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I take a deep breath and psych myself up as I walk across the street with the rest of the well-dressed crowd at the crosswalk. Is this dangerous? Yes, extremely. Operating alone means theteamI once was part of could find me and hurt me for running hacks in this area. The casino people could hurt me if they figure out what I'm up to and I have no backup.
I'm in a tight spot, but the good news is that I'm great at getting out of those.
I can do this.
This is for Evie, and I'll always do whatever it takes to ensure she has what she needs. Eventually, I'll find a way to get a real income and give her everything she needs in life to succeed, but until then, I'll just do what it takes to keep the world from burning down around my precious little angel.
Walking into the Golden Flame is disconcerting. It looks so much like it did that day—the same rich vibe, chandeliers, clinking glasses, and flashing lights. And the smell, of course. The sweetest in Las Vegas, fresh and crisp. It's a slap in the face as if I never left. I promptly ignore it as I amble behind a group of laughing couples towards the slot machines.
I almost stop in my tracks when I see the exact same old man from that day, pulling a machine repeatedly and grumbling to himself. His hair is far thinner, and his suit is a different shade, but it's absolutely the same guy.
He glances over at me, noticing my stare. "Honey, either pick a machine or move along. This ain't a peep show, so there's no need to stare."
I laugh nervously. "Right. You're right. I'll just…pick a machine. Super easy."
I sit down at a machine like I have so many hundreds of times before, but my eyes are scouting the area. The Golden Flame Casino has clearly updated security over the last two years, and it had already been formidable before. There are more cameras. More slot attendants. More eyes and ears and people and—God, I'm panicking.
I can't afford to start slipping tonight. This is just a one-time hack when I really need it, nothing more or less. I need to keep my head on straight.
I fall easily into my usual pattern, chatting with anyone passing by to make it seem I'm completely relaxed, even while I subtly get my device in place. I programmed it for smaller wins tonight than usual, making the odds less in my favor than last time. Last time I took nearly twenty thousand, and all of it went into the pocket of the Wild Seven.
This time, I'll settle for just a few thousand, the amount I calculated we needed before coming out here tonight. That will be enough to make ends barely meet for another two months, and that way, I won't be drawing any attention.
My nerves steady, the tally goes up on the machine, and everything seems to be going well—until it's time to get the device out of the machine. I reach for it carefully, glancing around, but then I make solid eye contact with the biggest, burliest security guard I've ever seen. There's no way he isn't mafia, and he just saw me slipping my device back into my purse.
"Hey! Stop!"
He's pretty far across the room, but I still hear him loud and clear over the music and crowd.
Shit.
I bolt. I've blown it, and there's no way to cash out now. I just need to escape this alive and take a road trip to Reno to get the money we desperately need.
I rush through the casino as quickly as I can without full-on running since I'm trying to avoid the attention of more security. Unfortunately, that doesn't work because they're all tuned in to the earpieces, and I can hear the security guard after me shouting into his, telling them where I am and that I need to be stopped.
I can see security moving towards the front doors, so I veer into the crowd of people, recalling the map of this place I'd double-checked before coming here tonight. There should be an emergency fire exit in this direction, and if I can just get there—
"Oof!" I grunt as I slam into a solid chest.
A solid, suited, broad chest…connected to the last person I wanted to see.
Domenic Caputo.
He looks every bit as devastatingly handsome as he did that night, his dark hair styled back and tattoos creeping out of the collar of his fine suit. Penetrating dark eyes the same shade as Evie's bore down into me, and I almost jumped out of my skin when his hands gingerly grasped my waist to steady me on my feet after I ran into him so hard.
He still emanates power and raw attraction. But this time, my pulse spikes with fear.
Oh, God.I should have never come back here.
Chapter 4
Domenic
Recognition floods me an instant before surprise does. Of course, I'm also begrudgingly impressed. Only right this moment do I realize just how clever my little hacker was on that night I think about so often.
At the time, I'd didn't bat an eye at her pink hair, but it's clear now that she was in disguise that night. Now, she doesn't appear to be. Her eyes, without contact lenses, are a soft blue, fringed by long lashes. Blond hair gleaming in the casino lights frames her face, freckled by those few memorable freckles mostly on one cheek. She looks flushed and tense, almost…scared. I can tell she's hoping I don't recognize her.
Unfortunately for Loren, I would recognize her face anywhere, makeup and disguises be damned. I'd seen the woman slipping quickly through the crowd of my casino and stepped in front of her without hesitation, and now I'm glad I was the one who stopped her instead of one of my men.
