It’s as frustrating to see Hadley losing as it is delicious to see her in that floor-length green dress that puts everyone else at the table to shame.

I’m curious as to what her game is. She came in tonight wearing that gown as if she was about to walk the red carpet, complete with elbow-length matching gloves and diamond earrings that make her look like a model in a museum. I expected her to come in and clean house yet again, especially when she sat down with this crowd. I recognize two of the men at the table as Silicon Valley millionaires, one of them as the heir to a cruise line fortune, and the fourth as an arms broker who has business ties in central Africa.

All of them are ripe for the plucking, but Hadley is getting trounced.

They’re still playing for relatively low numbers—a few tens of thousands, which is pocket change to these people. But when I watch Hadley’s flush get beaten by the heir’s full house, I can’t help but think that even I wouldn’t have made some of the calls she’s been making tonight.

I’m working again tonight, which means that at least for the time being, Jerry either hasn’t caught on to me or is pretending he hasn’t, for whatever reason. I’m still checking my car for explosives and looking over my shoulder every few minutes, but it would seem that I’m at least somewhat in the clear for now.

Mafia politics means things can change on a dime, without any warning, for almost any reason. It’s a live fast die fast kind of lifestyle, and I don’t plan on letting it swallow me alive anytime soon.

I keep an eye on the other guests as I make my rounds, but my attention is all on Hadley, and I never break my line of sight with her if I can. If my hunch is right, then the reason Jerry hasn’t called out my odd behavior is because he suspects I’m keeping as much an eye on her as he is. He might think I’ve caught onto her and am just waiting for the right time for her to slip up.

Whatever gets me more time to watch Hadley work and make sure nobody’s about to make a move on her, I’ll take.

As she plays, I start to notice something unusual about her. I’ve seen her play enough times now that I have a decent idea of what she’s like when she plays. Normally, she’s flirty and puts on a ditzy act to get the men’s guard down, and she’s still doing that today, but the guys are still winning. She’s not off her game, though.

This is deliberate.

Every time she bluffs, I notice, she subtly tugs at one of her gloves, trying to straighten it out. It’s a tell, and the experienced players at the table have picked up on it. But I know Hadley—she doesn’t have any tells, or if she does, it sure as hell isn’t that. She’s making up a tell and using it to lull them into a false sense of security.

My suspicion gets confirmed before long. About an hour into her minor losses, I notice her give her tell once again. The Silicon Valley boys’ eyes flit right to it, and they exchange a knowing look while Hadley pretends not to have notice. A matter of seconds later, the men at the table bet big, and the looks on their faces when Hadley lays down a straight flush is priceless.

After that, Hadley starts raking in winnings, and we’re back to the old Hadley that I know so well. I have to fight to keep myself from smiling as I watch her. I’m proud of her, and I feel like I could watch her work all night.

But there are eyes on me.

Speaking of, it’s about time to check in. I head upstairs to the next floor, a balcony that wraps around the whole casino and provides a lovely view of a large part of the casino floor and the gamblers. It also gives the security guards a good vantage point to watch out for cheating. The ones up close and personal with the guests catch most attempts, but a bird’s eye view is invaluable backup.

I make my way to one of the best seats on the floor, overlooking all of it from the back and center of this floor. Jerry is sitting there, sipping a vodka tonic and glaring down at the casino from above. My broad shouldered and bulky form draws some attention, so it isn’t long before his soulless eyes flit up to me, and he gives a subtle but noticeable nod that I give back to him. It’s a silent, quick signal between the two of us—all is well.

Heading to the railing, I peer down at the same floor Jerry is looking at, and I follow his gaze. Unsurprisingly, he’s looking at Hadley’s table, and I’d bet anything that he’s checking out Hadley herself. There’s a kind of hunger to his eyes that I recognize all too well. It fills me with anger and makes me want to pull my gun on him right here and now.

Of course, all that would do is get me and Hadley killed along with Jerry, and I don’t plan on sharing a deathday with that son of a bitch.

Hadley’s strategy inspires me, and I realize I need to take a different approach to this whole situation than just trying to stay out of the line of fire. I don’t even need to think five steps ahead of the game. Like Hadley, I need to think exactly one step ahead of Jerry—it just has to be the right step.

I watch Jerry without looking directly at him, pretending to be watching Hadley’s game from up above as she trounces her competition. He’s a methodical man, even though he’s vicious and driven by instinct. He wants Hadley, I know that much now. But he’s been very careful about how he goes about it. He could have had her by now, if he was being direct and persistent. I have good eyes, but I don’t know everything, and we’re playing on Jerry’s home field.

Could it be more than lust motivating him?

