I turned away from the ocean, staring at all the small closed shops on the boardwalk.
“I don’t know. I’ll know more when I know more about this Frank guy.”
“You heading in tonight?”
“I don’t see any point in putting it off,” I said as I started walking until I came upon the casino in question. “If he can pull this off,” I said, looking up at the white building with the blue-tinted windows, “this could mean a lot of money kicked-up to us.”
“Good. So get the job done, get Remo what he needs, and get home to count your money.”
That was the plan.
So I had to find my way in.
But not yet.
Dom, playing a normal gambler, could make a daytime appearance.
For me, though, no high-rolling businessman would be at a casino for the first time in the afternoon.
So I grabbed something to eat, made my way back to the hotel, snuck in a quick workout to rid myself of the restless energy clinging to me, then showered and changed before checking out information about The Golden Anchor on my laptop, trying to figure out where a guy with my cover might be hanging out.
Then I saw it.
A piano bar.
Perfect.
CHAPTER FOUR
Roe
I was on my last set of the night, already halfway through a song about attraction feeling like a fever when the door suddenly opened.
And there he was.
I almost forgot my next lyric as his dark eyes zeroed right in on me.
It was a look that had impact.
I swear I nearly went back a step.
I mean, attractive men were a dime a dozen.
And he was that. Attractive. Tall, fit, chiseled face, broody brows, neatly styled hair, a tattoo or two sneaking out from his collar.
But it was more than that.
There was an air of authority around him, that deep-rooted confidence oozing from his pores.
Suddenly, I wasn’t just singing the lyrics; I was feeling them.
The stage light felt too hot. My dress was too tight. Myskinfelt too warm, too constrictive.
All the while, he just stood there staring.
It wasn’t until the last notes of the song drifted away that he finally moved, making a beeline for the rounded booth closest to the stage.
I spent the next three songs trying to focus my attention out toward the crowd in general, never quite focusing on anyone, but also somehow making everyone feel like I was singing right to them.
