Maddie’s instincts told her to stay close to Gio, but she questioned her own motives. He was more than brooding. If he was a comic strip character, he’d have a thundercloud over his head. With lightning. A lot of lightning.
Despite telling him she needed assurance, she did trust him. He was a good cop by all accounts of his coworkers, and she knew him to be a man with integrity. A man she cared about. The man who’d fathered her son.
She stopped mid-step. Maddie didn’t have time, nor was this the headspace for Jake, Gio and her guilt. This was one time where it legitimately needed to be for later.
Well, this is the rest. You got this, girl.
She needed to maintain that, pin it to her brain and handle this. As she’d told the team, she didn’t anticipate danger, but they all needed to prepare for any possibility. Like any time they did an op. Serving warrants went sideways all the time.
“Inspector Granger? You okay?” Garcia asked, close to her ear.
“You bet.” She forced a smile.
Gio shouldered past the shorter detective to come up beside her, as if he didn’t want his friend so near her. He still didn’t speak, and Garcia quirked a knowing smirk.
Maddie ignored both men and led the group of marshals and LVMPD’s finest into the massive casino. She headed straight for the first uniformed security officer in sight, and demanded access to the executive offices.
She wouldn’t state their purpose until she had to, out of respect for Gio. If the team thought it odd, no one said. For that, she was grateful.
No doubt Gio had access of his own, but she didn’t want to blow what he’d referred to as his privacy.
Besides, it gave her plausible deniability of their connection. If no one managed to uncover her past cases, and discovered her little trip to Sin City eight years ago.
Conflict of interest floated around in her head and she ignored it. It wasn’t like rules hadn’t already been shattered. The man had spent the night in her bed, after all.
Awareness zinged down her spine, partly due to her too-vivid-for-its-own-good memory, and partly because Gio was at her side.
Evidently, he agreed with her idea of the two of them sticking together. He’d insisted he would be the one to search his father’s office, so when they got there, Maddie would go with him.
The young security officer’s eyes went bigger than a jackpot winner, and he raked his gaze over their whole unit before finally settling and locking in on Gio.
Obviously, the man knew who he was, and she commended him for not publicly shaming him, or even addressing him by name.
Gio’s family would see his involvement with the warrant as a traitorous act, since the investigation would seem as if it’d come out of the blue to them.
She closed her eyes for a split-second and took what she hoped was an unnoticeable fortifying breath. She’d always adored his siblings. Especially Elise.
As soon as the younger woman recognized her, any shred of friendship they’d ever had would be ripped away. Torn to pieces and whipped into non-existence.
The security officer got on the radio, and two more uniforms joined his podium. They also leered at Gio with recognition in their eyes. Silent recognition, like their counterparts, so perhaps the gods were with them this day. For his sake, anyways.
Maddie tried not to spare him a glance, but her periphery couldn’t escape, and his Adam’s apple bobbed a few times, as if he couldn’t stop swallowing. She inhaled through her nose and prayed he wouldn’t hate her forever. There was no way he didn’t blame this situation all on her, even if she was just doing her job.
She suddenly wanted to be anywhere but at The Giovanni, especially in this capacity.
Two of the officers escorted them to the executive offices. The farther away from the casino floor they got, the more the blinking wildly colored lights and beeps, bings, dings and sirens faded, and it was disconcerting, making the walk an awkwardly mute affair.
The noises of heavy boot-steps, keys rattling and leather gear creaking enveloped the corridor, and for some reason it made her want to flee.
Elise Giovanni met them in front of the huge curved dark wood receptionist desk with her hands on both shapely hips.
The vivacious college student Maddie had met and made fast friends with eight years ago had become an ethereal beauty, with shoulder length blonde hair and a killer body she didn’t seem too shy to show off.
The fire-engine red business suit fit her like a second skin, and the pencil skirt stopped right above her knees. Her three-quarter length sleeve blazer was buttoned, the white shirt beneath still hinted at cleavage. She even had a jeweled brooch of the casino’s logo on her lapel.
Her shoes were no doubt Louboutins, matching her outfit, as did her cherry-red lipstick. If her narrowed eyes and pursed lips were any indication, she wasn’t happy they were there, even if she couldn’t know why.
Yet.
Maddie’s stomach inverted and she inhaled. Expensive-smelling and appealing perfume teased her senses.
They had an audience of more than the rest of her taskforce. People stared through the offices’ glass walls, down to the brunette receptionist behind Elise, who looked on with her mouth parted and her eyes wide.
Gio’s sister appeared to scan their unit before meeting Maddie’s eyes.
