Page 38 of Carnal Wagers

“We should be able to shake down the Health and Human Services secretary,” Brody said, nose buried in his screen. “She’s been meeting a man, not her husband, at a hotel in the Financial District every other week for the last four months. It’s too routine, foolish. Married, with three kids, and religious, she won’t want anyone to know. And the governor’s chief of staff has been skimming funds from budgetary allocations. Easy case of embezzlement. There also seems to be a discrepancy in registered employee numbers in some of the housing programs under the Office of Housing and Livable Communities. I’ll pick over the details tonight. I’m sending everything else over to you.”

On cue, my phone buzzed. I fished it out, nodding to my brother at all the right times, responding in all the right places, but somehow feeling like a ghost of my present self. I was bored, and that was a terrible thing for me to be.

“Good. Arthur,” I called up front.

“Aye, boss.”

“Get the details you need from Brody, and take Big Charlie with you to—”

My voice cut off as I caught onto a series of messages from an unknown number. The last message had been sent less than a minute ago.

Unknown

Did you miss me?

No, you don’t seem like the type.

But I’m going to change that. I’m going to make sure you never forget me.

How droll. I blocked the number, swiped the messages aside, and pulled up the data points Brody had reviewed and sent over. The same tedious blackmail rubbish. Necessary but as dull as dishwater. Nothing like going hunting for dealers with a bat down the streets of Chinatown. Now, that would get my blood pumping.

“Boss, you were saying?”

I opened my mouth to reply as my phone vibrated again. A new message thread popped up from a new number.

Unknown

Cillian O’Leary, you blocked me, didn’t you?

Bad boy. Don’t make me bring out my whip.

My brows rose. What the fuck? A low buzz filled my ears. Someone was trying to see how far they could push before I shoved my brass knuckles up their arse.

Lucky you, I guessed you might, so I got myself several numbers.

You’re not getting rid of me that easily.

Who is this?

Not even intrigued enough to guess?

If you know who I am, you should know better than to mess with me.

I sense a threat…I think I might like it.

I scoffed and almost tossed the phone into the spare seat between Brody and me, but there was a tenseness to my limbs that had been absent since we’d left the Colombians behind. A hum of anticipation spread through me, and my body perked up with intrigue. For once, I wasn’t floating aimlessly in deep waters. Instead, I reached for a surface so far away I wasn’t sure I’d get there, but I wanted to.

What do you want?

You, silly.

Distantly, I heard my name being called, but it was nothing but a garble of sound underwater compared to the pulse of blood in my ears, the thrill of the unknown, and the electrifying need to hunt and destroy.

Give me a name. Who are you?

How about I give you a few hints?

#1 We saw each other recently.