In the Devil's Playground, a Sinner always plays to win. NicoletteBack 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.

RoyceFrom 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.

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