Unlike the security officers, she didn’t pay special notice to her brother standing to Maddie’s right.
“Excuse me, what is this about?” Polite, but a demand nonetheless.
“Ms. Elise Giovanni, I’m Senior Investigator Madison Granger,” as if the younger woman could’ve forgotten who she was. She plowed on, “with the US Marshals Service. We have a warrant to search your executive offices and your accounting department records, as well as to seize all equipment that may have been used in the commission of federal crimes.”
“What?” Elise glanced at Gio now, her fair brows tight even as she took the warrant from Maddie. She scanned it, and her pretty face paled. Her throat worked, and one hand shot up to her mouth. “Federal crimes? You’ve got to be kidding.” She pinned her brother with wide dark eyes. “Gio? What is this?”
None of the team said a word in the tense quiet, but Maddie wanted to groan.
There was some uncomfortable shifting behind her.
That couldn’t be good.
There wasn’t a doubt that those questions would be dancing through their heads, but she hoped to Heaven they waited to say anything.
Gio didn’t answer his sister, but his expression betrayed pain before he schooled it whiplash-fast. He straightened his already impossibly broad shoulders and his chest heaved.
Maddie clear her throat, hoping he wouldn’t want to answer. She needed to speak fast, just in case. “The sooner we get started, the sooner we’ll be done.”
Remain professional, became a chant in her head. Not that it’d be a cure-all, or a cure-at-all, for her genuine grief and discomfort.
Elise’s eyes were so dark they made her beauty even more stunning, but when they misted over, Maddie felt like shit for the first time since she’d agreed to lead this investigation.
Her first command was becoming a shitstorm.
Do not look at him.
Gio had always been super protective of his siblings. There was no way he’d abide his sister’s tears.
She needed the team to scatter. Stat.
She whirled to face her guys and gals, because even she needed a reprieve from the honest-to-God shock on Elise’s face. “Everyone has their assignments.”
Elise snapped her fingers. “Hold on. I will require my security team to remain present, especially if you’re intending to go into restricted areas.” Her voice was hard; no trace of tears, and Maddie admired her backbone.
She offered a nod. “As long as they don’t interfere with our search, that’s fine.”
The younger woman nodded.
The receptionist handed her a radio. No shocker that the brunette was hanging on every word of their exchange.
“Call Paul Allemand’s office. Tell him to get his ass down here. No partners or associates. Paul himself,” Gio’s sister barked to the receptionist before she held the button down on the small radio.
The brunette immediately obeyed, dipping her head and speaking lowly when someone answered on the other end of the call.
Of course the big casino was represented by one of Sin City’s most famous bulldozer law firms. Even Maddie had heard of the man. She’d never heard if he or his large firm was suspected to be involved with anything illegal or had mob ties, so it was smart for The Giovanni to be aligned with prestige on the up and up.
There was no awkward downtime, waiting for Elise’s security guys. In less than a minute, six men in dark gray suits, not uniforms, poured into the executive offices’ lobby like a marine unit on a combat mission.
Maddie studied their hardened implacable faces. Their demeanor screamed that one or more of these men were ex-military. They were the elite security of The Giovanni, Gio’s family’s version of the Secret Service, and for some reason she wanted to smile.
One of the men stepped forward, while the others stood as a unit, shoulder-to-shoulder, not exactly glaring at their invasion, but almost.
“This is Chase Warren, Director of Security for the casino, and he’ll assist you.” Elise’s delivery was even stronger than the previous time, but it was colder, too. She was mega-pissed.
Chase Warren was likely in is mid-thirties, and his suit jacket was well-fitted without fully disguising his massive biceps and pecs. He was handsome, and his sandy hair sported a jarhead cut, as if he’d been discharged the week before.
He accepted the warrant when his boss handed it to him, and his eyes went narrower as he read, ending up tiny slits by the time was done. His nostrils flared and his jaw was set in a hard line.
Perfect, he’ll love to assist us. Hope they’re not armed.
“Chase, please show these gentlemen to the areas they require.” Elise’s words held a deadly edge, and she’d said ‘gentlemen’ like a racial slur.
Yeah, Maddie had never seen the leggy blonde so irate.
Chase Warren offered a curt nod and handed the warrant back. “Ma’am.”
When Maddie’s team—save Gio—split off, each accompanied by a security officer, she tried to take in air, but for some reason her chest was tighter.
“Mr. Allemand is on his way, Ms. Giovanni, but he’s coming directly from court, and may be delayed,” the receptionist said. “He’ll be here as soon as he can.”
No one acknowledged the brunette.
