Something in his mood had changed, and the woman in her sensed it right away.

He was about to make his move and unfortunately Roxie would have to shoot him down mid-flight.

After several seconds of knowing he was staring at her, she felt as if laser beams were burning her skin. Roxie busied herself with her napkin while Ike motioned to their waitress to bring the check.

“So what now?” she asked as casually as possible.

“Well, I guess that’s up to you.” He turned to look directly at her. “Right now I’m pretty much inclined to follow wherever you lead.”

She feigned ignorance. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Roxie knew that above all she would have to keep her poker face in place. Ike was too much of a temptation in a time when she needed her wits about her. She could not let him know how desperately she wanted him.

He smiled that slow, sensual smile that heated her from head to toe. “Come on, Roxie. You have to know this is about more than a professional curiosity.”

ELAINE OVERTON

currently resides in the Detroit area with her son and dog. After attending a local business college, she entered the military and served in the Gulf War. She is an administrative assistant, currently working for an automotive industry supplier and is an active member of Romance Writers of America.

Current releases include Love’s Inferno, Déjà Vu and Promises of the Heart. You can contact her via e-mail at www.elaineoverton.com.

Fever

Elaine Overton

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Dan,

The greatest hustler I know.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for taking the time to read Fever. I hope you have enjoyed sharing Roxie and Ike’s rocky journey to a loving, trusting relationship. I also enjoyed creating the fictional Desert Rose casino and the assorted cast of family and friends.

You may be wondering why I would write a story that featured a heroine with such questionable beginnings. But as Roxie says more than once, things are not always what they seem. Hustlers aren’t born, they are made, and much is due to the circumstances of their lives. So, the next time you see that hustler on the corner working the crowd, stop and ask yourself what may have led them to that life. You just might be surprised with what you learn.

Elaine

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Epilogue

Chapter 1

His job was to watch her hands, but he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her legs. Isaac Bancroft casually leaned against the counter in the casino cocktail lounge studying the beautiful woman at the poker table. She was cheating, no doubt about it.

He’d peeked her game within fifteen minutes of watching her work. It was no big deal, twenty percent of their patrons were professional hustlers. As the head of security in one of the most profitable—if not most infamous—casinos in Las Vegas, Ike was certain he had seen it all. She was cheating all right, but how was the real question.

It didn’t matter so much to Ike that the money she was stacking up didn’t belong to the casino. Any money the woman took home was gained from other players. He’d have to do something about her. It was the principle of the matter. Ike had already had two of his best men circle her twice, looking for evidence or hidden devices. After watching her for over an hour, he was certain that she was working alone. The way she studied the game, he would’ve believed she was counting cards, but that was almost impossible.

What a beauty, he thought, taking in the gold, after-five dress that practically glowed against her copper skin. It hugged her slender body from bust to thigh, and seemed to shimmer with every slight movement. The thin straps that fell artfully off each shoulder had his fingers itching to touch.

He watched with suspended breath as she uncrossed her satiny, bronze legs, then crossed them in the opposite direction. Her stiletto sling-backs settled neatly on the bottom rung of the high stool. The thin, gold chain on her right ankle twinkled in the bright, casino lights.

Ike released a deep sigh of male satisfaction. Yes, she was as crooked as they came. But legs like those…a man just didn’t see that every day.

The two-way radio hooked to his belt buckle erupted in static chaos, and just as quickly it quieted.

“Ike?” The slow, emotionless voice of Stamp, Ike’s second in command, came over the speaker.

Ike never took his eyes off the woman as he answered through the headset he wore. “Yeah?”

“The boss was wondering if you planned to do anything about the pretty little thief at table seven.”

Ike smiled to himself. He should’ve known Bobby was watching from the security tower. “Yes, I plan to do something about her.”

The radio went silent for several seconds. “Umm, Ike, the boss was wondering what exactly you planned to do about her.”

Ike shook his head. He’d often wondered why Bobby Kincaid even bothered with a security staff when no one did a better job spotting a thief than Bobby himself.

“Tell Bobby that sometimes you have to look before you leap.”

The radio went dead again.

Finally, Stamp returned. “Ike, the boss said ‘what does that mean…?’”

Suddenly the voice that came on the radio was not Stamp’s steady monotone, but Bobby’s loud and extremely irate voice.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Dammit, Ike! What are you going to do? Sit there sipping soda pop while that woman robs those people blind? I don’t care if it’s not my money she’s stealing in my casino.”

Ike glanced at the glass of clear liquid sitting at his elbow. Yeah, Big Brother was definitely watching. “Bobby, this is why you pay me the big bucks. Trust me, I’ve got it handled.”

“Handled? That swindler is about to walk out of here with a large piece of pie and all you can say is you’ve got it handled!”

“Bobby, you hired me to do a job, but I have to do it my own way. If that is not acceptable to you, then you are perfectly welcome to come down here and take care of the problem yourself.”

“Think I won’t?”

“Okay.” Ike sat up. “Then I’ll pack up for the night. See you tomorrow.” He took his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled a few bills from the inside. He started to toss them on the counter when his radio suddenly came back on.

“Fine! Handle it your way. But dammit, Ike, you better handle it. Don’t let that thieving woman walk out of here with that money.”

“Technically, she’s not a thief until she attempts to leave the table. I promise you, Bobby, that won’t happen.”

“It better not!”

With that, the radio went dead once more.

Roxanne Sanchez stacked another neat pile of plastic chips on the table and waited for the other gamblers to place their bets. She casually scratched her neck, allowing her to surreptitiously turn her head in the direction of the cocktail lounge.

She sighed in frustration. He was still there. The stranger she’d dubbed Wolfie for the predatory stare he’d been giving her all night was still at his post. He’d been milking that water or soda pop for the past hour. Roxie was certain that, as well as the two little wolves that kept circling her every few minutes, they were casino security. Their presence came as no surprise. She’d known all along that her method of winning would draw attention.

Roxie was sure they were on to her. She glanced at the twenty-seven thousand dollars in chips piled on the table before her. Only twenty-three thousand to go.

Lost in thought, she was startled when the dealer called to her. She glanced at the cards on the table, the ones in her hand, and then quickly scanned her memory for previously played cards. There was still the ace of diamonds out there somewhere. She glanced around at the four other players and decided to take her chances on the deck. She pulled another card, and exhaled a relieved breath to see the large red diamond in the center. She tossed it down on the table, and watched every face at the table fall as the other players accepted she was about to win another hand. Two of them folded and the game continued.

Roxie was certain the security guards knew she was cheating, but was equally convinced they did not know how she was cheating and that was her trump card—the one thing that would allow her to walk when this little game played out. They couldn’t prove anything.

Roxie had discovered early in life that her brain worked differently. She was able to mentally record images as vividly as a camera recorded photographs. Other than allowing her to breeze through her studies with little effort, she’d found no real use for her special skill as a child, and therefore thought little of it.

It wasn’t until after her grandmother died, and she found herself alone in the world, that she came to value and appreciate her unique memory. A ten-year-old orphan had few options for survival and none of them were appealing. Her exceptional brain gave her an option that did not exist for most in her position. It gave her the ability to provide for herself. Unfortunately, this had to be done through card sharking and hustling, but still she’d survived.

Until the day Theo and Tessa Sanchez rescued her from the clutches of a monster. And now, with the help of her unusual memory, she would return the favor.

In her peripheral vision, she watched the man at the bar as he quickly downed the last of his drink and began walking in her direction. Roxie tossed down a ten of spades, and sat up in her seat, preparing to meet the wolf head on. He may not know how she was cheating, but apparently he wasn’t going to let that stop him from doing his job, which was more than she could say for Las Vegas’s finest.

It had been almost a full week since she’d gone to the police to report a robbery. She ended up being laughed right out of the precinct. They’d listened intently for the first few minutes until she dared to accuse the powerful Bobby Kincaid of swindling her elderly parents out of fifty thousand dollars to fund his condominium development. After that, not one officer had taken her complaint seriously.

