Even though Valentine had the knife, Jeremiah was the current problem. He was beside Valentine, covering the opening I had to take Valentine out as he continued to antagonize Amelia.
John said something over his shoulder, but I couldn’t quite make it out. Whatever the dealer said back to him took him by surprise.
My finger twitched against the trigger as everyone’s attention moved off Valentine.Still no shot.
There were too many variables on the floor. And if the Newark field office decided to bust down the door before I took out Valentine, Amelia was as good as dead.
“Shit,” I whispered as a swish of blonde hair left the nearest blackjack table, heading toward the supply closet.
We were about to get made.
I didn’t have a backup plan. Hell, my backup plan was to walk in, hands up, and take her place. But I knew that wouldn’t work. I’d just die a slow, more painful death. He’d make her watch.
That’s when I saw it.Those fucking shoes.
“She’s one of us,” I said quietly as I adjusted my aim and held my breath.
“You sure? Your people tend to be dirty.”
“As sure as I can be.”
Jolie—the dealer—walked by, looked me dead in the eye, and kept walking.
I held my breath as Joel started to beg. Valentine backhanded him, adding to the gruesome mess that was his face.
When Jolie walked back to the casino floor with an arm full of bar towels, she passed by the cracked door and winked.
Fuckingwinked.
“Backup’s about to breach. Take your shot,” Cole said, watching the monitors.
Jolie joined Valentine but stayed just out of arm’s reach as she offered the towels. Ire flashed in his eyes as he pivoted his shoulders and yelled at her.
She drew him off just far enough for?—
Jeremiah shifted his weight, and I fired.
Chaos erupted as I got off a second shot, dropping Valentine to the ground. Doors flew open as agents from the Newark field office and Atlantic City PD flooded the casino, but I was already running.
Shouts of “hands!” and “everybody on the ground!” piled on top of each other. Bodies dropped flat on the floor, accented with the clink of handcuffs.
I couldn’t get to Amelia fast enough. I couldn’t get her out of that chair fast enough. I couldn’t get her in my arms fast enough.
Cole worked to free Joel while Feds and local law enforcement secured the scene.
Amelia was stiff as a board as I pulled her into my arms.
“Amelia—”
She didn’t respond. She didn’t even make a sound. Her eyes were glazed over and staring in the distance at something only she could see.
Shock. It was the only word to describe it.
I looked over at Jolie as I cradled Amelia against my chest. “One question. What agency?”
She lifted her shirt just high enough to give me a peek at the wire she was wearing. “DEA. Sorry for encroaching on your territory. My team didn’t know the bureau had a UC here.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
