CHAPTER ONE
“Do you recognize the man in this photograph?”
Sean O’Brien glanced from his boss, Caleb Roux, to the picture he slid across the surface of his desk. Leaning forward in his seat, Sean reached for the snapshot, all too aware of Caleb’s direct gaze watching him, waiting for some kind of reaction.
Sean found his boss’s quiet intensity disconcerting, especially when it was directed at him. Something was up, and Sean could only wonder where this meeting would lead.
If there was one thing he’d learned about Caleb, it was everything he did had a distinct purpose. Especially when it came to doling out the cases exclusive clients hired him to investigate.
As the founder of The Reliance Group—a private organization he’d established to accommodate those who preferred a more untraditional approach to resolving personal, private matters—Caleb utilized each member on his team according to their experience and skills.
In Sean’s case, his proficiency as an ex–con artist had come in handy on a few of Caleb’s cases. Sean’s prior life as a hustler wasn’t something he was proud of, and he was grateful that Caleb had given him a chance to redeem himself. First, for offering Sean a job as a bartender at the Onyx Hotel & Casino when no one else would hire him, and second, for inviting him to be a part of The Reliance Group.
Realizing Caleb was waiting patiently for a reply, Sean finally glanced at the photograph in his hand, his stomach clenching at the familiar face staring back at him. Even though it had been twelve years since he’d seen this man, there was no forgetting the person who’d betrayed Sean’s father.
Not that he had been innocent in his crimes. Hardly. But the man in the picture had been an equal accomplice and had ultimately sold Sean’s old man down the river to save his own ass.
“Yes, I know him,” Sean said, his tone bitter as he tossed the picture back onto Caleb’s desk. “That’s Elliott Cooke, the man who sent my father to jail.” Sean suspected Caleb already knew that bit of information. He had a thick file on Sean and his past, and there was nothing Caleb didn’t already know about him and his family situation.
“He goes by ‘Grant Russo’ now,” Caleb told Sean.
Sean didn’t give a damn what the bastard called himself. At the core, he was still a man who lacked morals and a conscience. “And this matters to me why?”
Sean’s gruff attitude didn’t faze Caleb at all; his gaze remained razor sharp and determined. “It matters because you’re about to take on a case that’s going to force you to face your past, and this man. Can you handle that?”
Sean’s jaw clenched and resentment burned in his gut. He despised Elliott Cooke for a variety of reasons but mainly for ruining Sean’s father’s life.
Sean didn’t know what Caleb’s case involved but hoped it included serving up a large dose of overdue justice to Cooke so he could have the satisfaction of delivering the punishment himself. It was the least he could do to avenge his father and finally settle a long-overdue score between the two men.
Doing so would also provide Sean with the opportunity to ease some of his own guilt when it came to his father. In the twelve years that Casey O’Brien had been in prison, Sean had only visited his dad a handful of times, and that wasn’t something he was proud of. Sean’s own shame and embarrassment in failing his father’s final request to stop the cycle of cons and build a better life for himself was something he desperately wanted to make amends for. Only then could he face his old man again.
“What do you need me to do?” Sean asked.
Caleb picked up his cell phone and tapped out a message on the small keyboard. “Before we go on, Valerie will be joining us so she can explain the case and what she knows.”
Valerie Downing was also a member of The Reliance Group, though her main job was as casino host for the Onyx. She spent her days and evenings catering to the requests and whims of the high-profile gamblers, known as Whales, who frequented the establishment.
“How is Valerie involved?” Sean asked.
Text sent, Caleb set his phone back down before meeting Sean’s gaze once again. “It was one of her Whales who heard about TRG and asked for our help. I have the case file and all the initial investigative reports right here for you to review, but Valerie can give you a better rundown of the facts and answer any questions you might have.”
Within a few minutes, Valerie arrived. She knocked briskly on the closed door before entering Caleb’s office. The casino host was young and beautiful, a brunette with soft brown eyes and a charismatic way about her that people were drawn to.
