AllFreeNovel
Share Us
whatever reason. She didn't like Katarina, she knew the two of you had business dealings together, whatever. The next day - the very next fucking day - you stroll into the Pork Pit and offer me an obscene amount of money to cater an event on the Delta Queen. Strange enough, but then I find out that instead of hosting some swanky society gala, you've actually let college students take over your casino. Not only that, but I find you looking oh so cozy with Eva. "
"So what?" Kincaid scoffed.
"So, this whole time, I thought you were running some scheme, plotting some way to kill me and dump my body in the river. Hell, I thought you might even be in cahoots with Jonah McAllister. Whatever your motives, taking out the Spider would go a long way toward cementing your position as the new king of the Ashland underworld. "
Kincaid shrugged, modestly agreeing with me.
"But that's not it at all. You don't care one damn thing about killing me. After I saved your ass, I thought maybe you wanted me here in case Salina made a move against you, as sort of a backup bodyguard just on the chance she managed to slip past your giants. Although, if that was true, you were taking a big risk, counting on me to save your miserable hide when we've never said so much as how do you do to each other. But in a way, that was true. You wanted me here tonight to protect someone, but it wasn't you - it was Eva. "
I'd give Kincaid this - he had a hell of a poker face. The only thing that gave him away was a faint narrowing of his eyes. If I hadn't been watching for it, I would have missed it altogether. But I knew I'd struck a nerve, and I decided to press my advantage.
"Now, Eva's a beautiful girl, and I'm sure you enjoy smooth-talking the ladies as much as the next guy. But for some reason I don't fathom, you actually seem to care about Eva - quite deeply, from the way you were comforting her. You should have kept your distance, Philly. You gave yourself away, holding her like you did. "
He opened his mouth to deny it or perhaps make some snide quip, but I cut him off.
"Don't play games with me, Kincaid. Eva and Owen are my family, and they're in neck-deep with whatever feud you have going on with Salina. And if there's one thing you should know about me, it's this - that I take care of the people I love, no matter what. "
Kincaid looked at me, then let out a harsh, bitter laugh. "Well, apparently I'm not as clever as I thought I was. "
"No," I said in a quiet voice. "No one ever is. "
By this point, the coroner had managed to scoop Antonio's remains into the body bag. We watched while he zipped it up and got his assistant to help him load it onto a gurney, which the assistant pushed across the deck. Kincaid winced as the wheels rattled over the wood. I wondered if he was thinking that it could have just as easily been him inside that body bag tonight.
"Look," he finally said. "Owen's right about one thing. Salina and I never liked each other, but I'm not the villain he thinks I am. It was Salina - it was always Salina. She could twist Owen around her finger like nobody else ever could, not even Eva. So if I were you, Gin, I'd worry less about me and more about her. Because now that she's back in Ashland, it's only a matter of time before she sets her sights on your boy again. And believe me when I tell you that Salina Dubois will do whatever she has to in order to get what she wants. "
His ominous warning delivered, the casino boss stalked over to one of his giants and started speaking to the other man in a low voice. A few feet away, Bria was talking with the coroner, while Xavier was taking statements from some of the giants who'd been on deck when Antonio was wrung out like a wet dishrag. I glanced over the railing. Down below in the parking lot, Violet was helping Sophia put the last of the supplies from the Pork Pit into the dwarf's convertible, while Owen and Eva stood off to one side, arguing.
I looked at them all in turn, thinking. Then I pulled out my cell phone and called Finn again. He must have been waiting by the phone, because he picked up after the first ring.
"Gin? What's happening? What's going on?" Finn asked. "Have you killed Kincaid yet?"
"Sadly, no. "
"Why not?"
I let out a breath. "Because as shocking as this sounds, he's actually the victim tonight - and has some strange connection to Owen and Eva. Right now, I'm not sure if I know the bad guy from the worse guy. "
"Who could be worse than Kincaid?" Finn asked.
"Salina Dubois," I said. "I want you to get your hands on everything you can about her. Right now. Then meet me at Fletcher's house. And you might want to put a pot of coffee on when you get there. It's going to be a long night. "
There was nothing else for me to do there, so I said my good-byes to Bria and Xavier. My sister promised to call or drop by my house if she had any news, but I knew she'd be busy well into the night tracking down Salina and seeing what she had to say for herself. Even then, at this point, it was Salina's word against Kincaid's, which meant there was nothing Bria could do anyway - to either one of them. Sure, I'd seen what had happened to Antonio and Kincaid, but assassins didn't exactly make the best witnesses in a court of law.
I walked down the gangplank, across the boardwalk, and into the parking lot. The police cars were still on the scene, their bright lights swiveling around and around in endless loops, but all the students had left. I headed over to where the others stood by Sophia's convertible.
Owen looked at me. "I'm so sorry you got dragged into the middle of this, Gin. Eva should have known better than to go anywhere near Kincaid, something we will discuss in further detail when we get home. "
"No," Eva said. "I want to stay at Gin's house tonight. "
"Eva - " he started.
"Gin's house is the safest place I know," she said, her voice trembling just a bit. "I need to feel safe right now, Owen, and I won't at home. Not when I know Salina's back in Ashland and that she could show up at the house at any time - that you'd let her into the house at any time. "
Owen opened his mouth to argue.
"It's okay," I cut in. "You both know you're welcome to stay with me anytime. I'd love to have the company. "
I didn't add that them coming home with me tonight was for the best anyway, since we had a lot to talk about.
