by Jill Monroe
“I had sex with Dirk. Really quick. Really mistake-in-judgment kind of sex.”
“Is this good or bad?”
Cassie sighed. “I don’t know. The sex was terrific.”
“Well, hey. That’s good.”
Cassie’s expression grew tortured. “Danni, he told me he still loves me. In fact, he made it sound like he wants to be with me.”
“What exactly did he say?” It had been her experience that women could dissect and overanalyze the most innocently man-made sentences and turn them into something that barely resembled their clear intention.
“That he wanted to be with me the rest of his life.”
“That pretty much sounds like forever.” Good for her. Nice to know you were actually wanted, rather than someone’s mark. She swallowed back the sarcastic response, and took on Cassie’s more familiar counselor role. “Is that what you want?”
“It was at one point. Now, I’m not so sure. I’ve wanted to hate him for so long, it’s hard to give that up. I’ve never really stopped loving him.” Cassie ripped the band holding her hair in place. “Ugh, how pathetic am I?”
“Join the club, because I’m just as pathetic. Eric is a federal agent. If that’s really his name. I forgot to check after I saw the badge.”
“What?” Cassie asked, her expression confused.
Danni sank her head into her hands. “Man, he played me against the wall. Drew me right into the casino and everything. I am such a sucker.”
Cassie shook her head. “So he has a different job—what’s the big deal?”
Danni looked over her shoulder. No one seemed to be skulking in the background, so she leaned forward. “Cassie, you’ve lived in Nevada all your life, right?” At Cassie’s nod, Danni continued. “Then you’d be familiar with a big casino heist in Vegas.”
Cassie gasped. “Not the one at the Western Nugget?”
Danni only nodded, still a touch paranoid about talking about this.
Her friend whistled. “That’s the most famous casino theft ever. There’s been nothing like it for years.”
After the job, known as the Western Nugget heist, went down, things went bad. Her father warned her never to speak of it again. Not even to think about it. Daniel spoke of it in such vague terms, sometimes she wasn’t even sure he was involved or only being cautious.
“I was surprised my father mentioned it to me.”
Cassie’s brows lifted, the perfect picture of curiosity. “Your dad was part of that? That money was never recovered. Or spent.”
“I was never completely clear on that either. He might have played a role, he might not have…There were some pretty shady characters involved. Not the type of work my father was used to. Word on the street was that the ringleaders used a man who knew his way around a casino.”
“This blows my mind. Even with knowing your family history all this time, I never suspected, never even thought that you might know something about it.”
“They arrested me right after the heist for another con I was involved in, so some big score was the last thing I was thinking about. It wasn’t until my father reminded me of it yesterday…well, he made some big hints. He still won’t confirm. See, the people involved, some of them are dead. Like I said, pretty shady. He wouldn’t want me involved.”
“But your father’s been out of jail for a while. Why hasn’t he gone for it if he can?”
“From what I’ve gathered, the money’s in a Swiss bank account.”
“Why not transfer it here?”
Danni smiled. “Ah, there you go. Thinking like an honest person again. Transfers leave trails. With the new banking laws, almost every bank would not only refuse a confidential transfer, but more than likely report a request. No, if he’s involved he’d have to go to Switzerland. And for that he needs cash.”
“Well, then you have nothing to worry about. He won’t be leaving the country anytime soon. He’s broke and living in a halfway house.”
Danni swallowed. “Except he’s asked me to steal some dice from the casino.”
“To do what exactly?” asked Cassie, her expression growing shrewd.
“He didn’t say, but I expect it’s to magnetize them. It will be easy enough to hide a magnet somewhere on him. He’d win at craps whenever he wanted.”
“And pay for his ticket. Fake passport.”
“Now you’re thinking like my dad.” Danni rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I told him no, of course. But then he started heaping on the guilt. It’s a great tool of his.”
“Danni, what on earth do you have to feel guilty about? The man led you into a life of crime. Not the other way around.”
“Yes, but I was the one who got caught. Caught because I didn’t follow the rules of the con he’d staged. He could have left. Skipped town and never come back, but he didn’t do that. He cut a deal with the DA. He went to prison while I just went to juvie. So in a way, I do owe him.”
Cassie reached for Danni’s hand and gave it a supportive squeeze. “Danni, he did what a father should have been doing all along. Protecting his child. You should never have been in that position in the first place. We’ve talked about this misplaced loyalty to him in the past.”
Danni nodded, knowing what Cassie said was true. “Yes, but feelings are feelings no matter how irrational they are.”
“Where does Eric come in?”
“Solving that Western Nugget heist has been a hobby for many a lawman. I’ve even seen segments re-creating the theft on those unsolved mystery type shows. I fell perfectly into Eric’s hands. So trusting. So in love. I bet the jerk gave me such free access to the casino in the hopes that I’d do something illegal. Since my father had come to my rescue once before and acted the fall guy, the authorities probably thought he’d do so again. The DA has been out to get my dad ever since he cut that deal.”
“Why?”
