Page 53 of More Tricks

Cam nodded, shifting his hold on my neck so his thumb ran up and down my pulse lovingly. “I made that vow to you when you carved your name over my heart, but I’d already planned to do it with or without your permission.”

“Asshole,” I muttered and yanked out the knife, making him grunt and rest his head on my shoulder for a moment. “Sorry I stabbed you.”

“You’re lucky I don’t mind pain when it's inflicted by you,” Cam reminded me as he scooped me up in his arms. “There’s nothing for you to continue to fight in here, so let’s get you out of this mess.”

When Cam stepped out of the ring, I found Tommaso and Betta standing there with my guys. My whole body froze at the sight, then, just as quickly, I twisted the knife still in my hand so I could throw it at one of them if needed. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Chapter nineteen

Dax

Tommaso raised his hands in a sign of surrender. “Trying to find a way that we can still be friends,” he admitted. “No games, no tests, no old men who don’t know how to play by the new rules. Just you and me… well… and them.” He gestured to my guys, then to his sister. “Betta is my right hand, so I brought her to prove we’re both invested in making amends. So what do you think? Is there a chance my father didn’t fuck this up as royally as I think he did?”

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t kill you right here right now and save myself the trouble? At this point, I could just take you all down and rule over both East and West coasts?” I challenged, tapping on Cam’s arm to set me down.

He slid me down his body rather suggestively and kept one arm wrapped around my shoulders, keeping me close. To them, I’m sure it looked as if he was trying to protect me, but really, he was protecting them from me.

“That man you just obliterated with more vengeance than I’ve ever witnessed before in a person is who gave us the information,” Tommaso explained. “We found out from him that Diego learned about the event from a woman named Kimber. Seems she’s some woman one of Marco’s lieutenants is fucking.”

A growl seeped out of my lips as I once again wished I’d killed her the moment I had the chance. That woman had been nothing but a fucking thorn in my side since the day I met her. I loved my twin but choosing her was what killed him when it came down to it.

“So you think that since I got vengeance on a person who spilled my story to your boss makes us even?” I asked cocking my head slightly as I gauged how hard it would be to land this blade in this eye socket.

Tommaso shook his head. “No, but it's a start and something you would have asked for at some point. Since we already had him at the ready and you wanted a fight, it just seemed to make sense. I want to propose a different plan to you than was presented at the office.” Reaching into his inner suit pocket, he pulled out folded documents, then handed them over to me. “Written here is my personal offer that no one but Betta knows about.”

Reaching out, I took the papers, blood from my hand, smearing over the white surface. I unfolded it and scanned over the first page, trying to read through the legal jargon to figure out what he was really saying. Lawyers love to put in all kinds of different backhanded loopholes hidden in words you couldn't understand. When I finally got into the meat of the matter, my brows shot up in surprise.

“Wow, I have to say I didn’t see that coming,” I commented as I flipped to the next page that broke down a diagram of names, roles, and their place in Diego’s cartel. “You came to bat with all the right things to get my attention, but how are you going to pull this off?”

“That’s where you come in,” Tommaso said, gesturing for me to flip to the next page. “I wrote it all down, but if you think there is a better way, then I’m open to suggestions.”

Laughter burst out of me as I looked over Tommaso’s plan to oust the current Italian leadership as well as take over the De León Cartel at the same time, combining the two. He’d used the research they’d done on me to incorporate where it would fit best into this hostile takeover. It was a brilliant plan and one I would have come up with myself if I had all the pieces to pull it off. Turning to the last page was his plan for the future, including our friendship and siding with me when the showdown with Marco happened.

That had me pausing, reading over the wording again before I asked my question. “Is this what he’s really doing?” I asked. “Does he really think he can become the king of the criminal world if he takes me out? While I’d like to think I’m that much of a badass, I don’t think I have that much pull outside the US.”

Betta looked at Tommaso in complete shock. “Does she really believe that? She can’t be that blind to the truth, can she, Tommy?”

“Do you think now is the time to be talking about me like I’m not standing right fucking here?” I asked as I handed the papers over to Wes. “I mean, I’m already dirty. What's a little more blood?”

“Whoa, there, girlfriend,” Betta said with a chuckle. “I’m definitely not looking to pick a fight with you after seeing how you handled that guy. The way that guy got himself in good with Diego and his men is by becoming their pet fighter and killer of those who pissed them off. He wasn’t just some chump, and you demolished him like the devil himself lived in you. Really, I consider myself lucky you decided to spare me during the whole break room stunt.”

A wave of exhaustion hit me as the events of the day settled and the last of my adrenaline drained to normal levels. “I wouldn’t have killed you for being a bitch unless you did something I couldn’t look past. Now in the efforts of you making nice, explain to me what the fuck you meant a moment ago?”

“I was just simply shocked that you have no clue just how big of a player you are in this world. When the fight was announced, it caught everyone's attention across the globe. People are declaring whose side they're on in how they bet,” Betta explained. “Marco is supplying some of his own men for the challenge along with many of the others who are backing him.”

Rubbing my forehead, I felt like I was missing a key point in all this. “How can you possibly know all that?”

“Well, because I’m Madam Two,” she answered with a grin. “I run any and all betting that happens in our fights. Remember when I told you that I earned myself a position of respect? I wasn’t just being cheeky when I said that.”

“Please don’t tell me Mr. Three is one of the men who pissed me off today. I’d really like to not have my fate in the hands of a man I will kill on sight,” I asked with a sigh.

“No, the only person who knows about my involvement in all this is Tommaso,” she answered, waving off my concern. “My father would be incredibly disappointed in using my skills this way, but there are many times it comes in handy dealing with situations behind the scenes. The other three men I work with are neutral enough, but if they had to choose a future that would be more advantageous, it would be putting their lot in with you.”

“Okay, say that’s all true, then this fight night is turning into the beginning of a world war of crime lords,” I pointed out. “Are we sure that’s the best plan?”

“It was going to happen whether you did this fight or not, Dax,” Tommaso reasoned. “Marco is the one driving it, and when push comes to shove, they will choose one way or the other. You respect those who give it. Anyone who doesn't, well, they get put in their place to learn from their mistakes. What everyone knows and is choosing to side with is that you aren’t looking to rule the world. You just want to run your own empire and do business. Marco wants to have his fingers in all the pies and reap the benefits.”

He paused, seeing he was losing me in his long-winded explanation. “Fine, here’s the cut and dry of it. You’re the person who’s willing to stand up to Marco, so you automatically became team captain of the opposing side. They respect you and want to rally behind you, so they don’t have to be the one to do it if everything goes to hell.”