Nicolette

Back in Springfield for the first time in years, I needed money, and I needed it fast.

When my job as a hostess at the local Italian place wasn't going to earn me enough to cut it, I did the one thing I promised I would never do: I got involved with one of the syndicates that rule the seedy city.

Considering I'm trying to avoid anyone with ties to the Libellula Family, I head to the West Side, and hope like hell the Sinners Syndicate will give me a chance.

The Devil's Playground isn't my first choice, but what else can I do? I make it clear that I'm only interested in serving drinks... until some big shot gambler offers me ten grand for one night.

I take him up on it-only to have him wager his night with me to another guy... and lose.

Now I'm expected to honor my deal with the Syndicate's underboss, and the charming bastard who hired me for this job in the first place... while also hiding any ties I have to his enemies.

Royce

From the moment Nicolette walked into the Playground, I wanted her-but then I brought her on as one of our girls, and she was suddenly off-limits.

I learned the hard way: work and pleasure don't mix. If I'd met her anywhere else, I might've taken a shot at the waitress, but she needed the job more than she needed a boyfriend, so I backed off.

And, okay, that's a damn lie. I didn't pursue her, but hell if I didn't take a page out of Devil's book and start watching over Nic from the shadows...

I would have left it at that, though, until one of the Playground's more well-known wallets set his eyes on my girl.

They don't call me "Rolls" for nothing. I played him for the night she agreed to, telling myself that I was just saving her from what the sick and twisted customer wanted to do to her.

Then I get my first taste of Nicolette, and I realize that one night will never be enough... and I'll stop anyone who tries to take her from me.

*The Devil's Playground is the second book in the Deal with the Devil series, a collection of interconnected standalones set in the fictional crime hotspot of Springfield. It tells the story of "Rolls" Royce and the one woman he'll do anything to save, Nicolette Williams.