She had dealt him a pocket pair of deuces, and when she raised, he re-raised. To her credit, she didn’t flinch or even send him a questioning glance. The lawyer called, and she followed suit.
She laid out the flop, three cards face up on the table. His hand didn’t improve any, but he hadn’t wanted or expected it to. He fired five thousand dollars into the pot, which only seemed to light a competitive fire under the lawyer, because he called instantly.
This time Sadie sent Jake a smile, but her eyes had narrowed slightly. He’d barely begun and already she was onto him.
Jake stayed in all the way to the river, padding the pot to the tune of twelve grand, before finally folding. As he’d expected, Sadie won that hand with a set of queens, handily besting the lawyer’s two pair. Hannigan wasn’t in that hand, so he cheered her on and congratulated her when she raked in the pot.
She won three more hands by pure luck, even when the deal was no longer hers, and Jake made sure he was contributing to her collection with each hand. Slowly but surely, she began to amass a growing pile of chips as the drinks continued to flow.
“Jake, would you be so kind as to retrieve my purse?” Sadie asked, her gaze locking with his for a brief moment. It was a little earlier than he’d expected, but she was probably anxious to stop taking his money. “I’d like to powder my nose and seem to have forgotten it in the car.”
He’d known it was coming, but his gut clenched at her words and for some inane reason, it was on the tip of his tongue to ask her to join him. Or tell her that he recalled seeing it in the foyer of her house when he’d picked her up. Something about leaving her here in the lion’s den, even for a few minutes, didn’t sit well with him.
She noted his hesitance and shot him a pointed look. He was being silly. Things were going exactly according to plan…or, his plan, at least. Everyone was mellow, the men were tipsy and it seemed like the perfect time to step away and take care of business.
In fact, things were going so well, if they stayed on pace, it wouldn’t be long before he could get Sadie out of there and back into his arms.
Yep, another hour, maybe less, and they’d be home free…
“Kings full?” Hannigan shook his head and tossed his losing hand in the muck. “Take it down. You’re on fire tonight, Countess.”
Although his words sounded jovial enough, his smile was a little tighter than before and Sadie made a mental note to fold the next few hands.
“The card gods are smiling on me today.” She pushed back her chair and stood. “Now, I’m about to make my infamously delicious Rusty Nail. Would anyone like one?”
At the chorus of affirmatives, she made her way over to the wet bar and began lining up fresh glasses, blocking out the male chatter behind her.
Last she’d taken a quick mental count, she’d estimated about sixty-five thousand dollars in chips sitting in front of her. She could barely contain her relief. That would pay the rent for a year and leave her enough cash leftover to keep a good chunk in the bank in case Clarissa’s health took a turn. Maybe they could take some cooking classes together or she could enroll her sister in some college courses in the fall. The future was wide open, and the ember of hope that had been burning in her heart bloomed to a full-fledged flame.
They were actually going to be okay. Great, even, and who knew? This time next year, Clarissa could be back at home and cancer-free and she could have a career that she didn’t have to hide from the world.
And maybe even someone to share her happiness with…
She shoved that thought away as she measured out some Drambuie into each glass. Even if things went off without a hitch, Jake’s work wasn’t done.
He had one goal in life, and he hadn’t accomplished it yet. Odds were, after tonight, he’d be back at it with the same single-minded determination that he’d had for the past seven years. She had to start preparing mentally, or his pulling away was going to knock her flat on her ass just when she was starting to feel like happiness was on the horizon.
“Hey there.”
Alistair’s voice sounded in her ear and she froze as an icy trickle of dread ran through her.
“Hello,” she murmured, shooting him a quick smile over her shoulder before turning back to face the bar. “Did you come to lend a hand? I’m almost done, so if you wait one second you can take over these three and I’ll get the rest.”
She was rambling. She knew it, but he was so close that his hot, whiskey-meets-garlic breath washed over her neck and she could barely suppress her revulsion. She needed to focus on the positive. If Alistair was here and engaged with her that meant that the coast was clear for Jake to take care of business.
“I can be your errand boy, if you like,” Hannigan agreed. “As long as I get to stay and watch you work.”
She plucked the top off the ice bucket and scooped a few cubes into each glass. “I appreciate it.”
"You know, you really do look fantastic in that skirt."
"Thank you," she said, swallowing hard. The other men were talking sports in the background and were clearly unaware of the exchange between the two of them. She wet her dry lips and tried to think of something else to busy her hands with. She didn’t want to turn around, but Alistair didn't give her an option. He gripped her hip and spun her to face him.
"I know you came here with Callahan, but I see the way you look at me,” his voice was a near whisper as he leaned into her. “He and I, we're acquaintances, not friends. If you left here tonight with him and then came back later..."
"Oh, I'm not certain-”
She broke off with a gasp, because suddenly his face went red and his hands were everywhere. One on her ass, yanking her close until she could feel his erection grinding into her, the other anchoring her by the back of the head as his face dipped low, thin, dry lips coming down toward hers.
"What is that?" he asked, his bleary blue eyes growing sharper by the second.
Her stomach flipped over as she realized that he’d felt it. The card she’d slipped beneath the waistband of her Catwoman underwear.