The way Jerry watches Hadley, I can definitely tell he’s drinking in her body, but for lack of a better way of putting it, he could be making his move right now. I would be a hell of a fight to take down, but he has numbers on his side, and doesn’t seem to realize I’m not on it anymore. It would be simple to grab Hadley. Why isn’t he doing that?

His eyes aren’t just watching her body, I realize. They’re watching her game.

Whenever she makes a play that impresses him, he seems pleased. He never leans over to comment to either of his guards, which is unusual. He usually loves gossiping about the latest and best gamblers in his casino.

Then it hits me.

This is his job interview for Hadley. He isn’t just interested in taking her for her body, but he wants to use her for her skills, too. A prisoner who gives him physical comfort as well as a huge source of income—she’d be perfect for him.

He wants to make sure she’s as good at her game as Carl boasted she is before he makes what he sees as an investment.

All that is just a hunch that crosses my mind at first, but then I start to think over the facts. How could a man like Carl dig himself into a debt that deep that fast? I looked over the numbers, and by all rights, Carl looked like a responsible, careful man. Hell, thanks to his gamblers, he never would have gotten caught if not for Jerry nailing him on this debt.

It’s no secret that a mafia debt is a fool’s gamble. It’s something you’re forced to do, not something you choose to do, unless you’re very stupid. Carl is not very stupid.

But neither is Jerry, and Jerry got where he is today by a lifelong career of stabbing people in the back to climb the ladder higher. To a man like Jerry, having a man like Carl in his debt is a very useful thing, especially knowing Carl is a coward, and that he has women like Hadley at his disposal to rake in obscene amounts of money with.

Better yet, Carl doesn’t have any friends. Or if he does, they’re nowhere near here.

All that amounts to one thing: Carl Owens is a very tempting target to utterly destroy, from Jerry’s perspective. It isn’t much of a reach to think that Jerry might have orchestrated this whole mess, or at least had a strong hand in guiding it.

I furrow my brow. If my hunch is right, that means we’re in a much more dangerous situation than I thought. Jerry thinks he’s holding all the cards in his own house, and confidence can make a man do the impossible.

My eyes flit over to Jerry, and I suddenly realize that I’ve been staring at Hadley too long—Jerry’s seat is empty, and his guards are gone. He’s on the move! I look up and start letting my gaze pan around the floor without seeming too obvious, but my heart is pounding against my chest. I’m sure part of it is just nerves after figuring out what I’ve just realized, but that doesn’t change the fact that Jerry is a very dangerous man, and he has his eyes on Hadley.

I look back down, and I realize that Hadley is standing up too. Moreover, she’s sweeping in her massive earnings and leaving the table. I clench my jaw, wishing I were down there to give her a signal. I can’t contact her from up here, not without giving away what I’m trying to do.

Without another moment’s hesitation, I head toward the stairs. Suddenly, I’m seeing danger everywhere. Every other enforcer who just casually crosses paths with me looks like he’s about to pull a gun on me. Everyone walking vaguely my direction is about to try to take a swing at me. I fight hard to keep my composure as I move, and finally, I reach the stairs and hurry down them.

Paranoia can keep a man safe, but it can also make him foolish. I can’t jump at shadows. It would give everything away.

But by the time I reach the floor, Hadley is nowhere to be seen. I curse under my breath and make my way into the crowd. Wading through the sea of expensive tailored suits and stunning dresses is simple enough, thanks to my stature, and I’d think that finding Hadley would be just as easy thanks to how distinctive she looks, but she vanished.

I start to feel adrenaline pumping through my veins. I’m not about to lose Hadley this easily. Could Jerry have had her taken the second I turned my head? No, there’s no way he could have been watching me that closely, could he?

Finally, my eyes fall on neither Hadley nor Jerry, but one of the bodyguards who was with Jerry earlier. I make my way over to him, and he barely has a second to react to me before I grab him by the tie and pull him close to me.

“Where is Jerry?” I growl urgently as he staggers.

“What the fuck, Dom?” he growls back, pulling away, but I keep a grip on him.

“It’s urgent,” I reiterate. The guy stammers for a moment, then shakes his head as I release him.

“He went down to the security room,” he says, jabbing a thumb back to the elevators. “Said he was meeting someone. What’s gotten you so touchy today?”

Carl.

Without answering his question, I start making my way through the crowds to the elevators, and I slide inside, flashing my security badge at other people trying to get in before the doors slide shut and start to take me down to levels that only staff have access to.

I feel the weight of my gun at my side, not willing to let the cameras see me put my hand on it. I don’t know what I’m about to walk in on, but I know there’s a damn good chance it’ll turn into a bloodbath.