Page 26 of Trick's Trap

She blinked a few times. “So you’re offering to stake me?”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “That’s an excellent way of looking at it. I want to pit my resources against theirs.”

Tahlia hopeless expression didn’t change. “Patrick, this isn’t a game. There’s no chance of winning here. Those people—” She broke off and shook her head. “I don’t even know how to explain who they are or evenwhatthey are.”

Trick wasn’t the hotel’s top salesman for nothing. “Things seem bad now, there’s no denying that. And maybe I’m not enough to instill much confidence. After all, you kicked my ass the one time we played. But I’m not stupid enough to think I can take on your family on my own. In my business, I’ve learned you are only as good as the network of people at your back. Talk to my brother-in-law Jason and his partner Ethan. I may not be able to convince you to accept my help. They are another story.”

He leaned forward, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “I’ll never admit to this in their presence, but they are damn good at their jobs. The very best. Talk to them and see how you feel. You have my word that if you want to walk away afterward, I’ll see to it that you have whatever you need. Cash, fake IDs—hell, you can take my damn car.”

Tahlia smile was small, but her eyes flashed like diamonds. Her teeth ran over her full lower lip as she appeared to think it over.

“Is one of these FBI agents you think so highly of the bartender over there?”

He cocked his head at her. “How did you know?”

She turned, checking out Jason at work from the corner of her eye. “I don’t think the lady he just gave a drink to is enjoying it judging by the face she’s making. Can’t really blame her since he used gin in a cosmopolitan. A real bartender wouldn’t make that mistake. And you would only hire the best mixologists under normal circumstances, wouldn’t you?”

He shouldn’t have been surprised to learn she was incredibly observant. Poker players studied human behavior, searching for the minute tells that gave away a bluff. But noticing that a bartender across the room used the wrong liquor was above and beyond.

Now he knew he was in love. Their children would be brilliant, beautiful,andself-aware.

“Jason and Ethan will be on your side, as am I,” he promised. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

This last made her stop and think. He could see the longing in her expression.

No one should have to face the kind of crap she was up against on their own.

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.” There was a hint of an unspokenagainin her voice.

Okay, there was no fucking way in hell he was letting her out the door without him now. He’d pick her up and carry her to the kitchen himself if he had to.

“And I don’t want you to get hurt because you were afraid of taking help I’m more than capable of giving.” His eyes bored into hers, willing her to gamble on him. “I wasn’t kidding before. I do have experience against crazy family members and stalker types. More than you would guess. But you don’t have to take that on faith. If you don’t want to talk to Jason or Ethan, I can have Maia on the phone in under a minute. She’ll vouch for me.”

There was a long pause as she fiddled with the napkin under the milkshake glass. “You don’t need to do that…I’ll talk to your friends, but I can’t promise anything.”

Trick was thrilled, but her expression tightened as if she immediately regretted her decision. Patrick hurried to his feet, putting his arm around her. He was eager to get her in the back before she changed her mind.

They were halfway across the room when the lights went out. A blow to his back threw him off balance.

It happened so quickly he didn’t have time to brace himself. He hit the floor hard, and it knocked the wind out of him.

Using the reflexes honed by a thousand sparring bouts with Liam, Trick rolled, flipping to his feet the way he did whenever his older brother knocked him to the ground.

When he could breathe again, he called out to Tahlia, but it was doubtful anyone could hear him over the pandemonium breaking out.

People were screaming. There was the sound of running feet and glass breaking over the clatter of poker chips hitting the floor. He reached out, but the only thing his hand encountered was a man’s pant leg.

“Tahlia,” he called out again, hands out. He grunted when another body—a large man—barreled into him, hitting him on the shoulder. But this time, Trick kept his balance, automatically pivoting to minimize the impact. It happened so quickly he almost missed the burning sting on his palm.

Ignoring the sensation, he raced toward the faint light that shone into the room briefly when the kitchen door swung inward. Ethan was back there holding a flashlight.

“Patrick.” Jason was calling out for him.

“I’m over here,” he said, tracking his brother-in-law’s voice back to the bar.

They met in front of the swinging door. “Lights! We need light. I lost hold of Tahlia.”

Jason grunted. He pushed the swinging door open where Ethan was holding the flashlight up to a breaker box.

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