Wearing a black pantsuit with a beige silk blouse beneath the short-waisted jacket, she sat down in the chair beside Sean’s. “Hey, O’Brien,” she said by way of greeting.
“Val.” Sean inclined his head. “I’m dying of curiosity here. Tell me what you know about Russo.” The last Sean had heard, after evading prison time, the other man had sworn he was going to clean up his act and lead an exemplary life.
Yeah, right, like Sean believed that. Once a con, always a con. Once you played the game and reaped the rewards, it was like a rush and an addiction that coursed through your blood and made you crave more. And as Sean well knew from his own experience, living the high life of a scam artist was a habit that was difficult to break.
As a cocky teenager, Sean had been sucked into his dad’s fast and loose lifestyle that kept a lot of cash in Sean’s pocket and made him believe he was invincible and above the law. Until his last con as an adult had gone horribly wrong and the innocent woman he’d swindled had paid a hefty emotional and physical price for being such an easy, gullible mark.
While Sean’s own stint in prison had given him a much-needed slap of reality and had scared him straight, he still harbored a load of guilt and regrets for what had happened to the woman. Spending months in a small concrete cell had given him a helluva lot of time to reflect and to make the decision to finally turn his life around for good.
But there were some things in his past he couldn’t forget or forgive himself for. And that last con gone wrong, and the woman’s life that had been irrevocably changed as a result of Sean’s deliberate deception, was one of them.
Valerie tucked a long strand of brown wavy hair behind the shell of her ear, that intuitive gaze of hers meeting Sean’s as she addressed his question about what she knew about Grant Russo. “I never heard of the guy until one of my best clients came to see me about hiring The Reliance Group to find him. Conrad Davenport is a billionaire with his own investment company, and he’s one of the Onyx’s highest rollers. He doesn’t think twice about spending an obscene amount of money on gambling in the casino. My job is to keep him happy, and right now, the man is fuming mad. Not at us, of course, but his anger at being conned is affecting his game play at the Onyx, which in turn affects our revenue, and so on.”
The corner of Valerie’s mouth quirked with a wry grin. “I’m sure you’ve heard the saying ‘If a Whale isn’t happy, then nobody’s happy.’ Trust me, it’s true.”
“I’m sure it is,” Sean replied.
“Davenport’s private company, Security Investment Group, is based out of Texas.” Valerie went on to explain the specifics of the case. “About a year ago his company invested over fifty million dollars toward the development of a new casino and resort slated to be built on a huge parcel of land in the Las Vegas Valley. It appeared to be a legitimate investment opportunity. The land was owned by Russo, formal contracts were signed, and he provided all his investors with an impressive résumé of his past projects and a full-blown business plan for the development of The Meridian Resort.”
Sean already had a strong feeling where this story was heading and how it would end. It was a familiar scenario and a repeat of the past and the other lives Elliott Cooke had shattered and destroyed through an organized Ponzi scheme.
Realizing just how quiet Caleb had been, Sean cast a quick glance at his boss and found him reclining back in his leather chair. He appeared relaxed, but Sean knew beneath that deceptively casual façade Caleb was processing every word Valerie spoke, as well as Sean’s response.
“About three months ago they broke ground for the Meridian project and started grading. Shortly after that, construction came to an abrupt standstill, along with a bunch of excuses from Russo as to what was going on.” Valerie crossed one leg over the other as she continued. “Davenport suspected foul play and called Russo on it, but Russo swore the investment was legitimate. When Davenport insisted on seeing current financial statements, Russo wasn’t able to provide them and kept putting him off. Now, he can’t even get ahold of the guy.”
“Which is why he asked The Reliance Group to get involved,” Caleb said, finally jumping into the conversation. “I put my best investigators on the case, but they couldn’t find Russo, either. In fact, it’s as though he’s dropped off the face of the earth, and he’s left a lot of personal and private investors very unhappy.”