“Because my dad signed the deal with the DA before any hint of his involvement in the heist came to light. The prosecutor was bitter about his mistake. Even if Dad is a part of it, he leaves no trails. Only I do that,” she said, feeling guilty again, and dumb. “Now Eric’s using me to create a bargaining chip. I do something wrong and Daddy comes to the rescue, again. Only this time, the price to keep me out of jail is to spill where the money is.”
“Danni, surely not. Maybe he’s retired? Maybe he is just a security chief?”
“And maybe it’s only coincidence that I’m the daughter of one of the most sought-after thieves in Nevada. No. There are no coincidences. Only opportunities. You know who told me that? Eric. When I think of those dates we had…all that subtle pumping for information about my father. Man, I could punch myself for being such a dupe,” she said, her hands flailing.
“I can’t believe a federal agent would lie like that.”
“Oh, it’s perfectly legal. You know, I’ve heard of some real dirty cons in my life, but this takes the cake. He put the artist in con artist. He’s a con heartist. The big lying liar.” Okay, she was leaning on the hysterical side with the frantic arm action and over-the-top expressions. Danni took a calming breath.
“There’s got to be a bright side to this. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I know,” she said, her tone sarcastic. “If this works out and Eric solves the crime, I could be used in case studies when they train new agents.” Danni groaned into her hands, the humiliation of it almost as painful to think of as Eric’s duplicitous kisses. The jerk.
“Generations of Flynns are spinning in their graves.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Warn my father, I guess. Although I should probably let him lie in the bed he’s made. I can’t believe he would do this. Right before they shipped him off to prison, the police allowed us thirty minutes together. I made him promise, promise me the thieving life was over. He looked me straight in the eye and agreed. That’s why he told me never to talk about that money.”
“No doubt, the less you knew, the bett
er.”
“He said he had no intention of ever touching that stolen money, although not in so many words. It was all very cryptic.”
“What are you going to do about Eric?”
Danni shrugged, way beyond bitter. “What about him? He’ll be gone soon anyway. Once he realizes his long con is a bust. He never did carry much of an air of permanency. To tell you the truth, I’m a lot more interested in hearing about you and Dirk.” Anything to keep her mind off the pathetic path her love life had taken.
“But Eric hurt you and you’re suppressing the anger.”
Cassie’s brow wrinkled. Oh yeah, Danni thought, her friend was in full counsel mode. But Danni didn’t need a diagnosis. She was pissed and heartbroken. Pissed.
“And so what if I am? Maybe I’m not like you, Cassie. I don’t need to acknowledge and own every emotion I have. I wasn’t paying attention. I dropped my guard and fell in love. He broke my heart, as I should have expected all along, and now it’s time to move on. Case closed,” she announced, her voice cracking.
Cassie tapped her finger against her chin. “Could the problem be that I was born a romantic and became a cynic? You were born a cynic and became a romantic?”
Danni nodded. “Either way, I think my transformation sucks more. It’s confirmation that I was stupid. Knew that I could get stupid, and still went with stupid anyway.”
Cassie raised her gaze. “Was stupid worth it?”
An image of Eric’s, if that were even his real name, face pummeled at her. Everything about him was gorgeous. Everything about him appealed to her, made sense to her. Past losers only borrowed money, didn’t pay it back and split. Eric, with his seductive touches, stole way more than money.
No. Stupid wasn’t worth it. Stupid brought a physical ache. But Danni could spot Cassie’s intentions from a mile away. This was her means of leading Danni into some discussion about emotional growth, and wasn’t the pain a small price to pay because it led to more self-discovery crap. Blah, blah, blah.
Well, Danni already knew she liked her emotions suppressed.
Cassie didn’t. Danni gave her friend another once-over. Sure, she appeared sad, but she didn’t have the I’m-going-to-bash-his-new-plasma-screen-TV-with-a-baseball-bat look. Like how Danni felt. Cassie didn’t seem angry enough to have been truly hurt by the man she loved.
“Cassie, about Dirk. Couldn’t it be that when he was young and stupid, he did a young and stupid thing? He says he loves you. Has always loved you.”
“Pfttt.”
“He said he regretted it, right? He made a mistake—how long are you going to make him suffer for it?”
“Forever works.”
“Come on, you can’t pretend to be the cynic with me. You don’t have the street cred.”
Cassie met her eyes. Utter vulnerability passed across her face. “I loved him. He broke my heart.”
The simple words, so from the gut, kicked her in the heart. Yeah. She loved him. He broke her heart. Just like Eric. But Dirk wasn’t Eric.
“He did those things years ago. He’s admitted he was wrong.”
“I don’t know if I can trust him.”
Aha. So she’d thought about it. That was pretty telling. “How about you just treat him really bad?”
Cassie’s gaze lowered. “Already done that.”
“Then, maybe you’re up against the real thing.”
“What if this isn’t? I let him in and he ruins my heart once more.”
“Then you embrace the cynicism again. But do you never really want to know? To go the whole rest of your life and not find out if you could have had that happy ending with Dirk?”
CASSIE TALKED WITH DANNI until the daylight faded and the stars began to shine in the sky. Cassie could have talked longer, but she had to go back and tidy up her desk and set the alarms.
