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  She was never seen alive again.

  After an investigation, it was discovered that she looked just like Ace’s ex-girlfriend, a notoriously rich woman that was in the blood diamond business. Their breakup had been like World War three and my sister had been caught in the crossfire.

  She was going to be a goddamn surgeon one day.

  I would be damned if I allowed Ace to go without punishment.

  When I finally have him in my hands, he will be begging for mercy.

  I grinned, blinking back into reality.

  Doing so, I spotted the beautiful pianist, dressed in a long black gown, her hair falling down her back. Even from this angle, I could tell she was strikingly beautiful. A doll-like face. Cute button nose. Sensual lips. A knock-out body.

  She was exactly the woman I needed.

  Now, all I had to do was convince her to go to a little poker game with me.

  Chapter 3

  BROOKE

  By the end of the night, the bar was all but empty. A few stragglers still held their glasses in their hand, their cheeks rosy from the alcohol. Almost everyone had stopped listening to me and I was mostly just playing for myself at this point, pretending I was hosting a concert, all my adoring fans hanging on my every note.

  But, there was still one person who seemed interested.

  It was the man in the black tuxedo. At some point, he had joined the back table, making small talk with the man in white. A part of me wished I had been able to hear what they were saying, but I was content with making up my own version of their dialogue.

  Eventually, the man in white left with his entourage, but the man in black remained. His bright blue eyes stared at me all night from that point forward. I almost expected him to swoop in, take me in his arms, and run off. I’d make a fuss of course, but there’d be honestly nothing I could do once I was in his big strong arms. I’d be his helpless little victim until the good guy came and saved the day.

  God, I really needed to go out more…

  As the owner started to corral people out of the establishment, I got up, fixing the wrinkles on my dress. The second I looked up, the man in black was already standing there, leaning against the back wall, his eyes crawling up and down my body, taking in the sight of me.

  “Can I help you?” I asked, pursing my lips.

  For a split second, he looked vaguely surprised. Surely, he didn’t think I could be so bold. I bet he was expecting me to go weak in the knees at his mere presence, but I wasn’t that kind of girl.

  I could hold my own, even with the best of them.

  “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you watching me all night long.” I lowered my voice to a sensual tone, getting closer to him, pushing him into the wall.

  Suddenly, he turned the tables. He grabbed my wrists and in an instant, they were pinned above my head. Our bodies locked together and I could feel the slight outline of his member against my thigh.

  My heart kickstarted in my chest.

  Tonight might not be so boring after all.

  I grinned up at him, maintaining eye contact. “Rough… I like that.” I leaned forward as much as I could, our lips almost touching. I knew by the way his eyes fell to my lips that he was tempting me. He wanted to kiss me, but there was something holding him back.

  “You should really be careful who you play around with. You might just get hurt…” He leaned down, whispering into my ear, sending a shiver running through my spine. “And I wouldn’t want to see a pretty girl like you getting hurt.” His free hand ran down the curve of my body before it rested on my ass.

  “I think I can take care of myself.”

  “Is that so?” His lips finally made contact with the side of my neck, his tongue teasing my skin, making me shiver. “And if I wanted to have my way with you right here and now, how would you stop me?”

  “Maybe I don’t want you to stop.” I countered, knowing I was playing with fire. I knew nothing about this man. For all I knew, he could be some kind of drug lord, about to drag me into a life of crime, but hey, it would be more exciting than a desk job, that’s for sure. Not that I was looking into a life of crime or anything. It was just a thought.

  He chuckled, finally letting me go. “I have a favor to ask you.”

  “Oh?” I raised my eyebrow in question. “At two in the morning… I wonder what you have in mind.” I was already picturing him pushing me onto a bed, his body hovering over mine. I had no doubt that he looked like a god underneath that fancy suit. I bit the inside of my lip to keep my fantasies at bay, but it was so hard with him standing so close… I just wanted to grab him by the lapels, pull him close, and kiss him hard. Maybe I should…

  I was just about to do exactly that when he grabbed my wrist. “Not here.” He pulled me toward the back entrance, almost like he knew about my fantasy. I grinned, thinking I was finally about to get some after months without even so much as a guy glancing my way.

  Was I getting desperate?

  Who knows? Who cares?

  I followed him outside. There, the nighttime breeze pushed my hair into my face. To my surprise, he carefully pinned it behind my ear in an almost romantic manner. “Really, you shouldn’t bother with all the sappy stuff. I’m not really into it.”

  He laughed. “I’m not trying to woo you. If I’m reading you right, you’re already soaked just thinking about me, but that’s not why I brought you out here.”