Sean wasn’t surprised to hear that Russo had disappeared. An exemplary life, Sean’s ass, he thought sarcastically. Obviously, Russo was back to doing what he did best—wooing the wealthy and gaining their trust, making grand promises of huge return profits on their investment, then padding his own pockets and supplementing his affluent lifestyle with their money.
Clearly, whatever latest scheme he’d been plotting had finally come crashing down around him. Most likely, he’d taken the investors’ money and gotten out of Dodge and, unless he was caught, the investors were pretty much shit out of luck. Including Davenport.
“The Feds are about to get involved with a thorough investigation of the situation, and once that happens, all of Russo’s assets will be frozen.” Caleb absently tapped his pen on a file folder on his desk as he spoke. “All his money, including the investors’, will be tied up in court for years. Chances are, nobody will ever see their money, and Davenport is determined to recover his before this case breaks wide open.”
“I still don’t get how this case applies to me, and what, exactly, you need me to do,” Sean said.
“You know the life and thought processes of a man like Russo,” Caleb said, reminding Sean of everything he’d spent the past six years trying to forget. “Russo has a daughter, Zoe, and we believe she’s our best connection to finding out where her father is. We need you to get close to her, gain her confidence, and uncover what she knows of Russo’s whereabouts.”
Sean shook his head, not liking the direction this conversation was taking. The last thing he wanted to do was dupe another woman, even if it was for the greater good of putting Russo’s ass in jail where it belonged. “I doubt she’s going to spill family secrets to a stranger.”
“Not the first time you meet her, no,” Valerie agreed, her eyes shimmering with amusement. “But after a few chance encounters I’m sure you could work it into the conversation somehow.”
He rubbed his fingers across his forehead and groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” His own personal misgivings aside, he had no desire to babysit the daughter of the con man who’d sent Sean’s father to prison.
“I’m quite serious,” Valerie replied, and softened her words with a sweet smile. “And I know for a fact that you’ve got the personality and the gift of persuasion to pull this off. I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman who has been able to resist your charm.”
As he was unable to argue with Valerie’s reasoning, a reluctant grin tipped the corner of Sean’s mouth. True, he normally enjoyed seducing the opposite sex—and reveled in the fun while it lasted. He just hadn’t anticipated having to flirt with a woman he’d never, ever, willingly choose to hook up with. But he knew that both Valerie and Caleb were counting on him to make this work, to retrieve the information they needed to find Russo for their client, and Sean couldn’t bring himself to disappoint either one.
“So what do you want me to do, call her up and ask her out on a date?” Sean joked.
Valerie laughed. “Actually, you don’t need to be so obvious. We’ve set up a legitimate way for the two of you to meet.”
“Here’s what we know about Zoe Russo,” Caleb said as he opened a file folder on his desk and perused the first page of notes. “She’s an up-and-coming designer, and she’s currently looking for a place to open her first boutique here in Las Vegas.”
“She designs the most amazing accessories,” Valerie said, sounding as though she was a fan of Zoe’s creations. “Scarves, purses, sunglasses, jewelry, those sorts of things. Everything is accentuated with sparkling crystals in some way, which is part of her brand and what makes her ZR Designs recognizable.”
“Yeah, what she said,” Caleb said, his tone wry. “I’ve been told that the Onyx is interested in adding her flagship store to the promenade of shops here, and you’ll be standing in for the leasing agent to court her, so to speak, to sign a lease to open her boutique here. That will give the two of you plenty of face time, so be sure to use it to your advantage to establish a connection with her so you can find out what she knows about her father and his whereabouts.”
Sean accepted the file that Caleb pushed across his desk toward him. Just like with every other job he’d taken on for The Reliance Group, Sean knew what the folder contained. Pictures of their mark. Personal information. Investigative reports. Everything he needed to familiarize himself with all the players in the game and get the job done.
He’d always enjoyed the excitement and thrill that came with taking on an assignment for TRG. He supposed it provided him with that adrenaline rush he’d always relished as a former con artist. But he’d never been handed a case with such a personal connection. One that dredged up his imperfect past yet offered him the opportunity to serve a bit of overdue justice to the man who’d screwed Sean’s father.
