Page 57 of Trick's Trap

Caught with the idea, he stood to examine them more closely. “None have an in-house casino, but you can gamble in quite a few of these cities.”

He trailed off as he turned back to Ethan, his eyes landing on the framed photograph of himself playing in Monaco on his birthday.

Would she?“I certainly would,” he murmured aloud.

“What the hell are you going on about now?” Ethan scowled.

He let out an admiring huff.Trust the woman you fell in love with. She knows what she’s doing.

“I don’t suppose you have any more vacation days coming your way?”

Ethan snorted. “You and your family have sucked all those away for the next ten years.”

He picked up the picture. “Too bad, because you’d love this place. If my hunch is correct, I’m going to find Tahlia safe and sound. I won’t need backup.”

He tossed the frame into Ethan’s lap before going to notify their on-call pilot. The man needed to fuel up the Caislean jet ASAP.

Trick held his breath,leaning back as he watched the most beautiful woman in the world cross the casino floor.

The Casino Monte Carlo, better known to James Bond fan’s as the Casino Royale, was packed with well-heeled patrons, but none of the other ladies in the room even came close to Tahlia.

She walked with her head held high, as regal as any queen.

And damn if she didn’t look the part.She was wearing a gorgeous red dress, a floor-length number that flowed behind her with a tiny train, almost like a wedding dress. But this was nothing like the virginal white gowns he saw in magazines. Though modestly cut at the bodice, the gown had a long slit up the side that made him want to punch every man who looked at her—and those were numerous. It felt as if every male’s eye was on her.

Fuck, I don’t blame them.

The dress glowed like a ruby against the gilt and dark wood interior. Opulence and luxury was the byword for this place. And yet, there was no jewel that shone more brightly than her.

Were those bodyguards hers?Two men in dark suits were stationed nearby keeping a careful distance. Tahlia acknowledged one with a nod before she settled at a table. The man nodded back, but in a curt professional way. They had the bearing of hired security.

Trick sipped his whiskey, opting to keep his seat near the bar so he could watch Tahlia play from a safe distance.

By rights, he should have been angry. He’d been through hell since she left with only the crumpled photo as a note. But at this moment, all he could feel was pride.

When Tahlia ran the first time, she’d ended up on the streets. But his girl was a fast learner. No more skulking at the fringes for her. She was hiding in plain sight here in his own personal Mecca, living the life that should have been hers to begin with.

But not without me.Trick would fight whoever he had to stay at her side. At the moment, that included Tahlia herself.

What did that make him?

He snorted to himself.I’m a royal consort—the kid who has to run the gauntlet before he can win his place at the queen’s side.

Trick waved over Felix, the hotel’s majordomo. “I need a favor. And before you say no, don’t forget who introduced you to your girlfriend…”

Chapter 25

Tahlia walked down the hall of the Hotel de Paris flanked by her new bodyguards. She’d won thousands of dollars tonight, but it felt like a hollow victory.

Focus. Her plan was working. With tonight’s earnings, she was nearly halfway to the first benchmark she’d set for herself. She was going to win a quarter of a million dollars.

Tahlia left everything when she’d left Boston—her new friends and Patrick. She missed him so much she could hardly sleep each night. The bed in her sumptuous hotel suite felt so empty.

Getting close to him had been stupid. Not only did she put him in danger, but unless she found a way to fight her family, she was going to have to live with this broken heart forever.

I will do it. I have to.That was why she’d come to Monaco. If there was any place for a gambler to regroup, it was here.

Her room in the Hotel de Paris was nowhere near the size of her suite at the Caislean, which was clean, open, and modern. By comparison. this hotel was old-fashioned, with its crystal chandeliers and heavy dark furnishings. All the gold and gilt accents should have been dated or cheesy, but they weren’t. It was magnificent.

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