Page 16 of Queen of Spades

I click the keys, zooming in on each of the three security guys fanned around the room. They could pass for Secret Service agents if that guy was actually the president.

The thought makes me chuckle as my thumb taps on the arrow key to slide the camera to the side. I get a solid view of the back of Mr. Forbes’s head and shoulder, but even when he flashes his cards, it’s too quick for me to pick up.

I add a second and third camera angle to my screen, positioning the next to view over his left shoulder. He picked the table with the worst view. That instantly makes me suspicious.

I huff, pulling up the camera over the dealer and zooming in on Cassian Forbes.

Oh my.

Well, damn.

He’s kinda gorgeous.

Cassian has short dark hair that’s shaved on the sides and longer on top. The front curly pieces fall over his forehead as he studies the cards on the table. His strong jaw clenches minutely, and I stock that tell away for later. His beard is thick and well-kept, with a trimmed neckline. He yanks his cuff, nodding to the dealer. That suit alone cost a decent chunk of change, not to mention the even pricier watch.

It’s all proof of something I already knew.

Rich men do enjoy their lavish spending.

Chapter Four

Annika

“Hey, baby.” Grady’s southern accent vibrates against my ear. I jolt and my hand instinctively falls to my thigh. These daggers have circular finger holes at the top, which is convenient for gripping one with a single fingertip in an emergency. Grady chuckles as his calloused hand lands on mine. “You know, I’m always looking for an excuse to feel you up, but darlin’, you can’t be showing all your cards in front of the employees.”

I can feel the curve of his smile against my cheek as his stubble scratches over my skin.

He gives me a ridiculous kiss on the edge of my mouth and pats my hand.

“You hardly ever let me sneak up on you. What’s got you distracted?” He squats at my side, studying the computer screen. “Well, I guess that’ll do it.” There’s something in his tone that my system dislikes. Grady huffs, turning my spinning chair to face him. The shoulder-length blond hair on top of his head falls around his face as he quirks a bushy eyebrow. “Why is Spades dead?”

“That’s thanks to Mr. Cassian Forbes.” I bat my lashes. “You don’t recognize the name, by chance?”

His lips micro-twitch upward, making my eyes narrow. He’s an excellent bluffer, but I’ve learned his quirks over the years. He’s about to lie to me, or he genuinely doesn’t know but doesn’t want to admit that.

He drives me absolutely crazy because every time I think I’ve pinned down his tells, he switches them up.

It’s unnatural.

Nobody adapts that quickly or has that much control over their microexpressions. I mean, maybe serial killers and psychopaths or trained killers, but Grady is none of those things.

His deep blue eyes stare into mine. “I’ve heard the name around town. Word is he owns a bunch of restaurants and a construction company or two.” He shrugs a muscular shoulder.

My head tilts.

My instincts don’t pick up any discomfort like I would if he was lying. That, along with the look on his face, leads me to believe he’s telling the truth.

He breaks into a lopsided smile. “That combination? I’m not saying the man is into organized crime, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he also owns a crematorium. You know what I’m saying?” He chuckles a low, throaty sound as he squeezes my knee.

Little wrinkles form around the edges of his eyes as he laughs, and I bite my lip.

Sometimes, I can recognize I’m a suspicious hag, and now is one of those times.

It’s a necessity, considering the hard lessons I’ve had to learn, but Grady is a great guy. He’s been nothing but good to me.

Yet my paranoid self always tries to pin some level of shadiness on him.

I sincerely hope I can figure out how to be a normal human one day. Luckily, he can’t read my mind, but my stomach still bubbles uncomfortably. I hate that my first reaction is still distrust.

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