And maybe, in the process, Sean would also be able to repair his own broken relationship with his dad and show his old man that he really had changed his life around.
It appeared that complicated had landed in Sean’s lap in a big way. Now he just had to prove to Caleb that he’d chosen the right man for the job.
*
Sean had spent his entire adult life charming women. With a flirtatious wink or a slow smile he made them putty in his hands. Soft, warm, and willing. Sometimes he seduced them for fun. Other times, for pleasure.
Today, it was all about business.
Standing in front of a recently vacated storefront located in the promenade area of the Onyx Hotel & Casino, he watched as Zoe Russo approached their mutually agreed-upon meeting place for their two o’clock appointment. The grainy photograph in the case file Caleb had given Sean had completely missed the mark in capturing Zoe’s true beauty. She was much prettier in person, with silky shoulder-length blond hair and side-swept bangs that framed her soft, feminine features.
His gaze quickly swept the length of her, summing up the entire enticing package in a single glance. She wore a pair of white jeans and a butter yellow one-shoulder-style summer blouse. The material draped loosely over her full breasts and was cinched around her waist by a gold chain belt studded with sparkling crystals, which matched the long, multi-strand crystal necklaces swaying in cadence with her purposeful walk. Every step she took in her designer heels was accompanied with an air of sensual sophistication that drew appreciative male stares as she continued toward the empty boutique where Sean waited for her.
Or maybe it was the woman walking beside Zoe who was attracting a good deal of the curious stares being sent their way—a tall, slender redhead with an abundance of spiral curls who was rocking a form-fitting teal minidress. He couldn’t see the woman’s face since she was wearing a huge pair of sunglasses, but there was something vaguely familiar about her that eluded him at the moment.
Probably because his main focus, and interest, was on Zoe. Not a good thing considering he’d been assigned to this case to discover what she knew about her father’s shady dealings as a con man.
Hell, for all Sean knew, Zoe was just as crooked as her old man. Sean’s own personal experience had taught him that the apple usually didn’t fall far from the tree, and he was jaded enough to believe that scenario was possible with Zoe.
Regardless of her guilt or innocence, he had a job to do, and procuring Zoe Russo’s trust was the first thing on his agenda. While the ability to coax secrets from a woman had always come quite easily to Sean and was an essential skill for any con man, he had to mentally push aside the twinge of guilt that reminded him of the potential of someone getting hurt.
Sean exhaled a deep breath and reminded himself that he wasn’t using Zoe in a con—just as a vehicle to locate her father. No harm, no foul, as far as Sean was concerned.
The duo stopped a few feet in front of him, and that’s when he noticed that the guy following the two women from a discreet distance halted as well. The big, muscular man crossed his arms over his wide chest, his expression intimidating as he kept a sharp eye on the people walking around the redhead and Zoe.
Zoe extended her hand and smiled, the friendly sentiment reaching her bright green-gold eyes. “Hi. I’m Zoe Russo. Are you Sean O’Brien?”
“That would be me,” he said with a nod. “The retail leasing agent for the shops here at the Onyx.” A temporary job title until he got what he wanted from Zoe; then it was back to the trenches of bartending.
Responding to her smile with one of his own, he shook her hand. Her skin was supple and warm against his palm, like soft silk, and he hated letting go.
She slowly pulled her arm back, and he didn’t miss the hint of awareness in her gaze. “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought my best friend along to take a look at the shop, too. She’s familiar with how I intend to lay out the store with my merchandise, and her input is important to me.”
“That’s fine.” He forced his attention to the beautiful woman by Zoe’s side. “It’s always good to have a second pair of eyes to make sure the square footage is what you have in mind for your counters and displays.”
The woman finally slipped off the big sunglasses encrusted with crystals, revealing her entire face and surprising Sean with her identity. There was no mistaking who Zoe’s best friend was—a pop-star sensation and GRAMMY Award winner who was currently taking the music industry by storm.