“Gio,” his sister hissed through clenched teeth. “What the hell is going on here?” She grabbed his wrist and tugged.
Maddie looked from sibling to sibling, trying not to chew on her lip.
He pinned her with a stare and broke physical contact with his younger sister. “Inspector, we need to search the president’s office.” He whirled in his shitkickers, completely ignoring Elise.
Undeterred, she followed, her five inch heels click-clacking on the tile floor and her irritation shooting up as she repeated his nickname.
Oh shit.
Elise was going to fucking slaughter him for doing this to her. Maybe she’d slide the dagger-shaped mail opener from their father’s desk into his back.
Right. Now.
It would put him out of his misery, so maybe it’d be all right.
“Nico Antonio Demetri Giovanni!” His full name from her would’ve been amusing at any other time, considering the last person to break it out had been their mother, he-couldn’t-remember when.
He just hoped to God no other cop had heard her. Logically, after she’d addressed him by nickname in front of the group to ask what the search warrant was all about, his coworkers would draw some conclusions. If not, well they were too dumb to be cops, and he just wasn’t that fucking lucky.
Maybe the captain had known all along, despite Gio guarding his privacy in a vault. Maybe it was some sort of don’t-ask-don’t-tell sitch.
Olinsky had been his immediate supervisor for a few years and it’d never come up. The same inquiry as before danced back into his brain…if the guy really did know, why was he allowed to stay on the taskforce?
Well, he wasn’t going to make inquiries, for damn sure.
Maddie was behind Elise, but the only one was speaking—shouting—was his sister.
“Gio, seriously. Tell me what the fuck is going on here, now.”
He stopped right inside their father’s inner sanctum and whirled on her. That brought to mind the last time he’d stood there.
The other night, when he’d first met Armani-the-cockstain.
Elise crossed her arms and stopped a few feet from him. A serious scowl marred her pretty face. She was wearing a red skirt a few inches too short.
Unlike usually, he didn’t give a shit that she was trying to look like a hot little number, or that her rage was as bright as the red hue of the fabric.
He could deal with the anger. When she’d faced him out by the main receptionist desk, and her dark eyes had misted over with helplessness, he’d wanted to shoot himself.
Gio might’ve tried to blame Maddie, but at that moment, his guilt was the size of a grizzly bear that’d already ripped chunks from his body, only to leave him for dead until it could come back for more.
The beast was already on its way to finish him off.
He headed to the nearest filing cabinet and tried to open it. When a lock stopped him, he went back to his dad’s desk and opened the top drawer, grabbing a set of tiny keys from the corner of the sorter-tray. The long slender drawer was the only one without a lock.
His father had always been a “keep it locked” kind of guy, so it was odd the keys were right there. But he’d question that later.
“Where’s Marco?” he said without preamble, still ignoring Elise’s demands.
The small key worked on the first try, and he slid the first metal drawer open before his sister answered.
Maddie scanned the room, too. She probably wanted to get this shit the hell over with, too.
Before the attorneys showed up.
Big Tony had had Paul Allemand on retainer since before Gio could remember. The man had started his firm about the same time his father had started the casino, and they’d grown their businesses side-by-side. Had been equally successful. Paul had known them all since childhood. He was a hell of a lawyer, too.
He’d fight to exonerate his father, and destroy Maddie’s case.
Isn’t that a good thing?
He had a reputation for obliterating cops on the stand. Half the force was shit-their-pants afraid to be subpoenaed if he was the attorney of record.
Gio wouldn’t want her humiliated, even if she was wrong about his dad.
His sister’s voice pulled him out of his head.
“He’s not answering the damn phone,” Elise admitted at the same Maddie asked, “Who’s Marco?”
When he spared both women a glance, his sister’s gaze was on her phone, and her thumbs were furiously flying over the screen.
There was nothing worse than angry-woman texts, but he didn’t feel for the twatwaffle. He was disappointed the fucker hadn’t been with Elise when she’d met their team in the office lobby.
“I’ve tried to call him ten times. It goes straight to voicemail, and I haven’t seen him since he left our place this morning.” She didn’t stop texting, even though she was speaking normally, without the same fury.
Gio scowled. They were living together?
He didn’t like that.
One. Bit.
He slammed the filing cabinet shut and went to the next drawer. The top consisted of a series of mostly empty hanging file folders. Nothing of interest. As if the four-drawer cabinet was for show.
“Who’s Marco?” Maddie repeated, this time with a little more force.
“My fiancé, Marco Fratelli. He works here at the casino. He’s one of the VPs.” His sister sounded distracted, most of her attention on her phone.
