Chapter Four

“We’ve got to find a way to ditch Charlie and Victor,” David said as he followed Laura down a long hallway toward her room. For one thing, he couldn’t have her confronting the two goons the way she had just now. They might decide to take their attention off him and target her. “I need to get in touch with Tommy, and they can’t see me talking to him.”

“Maybe I could distract them somehow.” Laura stopped in front of a doorway at the far end of the hallway and inserted her key card.

“Absolutely not. You’re already too involved in this.” He couldn’t believe how involved. She was supposed to be a small-town nursery school teacher, not a woman who faced down killers and badgered them into leaving her alone. That was his job. He stepped in front of her, opened the door, and leaned in carefully.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I want to make sure you don’t have any nasty surprises waiting for you.”

She paled. “Surprises?”

“If Zacolli got a look at the records from the wedding chapel and learned your name, he might have sent someone up here to go through your things, to try to find some clue to what I’m up to.” He didn’t like scaring her, but he needed to impress upon her that she had to be cautious.

She covered her mouth, as if to stifle a gasp. “I told Charlie and Victor I’d lost my luggage. If they came here, they’d know I lied.”

“The airline could have found your luggage and delivered it this morning. What’s more important is if they found anything that proved you couldn’t really be married to me.”

“They wouldn’t have found anything. I mean, I don’t keep a diary or anything like that.” She followed him into the room. “It’s just clothes and a romance novel I bought to read on the plane.”

He checked the closet then the bathroom, stopping before the cracked sink. “This room is a dump.”

“I don’t think they usually rent it, but the hotel is really full.” She pulled her suitcase from the closet and began emptying the drawers. “I had a much nicer room next to Rachel’s. But she said she needed her maid of honor, Kimmy, close to her so they could plan wedding stuff. So I traded with Kimmy.”

“You’re too nice for your own good,” he said. He’d have told the sister to take a hike. Then again, he didn’t have any brothers or sisters. Maybe he’d feel differently if he had a real family.

“If I weren’t so nice, I might not have agreed to stick around and help you,” she pointed out. She added a handful of toiletries and a make-up bag to the suitcase then glanced around the room. “That’s it, I guess.”

He took the suitcase. “We’ll get another room at a different hotel, and I’ll register under a different name. Hopefully, that will throw the goons off the track long enough for me to contact Tommy. If I can just talk to him, I know I can persuade him to come back to Chicago with me.”

They started down the long hallway. “What hotel will we stay in?” she asked.

“Somewhere off the Strip. I haven’t decided.” He took her hand in his. “But first, we get you a better ring.”

“This ring isn’t so bad.” She held up her hand and pretended to admire the ring he’d purchased as part of the “economy wedding package.”

“It’s turning your finger green. And if your sister ever gets a closer look at it, she’s going to know it’s not a priceless antique—just worthless junk.”

“If Rachel asks about the ring again I’ll just ask about her ring. She’s crazy about it and won’t want to talk about anything else.”

“Fine. But Rachel isn’t the only one you have to fool. If Charlie decides to check out the ring, the game is over. Crooks like him know about diamonds.”

She hugged herself and shuddered. “That guy gives me the creeps. Why doesn’t he believe we’re married? That you were in Las Vegas on legitimate business that had nothing to do with him?”

“Charlie doesn’t trust anyone. And he takes his work very seriously. Zacolli frowns upon killing civilians for no reason, so I think Charlie’s hoping to catch me in a lie so he’ll have an excuse to pop me.” He took her hand in his once more. “I won’t let a little thing like a ring betray me.”

“Rings cost a fortune,” she protested. “If we’re only going to be together a few days…”

She talked as if she didn’t deserve nice things—as if she didn’t deserve a decent room or attention from her self-centered sister. “The least I can do for putting you through all this trouble is get you a decent ring,” he said. Getting her the ring was suddenly very important to him—a way to repay her for all the trouble he was putting her through.

“All right.” She was silent for a moment, following him down the long hallway. At the elevator she said. “I guess you can write it off as an expense. It’s not as if the government hasn’t paid for crazier things.”

“No. I’ll buy the ring myself. I want you to have it.” It wasn’t as if he had anyone else to spend his money on. He lived modestly, and most of his salary just piled up in his bank account. It would be nice to think he could do something good with it. Something meaningful. He caught and held her gaze. “You deserve it.” As far as he could tell, she was always the one on the giving end of things—giving up her room to her sister’s bridesmaid and catering to her sister. When the two of them parted company, at least she’d have the memory that he’d been the one to give something to her, instead of only taking. And he’d know that, for once in his life, he’d done something truly nice for someone else, just because he wanted to.

