Page 56 of Kings Against the World

I decide on a small coffeeshop inside a neighboring casino to place the phone call.

It’s discreet, empty on a Sunday morning, and I can sit long enough to brief Duchovny on everything I’ve found.

Which isn’t much.

As he answers and the call starts, I give him a thorough rundown of everything that’s happened so far (except the less-than-appropriate parts about me and Ozzie). Duchovny gives the occasional hum in answer as I go on to tell him about Ozzie being the predetermined winner of the tournament and Boone’s alluding to trafficking drugs and the girls at the club.

I save the bank statement I’ve found for last, hoping that at least will be enough to tide him over. It’ll satisfy him long enough for the forty-eight hours until our next call and I’m able to undercover something more substantial.

“I’ve had Rodriguez pull some strings and look into the account numbers. They all belong to Benz.”

Duchovny’s silent on the other end, and then he says, “Yes, and your point would be what?”

I press my phone tighter against my ear. “He’s transferring money to himself from the club funds. His personal accounts. He’s probably skimming profits off the top, which is why he’s doing it in batches.”

Duchovny sighs, the sound making my stomach drop. “While that may point to some embezzlement on Mr. Benz’s part, he’s not the reason this investigation has been opened. You presented evidence that Asa Boone was engaged in an underground drug, gambling, and prostitution ring. That’s where your trail needs to lead, Strauss.”

“I’m doing my best. It’s a little difficult when I’m just a bottle girl serving tequila shooters.”

“Difficult my ass. You love pulling the female agent card every chance you get. You say you’re the first of your kind in over a decade. Then prove you have what it takes,” he says bluntly. “Prove you can hang with past female agents like Braun. Do you know she once went undercover in a gang in L.A.? She was covert for over two months. All you’ve got to pull off is two weeks and you’re floundering.”

I grit my teeth at the comparison, not a first coming from Duchovny. He loves throwing it in my face how I don’t measure up to my mentor, his former partner, Tameka Braun. The tension that’d left my body last night returns in spades.

“I can handle it,” I hiss. “I can gather what we need to take down Boone.”

“Then get a move on it. Do whatever is necessary. If you have to cozy up to him for intel, then that’s what you need to do. Is that understood?”

“Yes, understood. I’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Duchovny hangs up on me without a goodbye, the line cutting off.

I sigh as I lower the phone from my ear and stare down at the call log on my screen. I’m back to being riddled with tension,faced with the mounting pressure of what I’ve got to do. I’ve worked for years to bring Boone down and I can’t fuck it up now.

Zani deserves so much better.

I refuse to lose sight of what I need to do, even if it means returning to the uptight, stick-up-my-ass robot I’ve been.

So much for being fucked right.

15

OZZIE

“You survived the first time,didn’t you?” I ask.

Me and Zoe are on the rooftop of the parking garage at the Azure Sol. It’s late Sunday evening, the desert heat has finally dialed back a few degrees, and we’ve decided we’re sick of eating takeout from the hotel restaurant downstairs. Round two of the tournament won’t pick up ’til tomorrow, so we’ve got the rest of the night off.

Which means I’ve convinced Zoe to get on the back of my bike and let me take her out on the Vegas streets.

She’s been different all day. Actually, laidback and almost… kinda cool?

When I teased her about last night loosening her up, she socked me on the arm and laughed. Gone were the scowls, the condescending tone, and lectures about the damn investigation. I was quickly discovering that FBI Agent Zoe Strauss wasn’t the stick-in-the-mud I’ve assumed she is.

I hand her the second helmet I’ve borrowed from Louie and expect her to ask for my help with putting it on.

But Zoe being Zoe, she does it fine all on her own. She tugs at the chin strap and slides two fingers underneath to check for the fit. Then she moves on to fastening on the pair of riding gloves.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve done this before. And I’m not talking about the other day at Louie’s.”

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