He froze with his hand on the second silver handle and closed his eyes.
Mother. Fucker.
Why had she had to say the cockstain’s fake last name?
“Fratelli?” Maddie’s question was so loaded Gio feared one word could pierce his skin with such force his Kevlar wouldn’t have a chance in hell to stop it.
He didn’t want to turn around. He couldn’t crush his younger sibling even more, by publicly outing Armani, especially since he didn’t know who the asshole really was.
As for his lover, he’d be lucky if she didn’t actually flay him open when he confessed the truth. Or shoot him. His woman always carried.
Both females would want him dead in a matter of seconds.
Maybe they’d take turns hanging his balls from their mantels, or the hoods of their cars.
“Yes. Marco Fratelli,” Elise supplied again.
Gio sucked in air, hoping it wasn’t his last.
Maddie was silent, and the furious click-click from the letters on Elise’s phone screen was the only sound, other than his freight-train nervous breathing.
He hoped he was the only one aware of that.
Gio tried to open the second drawer, but it only came toward him about halfway. He tugged, to no avail. “It’s stuck,” he said, more to himself than either pissed off woman.
He yanked the drawer with all his might. It opened so fast, he stumbled back and barely avoided tripping over his own feet and falling on his ass. Gio threw his arms out for balance.
Thanks, Karma?
Something small and dark went flying in an arc and landed on the carpet with a soft thud.
“What the hell?” he asked as he bent to retrieve the small book.
It was dark brown, leather-bound and looked old; the cover was scarred with fold-marks as well as scratches on the surface. The spine revealed that someone had often tucked the cover behind the back, as did the curve of the pages.
His sister and Maddie crowded him as he straightened and opened it.
“What’s that?” Elise asked.
Gio met her eyes. “You’ve never seen it before?”
She shook her head, making her loose pale locks dance over her shoulders. “No, have you?”
“Nope.”
“Lemme have that. It’s evidence,” Maddie said.
Gio and his sister both glared at her.
He tightened his grip on the little book.
She pulled, and they played a mini game of tug-o-war, until he relented, so it wouldn’t come apart.
It creaked in protest.
The only thing he’d been able to make out before he’d relinquished the book was his father’s name written in cursive on the inside cover, as well as a date forty-odd years back.
Maddie pulled an evidence bag from her back pocket, but she thumbed through what he’d found instead of sliding it inside and sealing it. “No mob ties, huh?”
“What?” Elise squawked.
“No,” Gio said, but it was more a whisper of disbelief than the harsh bark he’d intended.
Maddie held the petite tome open. Someone had drawn lines and columns with a black pen, as if the book had been intended for a journal more than a record-keeper or ledger. They were neat and straight, as was the writing in each column. Initials and dollar amounts filled each one, as well as the date for each transaction. Much like an old-fashioned bookie’s records.
Fuck. Me.
His heart resumed its dive to his gut. “Just because—”
The radio on Maddie’s hip squelched to life.
“Granger, we’re done here. Hard drives from the accounting department are secure.” Griggs’ voice sounded and Gio could’ve kissed the man for his timely interruption.
Maddie reached for the radio to answer, and Elise grabbed his hand.
“What’s she talking about? Mob ties?”
His heart galloped and he wanted to look anywhere but at his sister’s astonished face. “Lise, I’ll explain later…”
“No. Right. Fucking. Now.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at them both. She didn’t often utter his favorite word, and she’d dropped it a few times since they’d headed to their father’s office. A testament to how upset she was.
Well, duh.
“We’ve gotten what we needed, so let’s to meet the team in the lobby,” Maddie said, hooking the radio back to her belt.
His sister’s expression could’ve peeled paint. She shot a new scowl at Maddie. “I’d say it’s nice to see you again, but it’s not.” Her full mouth was a hard line. “I have a right to know what the hell is going on here.”
“You lawyer will explain,” Maddie said at the same time Gio said, “You will. Soon.”
He tried to reach for her but she wrenched away.
Her face went even harder. “You’ll be hearing from our attorneys.” Her dark eyes flashed with renewed fury at Maddie.
“When you hear from your fiancé, we need to talk to him.” Her cheeks were tinged pink, but she his met his sister head-on, so he had to admire her for that. She handed her a business card. Or tried to.
Elise took the little paper rectangle and ripped it in half. “I know how to reach my brother, thanks,” she snarled, but she wasn’t looking at Maddie.
Gio had never considered himself a coward, and he’d never wished for a sinkhole to swallow him alive, but one conveniently located under his feet would’ve been super fucking helpful.