If I weren’t so selfish, I could stop him. I’ve already got Kenzie back. But he said I’m still on the hook to help them, despite giving her back to me. He said he has tons of proof of what I did and will pin it all on me if I dared so much as think of going to the cops.
I don’t think any amount of grabbing Reed’s crotch can get me out of the consequences of marking cards for over a month. I doubt even a blow job could cover up my role in racking up a million or more in stolen winnings.
With a heavy sigh, I scan the casino floor. Like they’re under compulsion, my eyes land on Dana. I’ve never met her mother, but I know she has a picture of her daughter in her locker. Looks like such a cutie pie.
If Silas was the one who went after her family, it isn’t hard to imagine why he was threatening her. No doubt he wants more people on the inside to help him steal from the casino. Greed and evil like his know no bounds.
If I don’t stop him, who will?
ELEVEN
Morgan Freeman has entered the chat
REED
Two days later,and once again, Andrews is incessantly tapping his fucking wedding ring on the steering wheel. Suspicion confirmed—he has a death wish. Or at minimum, a dismemberment wish.
“You good with the plan?” he asks.
Inhaling slowly, I fill my lungs with oxygen, then wait a few seconds before exhaling. My delay has nothing to do with the question he asked. It’s merely so that I don’t snap at him for the eightieth time today. He’s bound and fucking determined to get under my skin about Lila. My sister. My personal life.
All of it.
Plus, I really don’t want to strike an old man when I’m this close to the end of my quasi-training in the Violent Crimes unit.
Patience in check, I finally answer, recapping the oh-so-complicated plan.Eye roll. “Yeah. Spend time with her. Earn her trust. Find out what she’s hiding so we can either help her or bust her, whichever it may be.”
And try not to fuck her in the process because I’ll be the one who ends up fucked in the long run.
After Andrews spoke with Lila the other day at her blackjack table, he quickly got on board with my little casino conspiracy theory. He thought she was hiding something too. Same with Dana. When you add in the fact that every case our team is working on has some connection to a casino, it’s a no-brainer. Now my hunch has turned into a full-blown part of the investigation.
Lila is our way in. She’s the weak spot, and I’m the lucky one who gets to put the screws to her.
Annndnow I’m thinking about screwing her.
Fuck.
Considering Elliot Riddick matches the approximate height and weight of the male home invasion unsub, we put him under surveillance. It’s only a matter of time until he does something that confirms he’s involved.
As for Lila’s ex, he’s in the wind, which only furthers our suspicion of him.
After exhaustive searches, we concluded Silas Everson is an alias. Inallthe systems the bureau has access to, nobody by that name matches his physical description and approximate age. There were no bank or credit card accounts that we could link to him. No property. No vehicle registration. Not even a cell phone account. In this day and age, the idea of himnothaving a cell is laughable.
Despite the lack of identification, we have found him in more surveillance photos around town. He spent substantial time at the casino several months ago. Far less since then.
Andrews is certain that I can get Lila to talk about whatever is happening at the casino if I apply a little pressure. I guess he’s a fucking fortune teller now or some shit.
The problem with his assertion is that he doesn’t know her like I do. Or rather, know her effect on me and how all mytraining and investigative skills evaporate at the first sniff of her pheromones.
Although I’m no Superman, Lila Kent is my fucking kryptonite.
Suffice it to say, I’m less confident in my ability to turn her. However, I’ll give it my best try because I’m no fucking quitter. I’m choosing to view spending time with her as exposure therapy. The more I force myself to be in her orbit, the better I’ll be able to resist her. It worked for the gambling, so it’ll work on my addiction to her too.
Probably.
Maybe.
My partner’s heavy sigh reverberates around the car’s interior. “You sure?”