The police had asked her questions she could not answer. Questions she’d mulled over in her own head for days. Why would a man worth millions jeopardize his professional reputation over fifty thousand dollars? Why would he target her parents when there were others who’d invested two and three times as much?

What hurt the most was that even if the police had believed her, Roxie knew they could never give back to Theo and Tessa what mattered most: their professional dignity. For two retired con artists, nothing was worse than being duped, the sense of having been bested at what they were once best at.

When the pair inadvertently found themselves the parents of an abandoned ten-year-old girl, they vowed to give up their shady occupation in the interest of setting an example. After a lifetime of easy scores, they’d both found legitimate occupations and had walked the straight and narrow for the past twenty years. The only remnant of those adventurous years gone by was the nest egg they’d stocked away, some of which they’d invested in Bobby Kincaid’s Tumbleweed condominium development, believing the price of the stock was a steal.

They’d jumped on the opportunity with both feet, hoping the return would not only take care of them in their old age, but also take the burden of their well-being off the shoulders of their adopted daughter. For their small investment, they would be given stock and one of the condominiums as a beautiful retirement home. It would have been the perfect arrangement. That is, if the deal had been legitimate, which it apparently was not.

Roxie had tried to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Bobby Kincaid to get her parents’ money back, but there had been more red tape and hoops to jump through than if she’d tried to meet with the President of the United States. In the end, the most Bobby’s secretary would promise was a tentative appointment in six weeks, or Roxie was welcome to send correspondence addressing her complaint.

Of course, both of those options were unacceptable. Exactly how did you accuse someone of theft in a letter? Especially when you had no proof! Besides, she didn’t have six weeks. Her parents needed the money back right away.

Believing they would soon be moving into their newly built condominium, they’d sold their home without Roxie’s knowledge, and were now only days away from being forced to leave.

Roxie made a decent salary, and if push came to shove, she knew she could take care of her folks. Although, she was certain her parents would fight her tooth and nail before accepting her help. Anyway, it was not the money that had brought her to this act of desperation.

No, what had brought her here was the look of humiliation she’d seen in Theo’s eyes when he’d been forced to reveal to Roxie all that had transpired.

Pressed for time, and knowing she would get no help from the authorities, Roxie decided to fight fire with fire. Bobby Kincaid had stolen the money from her parents, and tonight she would steal it back. If only she could keep the wolf at bay for another thirty minutes.

She’d spent a fortune on creating just the right look tonight. She needed to be a high roller. An experienced gambler, whom Bobby Kincaid would tolerate, believing that, in the end, she would lose more than she won. And true to her role, Roxie had consistently allowed herself to lose the occasional hand throughout the evening. But obviously she had not lost enough.

She discreetly watched as Wolfie approached. The closer he came, the more imposing he became. She sat ramrod-straight in her chair…waiting.

But instead of stopping at her stool, he walked right past her and around the table to sit directly opposite her. As he took a seat, he motioned to the dealer to deal him in to the hand.

It took all of Roxie’s concentrated effort not to stare at the newcomer. This man was very different from the one casually relaxing at the bar. That man was a nonthreatening, grayish blur. The superfine brother sitting across from her was dangerous and vivid in the extreme. His caramel-brown skin was tinted with a touch of reddish hue that seemed enhanced by the bright casino lights. His full lips were perfectly outlined with a thin mustache and goatee. His dark hair was close-cropped and freshly trimmed. The snug-fitting, coffee-colored sweater and matching slacks indicated a very fit body beneath.

This was not your typical rent-a-cop security guard that worked the Vegas casino strip, Roxie thought. This was definitely a different breed. Maybe Wolfie wasn’t such a good nickname. Now, that seemed too apt a description.

Slowly, he lifted his eyes and looked directly at her for the first time. Coal-black eyes as dark as a starless night and just as unsettling pinned her to her chair. Gypsy eyes, trimmed in the longest, blackest lashes she’d ever seen, studied her, seeking the answers he knew her lips would never reveal. It was like he’d reached beyond the surface and was searching her soul.

Roxie quickly looked away.

She tried to ignore the man, but with each hand, another player dropped from the game until only the two of them were left. She studied her hand, biting her lip in concentration.

“It’s your play.” The sultry voice drifted across the table, and Roxie looked up in surprise to find those intense, dark eyes on her once again. He was waiting, watching like the careful predator he was. Roxie felt trapped. Something about those eerie eyes spoke of unseen peril. She realized in that instant just how little she knew about the people she was dealing with.

This was Vegas, after all—ruled with an iron fist by a small group of overlords.

What if Bobby Kincaid decided to carry out his own brand of justice? What if the man sitting across from her was the only judge or jury she would ever stand before?

Suddenly, her little plan to take back what had been taken didn’t seem as clever as it had that morning. She looked at the large pile of chips in the middle of the table, considering how close she’d come to winning her parents’ money back. But getting arrested—or worse—wouldn’t help Theo and Tessa. She would have to find another way.

Roxie turned her cards face down and gently placed them on the green felt table. “I fold.”

The wolf quirked a curious eyebrow.

The dealer watched the play before speaking. “Lady Luck is obviously on your side. Are you sure you want to end your winning streak?”

Roxie stood. “I think I better end my streak, before my streak ends me.”

The man on the other side of the table was studying her with a strange expression. “If you walk now, you’ll lose everything.” He gestured to the large pile of chips in the center of the table.

Her heart sank as she realized all her effort had been futile. She came in with nothing and was about to leave with nothing. She tried to paste on her most benign smile. “A true gambler knows not to push her luck.”

Ike tossed his cards down and stood, coming around the table to block her path. “Is that your secret? Luck?” he asked with poorly veiled sarcasm.

Her eyes narrowed when she noted how neatly he’d cut off her exit. “What else would it be?”

He gave a slight nod to someone behind her. “I don’t know, some of the truly high rollers claim to have a method.”

Roxie began backing away from the table and then stopped when she saw one of the little wolves standing in the path to the nearest exit. She turned and looked at another exit, and yes, there was the other little wolf in position. And all with a nod of his head, Roxie thought, as she met his steady eyes, which were boring into her.

“Well, I’m not a true high roller.” Roxie stepped back again.

For every one of her backward steps, Ike took a step forward. He watched her look around in every direction, clearly wondering if she were crazy enough to make a run for it.

He extended his hand. “Ike Bancroft, casino security. And you are?”

Roxie stared down at his long, elegant fingers. She forced another stiff smile. “Roxie…Smith.”

Ike smiled, probably at her lack of creativity. “Roxie…that suits you.”

Roxie looked around again. “You think so?”

He nodded slowly in affirmation, as his eyes slid over her slender form, taking in the gold dress that fit so well. “So, Roxie, can I buy you a drink?”

Chapter 2

“No thanks.” Roxie turned sharply, preparing to flee, and felt her arms suddenly locked in a vise grip.

“Not so fast.” His soft breath tickled the hairs at the nape of her neck.

“Let go of me,” she hissed between clamped teeth. Roxie yanked against his hold, but struggling against him was like fighting bands of steel. “You can’t prove anything.”

She gasped in surprise at her own words, realizing she’d as much as confessed. “I said, let me go. You have nothing to hold me on,” she spat, realizing their private battle was becoming public.

“Why don’t we have a little chat, first.” Pushing her ahead of him, Ike guided her across the crowded casino with little effort.

Every once in a while Roxie would jerk discreetly in a continuous, but useless effort to free herself, or try to catch the eye of one of the casino patrons in a silent plea for help. Once she almost succeeded when a man standing near a roulette table saw the desperation in her eyes. He started to move toward the couple, but the cold, dead stare he received from her companion stilled his desire to be a hero. The Good Samaritan found his feet frozen in place.

Once they were past the roulette table, Ike leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Try that again, and you gonna get someone hurt tonight.”