  I blushed ever so slightly at his words.

  “Then, what do you want?” I couldn’t fathom why he had brought me out here if he didn’t want to have sex.

  He reached into his jacket. To my surprise, he flashed a special agent badge.

  “Wait, you’re a cop?” I exclaimed.

  “You might want to be quiet. There’s no telling who could be lurking around. You wouldn’t want to blow my cover and get us both killed, would you?”

  The threat made me shiver. “K-Killed?” I stammered.

  “You aren’t scared, are you?” He asked, pushing me against the brick wall, our bodies so close together I could feel the heat rolling off his body.

  “No,” I said firmly, pushing back the fear that crept under my skin. “Why would I be scared?”

  “Good, then you should have no problem coming with me.”

  I furrowed my brows together in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  “Ace, the man in white you saw me sitting with, is a ruthless mafia boss.”

  My eyes widened, nearly bugging out of my head. “You mean that’s the Ace? The guy that’s always all over the news?”

  “Don’t look so excited. That guy isn’t to be taken lightly. He won’t hesitate to kill a pretty girl like you.”

  “So, you’re going undercover to bust him, aren’t you?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “Then, why do you need my help?”

  “He’s famous for running high-stakes poker games. He runs these fancy poker parlors that are pretty much a front for his shady dealings. He’s known to sell drugs there, hire out prostitutes, and if his golden Ace shows up on the table, then you’re as good as dead.”

  His words reignited the fear that I had felt before, but at the same time, there was a surge of adrenaline running through my veins. “I still don’t understand why you need me to come with you.”

  “There’s a dress code of sorts required for these poker places. You don’t get in without a beautiful woman on your arm. Now, I could call in one of my fellow officers, but none of them could quite play the part as well as I’m sure you could. Besides, you’re already all dressed up and look stunning.” He upped the charm, obviously trying to convince me. Slowly, his fingers danced along my thigh, getting higher and higher.

  I liked this guy.

  He was daring.

  The kind of bad boy I always wanted to be with when I was younger. Maybe I could still make that fantasy come true.

  “Won’t you get in trouble for p
utting a civilian’s life in danger?” I had already made up my mind. I was going to go with him, but I wanted to make him sweat a little first.

  “Do you really think I would let anything happen to you?” He asked, his lips so close to mine that I could feel his hot breath. The scent of his cologne invaded my senses.

  It was intoxicating.

  “So, how about it?”

  I grinned. “Sure, why not? I need a little bit of excitement in my life.”

  His blue eyes sparkled with mischief before he grabbed my hand and towed me toward the parking lot. We approached a sports bike that looked brand new.

  “Let me guess, this is how you get around?” I asked with my hand on my hip. “You know for a detective who has this James Bond vibe going on, I half-expected you to be out here with an Aston Martin.”

  “Are you disappointed?”

  “Not at all. A motorcycle just means I get to straddle you the whole way there.”

  “I’m starting to really like you.” He chuckled, grabbing me by the hips and hoisting me onto the bike.

  “You have a funny way of showing it. If you were really James Bond, you probably would’ve fucked me by now.”

  “I like to think I’m more of a gentleman.” He winked, getting on in front of me. He started the bike and it roared to life, the vibrations rolling along my spine. I nearly moaned but managed to keep my composure as I wrapped my arms around him, snuggling in nice and close.

  I had a hunch this guy was muscular, but I didn’t think he was this muscular. Damn. If things went my way, I would have one hell of a time.

  Chapter 4

  ZACH

  I didn’t think this girl would have this much guts about her, but she was definitely impressing me so far. I wanted nothing more than to run my hands along her bare thighs, to creep my fingers closer and closer to her pussy. I knew all the ways to drive her absolutely wild, but that would have to wait.

  As sweet as sex was, revenge was sweeter, and as the old saying states, best served cold.

  I revved the engine, pulling off a wheelie. The girl screamed, but it wasn’t a scream of terror rather one of glee. She was nuts.

  I liked that. I liked it a lot.

  She held on tighter to me, her head resting on my shoulder. “You know, you never told me your name. Or should I just call you Bond?”

  I chuckled. “You know, that metaphor doesn’t really work. James Bond is too much of a good guy.”

  “And you aren’t?”

  “Oh no. I might wear the badge, but I don’t play by the rules.”

  “Mmm, I like that.” Her lips brushed against my neck, her tongue darting out of her mouth, teasing my skin. She was good. Damn good.

  “Anyway, name’s Zach.”

  “Zach? I’m kind of disappointed. I was expecting something a little more… macho.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like… I don’t know… Jax… or Draven… or something.”