“I’m Jessica Morgan,” she said unnecessarily.
“You certainly are,” he replied, his tone wry as he shook her hand. Now he understood who the guy hovering behind them was—her bodyguard. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Zoe looped her arm through her friend’s and grinned enthusiastically. “Jessica is the face for my newest Zoe Russo collection out this fall. Am I lucky, or what?”
“Extremely.” And he meant it. Considering Zoe was still an up-and-coming designer who was on the cusp of making a big name for herself, getting a star and a trend-setter such as Jessica Morgan to kick off her fall campaign was equivalent to striking gold.
Between Jessica’s flashy sunglasses, her blinged-out purse, and the pair of crystal earrings she wore, it appeared that she was already taking her role as spokesperson for ZR Designs very seriously.
“Let’s take a look at the store.” Sean withdrew the key to the shop and sent Zoe one of his irresistible smiles. “Hopefully it’s exactly what you need.”
“I’ll keep an open mind,” she returned.
The promise in her soft, husky voice sent a jolt of unexpected desire through Sean. Not quite the reaction he’d anticipated having toward her. Bitterness and resentment because she was her father’s daughter, yes. Fascination, hell no.
But he recognized the signs, the spark that went deeper than just professional interest. Under normal circumstances he wouldn’t hesitate to pursue their attraction, but he wasn’t there to cajole her into his bed, even if that thought did appeal to him. He had a job to do, information to unearth, and a scam artist to find.
Her father.
With Sean’s mind back on his objective, he unlocked the door and pushed the sliding glass panels open for Zoe and her friend to enter the vacant boutique. Zoe walked past him, and the delectable scent of fresh, sweet peaches filled his senses.
Damn. He loved peaches, especially ripe, juicy ones, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she tasted as good as she smelled.
“I have to say I’m still a little surprised you contacted me about this store,” Zoe said, glancing around the open space before meeting his gaze and tipping her head curiously. “How did you even know I was looking for a place?”
He shrugged, refusing to give away his source—Caleb, who had the uncanny ability to find out just about anything on anyone. Pushing his hands into the front pockets of his navy trousers, Sean tapped into old but not forgotten bullshitting skills and his ability to adapt to any situation with finesse and ease.
“A good retail leasing agent always has his ear to the ground when it comes to cultivating new talent for his clients.”
Just as Sean had anticipated, she beamed at his well-placed compliment, but there were still questions in her gaze. “But you even knew I was seriously considering a boutique at Caesars Palace.”
“Yes, for half the space and triple the price of what the Onyx is offering.” Out of the corner of his eye, Sean noticed that Jessica was checking out the store, but she was still close enough to hear his and Zoe’s conversation. “I also know that you’re anxious to get a place before your fall campaign is unveiled, and our spot is available, while Caesars Palace misses the mark by almost a month.”
Zoe laughed and shook her head in disbelief. “How in the world do you know all that?”
“I never reveal my sources.” He winked at her. “Just know that the Onyx would love to have your flagship store here in the hotel, and they’re prepared to make you an offer you’ll find hard to resist. This really is a prime spot,” he went on, using the spiel the real leasing agent had instructed him to say. “It’s located across from the nightclub Taboo, which generates a good amount of foot traffic, and you’d be positioned between Coach and Bebe. Those two stores, along with the club, are a perfect match for your targeted demographic of young, sophisticated women.”
“You really did do your homework,” she murmured, her eyes wide in amazement.
“It’s my job to know as much about you and your business as possible.”
“Well, I’m impressed,” Jessica said as she came up beside Zoe. Jessica’s tone was sly, and there was a devilish gleam in her eyes. “It’s quite obvious that he wants you and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get you.”
Zoe’s cheeks turned pink in embarrassment at her friend’s deliberate double entendre. “He wants my business,” Zoe clarified, jabbing Jessica in the side with her elbow.
