Page 20 of The Gambler

“Garrett, tell him I need her alive. He can nix everyone else if he has to.” He kissed his flower’s hair as his mind raced with the ramifications of what he’d just seen.

When had she been at the DHS to learn the combinations? The bank info was easy; obviously she’d memorized them somehow, but what about the ones that didn’t belong to the Bonata family? And there were still the other codes and shit that she’d written down.

He picked up his handheld where he’d transferred the info from her toy. The unrecognizable numbers didn’t ring any bells. It was a long shot, but he figured she was the one who wrote it, and he knew better than most not to underestimate her. His sister had amazed him everyday of her life, he expected no less from his Jenna.

“Jenna, baby, what’s this?”

He wrote out the numbers and letters that looked more like some sort of code than an account, on a piece of paper on his desk. She studied it for a second before taking the pen from his hand.

He watched as she rearranged the digits in her painstakingly slow, yet meticulous way. Still he didn’t know what the fuck he was looking at. Then she turned to his computer keyboard and typed something in. On the screen a stately looking woman came up, the caption said Senator Cathleen Winthrop.

The name didn’t ring a bell and he was none the wiser. He printed out a copy of the senator and studied it. Then she took the printout from his hand and drew something dead center and he finally got it. “Who Jenna?” His heart was racing in his chest as he awaited her answer.

None of this shit was making any sense. She wouldn’t talk unless he asked her the right questions, and how the fuck was he supposed to know what they were, if he didn’t know what the fuck was going on? He knew one thing. This senator Winthrop whoever she is was a target; if the circle with the hole over her heart that Jenna had drawn meant what he thought it did. He’d seen enough targets to know what the fuck that sign meant. The question was, how the fuck would an innocent like her know anything about it?

She didn’t answer his question, just went back to her game, as he tried to decipher the shit she’d written. The phone rang and he picked it up when she jumped. “It’s okay baby just the phone.” She looked at the phone like it was a snake about to strike and once again he got the feeling that he was missing something.

“Andros.”

“The girl or your grandfather. You got four hours.” The phone went dead.

He called gramps right away and got no answer. No way, there’s no fucking way they got the drop on gramps.

Jenna started rocking back and forth on his lap and he felt out of his depth for a split second.

He couldn’t fly off the handle the way he wanted to, because that would only scare her and she’d had enough for one fucking day.

He called Garrett and Jameson into the office and told them what was going on. The others were soon scattered around the room, as the men tried to figure out where the old man could be being held.

Even though he insisted on security for his heir, he himself was a solitary creature. So there was no one to call to find out how, where, or when. He’d already put the bead on Bonata’s usual hidey-holes but which one? If they strike the wrong one, it could mean life or death for the old man.

“Angel drive.” She was back to dishing out orders again. He’d almost forgotten that she was there, as they threw around ideas of what moves to make. He wasn’t about to sit around and wait on them to call back; because there was no way in fuck he was making the trade.

What they didn’t know, was that she was more than just someone he’d rescued like he’d done so many others. There was no way he was ever giving her up. And since gramps came in a close second, he guess they were pretty much all fucked.

“Drive where?” He hoped she wasn’t about to have another melt down if she didn’t get her way. But she just stood from her chair, gave him a look, and walked out of the room. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 12

The men followed him out of the room as he caught up to her. “Wait baby.” He let the guys walk out ahead of them, to be sure that the coast was clear, before shielding her under his arm as best he could. When they made it to the car, she sat next to him in the back, while Garrett and Jameson hopped in the front.

A lot of things happened at once. First she put her hair up. It wasn’t that she put it up; it’s the way she did it. Methodically and with precision, as if she’d done it a hundred times before. He took note of it, because he swore if she’d had a cap handy, she would’ve pulled it down to her brows and then don some shades or some shit. Maybe all this activity was making him loopy or some fuck, because he was seeing things.

His guys were scrambling because there hadn’t been time to prepare for their little impromptu drive. He found himself actually taking his cues from her. She didn’t seem to sense any danger, so he relaxed just a little, as he settled back in his seat.

What the fuck am I doing? He thought as he looked out the window? This was the dumbest fucking move he’d ever made. Still he couldn’t say no to her. Even if it means getting her killed you fuck? He fought his inner battle in silence as they pulled away from his home.

She started playing with her toy and he was thinking, ‘shit, we’re in the middle of a war, gramps is somewhere probably getting the shit kicked out of him, and she wants to take a ride so she can play her game’. It never crossed his mind that maybe she’d had one of those things before. He figured she just brought it to play with while he drove around in circles losing his fucking mind. It wasn’t safe to, he knew that, but there was something about the way she’d ordered him to drive that just sounded like his girl knew something. What the fuck that was, is left to be seen.

They took the tank because gramps had that thing tricked out with every security measure known to man. He figured if the fucks launched another rocket at their ass, at least they’d stand a better chance in this. The guys were on high alert because they didn’t know if the fucks were still around, or where the fuck they were. He had a car in front and two behind and still he’s thinking that’s not enough. He kept his hand on his piece under his jacket, out of her sight, just incase he had to pop one off en route.

“Where to boss?”

He almost snapped off Jameson’s head, but held himself back because she was there. How the fuck was he supposed to know? Wasn’t that ass there when she said ‘drive’? He was in the same boat as they were. He didn’t have a fucking clue. He did know that he’d lost his fucking mind coming out in the open like this, with eyes probably tracking their every move. Still, that something in her voice wasn’t to be ignored.

“Just drive around I guess.” Maybe she just wants to drive around after the scare and whatever else that was back there. He’ll get that out of the way and figure out what the fuck to do about gramps at the same time. She passed him her toy while he was deep in thought and he barely paid attention, until he noticed that instead of one of her games, there was a map on the screen. He stared at it as the words started to make sense as they registered. Again he got that feeling like someone walked over his grave, whatever the fuck that means.

“Gramps there.” She pointed at the screen even as she looked at him with intent in her eyes. In that moment she didn’t look like his sweet Jenna, she looked like she’d fuck him up if he didn’t do as she said.