Page 12 of His Forbidden Alliance

I followed him to his office. When he pulled out a key card to unlock the door, I wished I were as proficient a pickpocket as Maria. Having access to Rafe’s office would be fantastic.

He turned to me as soon as he closed the door. “Don’t come here again. Don’t ask for me. Don’t speak to me after the game ends.”

“Are you afraid you’re going to get caught?”

“No, I’m afraid I’m going to have to put a bullet through your head. I’d hate that; it’s messy.”

“I would’ve thought you liked messy.”

He raised his brows.

“What do you want, G?” He emphasized the initial in a way that let me know how much my lack of a real name bothered him.

“Tell me about the men I beat tonight. I need to know more about them if I’m going to keep winning.”

Rafe huffed. “If you keep winning as boldly as you did tonight, they’ll be sure you’re cheating. I’m not the only person here who can eliminate their enemies.”

“I’m sure you’re not. I can be rather dangerous myself. If one of them comes for me, I will defend myself.”

Rafael inclined his head. “I would expect nothing less.”

“How long have each of them been playing? How well do you know them?”

“I’m not in the business of revealing personal details about the men who play in my backroom games. This isn’t about getting chummy; it’s about winning. They’re not here to tell their life story, and I don’t give a fuck about them as long as they don’t cause me any trouble.”

“You can’t tell me you didn’t vet all of them. I know there are people you wouldn’t want in here.”

“Damn right, but I’m not giving you their details. I don’t need shit like that getting around. When these men lose, they lose big, and we take the profit. This is a business, you know.”

“And that part of the business is far from legal.”

His eyes narrowed. “Are you planning on ratting me out?”

“I hardly think the New Orleans police care much about backroom poker games. They’ve got a lot more on their minds.”

“Fuck right they do.”

“So you won’t give anything? I thought this was going to be a partnership.”

“A financial one. It’s up to you to figure out how to keep winning. As long as you do, we will keep sharing the profits. Otherwise, I have no use for you.”

“None at all?” I gave him a slow once-over.

“None that involves me revealing personal information about my clients.”

“I see. What about my winnings? How will I collect?”

He opened his drawer and pulled out a stack of money. “Take this tonight as a show of good faith. I’ll keep what you win next week.”

I studied him, wondering what he was up to. “We agreed to a split.”

“Yes, we did, but I have no intention of telling that to anyone, even the loyal employees who serve as cashiers.”

“Right.” Why hadn’t I thought about how private this needed to be?

“Now, get out of here. The other players are already suspicious. The more they see you talking to me, the more suspicious they’ll become.”

He was right, but as usual, I need to push my luck. “Are you sure you want me to leave? You sure were watching me closely during the game.”