She skirted around a couple of skateboarders and almost ran into a man juggling takeout. Danni’s direct question from earlier still had her thinking. Her best friend had stared her square in the eye and asked her point blank, “Cassie, don’t you think the person you need to be saying these things to is Dirk? Release, not retain.”
She hated it when her best friend threw her own words in her face. And that was the heart of the problem. If she were her client, she’d be telling herself to forgive. Give Dirk a try and find a new person to hate. It had been her experience that men didn’t open up and admit they were wrong very often.
Her heart warmed and she smiled at the memory of him confessing he still loved her. Always would.
Cassie unlocked the front door and stepped inside. Heather had already straightened up the outer office so all that was left for Cassie to do was sort through her case files and power off her computer. She tried to avoid lingering at her desk. A desk that showed no evidence of the lovemaking earlier.
Except for Dirk’s card with his cell number on it. She fingered the card for a moment. He hadn’t left her office under the best of circumstances. She hadn’t made him leave that way.
Decision made, she dialed his number. He answered on the first ring.
“This isn’t the way to start off a relationship.”
Dirk made a noise that sounded a cross between a laugh and a sigh of relief. “I’ll start it anyway you’ll let me.”
Her heart jump-started at the sexy timbre in his voice. Yes, this was the right decision. Probably. “You need to start off with a few explanations first. Then I’ll decide.”
“Okay.”
“How do I know you won’t realize you need time to figure us out again?”
“Cassie, I have been dating over the last ten years, just like you. But there’s a reason why I’m still alone. I want you. Anyone else I would just be settling for. Now you need to decide. You going to keep punishing me for some stupid thing I did when I was twenty?”
“You hurt me. You made me question myself. Made me ask what was so wrong with me that you didn’t want me to be yours anymore.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. Believe me when I say that I’ve tortured myself for making such a mistake.” The regret and pain in his voice made tears prick the back of her eyes.
“I just don’t know if it’s as much torture as I think you deserve.”
“But if it makes you feel any better I’ll drive to Reno right now and you can smack my ass like you promised.”
She laughed, feeling lighter. That didn’t sound half bad. She shook her head to release the image of his backside. “I’m still angry.”
“Yes, but are your nipples hard?” he asked, his voice rich, deep and sexy.
She gasped at his shocking question.
I made the biggest mistake of my life.
The outrageous provocateur and the sensitive man who apologized for hurting her were one and the same. He was a complex person who made mistakes.
Could she trust him with her heart again?
She had to be grinning like a fool. She just had to be. Dirk had found a way to slip beneath her defenses with his open blend of simple honesty and humor.
“Maybe they’re a little hard.” She shook her head. “This is not a healthy relationship,” she told him, her voice rising. “Do you hear that noise?”
“What?”
“That tone in my voice? I am becoming shrill.”
“I love you, Cassie. I’ve never told another person that in my life.”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat. She wasn’t ready to hear this yet. “You know, I didn’t even like you at first. I thought you were icky.”
“Icky? Well, I thought all girls were icky until you came along and blew me away,” he said, laughing. Then his voice grew serious. “Say the word, Cassie. Say the word and I’ll drive up to Reno right now.”
“Soon,” she promised.
14
ALL THE PIECES OF the plan were falling into place. Danni trusted him, he’d given her controlled access to the casino and her father had made an appearance.
Wouldn’t be long now.
He grew edgy. In his past undercover work, this would be the precise moment when he knew all the careful planning and hours of research would not be wasted. He’d make the bust and know with satisfaction justice had been served.
Then why was he not feeling those same things now?
This was it. This was what he’d been waiting for. What all the members of the task force had been waiting for, and here he was almost wishing this sting would fail.
It was the first mistake in undercover work, and he’d made it. He’d become involved. Somehow, some way he’d grown to care about Danni and what happened to her. He’d even had thoughts about their future. Together.
All that was bust though, if he didn’t get control over what was happening between him and Danni.
His walkie-talkie clicked. “You’re not going to believe this, boss, but Gold Standard is at reception. He wants to make an appointment.”
Sweet satisfaction filled Eric, and he realized with relief that he was still the lawman. He was the person he thought himself to be. In fact, he’d been looking at this the wrong way: the sooner Danni’s father made his move, the sooner Eric could move on. They could move on. All this time everyone on the task force assumed she’d aid her father. But none of them knew this new Danni Flynn. The woman trying to make right. The woman who looked Eric in the eyes and told him he could trust her.
“Book the GS for tonight. Danni has class. You know the drill. Have everything in place.”
Early in the mission, the members of his team had begun referring to Daniel Flynn as Gold Standard, since he’d allegedly set the benchmark for which all other casino robberies would be compared.
“Done. Looks like he’s not involving Danni,” Eric’s second in command said. Did he denote a touch of relief in the man’s voice? Eric wouldn’t doubt it. He smiled as he scanned the casino for her. It appeared Danni had convinced not just him that she deserved a second chance.
The team had given Danni a moniker, too. Gold Magnet. Didn’t fit anymore, though. Now everyone pretty much called her Danni.
