Permanent Lines (26 page)

We all just hung out for the vast portion of the day, doing our own thing. Kayla and
Amelia were stuck on the web planning Kayla and Miles’ wedding, I watched footage
of racing since it was one of the things I was missing most, and Miles played businessman
in his office, going back and forth between his laptop and phone.

It wasn’t until a little after six when Micah and Maddy showed up, Joey arriving soon
after. The pleasantries and introductions came first. I tried to put on a friendly
face for Joey, but it wasn’t the easiest. He looked liked the typical dark-haired,
gelled out, dressed up, pompous ass mobster, not to mention he was a blood relative
to the most hated person in my life at the moment. You could say I had a hard time
seeing past it.

Amelia nudged my side, acknowledging my anxiety, whispering, “We need him on our side,
remember?”

I rubbed my face and sighed. “Yeah, I know. Sorry. I’m trying.”

“Well, try harder.”

I heard her threat loud and clear. I couldn’t fuck this up; he was our only link to
the inside. I had to let the angry gorilla inside chill the fuck out. Joey wanted
out—he hated his family—he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t.

“Wait, you’re Merrick?” he questioned, looking at me, puzzled.

I looked at him just as confused, yet intrigued. “Yeah, why?

“You hardly match the picture Antonio has hanging for you.”

The dude had a fucking picture hanging of me? Like a fucking hit list?
Jesus fucking Christ!

“What picture does he have?” I asked.

“Dude, you looked like a homeless guy in it. You should’ve seen Antonio’s face when
Donny pulled it up.” He snickered, looking at Amelia, who was just as confused.

I smirked. “He must have my old driver’s license pic, the one I use for everything
linked to the bar.”

Micah laughed from behind us. “Oh my God, that is the funniest fucking picture of
you,” he agreed.

Amelia and Kayla looked me up and down, confused. Neither of them had seen me looking
much different than this—tattooed but clean-cut, solidly built, not the least bit
haggard.

“That picture was taken when I was a strung out mess,” I explained, “right before
I ran to the city. I looked like fucking Jesus tatted out, with glasses!”

The girls chuckled.

“I think I need to see this photo,” Amelia kidded.

“Baby, I can’t let you do that,” I laughed, “you would never want to fuck me again.”

She tilted her head, doubtful.

“Let’s not chance it, okay?” I winked.

“But that’s good, though, right?” Maddy asked. “That means his identity is still somewhat
uncertain to them?”

“Indeed,” Miles agreed.

“They’d have to look long and hard,” Joey said. “I’d have never have picked you out
of a lineup with that picture.”

I nodded my head, pleased. “At least something good came out of that era of my life.”

“What other pictures or persons of interest have they mentioned, if I might ask?”
Miles was quick to question.

“It was just three until …” his voice wavered, making Amelia’s chin drop to her chest
and her eyes close.

“Why was he a person of interest?” Amelia asked after looking back up.

“Closest family,” Joey answered, but in a careful tone. “He’s been on a rampage, Mil.”

“Please don’t call her that,” I demanded, frustration seeping from my pores.

“Uh, yeah. Sure,” he answered back shakily.

“I just …” I shook like I had chills.

“No, I get it,” he replied.

“God, I hate him,” Amelia said quietly as she tilted her head back, looking up at
the ceiling.

“I think that’s a mutual feeling amongst us all, baby.” I pulled her into my side
and kissed her temple. I noticed Joey staring, but he didn’t seem bothered, maybe
even happy …

“He’s a fuck,” Joey assured Amelia. “They all are; we know that.”

Amelia nodded her head. “Thanks for being here,” she told him. “I just want him to
get what he deserves. I’m done.”

“Yeah, totally. I’m with ya.”

Joey was slowly building brownie points with me, and as I glanced over at Miles to
get his take, I could see he was getting the same feeling. This guy felt exactly how
Amelia explained. How shitty was it to hate your family so fucking much that you wanted
in on putting them ten feet under? I guess when your family equals a bloody mob, it
isn’t so farfetched.

“I gotta tell ya, though. I’m a little fucking nervous,” he admitted, visibly freaking
out. His words were shaky and he seemed almost jumpy, his posture showing very little
confidence. “We gotta do this soon. If they …” He shook his head nervously, ostensibly
thinking about the repercussions he could face.

I patted his upper arm. “We want this finished just as fast.”

There was silence for a minute as we all came to the realization of what we were facing
and how quickly it was happening. I sure as shit was ready for it, but it was still
a tough pill to swallow. We were going to do the unthinkable, something almost unrealistic.
Something bad.

“Well, let’s sit,” Kayla interrupted, motioning to the living room behind us.

We mumbled in agreement as we shifted to the couches and chairs. Coffee and mugs were
already on the end table, compliments of Mrs. Doubtfire.

As soon as we all were seated, business began.

“We need to get knowledge of the business end of things,” Miles started, his gaze
on Joey. “That seems to be our most viable option.”

Joey stood silent for a moment, the wheels visibly turning.

“Are there any big game nights coming up or deals being made?” Amelia asked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Joey was quick to answer. “Franco and his guys are coming in the night
after next.”

“Who’s Franco?” I asked.

“The leader of the other ring,” Amelia clarified.

“The one they’re joining with?” I asked.

Joey and Amelia both nodded.

“They got a poker night scheduled; supposed to be a laid back thing.”

“Not if they suspect any wrong doing,” Maddy said from the other side of the room.

We looked at her, intrigued.

“Gamblers are protective of their money. If they ever feel that they’re being cheated,”
she raised an eyebrow, onto something, “well, it doesn’t matter who you are,” she
added.

Joey looked at her with an amused smile. “Yeah, she’s right. Antonio would flip shit
if he thought someone was cheating him.”