She pushed at his chest and took a step back, but it was too late. He was grappling under the hem of her shirt, pawing at her skirt.
"Countess Van Bergen of Bavaria," he growled as he held up the ace of spades between two fingers. "A fucking cheating slut, yes?" His eyes were like two slits now, snakelike and dead, but his smile was what chilled her to the core.
Her whole body started to tremble as he roughly grabbed her upper arm and squeezed.
“And I imagine you’re nobody’s Countess, right? You played me well, slut. Can’t call the cops, but it seems like some payback is in order here.” He ran a finger over the neckline of her blouse, and she knew the time had come to make a move, but before she could decide whether to gouge his eyes or try for his balls, a low voice sounded from across the room.
"Let her go, Hannigan."
Jake.
As quietly as he’d spoken, his words carried like a gunshot, and the room went silent as the men at the table finally realized something was amiss.
Relief warred with terror as she turned toward the doorway to see Jake standing there with her purse in hand, his face a mask of barely controlled fury.
Jesus Christ, he was going to blow it. This was so not part of the plan. He was supposed to be just as outraged as Hannigan. If he just gave her a chance, she could talk her way out of it.
"Let her go?” Alistair spat, the grip on her arm only getting tighter. “She was cheating us all.” He held up the card for Jake to see, but Jake didn’t so much as blink.
Blood pounded in her ears as her mind raced, searching desperately for something she could say or do that would jar Jake back to reality and do as they agreed...
“I’m sorry, Mr. Callahan. I shouldn’t have used your kind invitation so callously. I’ve run into some financial troubles and…please.” She let the very real tears threatening fill her eyes as she thought of the very real possibility that Jake could los
e all the ground he’d worked so hard for because of her. “All of you. Just take your money back. You can even keep my stake. I’ll go quietly and you can-”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Alistair said.
“If you don’t take your hands off her, I will break your fucking jaw,” Jake murmured, so quietly she had to strain to hear him.
Alistair’s face went momentarily slack with shock as he stared at Jake.
"Are you in on this? You and this whore think you can steal from me? Or are you just pussy-whipped?" He tossed the card on the floor and grabbed her by the hair, wrenching her head back to hiss into her face, spittle flying as he did. "Nobody steals from Alistair Hannigan."
One second, she was imprisoned and wincing with pain, the next she was free, staring in shock as Alistair went down like he'd been shot between the eyes by an unseen sniper.
There was no gunman, though.
Just Jake, standing over the other man, fist cocked, eyes blazing silver fury.
"We’ve got to go," she whispered, crossing her arms over her stomach to quell the rising nausea. “We’ve got to go, right now.” He was quaking with rage, and while she was relieved to be freed, she could tell that the ramifications hadn't dawned on him yet.
It was over. She had just cost him the phony investment deal and any future chance of getting the inside track again. He’d made Hannigan his enemy tonight after working for years to become his friend, and it was her fault. If his plan to collect intel through Hannigan’s computer failed, he would have literally nothing.
Saliva pooled in her mouth as her stomach lurched. He would hate her for this, and she didn’t blame him one bit.
The four men at the table that had been watching the drama unfold in confusion finally pushed their chairs back and were heading into the fray when she stepped over Alistair’s prone figure and grabbed Jake's arm.
"Come on." She tugged, but he was like a brick wall, tense and straining the opposite way, obviously still debating whether he was done with Alistair, who peered up at him blearily, barely conscious. "It's not worth it. I'm fine, let's go."
"I'll have my ear to the ground,” Jake muttered, “and if I hear that you ever put your hand on a woman like that again, I'll find you, you squirrely son of a bitch. And I will kill you.”
Then he let her lead him away. The condition Jake had left Alistair in with only one punch and the fact that they didn’t even make an attempt to collect any of their money was obviously enough of an incentive that the other men let them leave unimpeded. By the time they got into Jake’s car, she was trembling from head to toe, the dump of adrenaline finally fading, leaving behind shock and fear.
"I’m sorry. I- I don't know what happened. I didn't even realize he'd come up behind me." She turned in the seat and stared at his unyielding profile. He hadn't said a word since they'd left the poker room and she couldn't take the stony silence anymore. "Jake, I'm so sorry."
"Stop, all right?" His tone was curt, but not cruel as he pulled the car onto the street. "It wasn't your fault. He's a cock-sucking snake. An immoral, woman-hating bastard. I shouldn't have let you get involved in this from the start. That was my mistake, not yours. If I thought there was any other way to talk you out of coming tonight, I would have."
"I all but blackmailed you into letting me come with you,” she murmured miserably. “Then, I wasn’t able to keep the card hidden. How could that possibly be your fault?"
"Because I've always done this alone.” His knuckles went bone-white as he gripped the wheel tighter. “It's taken me years to get this close, and I was stupid to bring someone else into the mix. This was all a huge mistake."
And there it was.
She sucked in a breath at the ice pick-stab of pain to her heart. She couldn't blame him one bit, considering the outcome, but it still killed her to know he probably wished he’d never laid eyes on her.