  “Well, what’s your name? If it’s not something exotic, I’m going to be disappointed.” I countered, toying with her.

  “Brooke.”

  “You mean, like a river?”

  “Shut up.” She flicked my ear with her finger.

  “Ow, what the hell was that for?”

  “Insulting me.”

  “You better not act that way in front of Ace and his men or you’ll definitely get us both killed.”

  “Don’t worry, I know how to play the part. I’ll have you know I played Ophelia in high school.”

  “And I played Hamlet. Aren’t we the perfect little team? Except I’m insane and ironically enough, you drown in the river – or should I say brook?”

  She growled into my ear and I couldn’t help but laugh. Even though I was about to embark on the most dangerous mission of my life, I felt totally at ease. This woman had done something to me, something I didn’t quite understand. Maybe she was finally getting through the thick exterior I had built up after years on the job.

  What am I thinking? Once this is over, I would never see her again.

  ***

  Soon, we reached the address printed on the playing card Ace had given me. It looked like an abandoned warehouse, but after a quick look, I could tell it was heavily guarded. Men were stationed at the front and side entrances, and that was only what I could see.

  There were also a couple of blinking red lights on the corners of the building.

  Cameras.

  Ace sure did mean business.

  This might be harder than I thought.

  “Come on, let’s go.” I parked the bike and helped her off. “Any questions before we go in there?” I asked, just to make sure she understood how dangerous this really was. Not that I would let anything happen to her.

  “Nope. Now quit pussy-footing around.” She grinned and turned to face me. “If you’re scared, I can hold your hand.”

  I rolled my eyes and snatched her hand, draping it over my arm like we were a proper couple. “Try to keep your tongue in check in there.”

  “I’ll try, but no promises.” Even as she said this, her eyes shimmered mischievously. I had a feeling I would have my hands full with this one.

  Together, we walked up to the main entrance. I held the Ace of Spades between my fingers, showing it off to the guard. He nodded and stepped aside, granting us entrance.

  When I opened the door, I was a bit surprised by how lavish everything was. I felt like I was stepping into some upscale 1920s speakeasy, not the inside of a warehouse. Underfoot were some expensive-looking granite tiles. A breathtaking fireplace worked as the centerpiece of the room. All the tables were carved out of wood and the chandeliers were made of sparkling crystal.

  “Ah! Zach! Just in time.” Ace called from across the room the second he saw me. “Come, the game has just started. Why don’t you join us?”

  Without hesitation, I crossed the room, approaching the biggest poker table. It was beautiful. Marble edging. A perfect felt playing surface. High-backed chairs that looked like miniature thrones.

  “And who is this lovely lady you’ve brought with you?” He asked.

  “Don’t tell me you’ve never noticed her before?” I pushed Brooke forward ever so gently, allowing Ace to kiss the back of her hand. As he did, I watched him like a hawk, prepared to strike if he so much as thought of stepping out of line with her.

  “No, I don’t think we’ve met.” He looked into her eyes with intrigue, no doubt mesmerized by their warm chocolate color. If I didn’t need her for a job, I probably would have fallen for them too.

  She giggled as he kissed her hand. “I was just playing at L'Abeille.”

  “Were you, my dear? My apologies for not noticing you. If I had, I never would’ve let you fall into the hands of another.” He winked.

  Great. He was starting to like her.

  But things were just about to get messy. Very messy.

  Chapter 5

  BROOKE

  “You’re too kind,” I said graciously, bowing my head in a slightly submissive nature. I knew that guys like him got a kick out of dominating women and hey, I was just playing the part.

  When his lips left my skin, I tried to pull my hand away, but he held on. “Oh, come now, you aren’t going to leave me so soon, are you?” He grinned. “Why don’t we make this interesting?”

  Before I could do anything, he had wrapped his arm around my waist and plopped me down onto his lap. I nearly uttered a small gasp of surprise, but I managed to keep my cool, melting into him, my arms wrapping around his neck in a natural manner. “Trying to sweep a girl off her feet, are you?” I asked, my voice soft and seductive.

  “I think I’ve already succeeded.”

  Zach cleared his throat which prevented Ace from moving his face any closer to mine. His expression faltered like he was annoyed by the interruption, but then he smiled, clapping his hands together.

  “Right. I’ve been awfully rud
e. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll explain the rules of the game.” As he said this, he started to shuffle the deck. It didn’t look like there would be a dealer.

  This already seemed unfair.

  Ace gave Zach a sharp look. “You and I are going to play a friendly little game. If I win, I get to keep the girl. If you do, you get to leave here with your life.” He flashed a smile. “Sounds fair?”