Page 21 of His Forbidden Alliance

I’d known she’d react like this, but I told myself to try anyway. “You said he wasn’t involved.”

“I don’t believe he is, but we’re not working with him or any of the rest of his family.”

“If he helps me, we could potentially bring this to a conclusion much faster.”

“One, we don’t even know this tip about the casino is solid. There might not be anyone there connected to Ivanov. Two, we don’t know this connection is going to lead us to Ivanov himself, and three, we don’t work with the mafia.”

“We have before. When it was necessary.”

Maria let out a long breath. “Not this time. This is a separate investigation; it doesn’t need to involve the Theriots. I told you that from the beginning.”

“They’re mixed up in it everywhere.”

“I don’t have authorization⁠—”

“Put the blame on me. I went rogue. I brought them in on my own.”

“No, Zach. Not on this one. We need this by the book. We need there to be no chance anything we’ve done could be called into question.”

I stopped moving and stared out the window into the dark. “There’s no reason I can’t work with anyone I want when I’m undercover. I’m not going to compromise any evidence. I’m⁠—”

“I said no, Zachary.”

“Wow, full naming me.” She wasn’t just against my idea; she was pissed I’d suggested it. “This isn’t a joke. This is one of the most serious cases you’ve ever worked on.”

“Don’t you think I fucking know that? I want to end this.”

“Then go do your job.”

Didn’t she understand I was trying to? Couldn’t she trust me?

“For once in your life, fucking listen to me.” She sounded exhausted, and I almost felt sorry for her.

“Fine. I’ll try in your way, but if⁠—”

“I’ve got to go. The director’s office is on the other line.”

“Good luck with that.”

I sighed as she ended the call. Maria was a good woman, a good agent. If I’ve been under a different SAC for the last few years, I would probably have been fired long before now. But she was still fucking stubborn. I needed her to listen to me.

You know the idea is crazy. She’s only trying to save you from yourself.

Was it? Had I really gone off the deep end this time? Maybe. But no one else had made any headway on this case.

For now, I was going to do what Maria said and keep looking for more ties between the casino and Ivanov’s operation. At next week’s game, I’d have my eye on my suspect, Andretti, the slick guy who’d come in last wearing a pinstripe suit. In the meantime, it wouldn’t hurt to go back to Casino Fortuna and play a game or two of low-stakes blackjack or fuck around at roulette. There was no telling what I might overhear.

I’d let myself be seen and keep an eye on the room. Logic said the infiltrator was likely a high roller. Realistically, it could be anyone.

After losing some money at a roulette table, then winning a few hands of blackjack, I got a drink and sat at the bar, sipping it slowly. I was disappointed in how mundane the evening seemed until I noticed Andretti slipping through the door from the back of the casino. Tonight, he was dressed all in black.

What had he been doing back there? Was there another backroom game he was involved in? I saw one of the guards frown when he stepped through the door, but he didn’t try to stop Andretti.

I left some money on the bar, slid from my stool, and crossed the room. I didn’t want Andretti to see me, but I needed to keep an eye on him. My instincts told me he was up to something. He was also coked up enough he was practically vibrating. He moved around the tables restlessly, constantly checking over his shoulder.

When he stopped moving, I knew he’d seen something that interested him. I followed his line of sight and saw Rafael. He couldn’t have been in the room long. I was sure I would’ve sensed him if he had. He looked incredible in dark suit pants and a white button-down rolled up to show off his forearms.

He was talking to a few men at a blackjack table. I made sure Andretti hadn’t moved. He stood in the same place, though he was twitching and tapping his foot. Convinced I wasn’t going to lose him, I indulged myself, watching Rafe as he slapped a man on the back, then circled the table to speak to someone else. He leaned over and whispered something to the dealer before turning toward the exit.