by L. P. Dover
He mimicked my movement and stared at me. “I get it. In a way, I think we’ve all been fucked over one way or another.”
“What’s your story?” I asked.
He shook his head. “You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine.”
“Maybe someday. Right now, I’m going to bed.” Standing, I started for my room and then turned, his eyes following me. “And there’s not going to be a sock on my door so don’t even bother waiting for it.”
He chuckled and got to his feet. “Sweet dreams, firecracker.”
The next morning, I woke up earlier than Jason and ordered breakfast. I didn’t want to wake him so I ate and studied the suspects’ files. All of the men were wealthy business owners of sorts; powerful men. One of them was obviously paying off the media. After eating breakfast, I slipped on my bikini and slid my clothes over it. If Jason was going to sleep all day, I wanted to at least enjoy the free time to clear my mind. I could always think better outside. Grabbing the sunglasses out of my bag, I slid them on top of my head and wrote Jason a note saying I was at the pool.
By the time I got down there, it was still early enough to where there weren’t that many people. I grabbed a water from the bar, took off my shirt and shorts, and laid out by the pool.
“Would you like a cocktail?”
I looked up at the waiter and smiled. “Oh dear God, no. It’s too early for me to drink.”
With a devilish grin, his white teeth stood out from his tanned skin. “It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?”
“True, but I’ll pass. Maybe in a couple of hours.”
“I’ll be back later then. Enjoy your morning.” He strolled off and started flirting with a couple of older women who just ate him up like a doughnut.
Sitting back in my chair I watched as gradually more people congregated around the pool. I loved to read, but people watching was always better. One thing the bureau loved about me was that I didn’t look the part. I may be a red-haired and pale-skinned Irish girl, but I could kick some serious ass. Many people have gone up against me and failed miserably.
After a couple of hours of keeping to myself underneath the large umbrella, I spotted a group of young men with their plaid shorts and boat shoes. Frat boys by the looks of them. They sat across the pool from me, but I could see them staring. It wasn’t long before one of them got up and walked over.
“Excuse me,” he said.
I slid my glasses on top of my head. “What can I do for you?”
“Well, um, I have a question.”
I had a feeling it was going to be one I didn’t want to answer. “Okay, shoot.”
He licked his lips and looked back at his friends who all waited on the edge of their seats. “My friends want to know if your hair is as red down there as it is on top of your head.” The poor boy looked uncomfortable as hell and I was about to make it worse.
“Down where? I don’t understand,” I said, acting innocent.
Hesitating, I could see the sweat beading on his brow. It took all I had not to laugh and punch him at the same time. Moving a step closer, he sat down on the edge of the seat, turning his back to his friends. “Please just smack me and get it over with. It’s part of my initiation.”
“You are a frat boy. So tell me, what happens if I don’t smack you?”
“I lose points.”
“And you honestly think saying shit like this to women is worth it? What if I was your mother someone was doing this to?”
“Hey, honey,” a voice called from behind me.
I turned around as Jason planted his lips on mine. He nipped my bottom lip, and I gasped. Pulling away, I saw he was dressed in a white T-shirt and khaki shorts, his tattoos showing through the fabric. The frat guy’s face turned pale and he started to leave, but Jason grabbed him by the neck.
“Not so fast, shithead. What’s this I hear about finding out the color to what?”
“It was just a joke,” the guy whimpered.
“Just a joke my ass. Which one of your fucktard friends put you up to this?”
“Th—the one in the pink and gray striped shorts.”
Jason glared over at the guys and they all froze. It took all I had not to laugh. “What is it with you pansies wearing pink?”
I thought Jason would let him go, but instead, he tossed him into the pool and stalked straight over to the guys who tried to get away. They weren’t fast enough. Jason grabbed the guy in the pink shorts – wedgie style – and lifted him in the air. The guy cried out while his friends stood there and laughed. Jason threw him as hard as he could into the pool and he belly flopped into the water.
Crossing my arms, I watched as Jason strolled back over to me with a million watt smile on his face. “That felt so damn good.”
“I could’ve taken care of it myself.”
Leaning down, he grabbed my water and handed it to me. “I have no doubt, but I came down here to get you. We have to go.”
“Well, damn. I thought you were coming to hang out and get some sun.”
He looked around at all the people at the pool. “I’d prefer not having people stare at me.”
“Conceited much?” I mentioned, getting to my feet.
His smile faded. “If only it were that simple. Actually, Ryan called. Another girl’s gone missing. He wants us at the station.”
Nodding quickly, I threw on my T-shirt and shorts and was ready to go.
“This one’s different,” I stated, looking down at the picture. It’s a woman in her early-thirties who was celebrating a weekend with her girlfriends.
Ryan nodded. “Since she isn’t a hooker, I don’t know if we’re looking for the same suspect or not. All her friends said she was meeting someone at the Bellagio. They don’t know who or what he looks like. Phone calls aren’t going through and until she’s gone for a full twenty-four hours, there’s nothing we can do.”