Roxie took a deep breath, determined to ignore the erotic feel of Ike’s warm breath on her neck. She needed to concentrate on finding a way out of this mess.

He guided her through the kitchen, ignoring the staff that looked up in mild surprise, to a small office near the back entrance. After slamming the door shut, he plopped her down in one of the two chairs facing the desk.

Ike took the seat behind it and slumped in the chair, locking his eyes on his captive.

Roxie refused to meet those eyes of his again; they were just too disconcerting. Too deep-seeing. Instead, she looked around the small office. The walls were covered with various licenses from the city and state. The small metal desk was bare, all except the small stack of papers on the corner and the remnant of a meal from a take-out restaurant.

Ike broke the silent standoff. “How about you explain to me exactly what happened out there?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Ignorance was her only defense, she decided. He couldn’t prove anything as long as she admitted nothing.

He sat forward and folded his arms across the desk. “I think you do.”

Her response was complete silence.

“You’ve piqued my curiosity, Roxie.” He smiled softly, revealing a glimpse of white teeth. “Just tell me how you did it. That’s all I want to know.”

More silence.

“I must admit, I’m a little disappointed. You struck me as a pro, a real smooth operator. But now I see…this is just another amateur night.”

Unable to help herself, Roxie’s eyes flashed to his.

Ike stood and came around to the front of the desk. He leaned one hip against the empty surface, and moved forward until their faces were level.

Roxie felt her heart pick up its cadence, beating rapidly against her chest. She pressed herself back into the chair trying to put as much distance as possible between them, still unsure of the fearful excitement he seemed to arouse. Granted, he was a good-looking man, but she knew it wasn’t his face that she was responding to. It was something else, something deeper. He was such a still creature, slow moving and quiet. But the energy coming off of him was like bolts of lightning shooting around her head.

“Come on,” he cooed seductively. “It’s not often I get the opportunity to talk to someone with your expertise.”

Give me a break. She maintained her silence, focusing her attention on a small puncture hole in the vinyl covering of the other guest chair. Her busy mind worked for a way to extricate herself. A way that did not involve being detained half the night, or being turned over to the police. Despite his sweet talk, Roxie knew for certain that as soon as she even hinted at the truth, the wolf would rip her to shreds.

“I’m not looking for a collar tonight, just a lesson. Educate me. How’d you do it?”

Roxie folded her arms over her chest. “Either charge me or let me go. I know my rights. You can’t just hold me here indefinitely.”

“You can tell me or the police. It’s your choice.” The seductive tone of his voice was instantly replaced by pure steel.

Roxie’s whole body stiffened reflexively before she forced herself to relax. “It must be really hard playing good cop, bad cop all by yourself.”

His dark eyes narrowed. “All right, let’s cut the bull. Just tell me how you did it, and I’ll let you go.” He popped his fingers. “Just like that.”

She set her full lips in a determined fashion, letting him know there would be no more involuntary confessions. “I have nothing to tell. I’m just a gambler who got lucky.”

She stood and he stood with her. Roxie felt her whole body shiver in response to the sudden nearness. Get a hold of yourself! she scolded.

“I don’t know who you think you’re dealing with, lady. But you are playing a dangerous game.”

Roxie was far more afraid than she let on. His words were the very reason she’d walked away from the poker table without a dime. Fear of an unknown danger so strong it was almost palpable. “Are you going to charge me with something or not?”

“We both know you were cheating. Why deny it? All I want to know is how you did it.”

She moved to go around him, and Ike cut off her path once again.

“The Desert Rose is owned by Bobby Kincaid.”

“So what?” she snapped, more out of nervousness that nerve. Suddenly, she was remembering every rumor she’d ever heard about how Bobby Kincaid made his fortune, most of it not good. How much did this man have to do with that?

He leaned closer. Roxie took a step back, but her retreat was stopped short, when a strong arm came around her waist and held her in place.

“You’re dancing with the devil.” His warm breath touched her ear, and she swallowed hard. Ike pulled back and looked directly into her eyes. “I’d advise you to remember that the next time you consider visiting this particular establishment.”

I know. She allowed herself to stare into the bottomless pit of his liquid eyes. I know. Roxie shook her head to break the spell he’d cast over her. She pushed past him, and opened the door.

“Next time I won’t care how you did it, but I’ll make sure you never do it again.”

His chilling words caused her to pause.

“If you ever show your face in my casino again, be prepared to face the consequences.”

Roxie knew there was no mistaking the threat in those words. She walked out and gently closed the door behind her.

As soon as she was through the door, Ike was on the radio telling one of his men to discreetly shadow the woman and report back to him with the license plate number from her car.

He fell into his chair, thinking about the mystery woman. He’d studied every detail of her face. Soft brown eyes, almost the exact same color as her flawless bronze skin. A cute little upturned nose over full, inviting pink lips. Her short curly hair, tinted with blond highlights covering her head in an unruly mass had framed her small face. He willed himself to see beyond the pretty face to the deceitful, conniving heart that must lie beneath.

She’d crossed her legs at the knee, and Ike had unconsciously licked his lips. They really were exceptional, he thought. But she was a con artist, a hustler, a cheat, and despite her very appealing attributes he must never forget that.

He wondered if maybe he’d poured on the Capone routine too thick. He wanted to scare her, and was certain it had worked. He only hoped it was enough to keep her away.

Ike thought she looked like a prim school-teacher reprimanding a disobedient student. Although, if any of his teachers had looked like her, he never would’ve graduated.

He closed his eyes, and lay his head back on his chair, remembering those incredible legs. He’d already identified, categorized and labeled the intense feelings. Raw lust, nothing more.

Bobby Kincaid leaned across the large oak desk. His fisted hands were braced against the surface as he stared in utter disbelief at the man who was more like a son to him than his own biological child. “Are you telling me that you just let her walk out of here? Without so much as a slap on the hand?”

Ike sat forward in his chair with his hands resting on his knees.

“What were you thinking?”

“What did you want me to do, Bobby? Arrest her on the charge of what we suspect?! She didn’t actually steal anything! She didn’t take a dime from the table. Not one cent. I had nothing—and she knew it. And more importantly, she knew we could not have proved it, even if she did take the money. Quite honestly, I’m not sure why she left it.”

Bobby huffed, as he considered that bit of information. He turned and paced to a full-length window that overlooked the Las Vegas strip. He took in the flashing neon signs, the various advertisements for dancing girls and other assorted forms of carnal amusement. This was not only Sin City, this was his city. “How do you think she did it?” Bobby asked the vague question, never taking his eyes off the scenery below.

“Honestly…I don’t know. None of my guys spotted her doing anything even the remotest bit suspicious…besides winning. Under different circumstances, I probably would’ve blown it off. But there is no way she could’ve won that amount—that quickly—without cheating. Lady Luck is not that generous.”

“Then how?”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was counting the cards.”

“That’s impossible.”

Ike shrugged his shoulders. “It’s been done.”

“Not in my casino.” Bobby leaned against the front of the desk. “Besides, the chances of that are what? Like, one in a million?”

“Greater than that. But it is possible, how else could you explain it?”

Bobby returned to his position by the window. “I don’t buy it.”

Ike slumped back in his chair. “Okay, you were watching. You tell me how she did it.”

“I don’t know how she did it. But I do know that she didn’t count the cards.”

He paused for a long moment. “Find her and bring her to me.”

Ike shot straight up in his chair. “Why? It’s not even your money she was taking.” Ike spoke with obvious anger.

Bobby swung around at the venomous tone. Despite his small stature, he was a big man in Las Vegas. As the sole owner of the Desert Rose Casino, his name carried a lot of weight. There were very few men who put the fear of God in him. But when Ike, his godson, was angry, he shot to the top of that list.

Bobby was certain Ike would never turn on him, he knew the boy loved him as much as he was loved in return. But when Ike was angry, there was something in those dark eyes of his that just didn’t seem…normal.