Suddenly, all of our expressions turned hopeful. This was something we could work
with. Micah pulled Maddy into his side with a huge grin, impressed with his girl.

“I guess there’s an upside to being raised in a crappy house in Vegas,” Kayla commented
with a smirk.

I snickered. Our shitty ass pasts were actually working out in our favor.

“Are you dealing that night?” Amelia asked, ignoring the side comments and keeping
the business in sight.

“As of right now, yeah,” Joey answered.

“How many tables?”

“Only two.”

“Who’s doing the other one?” she continued to ask.

We all watched and listened as the two insiders conversed.

“Johnny.”

Amelia nodded her head, seeming pleased.

“Is Antonio playing?”

“That’s the plan.”

“He’ll be at Johnny’s table, though.”

Joey nodded his head. “Most likely.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Johnny’s still fresh meat, only eighteen. Antonio likes to watch the young ones,”
Joey explained.

I nodded my head, understanding.

“Who’s doing the seating?” Amelia was super focused, the wheels apparently turning
faster as they spoke. She was working up a scheme as I watched, impressed. This was
a side to Amelia that turned me on like a dirty dog, but at the same time, it was
scary as fucking hell that she could think like this at the drop of a dime. No doubt,
Amelia had a devious side to her, one that I would never want to be on the wrong side
of.

Joey’s grin grew, making Amelia’s lips curl up completely.

“What?” Miles asked.

“I’m doing it,” Joey answered. “And there’s actually two that canceled.”

“Freeing up two seats,” Amelia added. “Does Antonio know this yet?”

“Nope.”

We all looked around and smiled, getting where this all was going.

“Who’s up for some poker?” I asked with a raised brow.

Nobody slept. Everyone worked. Just as we did with Amelia, we wanted everything planned
out to the minute. Stewart even came over and helped, not staying away like he had
been. He’d worked against the mob and studied their ways of conducting business for
years, so the information he provided was incredibly useful when going in blind, as
we were. Everything needed to be flawless.

After much discussion, persuasion, and consistent reassurances, it was Micah and myself
that were set to play
tomorrow. I wanted nothing more than to see Antonio fall with my own two eyes and
since they had my Jesus picture on file, there’d be no recognizing me as the guy they
were after. Not to mention, both Micah and I were Italian. Sending suave Mr. New York
in there was a sure giveaway that something was up; if he even got in alive. Miles
was “in charge” of the girls, which was the best place for him.

Joey went through the game with us a few times, explaining how things were dealt and
what we should watch for. Maddy taught us strategies and the art of the poker face
.
Amelia insisted on getting us blacked out Ray Bans to wear, though we couldn’t put
them on until we sat down to the table—house rules. It was like poker boot camp. I
thought I knew how to play, but I knew how to play bar poker, drinking poker. This
was serious shit poker.

The trickiest part was how we were going to be wired. Joey and Amelia said getting
that shit by their guards was almost impossible because you’re searched before even
going downstairs. Problem was, they didn’t know Micah’s technological prowess, Stewart’s
background, and the resources that Miles had through his company, ETV. ETV may be
an entertainment broadcasting network, but they also had world renowned security—
no one
could step foot in that building before getting background checked first, which was
Miles’ area. He knew that shit in and out and could get ahold of any device we needed.

Unlike the microphone we had taped to Amelia’s chest yesterday, ours were going to
be in our clothing and made of a material that wouldn’t set off a metal detector.
The only way that shit would be found was if they tore apart our clothes, which was
something I wouldn’t put past the mafia, but also something completely unnecessary
if they didn’t suspect anything. And they wouldn’t. Micah and I had been through some
tough shit together. We could hold it together like the armored, emotionless fucks
we were.

“I don’t like that you guys won’t be able to hear us, though,” Amelia said in a concerned
voice beside me.

I bit my lip, knowing that we couldn’t do that. We’d already discussed it.

“We can’t risk it,” Joey said to Amelia. “There’s times players can even hear the
muffled sounds coming from mine.”

“It’d be over then.” I rubbed her leg.

She sighed, still not okay with it.

“We’ll be able to hear them, though,” Maddy jumped in. “And if anything starts to
go down, we’ll be right down the street.” She smiled and squeezed Amelia’s hand.

Amelia let Maddy hold her hand for a moment and then dropped it, starting to fidget
as she looked down at her hands. I wrapped my arm around her waist, hugging her into
my side.

“I’ll be okay, baby … promise,” I whispered into her ear before kissing her head.

She nodded but didn’t respond. I could feel the slight tremble of her body and knew
she was holding back the emotions, the tears that were threatening to fall. I knew
she was having a hard time with it all. She was petrified of Antonio and knew the
danger we all were in.

I’d be a shit-talking asshole if I said that I wasn’t nervous, but I could never let
it show—not in front of Amelia and sure as shit not in front of Antonio or his ring.
Micah was doing the same, but I only knew that because I knew the kid better than
I knew myself. We were fucking robots, created the same damn way.

“All right, so we gotta figure out the twist,” Maddy cut in, switching the topic.
It wasn’t one that would make Amelia feel any better, but it was imperative to perfect
and spend as much time as possible to work everything out. There couldn’t be any kinks.
The plan had to be flawless.

“I have an idea,” Kayla’s quiet voice spoke from the corner, getting all of our attention,
“one where no one has to kill anyone.” She licked her lips nervously.

I exhaled. “K, the only way—” I started to say.

She held up her hand for me to stop. “
You
guys wouldn’t have to.”

We looked at her, intrigued. Miles nodded for her to continue.

“You already said that Antonio would flip out if he found out anyone was cheating
him, right?”