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Sophie’s words come out in a rush, like a dam breaking. “Phil Reynolds has been skimming from the casino for the last few months. Small amounts at first, barely noticeable. But lately, it’s gotten worse. I’ve been trying to track it, but he’s good at covering his tracks.”
I struggle to keep my face neutral, even as my head spins. Sophie and Phil—accusing each other. Who to believe?
“That’s a serious accusation, Sophie,” I say at last. “Do you have proof?”
Sophie nods frantically, her chair squeaking as she leans forward. “I noticed patterns at first. Discrepancies in the entertainment accounts that only a handful of people have access to, and then I traced the money into a few different areas of the casino, but it was eventually funneled out—and all of it was done under Phil’s login.”
I’m not sure what my face looks like, but Sophie’s eyes get a little frightened.
“I wanted to tell someone,” she goes on quickly. “But with Mr. Colombo gone, I didn’t know who to go to. I was waiting…I hoped that they might have decided on, well, you know.”
A new Don. She was waiting for the newly appointed Don.
I make a show of considering her words, even as doubt gnaws at me. Is she telling the truth? Or is this an elaborate act to throw us off her scent?
“Alright, Sophie,” I say finally, my decision made. “I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. I’ll look into it. In the meantime, I need you to send me any evidence you can. Discreetly. Can you do that?”
She nods eagerly, relief washing over her face. “Of course. Thank you for believing me. I won’t let you down.”
As Sophie turns to her computer, already pulling up files, I rise from my chair, smoothing down my skirt.
“I’ll be in touch,” I tell Sophie, and then, injecting a note of warning into my tone, I add: “Remember, not a word of this to anyone. As far as anyone else is concerned, this meeting never happened. For your own safety, Sophie, as well as mine.”
Sophie nods, her face serious. “I understand. You can count on me, Mrs. Colombo.”
I lead Nik to my dressing room, which is nearby, and pull her into the bathroom again, turning on the shower.
“What do you think?” she asks me.
I can’t afford to trust blindly. But something about Sophie’s reactions felt genuine. “We’ll play along for now,” I decide. “But we keep a close eye onbothSophie and Phil. If she’s lying, we’ll find out soon enough.”
“Whichever of them it is, they could also be a killer,” Nik warns me. “You get that, right?”
“Of course I get it,” I snap, and then sigh. “Sorry. I’m just on edge.”
“You’re allowed to be,” Nik says with an ironic smile. Her hand floats out, and just when I think she’s going to cup my cheek, she drops it again. “We should get moving.”
We make our way back to the casino floor, my mind churning with possibilities. But as we head back to the lobby, I spot a familiar figure across the room. Phil Reynolds is charming a group of high rollers who seem to have just arrived from the airport. His laugh carries across the floor, smooth and practiced.
Our eyes meet across the room. Phil’s smile doesn’t waver, but something in his gaze seems harder. Speculative.
I force myself to smile back, to nod as if nothing’s wrong. It’s a smile I’ve perfected over the years—the ability to look a potential enemy in the eye and make them believe I’m not a threat.
But my heart is pounding, adrenaline coursing through my veins. Nik’s hand finds the small of my back, a silent promise of protection.
And one thing’s for certain: I’m done being a pawn in someone else’s game.
It’s time for this pawn to become a queen, damn it.
CHAPTER 24
Nik
The desert stretches outbefore us, a vast expanse of color as the sun begins to dip lower in the sky. I stand at the floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room in Brie’s house at Solara, eyes scanning the horizon for threats out of sheer habit.
The silence is broken by the soft clink of ice against glass as Brie pours us both a drink.
“You plan to stand on duty 24/7?” Brie’s voice carries a hint of amusement, but I detect an undercurrent of exhaustion that has nothing to do with physical tiredness. Today’s revelations about Phil and Sophie have taken their toll on her. When we got back, we found Hudson fast asleep. I sent Brie to bed as well, and they both woke up about an hour ago. We went to the clubhouse to eat a late lunch, and Hudson finally opened up about this stalker of his, and the anonymous notes, though he admitted to having destroyed all of them.