Bobby was sure it had something to do with the Navy training, and those years Ike had spent as a SEAL. No matter how Bobby tried, Ike would never discuss those years with him. But like everyone else, Bobby had heard rumors of some of the things done to the young men who volunteered for the special tactical training. The cruel and often barbaric treatment was supposed to prepare them mentally and physically in the event they were ever delivered into the hands of the enemy.

Maybe one day, Ike would confide in him, but right now, all Bobby wanted was to defuse a volatile situation. He recognized the emotion in Ike’s eyes right away. He’d been on the receiving end of that look of jealousy—raw and dangerous—several times since the day he purchased the Desert Rose, but never from this young man. All this over a woman he’s just met?

“Ike, I know you think I’m some lecherous old man who jumps on every pretty woman who crosses my path—”

Ike arched one eyebrow. “Aren’t you?”

“Not this time. All I want is information. Think about it…what if she was using some new technique. Some new way to cheat that neither of us is aware of. This thing could kill Vegas overnight. We need to know what she knows.”

The chances of Roxie having a photographic memory were slim to none, but new technology was being confiscated in casinos everyday. The chances of her using some new methods that he was just not familiar with were much more believable, much more acceptable. And a lot easier to prove.

Ike unleashed a gruff breath, as much as admitting Bobby was right. “Okay, I’ll check with some of my sources, and other casino security teams to see if they have encountered anything like this.”

Bobby’s eyes cut to Ike quickly before he looked away. “Still, find the girl and bring her.”

Ike’s dark eyes watched him.

Bobby felt the mental daggers in his chest, and held up his hands in surrender. “I just want to know what she knows.”

“What makes you think she’d willingly come?”

“Invite her as my guest.”

Ike’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behavior. But one way or another, she’ll tell me what I want to know.”

Ike stood, and headed toward the door. “Okay, I’ll find her, but I think you may be in for more than you bargained for with this one. She doesn’t charm easily, and she sure as hell won’t be intimidated.”

Bobby still stood at the window as he heard the door close behind him. He was wondering about the woman who could make such an impression on his godson in so short a time.

Chapter 3

They both seemed surprised by the other’s appearance, as if both were expecting to see very different people standing before them.

Ike couldn’t speak for the other, but he’d expected to see a curly-headed beauty with killer legs instead of a gnarled, old Hispanic man wielding a deadly weapon.

“If you want to get in here, you’ll have to get past me!” the man hissed with a heavy accent. “And I’ll beat you to death before you move one piece of furniture.”

Ike twisted his mouth in concentration as he took in his frail adversary, who wore faded corduroys and a plaid button-up shirt. He’d learned long ago not to be fooled by appearances. Obviously, the man had mistaken him for someone else. Could Dean have given him the wrong information?

Ike’s former partner from the police force was an invaluable resource when it came to getting background information on the frequent con men who patronized the Desert Rose. Tonight, he’d come through again when he did a trace on the license plate number Ike’s men had recovered from Roxie’s car. This was the address on record for the woman he now knew as Tessa Sanchez. But now, Ike was wondering if his mystery woman had covered her tracks better than he thought.

He needed to confirm his suspicion quickly. After all, there was no use in wasting time on a dead end. He carefully extended his hand. “Ike Bancroft. I’m looking for Tessa Sanchez. Does she live here?”

The old man looked down at Ike’s extended hand, and Ike watched him, fully prepared to dodge out of harm’s way if that cane came anywhere near him.

The old man’s eyes narrowed. “What’s it to you?”

“I’m a fri—”

“Who is it, Theo? That Realtor again?” A woman’s soft voice called from another room.

“No, some man who claims to know you.”

“Me?” A small Hispanic woman pressed her way in front of the man, anxiously pushing her glasses up on her nose. Her curly head bobbed as she inspected Ike from head to toe. “Do I know you?”

Ike felt his heart sink as he took in the older woman. I’ve been had. He shook his head slowly. “No, I’m sorry, I think I have the wrong address.” He started to turn away, and paused. “Do you own a light blue Honda Accord?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

Ike could see a ray of hope in the distance. “Did you lend it to someone yesterday evening?”

“Yes, our daughter, Roxie. But, why are you asking these questions?”

Roxie. Ike took a deep breath, and felt relief sweep over his entire being. He hadn’t lost her after all.

“My name is Ike Bancroft. She and I met the other night. Can you tell me how to get in touch with her?”

“Son usted loco?” the man interrupted emphatically. “We do not know you—you could be some crazy man. Usted podría ser un maníaco para todo sabemos!”

Ike arched an eyebrow. His Spanish was rusty at best, but he was sure he heard the word maniac in there somewhere.

“Theo, calm yourself.” The woman placed her hand on his chest, and cooed lovingly. “He knows Roxie.”

The elderly man’s mouth twisted in disbelief. “So he says. But he looks like a cop to me,” he said, looking directly into Ike’s dark eyes.

Good call. Ike quickly looked away, knowing his revealing eyes were telling on him again.

The woman continued to look him over with obvious curiosity. “Where did you meet Roxie?”

“I work security at the Desert Rose Casino. She was playing one of our poker tables and I introduced myself.”

The woman and man exchanged strange looks. “The Desert Rose?” She elbowed her husband. “Did you hear that, Theo, they met at the Desert Rose.”

Ike watched the byplay and wondered what it meant.

Now the old man was looking at him with narrowed eyes and even more suspicion than before, if that were possible. “Yes, I heard him.”

Ike would figure out what all this meant later, but now, his main concern was finding Roxie. “Do you know where I can find her?”

“If she didn’t tell you, why should we?” Theo flared up again.

“Theo!” Tessa pushed back on Theo, but he stood steady as a rock, still staring at Ike with clear distrust. “Stop being so rude to our guest.”

In truth, Ike didn’t blame Theo one bit. If in the future, some strange man showed up on his doorstep looking for his daughter under similar circumstances, the guy would probably leave with a busted lip.

His eyes shifted to the cane dangling loosely from Theo’s hand. Maybe we have more in common than you think, old man.

“Move out of the way, Theo.” Tessa pushed again, and this time the older man allowed himself to be moved. “Please, come in,” she said, gesturing to the small sitting room.

Ike scanned the room, looking for signs of Roxie and they were everywhere. His eyes took in the walls lined with pictures that showed her growth and achievements from about the age of ten. He wondered only briefly about the years preceding as he took a seat on the sofa. Ike took in the couple once again, and pondered the origins of this unique family.

“So, tell me, Ike. How did you end up here?” The woman flopped down beside him, studying his face with the same avid curiosity she’d shown in the doorway.

Good question. “Well…” Ike hedged, trying to buy some time. “At the Desert Rose we have a policy of taking the license plate numbers of the patrons’ cars in the event we have to contact them. She left the casino before I could get her phone number, and like I said, we really hit it off, so I used the plate information to get her address and here I am.”

“How sweet.” She tilted her head to the side and gave him a dreamy expression.

You bought that? Ike smiled, and tried to hide his shock.

“That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!” Theo huffed. “And if it is true, it would make you a stalker!”

Turning his back slightly on the man, Ike focused all his considerable charm on the woman, knowing she was his best bet for information. He smiled in the way he knew women liked, and Tessa returned the smile just as he expected. “We really hit it off the other night. I was hoping I could maybe talk her into having dinner with me.”

Tessa frowned. “She is probably at the lab. She almost lives in that lab.”

“Teresa!” The old man, who’d taken up a post by the window, snapped at his wife. “Usted no sabe a este hombre!” he growled in warning.

“He’s Roxie’s friend.” She titled her head in secret meaning that was no secret at all, Ike thought. She had apparently determined that he was a potential love interest.

Ike took a deep breath. This was taking a lot longer than he’d planned. If he still wanted to find Roxie tonight, he knew he’d have to get going. “Can you give me directions to her lab?”

Tessa opened her mouth to speak, but Theo quickly spoke over her. “No!” He barked more than said the one-word answer. “But we’ll tell her you stopped by.”