“Oh. Well…thank you.” She looked away. Then the elevator arrived and she stepped in ahead of him.

Outside once more, he scanned the sidewalk for a sign of Victor and Charlie. If they were following him now, they were lying low. “Let’s get the ring while we’re alone,” he said, and steered her toward an adjacent shopping complex.

Glittery displays of diamonds and gold beckoned lucky gamblers with winnings to blow or couples who’d decided to get engaged and seal a Las Vegas wedding with an appropriately gaudy and expensive piece of jewelry. “See anything you like?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t know…”

“Something simple, I think. But beautiful and classy, like you.” He pointed to a small section of diamond solitaires. “Something like that?”

“They’re beautiful. But really, you don’t have to—”

He motioned the sales clerk over and asked to see the rings. He slipped a two-carat, emerald-cut solitaire with a platinum band onto the third finger of her left hand and a smile blossomed on her face. “It’s spectacular.”

His heart stuttered in his chest. He’d thought she was pretty, but in this moment, she was truly beautiful.

She started to slip the ring off. “It’s too much. I could never accept something this expensive.”

“I want you to have it. Please.”

She stared longingly at the ring. “If you’re sure…”

“I’m sure.” He handed the clerk his credit card.

Laura waited until they left the store before she said anything. “It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen,” she said. “It’s perfect.” She threw her arms around him, her lips finding his.

Though she’d probably only planned one grateful smooch, he slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. He wasn’t going to pass up another chance to kiss her. She melted at his touch and fit herself against him. He went hard again, a condition that was becoming semi-permanent around her. Her lips parted slightly, and she brushed the tip of her tongue tentatively against his mouth.

The innocence of that gesture had him completely undone. He pulled her closer, and deepened the kiss. His world was full of hard and jaded men and women, yet Laura was neither. He would have bought her a whole store full of diamonds if that would have convinced her how special she was.

At last they parted, both breathing hard. She blinked at him. “Wow, you really can kiss.”

“Yeah.” He touched the tip of one finger to her lips. “So can you.”

“Get a room, you two!”

They jerked apart and Laura’s sister, Rachel, hurried toward them. She wore a glittery pink T-shirt that read “What happens in Vegas”, pink denim shorts, and platform shoes. She was blonde, tanned, trim, and not half as interesting as her sister. “What were you doing in that jewelry store?” she asked.

“I had my ring cleaned.” Laura offered the hand that wore the diamond up for inspection.

Rachel’s eyes widened. “That is not the same ring.”

“Of course it is. I told you it just needed cleaning.”

He suppressed a smile. For someone who probably didn’t make a habit of lying, Laura was getting good at it.

“I hope you’re not planning on monopolizing Laura for this whole trip,” Rachel said to David. “I need her help with the last-minute wedding preparations.”

What could little sister need Laura for a week prior to the wedding? he wondered. Especially when she had three other bridesmaids to wait on her. “We’re on our honeymoon,” he said, slipping an arm protectively around Laura’s shoulders. “That’s all about monopolizing.”

Rachel ignored him. “You’re not going to have any kind of church ceremony or reception or anything back in Davenport, are you?” she asked. “Because you know Mom and Dad spent everything on my wedding festivities.”

“One ceremony was enough for us,” Laura said. “You don’t have to worry about me stealing the spotlight from you.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Rachel had the grace to look embarrassed.

“I promise I’ll help with the wedding when we get home,” Laura said. “You have Kimmy and your other friends here with you for anything you need in Vegas. Right now, I want to be with David.”

She even sounded as if she meant it.

Rachel still looked put out, but she was smart enough not to say anything. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she said.

“I do.” Laura kissed Rachel’s cheek. “Now go, have fun. That’s why you’re here.”

“That’s why I’m here.” She brightened. “We’re taking a pole-dancing class tonight. Can you believe it?” She waved then skipped away.

“Are you sure you two are from the same family?” he asked as he fell into step beside Laura, her suitcase rolling along behind.

“People ask that all the time. They can’t believe Rachel is so popular and beautiful and successful—and then there’s me.”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant you’re so smart and level-headed and thoughtful, and she’s…she’s like a golden retriever puppy. Cute, but totally focused on her own needs, to the exclusion of everything else.”

“That’s Rachel.” She shrugged. “She’s not so bad, really. I don’t think weddings bring out the best in people.” She flushed. “I mean, large, formal weddings, anyway.”

