Page 53 of Intent to Kill
Tucking his gun away, he joined the others near the back curtains where Mercedes, Dan, Paul, and Carlos were standing with Tia.
“He’ll deliver the message,” Adam said. “You good?”
“I will be,” Tia said.
Adam cocked his head when he saw the state of Mercedes’ shoulder. There was a large gash along the end of her collarbone that was dripping blood all down her shirt.
“What happened to you?”
“Jumped us when we tried to get away,” Mercedes said, gesturing to a man who may as well have been missing his face for how mangled it was. Well then.
“The hard part is over,” Adam said to Tia. “We can’t be seen around here, obviously, but this club is ours now and our people will be here permanently.”
“And I’ll be by once a week to take our share,” Dan said.
“I’llbe by once a week to take our share,” Paul corrected, sensibly. Dan would be up to play. Paul would be all business. A much smarter move. The girls seemed to know it, too, because some of their faces slackened.
“50/50?” Tia said, raising her eyebrows at Adam.
“50/50, I promise.”
* * *
Carlos ran from the dining table to the bathroom. “Don’t touch my cards while I’m gone!”
Adam chuckled. The mood had been high after their win for Tia, and he’d managed to convince them, and even Mercedes, to stick around at his place for a game of poker that had quickly turned into a night of it.
Sure, he’d lured her back under the guise of patching up her shoulder. But—but—she’d stayed. It was the first thing that had gone right, and it gave him fluttery feelings in his belly. Just like the old days.
“Grab his cards!” Dan whispered.
Like magnets to metal, they launched over the table, snatching at Carlos’s cards. A toilet flushing in the background jolted them in their seats in a way that couldn’t possibly look natural.
Carlos reclaimed his place, narrowing his eyes on them before studying his cards. “I knew it! You fucking messed with these!”
Dan, Paul, and Mercedes burst into laughter, insisting through ragged breaths that they didn’t touch his cards, and Adam couldn’t help but join them. He hadn’t felt unburdened in...well, five years.
“Yes, you did!” Carlos said. “I had it laid out Queen, Joker, Three and now it’s Joker, Three, Queen!”
“Maybe,” Adam said, as Carlos punched his arm. “It was a losing hand anyway!”
Carlos sank into his chair with an eye roll.
“I think we’re done here anyway,” Dan said, standing calmly. “And I need to go throw up.” He padded to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him while Carlos took the opportunity to jump up and open the window for a smoke.
Dan made a yelp as he emptied the contents of his gut into the bowl.
“I got it,” Mercedes sighed, going to help Dan and leaving Paul and Adam alone at the table.
Adam watched her leave. He couldn’t stop looking at her, stealing every chance he could get without her noticing. He had to keep that locked up tight. So that nobody could see how terrified he was whenever he thought she might not forgive him.
“Let me ask you something,” Paul said.
Damn, he’d clearly seen.
Paul shuffled the cards on the table, not to deal, but just to perform tricks. “You might not like it.”
“Then don’t ask it,” Adam said, raising his brow.