“Theo, stop being so rude.”

“Funny, I don’t remember her saying anything about working in a lab. But then again, I was so distracted by her face, I’m sure I missed more than that.”

“Our Roxie is a beauty.” Tessa waved her finger in reprimand. “But she’s a lot more than a pretty face, and don’t you forget it.”

“No, ma’am,” he answered obediently. “I could sense her intelligence right away.” He did his best to force his face into a love-struck expression. “She really is a special woman.”

Tessa patted his hand gently. “She just works too hard. Doesn’t take any time for the pleasures in life.”

Ike nodded sympathetically. “Well, I’ll see what I can do to change that.”

“You seem like such a nice young man.” She bounced up off the sofa with the agility of a young woman. “Why don’t you surprise her at work.” She rummaged around in her purse. “I know I have some Sizzler coupons in here somewhere.”

Ike’s eyebrows shot up. “Uh, that’s really all right. I already had a restaurant in mind.”

“Are you sure?” She peered at him over the rim of her glasses. “I know they’re in here.”

“Really, if you could just give me the address, I’ll take care of the rest.”

Ike watched her cross the room and write something on a notepad before ripping off the page and handing it to him.

He glanced at the address, but hid his surprise. “Thank you,” he said with a smile, studiously ignoring the old man, who still stood glaring at his side.

“You make sure you take her somewhere nice, like the Sizzler.”

“I will.” He let himself out of the small house. As he drove away, Ike was slightly confused. How could a pro hustler like Roxie Sanchez have been raised by such gullible parents?

As the big, white SUV pulled away from the curb, Theo came up beside his waving wife. “Just what was that all about? That man was not Roxie’s friend or anything else for that matter and you well know it! He’s a cop—or at least, a former cop.”

Tessa gave her husband a sly glance. “Former cop, I’d say.”

“So why did you tell him where to find Roxie? Who knows why he’s looking for her.”

Tessa turned and placed her hand gently against her husband’s shirt. “You’ve always told me I had excellent instincts.” She looked up at his weathered face with love.

“You do,” he mumbled. “And it’s saved us on more than one occasion, but what has that to do with this?”

“Trust my instincts, Theodoro. I have a feeling about Mr. Ike Bancroft.”

Theo looked in the direction of the long gone truck. “I hope you know what you are doing.”

Tessa reached up to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I do.”

Roxie stood and stretched before taking off her reading glasses to rest her eyes. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and glanced up at the clock on the wall. Ten-thirty! How could that be?

Standing on her tiptoes, she peeked just over the top of her cubicle and found herself completely alone. At some point during the evening all the members of her staff had quietly crept out, and she’d been none the wiser. The room was completely silent and abandoned. The lights were dimmed, the lab tables and instruments sat clean and still, waiting for another day of use.

She slumped back down in her chair, wondering why she was surprised. It wasn’t as if this were the first time she’d found herself all alone in the lab at some late hour.

There was a time when her staff would’ve tried to persuade her to leave with them, but they had long since figured their boss was an incurable workaholic. Shannon, her senior intern, was the most persistent and she’d given up months ago. Now, they just left her here, no one willing to interrupt her work long enough to toss a halfhearted goodbye over the top of the cubicle wall. But someone always made the security guard aware of her presence on their way out the door.

Roxie looked down at the computer screen covered in codes and calculations and decided nothing else was going to be accomplished by staying later. In fact, nothing had been accomplished all day.

After her harrowing experience the night before, she’d tried to throw herself into her work to forget. But how could she when the image of midnight-black eyes kept intruding. More than once, she’d smelled the faint odor of his musk cologne, felt a warm tingle of air on her neck and turned her head expecting to see him standing beside her. Ike Bancroft.

The man was nothing more than a common thug. He’d have to be to work for Bobby Kincaid. If you ever show your face in my casino again, be prepared to face the consequences. His menacing threat had played again and again in her head all day.

It seemed her parents had gotten involved with a very treacherous group of people.

In hindsight, of course, she could see how ridiculous it was to think she would waltz into the Desert Rose and waltz out with fifty thousand dollars of Bobby Kincaid’s money. She knew it was probably time to acknowledge that she was in over her head, and give up. But she couldn’t. Everything in her demanded payback, not so much for the money taken from her parents, but for the disgrace they now felt. Something she was certain most people would not understand. It was a hustler thing.

Having lived her life first on her own, then as Tessa and Theo’s ward, Roxie knew what the world thought about people like them. There were fewer words in the English language as despised as the words con man. It was synonymous with lowlife, scum. But what Roxie knew that most did not was that it was more honestly synonymous with words such as desperate and hungry.

In the world she knew as a child, there was no black and white, only shades of gray. The question was really what shade of gray would allow you to continue to sleep at night? And for what shade of gray would you sell your soul?

Even as a child, she knew exactly where to draw the line. And although she was not exactly proud of the things she’d done to survive, she had no trouble sleeping at night.

Could Ike Bancroft say the same?

At least she’d never see him again. Whether he realized it or not, his threat was quite effective. The threat and that ominous look in his eyes had chased her away like a frightened kitten.

Although the danger had passed, Roxie couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still not quite settled about the whole affair. She mentally replayed everything that had happened that night, trying to find the missing detail. When he’d asked, she’d given him the alias Roxanne Smith. Okay, it was a pathetic alias, but it still left her virtually anonymous. And just as a precaution, she’d driven Tessa’s car. Not that she had any expectation he would attempt to follow her. After all, she’d left the money on the table.

Finally deciding the unease was due more to paranoia and fatigue than anything legitimate, Roxie decided to pack it in for the night. Her eyes were red-rimmed with exhaustion. Her back ached from sitting forward over the keyboard. Her stomach was crying for attention.

She passed through the double doors and waved at the young security guard sitting in the booth on the far side of the lot.

“Wait up, Ms. Sanchez!” The guard stood, and called out to her across the lot like he did most nights. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Don’t bother, Trey. I’m fine.” She realized in the time it would take her chivalrous hero to reach her that she could almost be in her car and on the way out of the parking lot.

The young man seemed to hesitate for a moment before slipping back into his booth. “Have a good night.”

“You, too.” Roxie took her time crossing the large, empty lot. It was a particularly clear night, and even with the city lights, many bright stars were still visible in the sky. She felt a soft breeze whip across the area, as several loose ringlets of curly hair tickled her face. There was no hurry as she contemplated her planned light dinner of antipasto salad and rolls.

She passed by a car, a large jalopy whose color and make were both hard to distinguish. She knew that it was Trey’s prize possession, as many nights he’d described in vivid detail his intentions for restoring the old vehicle. Roxie glanced at the metal mess knowing his hopes were in vain, but decided she was not the one to crush his dreams.

Her small sedan and a large, luxury pickup stood alone in the distance. She wondered briefly whom the white truck belonged to. As far as she knew, she was the only one left inside….

Roxie faltered when the occupant of the truck opened the door and stepped out. She stood with her mouth gaping in shock and disbelief.

She seemed so dumbfounded and shocked by his appearance, Ike almost felt sorry for her—almost. “You know, Roxie, if you’re going to bother with an alias as unique as Roxanne Smith, you should’ve at least rented a car. Not that it would’ve made a difference, I still would’ve found you, but at least it would’ve been more of a challenge.”

“Why are you here?”

Ike soaked up the sight of her like ice cream on a hot day. “Looking for you, obviously.” He nodded over her shoulder at the large building with the blue neon sign reading Plastitech Laboratories in blunt lettering. “But this is the last place I expected to find you.”

She just stood staring at him like an apparition out of a nightmare. Realizing she would make no further move toward him, Ike began walking in her direction. He stopped, his eyes narrowing on something over her right shoulder. “You better call off your watchdog, Roxie.”

Roxie turned to find Trey standing a few feet behind her. His brown eyes held some combination of fear and determination as his trembling hand rested on the hilt of the gun at his waist.

