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“You’ll stay in the room,” Harry said. “It’s the safest place. I won’t leave you in the trailer when we’re a distance from it. Better that you be in the building.”
“While you two go and… what?”
“Count cards,” Daire said.
“Ares!”
“What am I going to do?” Tess asked. “Snitch on you? When you said money, I thought you meant we were going to meet one of your Six. Your benefactors.”
“Three is a third generation casino owner. His family got in on the ground floor.”
“So, wait,” she said, sitting up straight. “One of the people who funded Olympus is a Vegas millionaire?”
“Billionaire,” Daire said. “He inherited the role from his father. The family have mob connections and associates in the intelligence community.”
“You’re only encouraging her,” Harry muttered. “Best she doesn’t know too much.”
“I have a right to know,” Tess said. “This is my life. It’s been my life. I’m finally beginning to understand the mess of crap I was born into. God, what would’ve happened if I had kids of my own? What happens if I do? Am I supposed to run with them?”
“You won’t be able to trust any man who proposes marriage,” Harry said. “Not until we know Z is dead.”
“I don’t need to be married to have kids,” she said. “Shouldn’t have to tell you that, Harry. Were you married to my mom?” That question didn’t require an answer. “I have to know what is going on so I can make decisions about my future. What if I want to get married or have kids? I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”
“Your mother knew the danger,” Harry said.
“But she had me anyway,” Tess said.
“It was a different time then. You should know better than to be careless with men.”
She snorted a laugh. “Yeah, you’d think, wouldn’t you? Careless is the only way I can be with men, daddy,” she said, using the title as an insult. “Careless is the only way I can make sure they don’t get ideas they’ll spend more than a night with me.”
“Tess—”
“Mom was careless too. That was us, the careless duo. Grab a guy for one shot on the carousel, then it’s off to the next one.”
“Your mother knew how to protect herself. I’d hope you do too. Being caught out is too easy,” Harry said then added under his breath, “Believe me, I know.”
Glancing up, Tess found Daire’s eyes on her in the mirror again. It was one time. He didn’t have to think about it. Except… Tess could only know what was in his head if it was in hers too. It was no big deal. The back of her fingers slid up the inside of her arm toward the scar of her implant. They were protected… weren’t they?
THIRTY-ONE
TESS WASN’T EXACTLY uneasy for the rest of the journey. Her mind just wouldn’t settle. Still, they went through Harry’s steps, parking the Beast, climbing into the rental car that was waiting for them, and then into the hotel.
The casino was buzzing with people, lights, movement, smells, sounds; it was a mass of organized chaos. She got little chance to enjoy it though. Harry and Daire whisked her into an elevator and up to a standard room with two queen-size beds. There were three of them, but no one commented on that.
Sitting on the bed, flicking through the television channels, Tess wasn’t really watching anything. The men were moving around, getting ready for a night in The Strip’s hubbub. It wasn’t like she was jealous. Being in the mass of people would only send her head spinning. Still, it wasn’t nice to be sidelined without consultation.
A clean-shaven Harry came from the closet, his hair slicked back. She wouldn’t tell him, but he cleaned up nice.
“You are to stay in here,” he said, stopping at the end of the bed. “Do not leave this room. Not for any reason.”
“What if the building is on fire?” she said, looking past him at the TV screen.
“Stay here until Daire comes for you.”
Blinking up at him, she stopped flicking. “You’d send himup?Away from the exit?”
“He’s trained.”
