.

“I’m okay, you know,” I told him as he cut the thread, proceeding to get out new bandages. “Everything that happened tonight happened because I let it. You know that, right?”

He didn’t look at me or respond as he unwrapped the bandage.