“Everything all right, Ms. Sanchez?” The question was directed at Roxie, but the guard never took his eyes off Ike.

Roxie felt her heart in her throat, imagining the confrontation that could ensue if she did not take control of this situation. “I’m fine, Trey.”

Trey took in the man with one sweeping glance. “You sure?”

Roxie struggled to conjure a smile, knowing she would never forgive herself if something happened to this young man because he was trying to protect her. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Trey hesitated for a moment longer, before slowly backing away.

Roxie turned back to Ike. “How did you find me?”

“Tessa? I think that’s her name.”

Her eyes widened in amazement, and her heart rate sped up. What does he know? “Tessa? What does she have to do with anything?”

“Nothing, except for her willingness to share information about you.”

Her mouth twisted in sarcasm. “You’re lying. Tessa would never talk to a stranger about me.”

“Maybe not a stranger, but she was quite willing to speak freely to your new boyfriend.”

“My what?”

He hunched his shoulders and tried to look innocent. The devilish smirk on his lips killed the effect.

She balled her fists by her side in an attempt to regain her composure. “What do you want?

A sensual smile spread across his lips. “You.”

Chapter 4

Ike’s eyebrows crinkled in confusion when he saw the look of panic fill her large, brown eyes. She was looking at him as if he were some kind of serial killer. “Hold on, lady, I don’t know what’s going through that pretty head of yours, but all I want is a little conversation.”

“What could we have to talk about?”

“Where you learned to count cards, for one. And, how you became so good at it, for seconds.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “After that, we’ll just play it by ear.”

There was no point in denying it any longer, Roxie thought, releasing a sigh of relief. The man was obviously not going to give up until his curiosity had been satisfied. Maybe if he had his answer, he would go away and leave her raging hormones in peace. “How did you know?”

“As unlikely as it seemed, it was the only reasonable explanation.”

She spread her arms in surrender. “Okay, you got me.”

Ike fought the urge to step forward and take her into his arms, knowing she had no idea how inviting she looked at that moment.

“It was a one-time deal. I won’t be back, so why don’t we just call it even, and go our separate ways?”

Ike quirked an eyebrow. The look in his dark eyes was sheer disappointment as if the thought of never seeing her again was unacceptable. Did she really think he would agree to that?

“Okay.” He turned as if planning to leave, and paused. “This is the part where I’m suppose to decide you are no threat to the Desert Rose and walk away, right?”

“I really wish you would, but I doubt it.”

He shook his head slowly. “Sorry, no deal. I still have too many unanswered questions.”

“Look, you made it perfectly clear I would not be welcomed back to the Desert Rose again. I got it. Now, you’re free to go off haunting someone else.”

His full lips tilted up in the corners. “Am I haunting you, Roxie?”

“What do you call this?”

“I told you, I’m curious by nature.”

Roxie studied the man standing before her. Really looked at him for the first time since the previous night. It had not escaped her notice that he seemed to be intentionally keeping a certain distance between them, his attempt to ease her, no doubt.

His soft, melodic voice could soothe the most troubled soul. And those eyes… Those intense, deep, dark pools seemed to cut right to her very core.

She sighed in defeat. “Okay, if I answer your questions, will you leave me alone?”

“If your answers satisfy my curiosity—yes,” Ike answered confidently as he pictured the cage door slam shut behind his victim. And the sweetest part of it was that she didn’t even realize she was caught.

Roxie looked around the small restaurant. The few tables that were spaciously scattered around the room were covered in floral tablecloths. Each table contained a small bouquet of fresh daisies.

The guitar player in the corner seemed lost in his own troubles as his fingers strummed a soft ballad Roxie did not recognize. The music was perfectly suited to the dimly lit room as couples engaged in quiet conversation at their respective tables.

She’d never been here before. Until Ike led her over the stone bridge and down a busy shopping avenue, she’d had no idea such a restaurant existed so close to her place of work.

Not that it mattered. If she had to guess, the doors probably did not open until the evening was well under way. This was not a business luncheon kind of restaurant. No, everything about the place spoke of a romantic hideaway.

Tessa often told her that she worked too hard. But then again, Tessa did not understand the environment of her work. When she was on the cusp of discovery it was near impossible to just pack it in and go home. What if the conditions were not the same the next day? Science, like her twin sister Nature, was extremely unpredictable.

Roxie twisted her lips as she wondered why Ike had chosen this particular setting for his second interrogation. Maybe he thinks this method will be more productive than that dragnet approach he took last time. “Do you come here often?” she asked as the waitress placed a small salad in front of her.

Ike smirked as if he knew a loaded question when he heard one. “No, not really. The casino takes up so much of my time I usually eat at Thorns.” He sat back, giving the waitress plenty of room to place Roxie’s salad on the table.

“The casino restaurant? That’s a five-star restaurant. Doesn’t that get expensive after a while?”

“Not when all your meals are on the house.”

She frowned as she began cutting the large spinach leaves. Something about this was not adding up. “Is that a usual perk of the job?”

“Probably not, but neither is the apartment suite I have on the tenth floor.” He chuckled, thinking nothing of the life he took for granted.

Bobby Kincaid had been his father’s best friend from the time they were boys. Every memory of every special occasion in Ike’s thirty-four years of life included Uncle Bobby standing before him with a gift-wrapped package. So, when Ike left the police force and Bobby offered him the gift of a beautiful apartment suite in his casino resort and a job, Ike accepted it as his birthright. No one had ever questioned it until now.

When he looked up again, Roxie had stopped eating, and was watching him with suspicious eyes. “Who are you?”

“What are you talking about?” Ike watched her expressive face shift between fear and anxiety.

“Why would Bobby Kincaid give an apartment to a security guard?”

“I’m not a security guard. I’m the head of the casino security task—”

“You say potato, I say patata—answer the question!”

“Bobby Kincaid is my godfather.” He watched her face, trying to understand why this was so important to her.

“Your godfather?”

Ike had a suspicion confirmed. It wasn’t him she was afraid of, it was Bobby. But why? This couldn’t be about what happened the other night. She’d never even met Bobby, so why was she so scared?

“I know how difficult counting cards can be, and you made it look like a walk in the park.” Ike spoke suddenly, trying to change the subject and get her mind off of whatever it was about Bobby that was troubling her so. “Hell, half the time it didn’t even seem as if you were paying attention to the table.”

Bobby Kincaid’s godson. She shrugged, and stabbed at a large hunk of lettuce. “It’s not that difficult when you have a photographic memory.”

Ike’s mouth spread in a smile of appreciation, and he paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “Photographic memory?” His eyes drifted across the table as his mind took in this new information. “That explains a lot.” He finished chewing, reached for a stick of bread from the basket in the center of the table, and took a bite from the end.

He thought about the heated words exchanged in his office, and he couldn’t help feeling as if he’d been handled by her. Despite all the subtle threats and innuendoes he’d thrown at Roxie, she’d known all along that she was never in any real danger. He looked at the woman across the table from him. “So, how long have you been a professional hustler?”

Roxie sat back in her chair. She’d been watching his face the entire time, and knew long before his mouth open that something nasty was going to come out. “You probably think that is an insult.”

“It’s certainly not a compliment,” he mumbled.

“I guess that depends on who you ask.” Her brown eyes narrowed until they were just slits of topaz fire. “Anyway, I’m not a hustler. At least, not anymore.”

“But you once were?”

“When I was a kid.”

He gave her a disbelieving look.

“Really. I used to hustle cards when I was a kid.”

He smirked. “With that memory of yours, you just couldn’t resist the urge, huh?”

She finished chewing a bit of salad. “Actually, it was more the urge to eat.”

He frowned thoughtfully, beginning to understand.

“I was homeless.” She pointed her fork at him. “Although, I must admit it was by choice. I could’ve stayed in the state girls’ home they put me in after my grandmother died, but that really wasn’t the place for someone small and innocent.” Her eyes flashed to his. “Trust me, I’d been there before.”

