I dealt a hand and waited, watching the players make their moves. The new player was tall and looked strong, though not as buff as Lucky or his friend. Actually, no one was as built and strong looking as Lucky. His military history had shaped him, that much was clear. I had a crazy feeling he still did pushups all the time and ran with a rifle in his arms.
The new guy had a bit of that look about him. I was surprised to see that he was carrying as well. Usually Paulie and Joey took guns at the door. And then I nearly froze out of terror when I saw a flash of a metal badge under his jacket.
A fed. He was a fed and he wasn’t doing a damn thing to hide it. He caught me looking and smiled, licking his lips again.
“See something you like?”
I yanked my eyes away, my cheeks turning bright red.
“Or were you looking at this?”
He pulled his badge out and tossed it on the table. Then he took a drag of his cigar. I didn’t look at him.
I couldn’t.
“I’m Agent Cheever. Place stays open until I say.” He smiled at me and spat on the floor. “Sal told me I got carte blanch, sweetheart. So be on your best behavior.”
If there wasn’t a table between us, I had a feeling his hand would be grabbing my ass. I knew it in my gut that this guy was worse than Sal. I cursed in my head, using the kind of swear words that would make my mama roll over in her grave. My hyper religious family was so strict, I’d literally have soap in my mouth for hours if I’d dared to say any of those words out loud.
Not that I ever did.
But right now, I was more than tempted.
I wanted to scream.
Lucky was watching me carefully, an odd look on his face. He hid it well, but he was upset. He knew I was in trouble. I started thinking, running through ways out of this. I basically had to sneak out of here without Cheever noticing. Or Sal.
I would avoid Lucky too, if I was smart.
But right now? Right now I wanted him to take me out of here once and for all and never, ever come back again.
Chapter 9
Lucky
Fuck me.
Angel was in trouble. More than she knew. The fed sitting next to me had plans. I could tell. He was thinking he was getting his dick wet tonight.
I glanced at the light starting to filter through the metal grates covering the windows.
Or, rather, this morning.
The change in his pocket rattled as he bounced his leg rapidly. Oh yeah, he thought he was getting laid. But Angel was not for sale. Any idiot could see that she was a good girl. This asshole was too stupid to notice.
I could read him like a book. He was a crooked lawman with no morals. He would force her if he had to. And not one of Sal’s guys would stop him.
There was no way in hell that was going to happen. Not with me here. I was ready to take on whoever tried to mess with her. Anytime. Anywhere.
I said a silent prayer of thanks that I was here. If I had listened to her and stayed away… the thought of this animal with his hands all over her made me want to do bodily harm to him.
Drake might see things differently though. Tangling with a fed was no joke. I looked from him to the door and he shook his head. I raised an eyebrow and he shook it again.
Okay, so apparently he wasn’t going anywhere. I knew he wouldn’t desert me. But I recognized the look on his face.
He looked almost as eager to smash skulls as I was. Fed. Mob. The Goddamn Russian army could march in here and we’d take them on. We’d win too.
Probably.
I started thinking. Planning. When the table closed, she had to move fast. I texted Drake that we had to get her purse and start her car before things wrapped up here. But judging from the coke nose this guy had on him, it might be a while.
Jangle jangle went the guy’s keys and change against his leg.
We played a hand. And another. Angel won the first two. The fed was getting restless. He did a bump right there at the table. That’s how fucking brazen he was. Then he won a hand, crowing like a damn jackass.
I turned my head and noticed that Sal had come out of his office. Paulie and Joey were watching too. None of them looked a bit concerned about the predator in their midst.
Of course, they were fucking predators too. So was I. But there was a difference between being a wolf or a lion and a vulture that ate carrion or picked off the weak. I couldn’t believe the situation Angel was in. I wasn’t letting her come back here, that was for sure.