e the easy fleecing he imagined, m

o clean out my dear step-brother

a real player. Someone who knows

a man slid into an em

le too flashily, with a smil

dly, "this is Silas Stone. You

all, smug nod a

, his voice smooth. "And a fish looking t

t, "he runs in some pretty heavy circles. Know

could say that. Big Tony Costello

efly. No flicker of rec

hustlers who dropped his na

own lips, quickly suppressed.

s. "See, Alex? You're

ds Silas. "Welcome to

rk, seemed to relax slightly at the mention of

ections was powe

emaining seats. O

enderson who knew my true connection to

ye, a silent q

eptible shake of my head. No

make my "no limit" cover for everyone seem les

clearly out of his depth, who had bee

re to join? On me. Any

n stammered, "Me? Si

easy. "Consider it a free le

ng up strays now, Al

ffer and perhaps the thrill of

cronies, the intrigued regular, the nervous tou

d

r began t