Ike listened in silence, seeming not to know what to say.

“My mother left me there when I was five. It was hell,” she said softly, putting all her attention into the small salad. “My grandmother found me, and three years later she died and I was back in there again. But I knew from day one I wouldn’t stay. I thought I stood a better chance on my own, and I was right.”

She felt her hands trembling as she buttered a roll. Why was she telling this man all her personal information? It was not like her. But deep inside her heart, she knew the truth. Some part of her desperately wanted Ike’s approval, his understanding. But why? He was Bobby Kincaid’s godson. Not exactly a neutral third party, and the last man she should’ve trusted.

She wanted him to understand she was not a thief by nature, but by necessity. “But I haven’t done anything like that in years, at least not until last night. And that I did for personal reasons.”

Ike quietly ate, taking in all she’d said. He tried to imagine what life must’ve been like for her. But even with his jaded experiences, he could not contemplate living on the street at so young an age.

“Must think I’m pretty pathetic, huh? Once a thief, always a thief, right?”

“No.” He wiped his mouth. “I’m not exactly the one to throw stones. Considering I was reared by a pair of number runners.”

Her head snapped up. And he saw something like hope in her eyes. “Really?”

He saw the light of recognition on her face and knew he’d managed to lift her a little. “Just how do you think Bobby Kincaid came to be my godfather?”

“Hadn’t really thought about it.”

“He and my dad use to hang tight back in the day. There are both legit now, but I can remember…”

Roxie forced herself to look deep into his eyes, and was glad she did when she found no judgment there.

“Sometimes, when a person feels there is no way out…they’ll make a way.” He shrugged. “Desperate people do desperate things.”

He understands. Roxie felt her heart skip a beat sensing some unspoken kinship.

“Okay.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Tell me about these personal reasons.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s no one’s business but my own. Hence the word personal. Ask me something else.”

“Okay, why the Desert Rose?”

Roxie swallowed hard, and took a sip from her wineglass. “Why not the Desert Rose? Everyone knows it’s one of the most profitable casinos off the strip.”

“Then you had to know, as well, that the Desert Rose has a reputation for dealing harshly with people who are caught cheating.”

She laughed and gestured to the room around them, indicating the soft music and comfortable atmosphere. “I can see that. If I’d known this was how you dealt with my type, I would’ve visited you a long time ago.”

Ike smiled, unable to deny her good humor. “Okay, point taken. But I don’t consider you in that category. After all, you didn’t actually take anything.” He held up a finger. “Speaking of which, why didn’t you take it? You had almost…what? Twenty, thirty Gs, sitting on the table. I couldn’t prove anything, so why did you run?”

“I didn’t run!”

“Well, you certainly considered it.”

She leaned forward across the table. “Look, why don’t you just ask your questions so I can satisfy your curiosity and get rid of you once and for all.” Before I start hoping for the impossible.

He smiled and said nothing. She was becoming more and more interesting by the minute. She was glaring at him so fiercely, he didn’t have the heart to tell her this was only the beginning of their relationship, not the end.

“Why did you quit the game so abruptly?”

Roxie twisted her mouth in irritation. “I didn’t run, but…” She wasn’t about to admit that he’d scared her right out the front door. “Sometimes, strategic retreat is necessary.”

They both held their peace as the waitress cleared away Roxie’s salad plate and replaced it with entrées of chicken parmesan, and chicken cordon-bleu.

“Retreat? Are you implying that you plan to try again?” Ike asked.

“Maybe.”

“But you said you would stay away from the Desert Rose.”

“Who said anything about the Desert Rose?”

He studied her thoughtfully. “What exactly are we talking about here?”

“Am I making you nervous?”

“A little. I thought you were after some quick cash, but I’m starting to realize there is more here than meets the eye. Just what are you after?”

“That’s personal, remember? You just wanted to know how I took the tables.” She hid the satisfied smirk, as she watched his eyes dart around. His brain was trying to work it all out. He was probably remembering every word they’d said to each other over the past two days.

She was certain she’d said nothing to give herself away, but strangely enough she wanted to confess all. It was as if all her secrets were suddenly weighing her down, and he was a safe place to settle her load. There was absolutely no reason to trust this man, a friend to her enemy, and yet there was something about him that screamed safe.

Roxie was unable to stop the smile that touched her lips. “Still curious?”

His dark eyes raced over every feature of her face. “More than ever.”

She cut into her chicken parmesan, and thought how much better her evening was turning out than what she had planned. A little late-night TV, and a pasta salad didn’t hold a candle to the company of this fascinating and charming man. This too charming man—and that was the problem.

He seemed to know just what to say to put her at ease, something few could do. He was compassionate, and understanding and a complete surprise. He was making her want things she shouldn’t want, especially not from him.

Roxie gently placed her fork on the table. “Okay, how about you answer a question for me?”

Ike gestured for her to go ahead.

“Other than your own personal curiosity, why did you come looking for me? Did Bobby Kincaid send you?”

The answer to the question was yes, but he knew that would be the wrong answer to give. Despite how comfortable she appeared to be now, he remembered the look of pure fear on her face when he first stepped out of his truck in the laboratory parking lot.

Ike knew his godfather’s reputation, but unlike most, he knew there was little truth to most of the rumors. Bobby was a Vegas personality as much as Tom Jones, or Siegfried and Roy. And like all celebrities, what the press didn’t know, they made up. Nonetheless, Roxie’s fear was real. Which meant she’d obviously heard some of those rumors. Or was it something more? What was she really after?

“Yes,” he answered.

“Why?”

He sighed. “He wanted to know the same thing I did. How you did it. You have to consider it from his point of view. He thought you may have been using some kind of new technology.”

“And what will you tell him?”

Ike had a sudden desperate need in his gut to comfort and reassure her that he was not the enemy. “That his fears were unfounded.”

She watched him with suspicious eyes. “So, you’ve decided I’m not a threat?”

Other than to my peace of mind? “No. Like you said, you weren’t looking to make a quick buck, you were there for personal reasons.” He decided to play a hunch. “Besides, I don’t think the Desert Rose was your real target. The more I talk to you, I think you were after Bobby.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

She toyed with her scalloped potatoes. “You’re not concerned?”

“Why should I be? Bobby was taking care of himself long before I was born.”

Roxie fought to keep the truth behind her sealed lips, but she wanted to tell him. She wanted to blurt out everything.

“Would you stop looking at me like that?” he asked without ever looking away from the food on his plate.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Is there another shoe, Ike? I mean, what’s in this for you?”

He smiled that wonderful, sensual smile and Roxie fought to ignore its erotic pull. “I have my own personal reasons.”

“What—”

He held up a finger and shook his head. “Hence the word personal, remember?”

“Fair enough.”

Ike found it a little surprising that she was willing to drop the issue so easily. He didn’t think she was particularly fair-minded enough for that. But the fact that she did let it go suited his purpose just fine. He had no diplomatic way of explaining to her that he knew with complete certainty that she would be his next lover.

He’d known that since before her salad plate was taken away. But first, he had to discover what her aversion to Bobby was all about. He instinctively knew that would be the greatest stepping stone between them.

Chapter 5

As the night wore on, Roxie found herself relaxing much more than she ever expected, or even wanted. There was something about Ike Bancroft that her soul found very comforting. It could’ve been his sensual, almost musical voice that caused his words to roll over her in waves. Or the look of understanding she saw in his eyes so many times when she spoke of her past.

Whoever he was now, Ike had seen hard times. It was hard to tell what he’d been through with his stoic demeanor, and his careful ways, but there was something deeper and darker living inside him. Something that not only spoke to Roxie, but truly heard her, as well.

She found herself telling him about her background, things only Tessa and Theo knew. She doubted he would judge her. And although he said little, it was enough to let her know she was not being condemned for the acts of her childhood.

She’d just finished telling him about how Tessa and Theo found her, when he sat back in his chair and wiped his mouth with his linen napkin. “Wow, I can’t believe you managed to make it on your own for so long.”

