“They’re good,” she said with a shrug, setting the tablet in her lap. “And I agree. If the casino’s own security is so underwhelming, why didn’t they simply replace them altogether? I mean, these people are not cheap muscle.”
“Neither are we.”
“That only adds to my point. They hired them to shore up their own security and then brought us in to make sure things were being done right. That’s a lot of bodies to have around unless there’s some intel pointing to a credible threat.”
“And you think there is one?”
She hesitated, looking around the room as she considered it. “I don’t know. There’s a lot of computer nerds here this weekend.”
“Present company included.” Roman sobered, sitting up straighter and pulling his glasses off. “You do know, don’t you? You’re just not saying it yet. That’s why all the twitching.”
A moment passed between them, the air laced with the hum of casino energy, muffled by thick conference room walls. Downstairs, the slot machines spun and blinked like a never-ending light show, with servers walking up and down row after row, filling the gamblers with free booze. Upstairs, international cybersecurity dignitaries gathered with billion-dollar secrets and the egos to match.
And somewhere in all that noise, something untoward waited. She could feel it. She just wished she knew what it was.
“I think I want to walk the floor one more time,” she said finally, pushing herself out of her seat.
Roman cocked a brow at her. “Thought we were doing server room integrity next.”
She gave a curt nod. “We are. Just after. I want to look at the setup on the floor once more.”
He studied her for a moment, then shrugged. “All right.” He pushed himself out of the chair, sliding his glasses back in place. “When you get that look in your eye, I know better than to argue. But if you see anything spooky, I’m demanding hazard pay. I took this gig for a vacation. Not to actually work.”
“You do remember I’m the boss, right?” Delaney shook her head as she shoved the tablet into her bag and swung the strap over her shoulder. “Come on. Walk with me.”
They exited the security command room and made their way down the long corridor that connected to the main casino floor. It smelled like citrus and desperation, just like every casino she’d ever walked into where they pumped smells in to help give the gamblers a pleasant experience while masking the smell of mold. Still, it was clean; the machines polished, the lights bright.
At least on the surface.
The corridor spat them out into the buzz and pulse of the main casino, the noise suddenly ratcheting up five levels. Lights flashed in hypnotic rhythms as people leaned over theirmachines, growling at the spinning wheels. Roman muttered something about the reek of body odor as he scanned the high-limit area, his hands stuffed into his back pockets.
They walked along one of the far walls, her eyes already scanning the room, looking for patterns broken or someone acting odd. She swept her gaze over cameras and sightlines, examining access points as people moved around, ignoring her in their haste to find the right machine, the one that would pay off their losses and fulfill their dreams.
“Do you really think someone will try something with all these hackers around?” Roman asked. “Seems kind of ballsy.”
She scoffed. “Coming from a former hacker. Tell me this wouldn’t be a challenge too good to pass up.”
“True. True.” He bobbed his head. “But the consequences if caught…” He shrugged. “Not sure it’d be worth the risk, if you know what I mean. These people could fuck with your life good.”
She rounded a bend in the machines and noticed two men moving, easing their way down one row. However, they weren’t scoping out the machines or looking for the scantily clad server. They were looking up at the cameras, eyeing security guards, doing exactly what she was out there to do.
She eased a few steps further, keeping them in sight. One man was tall with a lazy swagger, and the other seemed more compact and alert, both moving in sync but not too obviously. They did nothing to draw attention to themselves as they moved, but they didn’t seem to care if someone noticed them, smiling and nodding at the people who glanced at them. They weren’t gamblers, obviously. Nor were they wearing security or delivery uniforms. And she knew they weren’t from her team. So…
Then she spotted the badge dangling from the tall one’s waist.
Silver Security.
“Hey, look,” Roman said, pointing, obviously having noticed the badge at the same time as her. “Seems the other team had the same idea we did. Want to go say hello, let them know who we are?”
She stared, something sending a ghost of memory up her spine. There was something…
The taller man shifted, the light catching the familiar curve of his jaw, and her stomach dropped as her eyes went wide.
No fucking way.
His hair was a darker blond now, his build leaner than when he was in high school but still bulky as if he spent a lot of time working out, but she’d know that smirk anywhere. That crooked, cocky grin that used to melt her at fifteen and piss her off at sixteen.
Robert Jenkins.