There’d been nothing large or formal about their wedding last night—he was suddenly glad of that. No doubt about it—Laura brought out the best in him. She made him feel…human. The effect wouldn’t last—the work he did had stained his soul years ago. But for a while, it felt good to imagine himself as the upright, dependable guy who’d won a sweetheart like Laura.

…

Laura couldn’t stop admiring the ring on her hand. There was something about a diamond—even if the sentiment behind this one was fake, the ring was still real. David had been so sweet to buy it for her…Though maybe sweetness had nothing to do with it. He said he felt guilty for putting her in danger. Her stomach knotted whenever she remembered Victor and Charlie bursting into the room with guns drawn and pointed at David. Yes, David ought to feel a little guilty. She’d been minding her own business when he dragged her into his chaotic life.

But despite the fear, she couldn’t deny the thrill of being involved in something so exciting. She’d spent her whole life being safe, always doing what everyone expected and putting others’ needs ahead of hers. She liked taking care of people, but in the process, she’d forgotten to take care of herself. Sharing the company of this gorgeous, thoughtful, powerful man made her feel more alive than she could remember.

She sank down lower in the bubble bath she’d drawn, a wicked grin forming. Too bad Mr. Gorgeous wasn’t with her in their new suite a couple of blocks off the Strip. She’d like to show him just how alive he made her feel.

“You should be safe here while I have a talk with Tommy,” he’d said after checking the room top to bottom, even looking behind the curtains. “Order room service, take a nap—whatever you like. I’ll try not to be too late.”

“Where will you be?” she’d asked, hoping she didn’t sound like a nagging wife already.

“Tommy likes to play craps at the Venetian. I’m going to try to get him alone at the tables and arrange a meeting later.”

His departure had left an emptiness that surprised her. After all, she’d known the guy less than twenty-four hours, and in that time he’d turned her world upside down. But in those few hours he’d also been more concerned about her safety and welfare—and about her feelings—than anyone in recent memory…And the caring hadn’t been an act. When he looked into her eyes, she saw the worry there—worry for her.

She’d also seen the appreciation—the lust even—when she’d showed up in the red swimsuit. He appreciated her curves—all of them. She smoothed her hands down her hips and smiled. Of all the pretend husbands she might have found on the Strip, she’d lucked out. Too bad there wasn’t a way to take the relationship from pretend to real. Not a real marriage, of course, but she wouldn’t mind if David stuck around long enough for her to get to know him better. He’d made it clear he wasn’t the sticking-around kind, but a girl could dream, right?

After her bath and a room-service chicken salad, she flipped through the hundred-plus channels on the TV. Sun streamed in the bank of windows along one wall, and she could see the glass and steel towers of the Strip against a cloudless sky. She picked out the Venetian only a few blocks away. Had David found Tommy? Or had Charlie and Victor found David first?

Anxiety over his safety made it impossible to sit still. She paced, hugging her arms around her body. Why was David working alone? Shouldn’t he have a partner to watch his back? Maybe the feds thought two men working undercover together wasn’t safe, so David had to risk his life alone.

Except he wasn’t alone. He had her. She was his partner, legally, anyway. She couldn’t sit here, safely cocooned in luxury he was paying for, while he tried to stay out of the way of people who presumably wanted him dead. He’d made such a point of looking after her, but right now, he was the one who needed looking after, and she was the only one who could do it.

Before she had time to chicken out, she took the elevator downstairs and hailed a taxi. “Can you take me to the Venetian?” she asked the driver.

“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

How about home to Davenport?

She could take the cab all the way to the airport and catch the first plane out of town. Maybe that would be the smart thing to do. The safe thing. She inhaled deeply, steadying herself. Safety meant leaving David behind. Maybe safety was overrated.

At the Venetian, she asked the doorman to point her toward the craps tables. If David saw her, he’d order her back to her room right away. Not that she’d obey him—did they even use that word in wedding vows anymore?—but she didn’t want to make a scene. Instead she lurked behind pillars and plants until she spotted him at a table. He was talking to a younger man with heavily-gelled brown hair and a prominent nose. Tommy?

She studied the others at the table—an assortment of middle-aged men and women. Movement across the casino caught her eye. Victor, his bug-eyes scanning the room, stepped out from behind a pillar near the elevators. Charlie walked a few paces behind him, his hand tucked not-so-casually in his suit jacket. Were they here with Tommy Zacolli? Or had they followed David? No—they didn’t appear to have spotted him. Yet. She felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice over her. A vision of Charlie shoving the gun into David’s side and ordering him toward the elevator flashed before her eyes. The three men would disappear, and she’d never see David again.