She chuckled with little humor. “Looking back on it, neither can I. I guess the angels were watching over me.”

“What made you trust the Sanchezes?”

Her mouth tilted up at the corner as she remembered those two pairs of compassionate eyes looking down on her with concern. “What choice did I have? It was either trust them, or take my chances with the creep on the corner.”

“The creep on the corner?”

“Yeah, there was some old guy that would hang around when I worked the crowd. I changed locations four times trying to shake him, but he would always find me.” She shivered involuntarily. “The way he looked at me…I can still see him like it was yesterday. I had nightmares about him for years.”

Ike learned forward and took her hand, wanting to draw her pain into himself. She was as cold as ice. “Roxie, did he…”

She shook her head adamantly. “No, he never got the chance.” She smiled to herself as she remembered. “I started noticing this Hispanic couple everywhere I went. At first, I thought it was just coincidence. I mean, the man would feed the pigeons, while the lady sat on a bench knitting. But then, I realized they would turn up whenever the monster did.”

Ike did not miss the fact that she’d referred to the man as the monster.

“This particular day…” She paused to take a sip of wine. “This particular day, he finally attempted to approach me. But Tessa and Theo cut him off, and got to my table first. They introduced themselves, and explained that they wanted to help me. At first, I didn’t trust them. Back then, I didn’t trust anyone. But then I looked into Tessa’s eyes and knew she would never hurt me. There is something about eyes that are very honest, don’t you think?” She glanced up at the dark, honest eyes staring back at her.

He shrugged. “So, you went home with them, and never looked back.”

“It wasn’t quite that easy. At first, they let me come and go as I please. I guess they wanted me to know that I was not their prisoner or something. Most times, I still slept on the street, and only went to their house on really cold nights. Even then, I didn’t get much sleep, but finally, after a few months. I started staying every night. Then eventually, I would leave my stuff, and so on.”

Ike shook his head. “I don’t know. If I had been in your situation, I don’t think I could’ve trusted even them.”

“You have to trust someone, Ike.”

“No, you don’t.”

She stared at him, wondering if she’d misread all that compassion.

“Roxie, I’ve seen things in the military, on the police force. Things that would make you wonder why God even bothered. People can be horrible and cruel.”

“But they can also be loving and kind.”

“Sorry, I’ve seen more of the horrible and cruel than the loving and kind.”

“Are you telling me there is no one you trust?”

“My mother, my fa—”

“No, I mean someone who is not related to you by blood?”

“Bobby. I trust Bobby.” To a point.

“You shouldn’t.” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

“Okay, what is it, Roxie?” He folded his arms on the table. “You’re dying to tell me something. You might as well get it out of your system. What is it about Bobby that irks you so?”

I don’t know you! her mind screamed, yet she was dying to tell him the real reason she was at the casino.

“Tell me, Roxie.”

His quiet words couldn’t have been any more appealing than if he’d thrown open his strong arms and said come on in.

“What do you know about Tumbleweed?”

“Bobby’s condominium development?” His eyebrows crunched in confusion. He had no idea where this conversation was headed.

She nodded.

“Not much. Why?”

“Kincaid is using it to scam people out of thousands of dollars.”

All the warmth and lust Ike was feeling for Roxie came to an abrupt halt as he began to suspect he was being played. Did she really think he was gullible enough to believe such a ridiculous story? “Really?”

Seeing the doubt and skepticism in his eyes, Roxie immediately regretted her confession. But it was too late to turn around now. Her only choice was to go full speed ahead. “I know because he scammed my parents out of fifty thousand dollars.”

“Your parents? Are we talking about that pair of con artists who raised you?”

She sighed, feeling defeated and quickly vowing never to trust her heart again. “Look, Ike, you can believe what you want. But it’s the truth, whether you like it or not.”

“And why would one of the wealthiest men in Vegas need to steal fifty thousand dollars from a pair of con ar—”

“Stop calling them that! Yes, that’s what they did in the past, but it has nothing to do with this! They invested that money in good faith, and he took it without so much as a blink of an eye.”

“Why?”

“Why is he running the scam? How should I know?”

The couple fell silent when they realized people were staring. Ike turned his attention to the remainder of his chicken cordon-bleu. His mind was trying to come up with some rational reason why Roxie would believe something so stupendous. There had to be some explanation that would justify her claim. Otherwise, he would have to accept that she was trying to run some kind of game on him. Which meant he would have to open the cage door and set her free. And he just wasn’t ready to give up yet. Then it occurred to him.

“How did you find out about this?”

“Tessa and Theo told me.”

Bingo. He took a bite of meat, suddenly feeling much better.

Roxie searched his face as he concentrated on cutting into his chicken. She was unsure herself as to why she was so desperate to make Ike believe her, but she needed to convince him. “Ike, why would I go through the trouble of making all this up?”

“I don’t think you are. I think you’re just acting on whatever lies you’ve been told.”

“Okay, and why would they tell me something like that if it wasn’t the truth?”

“I don’t know.” He hunched his shoulders and dug into his pasta. “Maybe they lost the money somewhere else, and just didn’t want you to know.” He tilted his head as a thought occurred to him. “Did they know what you were planning? Trying to get the money off the tables?”

“No, but what does that have to do with anything?”

His mouth twisted. “That’s what I thought. They probably told you that lie, never realizing that you would try to do something about it.”

She sat looking at him with sullen eyes while he continued to eat. “I should’ve known better than to try to convince you of the truth. You’d already made up your mind about me before we walked through the door to this restaurant.”

“No, that’s not true. At first I thought you were a professional hustler trying to run your game in my casino. Now I know that you are just a pawn in the Sanchezes’ little scheme. Overall, I think it has been a very productive evening.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Do you?”

He nodded in ignorant bliss, never sensing the growing anger boiling inside her chest. “Yup. But it’s okay. I’m sure once you explain to them what happened last night, they will confess all and we can put this whole little incident behind us.” He considered something else. “How about we go back to the casino and you can talk to Bobby yourself?”

“I considered that, but when the police wouldn’t even believe me, I knew it was pointless. Your reaction only confirms that.”

“But if you talk to him—”

“What do you think? He’s just going to confess? ‘Sorry, you tried to take my money, but I forgive you. Okay, here’s your money back’,” she said in a mocking voice. “No, talking to him won’t solve anything.”

He just looked at her, and knew she believed what she was saying. He laughed at Roxie’s naiveté. She didn’t realize the money she was winning at the poker table wasn’t even Bobby’s. She wasn’t stealing from him at all.

“What?” Roxie asked, her eyes narrowing on him.

He explained to her the flaw on her scheme at the poker table. “You should’ve played blackjack or roulette if you wanted to take Bobby’s money. The casino has nothing invested in the poker tables. It’s just a bunch of customers exchanging money around. We don’t see a dime of that.”

Roxie’s face flushed a deep shade of embarrassment. After several moments, she laughed, too, at her own silly error. She really should have thought of her plan better before storming into the casino. She’d been out of the game too long.

“Look, I’ll talk to Bobby,” he said finally, when Roxie had recovered.

“Please, Ike.” Roxie reached across the table and grabbed both his hands in a death grip. “Don’t tell Bobby Kincaid about them. I only told you because…just please, Ike. If he found out we went to the police, I don’t know what he might do.” She knew that if Ike told Bobby even half of what they’d shared this evening, then matters would be out of both their hands.

Ike was staring at her in confusion. There was no faking the kind of fear he was seeing in her eyes. She was a woman truly terrified. The Bobby she was describing, and the Bobby he knew were so different he couldn’t reconcile the images in his head. Just what had those old swindlers told her?

Whatever her parents were working at, there was no doubt they’d sold Roxie a bill of goods and she’d bought it all. Unless she was in on it with them, and this was her attempt to keep Bobby from learning the truth about them. Maybe, Ike thought, she believed she could convince him to help her with her scheme.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.