Page 18 of Unruly Hearts

Morris's eyes narrow. "You want to wear a wire?"

"He'll confess," Serenity insists. "He's cocky when he's winning. And with the evidence we have..."

"It's too dangerous." I grip her hand. "Let me do it alone."

"We're partners," she reminds me. Then to Morris: "We know his operation. The games, the schedule, everything. One night is all we need."

Morris studies us for a long moment. "You'll both wear wires. And we'll have teams in place." He fixes me with a stern look. "No heroics. Get the confession and get out."

On the drive home, Serenity grips the steering wheel. "Will it work?"

I feel her fear, but also her strength. "Has to."

The night comes too fast. She emerges from the bedroom in a black dress that makes my mouth go dry. I am filled with a possessive need—to protect her, to run her far from here, to keep her safe.

But her chin is set, her eyes determined. "Ready?" she asks.

"No." The word tastes bad. "But we go anyway."

***

We head to one of Ethan's casinos, the Starlight Palace. The lights hurt my eyes—blue and purple everywhere. Gold on the doors. Lots of humans are going inside, hoping to win.

My friends who gamble told me about a special game tonight. Big money. Ethan always plays these games. He owns the place but can't stay away when the bets get high. My friend says he's playing tonight.

I show them the money and they let us in fast. Easy to get in the special card game.

The room hits my nose hard—smoke, whiskey, humans who lost too much. Everyone stares when we walk in. Can't blame them—I'm a big orc squeezed into human clothes. Serenity looks perfect next to me, with her pretty blonde hair and tight black dress.

"Well, well." That voice makes me want to fight. "Look who's here."

Ethan walks up. His eyes crawl over Serenity like something dirty. My hands want to crush him. But Serenity touches my arm, so I stay still.

"Heard about a game." I try to sound calm. "Unless you're scared to play cards with an orc."

His eyes get small. "Costs fifty thousand to play."

I toss Talon's savings on the table—my brother's trust made tangible. "Deal me in."

The first hours are a dance. I lose small, win smaller, all while watching Ethan get looser with each drink. His tells become more obvious — the way he taps his fingers when bluffing, how he leans back with strong hands.

Serenity brings drinks around. I watch Ethan watch her. His eyes get angry when he looks at her.

"Remember that last hike with your folks?" Ethan says during a shuffle. The whiskey makes his words sloppy. "Good climbing stuff matters. One bad rope..." He waves his hand down, like something falling.

Serenity's hand trembles slightly as she sets down his whiskey. "Mom always checked everything three times."

"Didn't help much in the end, did it?" He laughs, too loud. "Sometimes things just... fail."

Ethan motions to his staff, and they bring him a yellow envelope. He tosses it on the table. "Deed to the wildlife center." His smile is pure poison. "Worth millions to developers."

My body goes cold. I look at Serenity. Her face is white.

"That's not yours," she says with steel in her voice.

"Actually, it is. Your daddy signed it over right before he died."

She goes pale. I grip her hand under the table, pouring strength through our bond.