CHAPTER 21

CHRIS Bradley prided himself on being good at the art of misdirection. He knew he was inconspicuous sitting at a slot machine near Lester’s pit surrounding numerous blackjack tables. Every so often he dropped a coin into the slot, allowing him to keep up the illusion.

From all appearances, it might seem that Chris was totally wrapped up in his slot machine and the gambling, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He had zeroed in on Lester and his actions a long time ago.

Lester, his target, was actively involved in keeping the entrants of the poker tournament happy—so long as they were women, and pretty ones.

Chris spied covertly as another girl—an amazingly hot girl—approached Lester.

Don’t be an accomplice. Please, don’t be his partner. Chris let the mantra drift through his thoughts as if it would subliminally make it so.

The girl signed a marker and then took a rack of chips from Lester, diminishing Chris’s hopes for her innocence.

Damn.

The picture of her walking away spoke to his libido. The way those lime-green slacks shifted with her bottom while the tight fitting, pink sweater stayed put.

“Eyes on the prize.” Laraquette’s voice mocked playfully as it filtered through his earpiece.

“Oh, believe me,” he said softly, surely, “that’s exactly where they are!”

“I’m sure she’d be pleased to know that you’re ogling her like a vulture circling its prey,” Laraquette said.

“Isn’t your break over?” Chris asked, but didn’t say her name. It wouldn’t pay for anyone who might overhear their conversation to know who was talking. “Don’t you have a poker game to play?”

“No, it’s not,” she said, understated. “And yes, I do.”

“Hey, hey, hey...here she comes.” Rivera’s voice filtered into the conversation. That must mean Melody and Victoria had arrived.

Chris recognized Melody in an instant, but...

Who’s that with her?

He sensed something vaguely familiar about the pretty brunette with long, flowing curls and a petite Barbie doll figure walking confidently alongside Melody. Scantily clad in a black, tight-fitting mini skirt and a cropped off T-shirt, Melody’s companion looked like a wild sex kitten. One Chris would like the chance to tame.

“Well...” a voice Chris had no chance of recognizing filtered through his earpiece. “What do you guys think?”

“She looks good,” Rivera said with a quick, satisfying snicker. “Doesn’t she?”

No way. Chris finally recognized his sex kitten, thanks to Rivera. She instantly moved one step out of his reach. Even though he was a firm believer in all’s fair in love and war, he’d learned early on that any woman associated with the FVC or his fellow agents was off limits.

The airwaves quieted as Melody and Victoria approached Lester. Chris, sitting within earshot, spied upon them while periodically dropping a coin into the slot and pretending to be contemplating his odds of winning.

When Lester saw the girls approaching, he donned his brightest smile and gestured to them with open arms. “Ladies...to what do I owe this pleasure?”

Lester fancied himself a ladies’ man. He was quite unaware that he could possibly be anything less.

“This is my cousin, Bethany.” Melody introduced Victoria by the name Dickie had created for her, which had come with a convenient bank account to complete the illusion. “She’s here from Jersey, and looking for work.” She put it out there and left it at that, but success depended upon Lester thinking it was his idea.

“Have you spoke to her about our little arrangement?” he said to Melody, casual-like. “Would she be interested?”

“Yeah,” she said. “She’s interested.”

Well, breezed through Victoria’s thoughts. This guy deserved to get busted after opening up his illegal dealings with such blatant disregard.

“What you got in mind, sugar?” Victoria said in the sexiest voice she could find.

“Mel will fill you in.” Lester reached for her hand. “If you’re interested,” he said, tracing his fingertip up her forearm. “Come by tomorrow.”

Victoria cringed underneath his touch, but hid it with a well-disguised smile. “All right.”

“Come on, let’s go have a drink.” Melody latched onto Victoria’s wrist and pulled her away.

Lester watched them with great eagerness as they strolled off.

“Glance over your shoulder and flash him a cute little smile,” Chris said into Victoria’s earpiece.

Victoria looked over her left shoulder and added a slight wink to go along with her tempting smile.

Chris easily heard Lester express his approval with a caveman-like grunt.

Good thing she’s not my girl.

Still, Lester’s flagrant disrespect for someone connected with the FVC Unit didn’t set well with a guy like Chris Bradley.