“Do you want to go to the Bellagio tonight and take a look around?” Jason asked.
I nodded. “Maybe we’ll finally have some luck tonight.”
Closing the file, Ryan sat back in his chair. “It looks like you two are getting along better.”
“Don’t get too carried away. It’s only because he lost a bet and his ego’s sore,” I said.
Ryan shrugged. “Either way, we need to get this shit figured out soon.”
Jason regarded him, his expression serious. “We’ll figure it out, Chief. Like you, we don’t want to lose anyone else. It wouldn’t be so bad if we could get close to the cocksuckers.”
“I understand. But I have faith you will.”
The way back to the hotel was silent. I could see the wheels in Jason’s head turning. “What are you thinking about?”
Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair. “Honestly, I feel like a goddamned failure. It’s never taken me this long to solve a case. The longest has been a couple of weeks, tops.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Not every case can be solved at the drop of a hat.”
“What about you? What’s your longest?”
“Three weeks. And it was the worst three weeks of my life.”
“Why is that?”
Closing my eyes, the memories flashed, replaying like a vivid dream. “It was personal. The suspects had taken something away from me. And when I found them, I took something away from them.” My eyes burned and I could feel the moisture welling behind my closed lids.
“What?” he asked.
Looking over at him, I couldn’t stop the dreaded tear from falling down my cheek. “Their lives.”
“I have a good feeling about tonight,” Jason insisted.
He hadn’t mentioned anything about what we talked about on the ride home, and I was very grateful. I needed to make sure my head was in the game and not in that dark place. “Good. Maybe that means we’ll find the bastards we’re looking for.”
“We will,” he said, his reflection appearing in the mirror. He looked at me, his lips tilting up into a lazy smil
e. “You look beautiful.”
I glanced at myself in the mirror. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Avery.”
He shrugged. “Just speaking the truth.”
“No sense on wasting your game when no one here cares for it.”
“Can you honestly not accept a compliment?”
“Not from you.”
“I can’t believe you don’t like my southern charm.” He looked completely bewildered.
“The ladies love that shit, even if they’re stuck-up Yankees.”
I let out a dry laugh. “I’ve lived in the south too, numbskull. My father was in the Navy so we traveled a lot.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. I thought I could hear a bit of twang in there. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
Sighing, I took a final look at myself in the mirror and turned around. “No, it was just my mom, dad, and me.” I walked past him to the kitchen and kept my back to him while I poured a shot of his whiskey, tossing it back quickly.
“Do they live in Maine too?”
Clenching my teeth, I poured another shot. “What’s with all the questions?” I glanced at him over my shoulder.
With narrowed eyes, he studied me. “I’m good at reading people, but I can’t seem to figure you out.” Sliding his laptop over, he opened it and typed away. “With just a touch of a few keys, I can find out anything I want about someone. You? I can’t find shit.”
I turned around, hands on my hips. “So you’ve been investigating me, why?”
He closed his laptop. “I worked with a guy for years who fucked over my entire team without us knowing. That’s how good he was. He wanted someone on the inside of the government so he could help his brother with all sorts of illegal shit. Not to mention, the fucker almost killed my sister in his quest for revenge. Trust is a big issue with me.”
“It is with me too. Do you not think I am who I say I am?”
“I don’t know. All I could find was an article with you and your uncle at his bed and breakfast and that you graduated from George Washington University. It’s like you’re a ghost.”
“Obviously not everything was taken away if you were able to find that.” I stalked over to him, eyes blazing. “But if you want to know the truth, I’ll tell you. You should be able to recognize if I’ve been lying or not. It’s one of the first things we learned.”
“You’re right, but the problem is, you haven’t told me a fucking thing about yourself. I have nothing to go on, no base for my trust.”
“Fine.” I twisted the seat beside him and sat, knees to knees with my hands palms up in his lap. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
The second he touched my wrists, my pulse spiked. “Nervous?”
I kept my focus on his eyes, knowing I couldn’t lie. “Yes, but only because I’m not used to being touched.”
“Do you think I’m sexy?” he asked, winking.
I jerked out of his hold, glaring. “I didn’t offer to do this so you could provoke me. Just ask your questions so we can get to work.”
He grabbed my wrists and put his thumbs back in place. “Is your name Aylee McFadden?”
“Yes.”
“Are you really an FBI agent?”
“Yes.”
“Why is your profile untraceable?”
I sighed. “Because I don’t want to be found.”
“Why?”
“There was a time many years ago when someone tried to find me to get to my dad. They ended up finding my mother instead.”
“What happened?” he asked, sounding concerned.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Either you talk about it with me now, or I will find it myself. I don’t think you want me picking apart your life.”
His threat was not a bluff because I could see it in his eyes. “My father was big into gambling. I didn’t know until later that we moved around a lot because he’d made enemies. One night, he lost big and didn’t have the money to pay. Before he could get us out of town, the men came . . .” My voice cracked and took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly.
