Page 28 of Wickedly Played

ME: Let me check my schedule before committing to a meeting

ADAM: Mom should have swallowed you

ME: Dad should have shot you on Mom’s back, asshole

My phone chimes a couple of more times when the doorbell rings. Jesus. I can’t deal with her having kinky sex with Stella tonight. That is the last thing I want to hear all night is them fucking each other.

ME: Boss, got any jobs tonight?

FRANKY: What are you looking for?

ME: Something I can use some force

FRANKY: I’ll send you some addresses and let you know

In a different text thread, I open one up for Joey.

ME: I need you to sit with Serena tonight. I have some jobs

JOEY: Sounds good. You are my favorite

ME: You know this is just a babysitting gig, right?

JOEY: Sure, sure

ME: No touching

Joey: I don’t need to touch

ME: Are you trying to fucking piss me off

JOEY: Nope. That’s just an added bonus

ME: Jesus. I’ll text you the time later

Maybe I’m the one who needs to get laid.

My phone chimes again. With a groan, I check it.

UNKNOWN: Max? Please tell me this is still your number

ME: Who is this?

UNKNOWN: Melinda Adams

My phone almost slips out of my hand. I can’t believe it. There is no way Melinda would be reaching out to me, as she is presumed dead. We searched for weeks for her body all over the country. We met when we were on active duty, and we continued to date after we returned. I wish our situation had been different. I wish we had had a chance. Melinda disappeared after being taken from me.

We were back in the States for a couple of weeks before everything went south. Melinda didn’t know what kind of monster I was. She also didn’t know I was in the mafia and had enlisted to hone my skills. I had gotten home at four in the morning after torturing some fucker who stole money from us, when I saw she was gone. She just vanished.

No matter how much we searched for her, she wouldn’t turn up, and it killed me. Did I get her killed because of the jobs I do? Did she finally realize that I’m not worth it? Did she finally have enough?

I’ve paid millions of dollars and have killed a lot of people in hopes of finding her. It didn’t matter how much I tore up the country to find her… she was nowhere to be found. Melinda’s just gone.

Serena is everything Melinda isn’t. My protectee has a passion that I have never seen in another woman. I hate that no matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about Serena. I should realize what kind of monster I am and just stop with this whole shit.

ME: Is this a sick joke?

ME: This isn’t funny to me.