Page 85 of Deception & Desire

She doesn’t respond, but her blush deepens, and it gives me hope—a flicker of a promise of something more.

But all thoughts leave the second we step through the front doors.

Inside, the casino is alive.

We enter the main floor, the sounds of shuffling chips, laughter, and clinking glasses spilling over us. It’s dazzling and opulent. Painstaking attention to detail is realized in every sanded edge, warmly lit corner, and seamless transition of space.

Mia hesitates, her fingers tightening on my arm as she takes it all in.

“Perfect, isn’t it?” I ask, leaning close enough that my voice is just for her.

“It’s beautiful.”

I can’t resist another kiss to her temple. “I wouldn’t go that far. Not with you standing right here.”

She hits me playfully on the shoulder as someone approaches. Her sharp heels click against the polished floors.

“Mia,” Isabella greets my wife first. I try not to look too surprised when she pulls her into a brief but genuine hug. “You look amazing. How do you like our little masterpiece?”

Mia laughs. “Little? This place has four separate thematic floors and a spa.”

“I suppose we should go for eight next time, then.”

Mia rolls her eyes at my sister, but my heart warms at the sight of them actually getting along.

We move through the room, greeting guests as we go. Teo and Dante are here, mingling with their usual charm, and Rocco and Cassandra wave from the bar.

Mia is gracious and poised, but I don’t leave her side. I keep a hand on her waist or her back, drawn to her like gravity.

Whenever her laughter rings out, or her eyes meet mine, something in my chest tightens, and I dare to hope. Hope that by the end of the night, when it’s just us again, I can hold her without fear of her slipping away.

For the most part, I know I should feel triumphant standing here, surrounded by power and allies, with Mia by my side. The war with the Cartel has almost reached its final, bloody conclusion, with victory very much in sight.

But I’ve never been one to relax. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that if things feel too good to be true, that’s usually because they are.

I want to hate the part of me that tugs at the back of my mind, a sense that something isn’t quite right. But it’s kept me alive this long.

“Leon? Can I borrow you for a second?” Max calls from behind me. I turn to see him, his expression unusually grim as if he, too, can sense it. We’ve always been on a similar wavelength.

I glance back at Mia, where we’re both standing with Isabella and Cassandra near the blackjack tables. She’s smiling at something Isabella is saying as her gaze lands on me. A frown is already forming on my face as I hesitate.

“I’ll only be a minute,” I tell her, brushing my hand along her arm. She nods, and I follow Max toward a quieter corner.

“Talk to me,” I say as soon as we’re out of earshot.

“Just a feeling,” he grimaces again before explaining himself, gesturing toward the floor. “Have you noticed the servers tonight?”

I frown, scanning the crowd.

At first, everything looks normal: well-dressed guests chat and laugh, and servers move seamlessly with trays of champagne flutes and hors d’oeuvres.

But then I see it: two servers exchanging a look that’s too deliberate, their movements too calculated.

“What the hell?” I mutter, narrowing my eyes as another server, this one lingering near the craps table, subtly adjusts something at their waist. My instincts flare to life.

“Rubio is isolated. He doesn’t have the resources to pull this off.” I look around to gesture Teo over, but the don is nowhere to be found. “You filed the report, Max. This should be impossible, right?”

Max shifts at my side. “Yeah, unless I faked the report.”

---