“My father was able to get me out of the house unseen and he told me to run, so I did. They were coming for me as payment. It wasn’t until I was working for the bureau that I saw what they did to them. My uncle lied to me and said they were shot, but that wasn’t the case. They raped my mother in front of my father and then beat her to death. The men left, leaving my father alive, but he ended up taking his own life before the cops arrived.”
Tears fell down my cheeks and Jason let go of my wrists so he could wipe them off. I flinched at the contact. “I’m sorry, Aylee.”
“Not many people know. I don’t ever talk about it. At the time, I was living in Florida, but then moved to Maine to be with my uncle and his boyfriend. Now they’re married. When I got older, I went to school and was lucky enough to get where I am today.”
“Did the police ever catch the men who killed your parents?”
I shook my head. “I did. I got good at tracking people and I found them.”
Instead of checking my pulse, he caressed his thumbs soothingly across my wrists. “Then what did you do?”
“I killed both of them. It took three miserable weeks of being undercover and when one of them attacked me, I put a bullet in his head.”
“Were you there alone or did you have a partner?”
My jaw clenched. “I had one. He betrayed me for fifty thousand dollars and told them who I was. Too bad he never got the money. Once they had me in their grasp, they killed him, but not before he was able to wound the other guy. If he hadn’t done that, I don’t know if I’d be here right now.” I lowered my head.
“I think your trust issues are warranted.”
I wiped my eyes. “Being untraceable helps me feel safe. That’s why I changed to my mother’s maiden name, McFadden.”
“Are you Irish?”
I nodded. “My mother’s side. She was going to take me to Ireland, but never got the chance. I have my uncle though. He’s all the family I ever needed.” Sliding out of the chair, he let me go so I could walk into the living room. “Are we done with the questions?”
“Not unless you want to ask me some,” he countered.
I glanced back at him. “I already know everything about you, remember?”
He chuckled. “Maybe, but I’m sure there’s a lot you don’t.”
His statement was true, but we didn’t have the time. “You’re right, but it’s getting late. I just hope I’ve earned a little bit of your trust.”
He put his hand on my shoulder and turned me around. “You have, but I have yet to earn yours.”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I learned to take care of myself a long time ago.” Stalking past him, I picked up my clutch and stood by the door. “Ready?”
He joined me and slid on his black blazer. “One way or another, I will earn your trust. Even if you don’t believe me, I do take this job seriously. I won’t fail you like your last partner.”
We’ll see about that.
It was Saturday night and the Bellagio was packed. The strip really came alive at night. Vegas was indeed the city that never slept. Putting his hand on my waist and sliding it down, Jason leaned toward my ear. “Do you want to play tonight?” he asked, squeezing one of my butt cheeks in his palm.
I shook my head and smiled, speaking through clenched teeth. “After I break your hand, I might.”
Laughing, he moved his hand away. “Just keeping you on your toes, firecracker.”
“More like setting yourself up for harassment charges. I think I’m just going to follow you around. If we do find who we’re looking for, I need to look like arm candy—not a woman who could obviously dominate you.”
He held out his arm. “Let’s go then, before you turn me on any further.”
Rolling my eyes, I took his arm and we set off to get chips. When he asked for ten thousand dollars worth, I almost fell to the floor. “Holy crap,�
�� I whispered, holding his arm tight. “Are you going to spend all of that?”
Chuckling, he patted my hand. “You’ve got to spend big to win big. But don’t worry, I expect to double up. All we have to do now is get in the door.”
I looked around the casino and so far no one of importance had popped up. “Where are we going first?”
“Poker tables, baby. That’s where the money is.”
We set off toward the tables and he sat down while I stood back, watching. My father had taught me how to play poker, especially Texas Hold’em. It was my favorite game as a kid. A part of me wanted to join in on the fun, but I had a part to play. Jason glanced back at me and I pointed to the tables off to the side; he nodded and winked.
As soon as I sat down, one of the waitresses came over. She had short black hair and a face for magazines. “Would you like something to drink?”
“A raspberry martini would be great, please.”
“Of course. Anything else?”
“No, that will be all. But say, it seems kind of dead in here. Is it always this slow?”
She shook her head. “The high rollers usually show up around ten o’clock. I have to be on my game when they do. They tip the best.”
“I can imagine.” As soon as she sauntered off, I checked the time on my phone. It was nine-thirty. I needed to be on the lookout if what she said was true. The waitress came back with my martini so I sipped on it lightly while I watched Jason’s game from afar.
It wasn’t long before a man walked in, surrounded by two men and a woman on his arm. I could feel the power rolling off him in waves. He wasn’t one of the suspects on our list, but I had no doubt he could lead us to them. He was middle-aged and so was the woman. From the wedding band on her finger, I assumed she wasn’t a prostitute.
The next time Jason looked back at me, I nodded toward the group. Keeping my eyes on the target, I watched them as they walked through the casino, speaking to people in passing.
“What’s going on?” Jason asked, brushing up against me.
I jumped, not expecting him to be done so fast. “What the . . . why did you leave the table?”