Sean laughed. “That, too,” he teased, finding her bashful reaction a refreshing change from the bold and brazen behavior of the women he was used to dealing with as a bartender. “Why don’t you take a look around and see what you think of the space, and then we’ll talk specifics.”
While Zoe and Jessica strolled around the empty boutique and made notes for possible layouts for the display, racks, and counters, Sean stood by the door and gave them time alone to discuss pros and cons and ideas without feeling pressured in any way. While he’d been assigned to get close to Zoe for a case, the Onyx truly wanted her business. She was a hot commodity, and it would be a huge coup for the hotel that opened her first boutique.
As for Sean, the sooner he discovered what she knew of her father’s whereabouts, along with his involvement in stealing millions of dollars from unsuspecting investors, the sooner The Reliance Group could resolve the case they’d been hired to solve and give their client the justice he deserved.
Sean hated to think that Zoe might know about her father’s shady dealings or, worse, be a part of his deception, but it was a possibility he couldn’t discount. Which meant he had to tread carefully with her from this point on until he unraveled that particular concern.
His strategy with Zoe Russo had been planned out from the moment he first contacted her about the lease space at the Onyx. This first face-to-face with her provided him with the initial introduction he needed to establish a connection between them. The next step required a more personal involvement that would give him the opportunity to ask the necessary questions about her father in a casual, relaxed atmosphere that wouldn’t raise her suspicions.
So far, Sean was right on track.
Twenty minutes later, Zoe made her way back to him, her eyes lit with excitement. “Well, I certainly like the place. It has a lot of potential for what I have in mind.”
“That’s exactly what I want to hear.” He withdrew a lease contract from the leather portfolio he’d tucked under his arm and gave it to Zoe. “I took the liberty of drawing up an agreement based on the financial discussion we had on the phone.”
She took the papers and gave them a quick glance. “As much as I love the store, I’d like to take a few days to think about the offer and have my attorney look over the contract.”
“Absolutely,” Sean said with an understanding nod. “It’s a big decision.”
She slid the agreement into her purse. “I’ll definitely be in touch.”
Knowing if Zoe walked away now he might not have another chance to get to that all-important next step with her, Sean spoke up. “One more thing before you go…would you like to have dinner with me sometime this week?”
“She’d love to,” Jessica said before Zoe had the chance to reply.
Zoe shot her friend an I’m going to strangle you look that was tempered with affection. “Would you stop?”
Jessica shrugged, looking unapologetic. And very mischievous. “Hey, I’m just saying what your mind is thinking.”
Sean rubbed a hand across his mouth to hide a grin, though he appreciated Jessica’s support on his behalf.
“I don’t know,” Zoe said, the uncertainty in her voice contradicting the glimmer of desire in her gaze and the undeniable attraction between them. “I’ve got so much going on, with the fall collection coming out, getting a new Web site and store ready in time…”
Despite her busy schedule, he could see her indecision. Fortunately, he was a master at persuasion. “It’s just dinner, Zoe, not a lifetime commitment,” he said, injecting humor into his tone. “Leasing agents take clients out for meals all the time. You do eat, don’t you?”
“Occasionally, and mostly on the go,” she admitted sheepishly.
“Then it’ll do you good to relax for a few hours and have a healthy meal.”
Jessica nodded. “I have to second that.”
“You would,” Zoe replied, rolling her eyes at her meddling friend before glancing back at Sean with a genuine smile. “Okay. Sure. Dinner would be great.”
“How about Wednesday evening?” he asked, wanting to get a firm promise from her. When she agreed, he added, “And no pressure to talk business, unless you want to. I’ll make reservations and give you a call with the time and place.”
“I look forward to it.” She extended her hand in a too-formal, all-businesslike good-bye.
“Me, too.” He enveloped her hand in his and deliberately stroked his thumb along her soft skin in a slow, sensual caress. He heard her slight intake of breath and knew he had her exactly where he wanted her.
Oh yeah. It was just a matter of time before she was putty in his hands. Soft, warm, and willing to spill all the secrets that would lead him straight to finding Grant Russo and sending him to jail.