Page 34 of Four Cards Exposed

He swallowed a sigh. He knew she was strong. Probably the strongest person he knew.

“Can you stand here while I go find us a cab?”

He smiled wryly. She wasn’t going to find many cabs at night in this area of town.

“No need. I live two streets that way. I’m okay, S—Milena.”

He almost hit himself for his mistake. Maybe he’d gotten clocked harder than he realized.

Susan kept her arm around his waist, clearly not ready to believe him. Her touch felt right, so he let her. “Lead the way, then.”

They walked past a dark alley that reeked of trash and piss and probably worse. Across the street from them, a shadow moved. James tensed, then relaxed when he realized it was a couple shooting up. They looked young, but in this part of town, youth was a mere construct.

Fuck.

How quickly one could come to consider the abnormal, normal.

Susan tensed beside him. Her body trembled, but James used his momentum to keep her walking, right past the teenagers, who didn’t even see them. There was nothing they could do to help them—nothing, except keep working to take down the cartels one by one. Starting with the Mendoza Cartel.

He tightened his own arm around Susan, wishing he could protect her from the sight—wishing he could take her home. Not to the place Moore was renting out to him—he wanted to lead her out of town and straight back to Sharp’s Cove. She’d be safe there, away from Moore and Mendoza and the squalor that surrounded them.

Away from me.

Hell, even now, he could smell her. She’d been working at a bar all night—she smelled of sweat and alcohol, but underneath that, James could still smell that fresh, raw scent that was just her. He’d caught men staring at her all night, as usual. They could smell her, too.

He inhaled sharply, wincing at a pain that was only half physical.

He led Susan to his building, glad there was nobody loitering outside at this time of night—through the open door, past the broken elevator and up the dark staircase. James grabbed onto the railing, pulling himself up with each step.

Finally, when he was about to call out to her that he needed to stop and rest, they reached his landing.

Somebody was there, trying to get into his apartment. James tensed, pulling Susan behind him—then realized it was Dom. The little boy was on his knees, one eye pulled up against his keyhole, peering inside.

“What are you doing, kid?”

Dom jumped up in fear, relaxing as he recognized him. “Jay! You’re back.” The boy’s eyes widened as he took in James’s appearance, but to his credit, he stood his ground.

“Shouldn’t you be home by now? What do you have there?” James asked suspiciously, looking at something hidden in the boy’s skinny arms.

It was Susan who stepped in, moving out from behind him. “Is that a kitten?”

Of course.

That damned kitten.

James had completely forgotten about it. He stared at the little pink nose peeking out from under the crook of Dom’s arm.

“How’s Charlie doing?” he asked, remembering the name Dom had used for the animal.

Dom swallowed hard. “I was hoping you might have more milk,” he stuttered. James could see just how hard it was for the boy to ask for anything, even something as simple as a glass of milk. “Charlie finished it all.”

The boy looked at Susan, as if seeing her for the first time.

“I’m sorry,” the boy said, looking down at the floor. “You’re busy.”

“Come inside,” James said gruffly. “Let’s take a look.”

He brought out his key and pretended to fumble with the lock for a moment, taking the chance to examine the two hairs he’d stuck near the bottom of the door. Nobody had been inside.