She squeezed her eyes closed to blink back the sudden rush of tears. Another half hour before they got to her apartment. What awful things must he be thinking of her right now?
And the worst part was, she deserved every one of them.
20
What a selfish prick.
He'd been so focused on his all-consuming revenge scheme that he had put her in harm’s way and had gotten her manhandled and threatened with rape, or something close to it.
Fresh rage poured through him, heating his blood anew and he resisted the urge to look at her. She would see his feelings. They were written all over his face, and she had enough to deal with right now. This ill-conceived plan had not only cost her emotionally, but the money she'd been counting on for Clarissa was gone, left on the table back at Alistair’s. Months of work on her part that had kept her from doing other jobs to make ends meet, and nothing to show for it.
"About the money," he said, breaking the silence between them.
"I know. I cost you twenty-five thousand dollars back there," she murmured miserably.
He glanced her way and was shocked by the broken expression on her face. "I don’t mean the money I left behind. I meant your money."
"Considering what else was lost tonight, that was the least of it."
His stomach clenched. He wasn’t ready to talk about that part yet. She seemed so lost and sad.
“I don’t agree. But let’s not talk about it right now. We can figure out what to do about that once we’ve both had time to calm down a bit, okay? Why don’t you lie back for a while and try to rest? I just…I need to think.”
She nodded listlessly and dropped her head back against the seat. For the remainder of the drive, they were silent. He’d spent the first half of it trying to erase the image of Hannigan yanking Sadie’s hair, and the second half lost in thought about where to go from here. By the time they pulled up to her apartment building, he still had no answers.
Sadie stirred and laid a hand on the door handle. “So what now?"
He shook his head slowly, wishing he could reassure her more, but feeling raw and out of sorts himself. "I don't know. But I know I can’t stomach the thought of leaving you alone tonight. Can I come in?”
She stared at him through wide-set dark eyes and nodded slowly. “Are you sure you want to?”
Things had gone so far off the rails, and he was as confused as hell, but one thing he knew for sure.
“I am.”
He didn’t know what he’d expected, but when they walked through her apartment door a few minutes later, he stopped short. Riding up the rickety elevator and walking down the dingy hallway had him wishing he could scoop her up and carry her back to his car. Bring her to his place and draw her a hot bath. She’d seen enough ugliness for one day, and the building was just another depressing reminder of how dire her circumstances were.
When he peered through the door, though, he was taken aback. It was tiny but it was spotless and, at first glance, looked like something out of a magazine. Modern, espresso-colored furnishings set against freshly-painted robin’s egg blue walls that were dotted with brightly-colored artwork. Flowers and plants sat in squat little pots, adding a feeling of warmth and life to the place. All in all, it looked like a very nice, if somewhat cramped, living space.
It was only after closer inspection that he realized it was all a series of clever illusions. The paintings were strategically placed to draw attention from the cracks in the walls. The couch legs were similar but mismatched, and every other piece of furniture had a ding or dent in it somewhere. Sadie had done an amazing job making lemon cakes out of lemons, but there was no question she was living hand to mouth.
And he hated it.
“Want something to drink?” she asked, tossing her purse onto the coffee table as she turned to face him. “I think I could use a glass of wine.”
He nodded. “Me too. You’ve done a really nice job with the apartment. Looks good.”
For a split second, the despair that seemed to wrap around her like a cloak faded for a second and she smiled at him. “You think?”
She looked around, and nodded slowly. “It took a while to get all the pieces but it was really fun. I love going to flea markets and bargaining with the vendors and finding beautiful furniture that just needs some love to bring it back to life.”
His chest swelled with something sweet as he listened to her talk. “I know the feeling. In my old life, I used to make cabinets. Nothing like the feeling of seeing a plain piece of wood turn into something amazing. Makes you feel…satisfied.”
When had he last felt that way?
“You miss it,” she said simply, her keen eyes probing his face.
It wasn’t a question, so he didn’t bother to respond. The fact was, it didn’t matter whether he missed it or not. He had a mission to complete. Every extra day he spent trying to complete it was another that his father remained unavenged. Before he’d met Sadie, that very thing had been the force that drove him. The first thing he thought of when he woke up and the last thing he thought of when he lay his head down at night.
But now…
The smile on her face faded under his intense scrutiny and the pain returned to her face. “I’m sorry, Jake. I know it doesn’t count for much, but I need you to believe that I would do anything to change what happened ton-”
“Shh.” He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. “All I want right now is to be with you. Lay next to you and smell your hair, feel your skin against mine.”
She opened her mouth like she wanted to say more but then shut it with a snap and nodded. He bent low and kissed her gently, and she responded in kind, molding her body to his. She slipped her tongue between his lips, taking the kiss deeper and sending a bolt of need straight through him.
She stepped back and held his gaze before reaching for the hem of her shirt. She tugged it over her head and tossed it aside. Good Christ, there had never been a more perfect view in the history of time than the one he had right now. No bra, in just her skirt and heels. He'd thought it was hot to see her bent over his sofa, but it was nothing compared to the way her beautiful pink nipples pouted at him, begging for his mouth.
The Family Jewels Page 17
