Page 21 of Sin and Deception

"Does she look healthy?" he asked, attempting to hide his concern with sarcasm.

"Aside from her unfortunate choice of goldish dark blonde hair and brown contacts, she seems miserable," I replied. "But it's definitely her."

Xander let out a deep sigh. "Couldn't she have chosen a name that wasn't basically a shortened version of her own?"

My irritation grew at the question. "Honestly, it shocked me to see her here in plain sight. How could she think that changing her appearance would fool people who know her?"

"I thought she was smarter than that," Xander muttered.

We focused on two men hanging around outside a nearby restaurant, and my gaze sharpened as I recognized them instantly. "Stratos's guys."

"Yep," Xander confirmed with a nod. "With his men in Atlantic City and these bastards in Vegas, they're clearly searching for her, too. This isn't good."

"No kidding," I growled. "Do you think these fuckers saw her?"

"Not sure," he shrugged. "We won't know until Nerine walks out."

"That damn book," Xander cursed under his breath, "it led all of us right to her."

"And now the other idiots will figure it out, too," I finished grimly.

"She has no idea how much danger she's in," Xander said through clenched teeth.

"And she's just planning on having a night out to hook up," I added, recalling her earlier conversation with her friend.

"You said she wasn't interested," Xander said with a hint of frustration. “Why are you pissed?”

"She must have at least considered it if she's here instead of with us. But enough about that," I said, trying to refocus on the task. "We need to act fast. We can't wait."

"Fine. I'll handle this personally," Xander declared, his body tense with anticipation of finally confronting Nerine.

"Tonight," I agreed with determination. "Let's hang back and see if anyone follows her when she leaves."

"You know I won't hesitate to eliminate any threats," Xander stated firmly, reaching inside his coat and resting his hand on his gun.

"I know, Xander," I reassured him, looking into his determined eyes with understanding. "I trust you more than anyone."

"Just saying," he grumbled, refocusing on the restaurant entrance as we waited for Nerine to emerge.

"Remember, keep it cool," I reminded him. "We're almost there."

"It's about damn time," Xander muttered under his breath. "I'm ready to end this once and for all."

A surge of determination swept through me at his words. We were finally on the verge of getting Nerine back and ending this dangerous game.

My heart raced with anticipation at the thought of finally seeing Nerine again. A restlessness pricked every nerve in my body as I focused on keeping Xander calm. However, I was too preoccupied to notice it.

I worried about my self-control when I was alone with her—the intense desire to both kiss and punish her raced through my veins. The conflicting emotions battled within me, leaving me uncertain about which would prevail when we were face to face.

But one thing was sure: Xander and I would unleash our fury on Nerine for the hurt and pain she had caused us.

I wondered if she could sense us getting closer. Once strong and nurtured, our bond might still exist despite her absence. Was the hair on the back of her neck standing up in warning? Did her body instinctively know that danger was drawing near?

Eight

NERINE

As I stood by my apartment window, raindrops pounding against the glass drowned out the noise from the bustling Las Vegas Strip below. It was an unusual sight—rarely did it rain in this desert city. But today, the weather seemed to mirror my mood: gray and gloomy.

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