Page 17 of Hard Bargain

The reaction made no sense.

He shut it down at once.

“Anything that stands out to you. It doesn’t have to make sense. Just pay attention and remember,” he said.

Knox nodded slowly.

Dominic forced his attention elsewhere, checking the exits, dealer rotations, surveillance coverage. Anything but the increasingly inconvenient pull of a boy who should have been irrelevant.

He moved through the casino at an unhurried pace, Knox trailing at his side. When they reached the far end of the bar, Dominic leaned toward Knox. “Watch. Listen. Don’t get distracted. You’ll report in two hours.”

Knox shot him a look at that, but Dominic ignored it. The next hours were a study in tension as Dominic handled business: checking in with managers, speaking with the bar staff, and greeting regulars.

All the while, despite repeated efforts not to, part of his attention remained fixed on Knox. The boy moved differently than most people. He was visibly tense, but not overwhelmed. His gaze moved constantly, quick and alert, never settling in one place for long. Dominic noticed the way he tracked people, his focus sharpening whenever voices lowered or glances got secretive. He seemed to be filing away every interaction as if he was building a map no one else could see.

By the time the two hours were up, curiosity had taken hold. He pulled Knox into a quiet corner near the VIP lounge, away from the noise and eyes. “Tell me.”

Knox didn’t hesitate. “Your floor manager is nervous. He keeps glancing around with a worried look. One of your bartenders is lying about her shift. She told two people she was covering for different reasons. A man near roulette keeps hovering without playing—he’s watching purses. And one of your security guards is distracted by a cocktail waitress.”

A breath.

“Oh, and the woman at the poker table is cheating on her husband with the man beside her. Neither of them realizes they’re being obvious.”

Dominic felt a flash of genuine surprise. “You caught all that?”

Knox shrugged. “You told me to pay attention.”

Dominic smiled. “Impressive. Your talents are wasted at that gas station.”

A flush rose across Knox’s cheeks, and Dominic had to look away, forcing himself back to business. “One more thing,” he said.

Knox straightened.

Dominic tilted his head. “See the guy near the bathrooms?”

“Yes,” he said.

“You’re going to collect a package from him. I’ll text you an address. You’ll deliver it there.”

Knox’s brow creased. “I don’t have a car.”

Dominic’s mouth curved. “You won’t need one. Just get it done.”

Uncertainty flickered across Knox’s face before he forced it down. “Okay. Got it.”

Dominic stepped closer, lowering his voice. “If you run, you won’t get far. But if you do this right, you prove I can trust you.”

Knox nodded, the uncertainty impossible to miss.

“Go,” Dominic said.

Chapter 6

Knox

He could feel Dominic’s eyes on him as he stepped away from the quiet corner and into the pulse of the casino floor. Every time he thought about turning around, he felt the weight of Dominic’s stare on his back. It sat between his shoulder blades like a physical thing, urging him forward whether he wanted it to or not.

He forced himself to walk like he belonged here, threading through the crowd with more confidence than he felt, passing cocktail servers balancing trays and men clustered around blackjack tables. He told himself to breathe and keep his head down.