The inside of the casino looked normal. There were slot machines. Poker tables. Women wearing skimpy outfits as they handed out beverages.

I held on tightly to Cruz’s arm.

“We need to act natural. Come on, there’s a poker table in the back. We’ll play a hand or two so we can scope out our surroundings.”

“Did you bring money to gamble?”

“Not a lot, but it will have to do. I don’t intend to spend a lot of time here. The faster we leave, the better.”

I nodded, following him to the table.

There were a few gruff-looking characters seated there. One man had a fur pelt around his neck, looking like a member of a Viking Clan. Across from him, a woman held a long cigarette holder between her fingers, occasionally puffing out plumes of smoke to her left. Seated by herself was a slender black woman with purple lips and the biggest pile of chips.

Cruz sat down beside her, pulling me onto his lap.

I did my best to imitate the other women in the casino. Most of them were clinging to their men, teasing them with their bodies. Some people were even making out, hands sneaking to naughty places. I blushed at the thought of being so scandalous in public. Yes, I liked to tease and have fun, but in the right setting. Intimacy was best behind closed doors.

The dealer took Cruz’s money and exchanged it for chips before dealing out the hand.

I peered over Cruz’s shoulder and saw that he had a pair of Aces.

Damn. Lucky start.

Knowing he had no possibility of losing, I scanned the area, looking for anything suspicious. So far, I didn’t see hide nor tail of Rob. Maybe he wasn’t here after all.

Just the thought of him made my skin crawl. Figures that I would meet him in London, the last place on Earth I’d expected to find him. Stranger still was that he was my boyfriend’s boss. The world really did work in mysterious ways.

Suddenly, someone tapped me on my shoulder. I jumped and turned around.

It was John. The cute guy I had met at the park.

What was he doing here?

Cruz tightened his arm around my arm possessively. “What do you want? Can’t you see that she’s with me?” he growled, his temperament flaring.

“It’s okay,” I said, prying his fingers apart so that I could get down.

John smiled a dazzling smile, taking me by the hand. “May I have a dance, M’lady?” he asked in a charming, hard-to-resist fashion.

Quickly, I glanced over at Cruz, who was locked into his hand.

“It won’t be more than a few minutes, and I’ll bring you right back,” he assured before whisking me away to the dance floor.

There, countless couples spun around in perfect sync.

John’s hand rested on the small of my back as he stepped into the rhythm. “What is a beautiful woman such as yourself doing with a man like him? Surely, you could do better for yourself.” His hot breath caressed the side of my neck as he whispered into my ear.

“Who I’m with is none of your concern,” I said, my hands on his shoulders as we continued to dance. “But why are you here?”

“I work here.” He grinned. “For the owner, actually.”

My eyes widened, and my heart nearly stopped when I made a critical realization. How had I been so stupid?

Rob’s hired hand was John Gardner…

The same man who was dancing with me…

“What’s the matter?” he asked. “Did you really think all of this was coincidental? We’ve had our eyes on you for a while now. First, as a friend of Heidi’s, and second, when you decided it would be a good idea to fool around with her brother. Honestly, I can’t understand what you see in the man. He looks like a poodle in desperate need of a haircut.”

“Why are you doing all this?” I asked, thinking that if I kept him talking, it would give Cruz enough time to save me. I tried to spot him, but John had skillfully pulled me to the other side of the dancefloor, where it was impossible to see the poker tables.

“Don’t bother with him. He’s not going to save you now. No one is.” His grip tightened as his lips twitched into a devious smile. “You should have stayed away when he told you he was no good for you.”

“How did you know that…?” I asked, feeling a shiver running through my spine. Had this man been watching us? For how long? Did they know all about our plan?

“Oh, that’s what they all say. Watch any movie, and you’ll see the same thing. Only, in the movies, the good guy always wins, but I can’t say the same for real life.” He dipped me back until my hair touched the ground. My leg lifted into the air, and when he pulled me back up, I witnessed Cruz being dragged by a couple of security guards, his head hung low like he was unconscious.

“What have you done to him?!” I screamed, lunging forward, but John held me back.

“Nothing… for now… but don’t worry, I made sure to get you front row seats to the show. And then, when it’s all over, you can come home with me for the after party.”

“You can’t do this!”

“Really? Because I think I already am.” His smirk deepened as he pushed me forward. I was about to protest when I felt the cold tip of a gun pressing into my back. “If you want to leave this place with your life, I suggest you be a good little girl and follow your boyfriend.” He jabbed the gun into my spine, causing a ripple of pain to shoot through my body.

Hesitantly, I followed the guards.