Hard to Hold (8 page)

Madeleine glanced toward the men who were moving toward them with deliberate steps, and she blanched. She clutched her chips tighter, and it didn’t escape Colton’s notice when she moved perceptibly closer to him. They were making their way past the rows of slot machines, pushing through the crowd of casually attired tourists, and the exit was just steps away when they were stopped.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” A meaty hand descended on Madeleine’s shoulder.

She whirled around to face the two men, her expression one of surprise and innocence. Colton turned as well, preparing to pull his badge out and intervene, when Madeleine suddenly tripped. With a startled yelp, she pitched forward, directly into the unsuspecting guards. She flung one arm up, and Colton watched a handful of brightly colored chips fly into the air, spiraling in all directions. The guards turned their eyes to the chips as well, reaching up in an attempt to snag them in midflight. They hit the ground and bounced, rolling madly beneath the feet of astonished tourists, who began scrambling over each other in their haste to scoop up the coveted disks.

Colton found himself shoved sideways, and nearly lost his balance as a heavyset woman on her hands and knees reached for a chip that had landed between his feet. He staggered, and only just managed to regain his balance when he realized he’d lost sight of Madeleine.

The chips and the security guards were all but forgotten as he spun around, searching the crowd. She was nowhere in sight. He turned toward the exit and cursed as he caught a twitch of her shimmering skirt disappearing into the backseat of a taxi before it sped away.

6

H
E
’
D
RUINED
EVERYTHING
.

She still couldn’t believe that he’d managed to find her so quickly. She’d been so careful! She was back at the seedy motel where she’d left her belongings, knowing she had just moments to pack her gear and get the hell out of the Hold ’Em Inn before he’d be there. Regardless of the monumental disaster that was quickly becoming her life, she needed to pull herself together. She had to stop crying and start moving.

Maddie swiped at the tears on her cheeks and stepped out of the fragile sandals she was wearing. She struggled to reach the zip on the back of the dress, swearing softly when she failed to catch it with her fingers. It took several minutes, but she finally managed to unzip it, nearly tearing the delicate fabric in her haste. She stepped out of it, wasting valuable seconds as she folded it carefully between sheets of tissue paper before stuffing it into her backpack. She’d spent way too much for the garment, using the precious money from the sale of her car to buy an outfit that would allow her to gain access to the private gaming salon of the Glittering Gulch Casino. And it had all been for nothing. She’d sacrificed almost half her chips in order to escape, and what remained amounted to just over three thousand dollars—not nearly enough to free Jamie.

Angry tears blurred her vision. She snatched the fake diamonds from her earlobes and tossed them into the backpack on top of the dress before throwing the sandals in after them. She straightened and stood for a moment, listening.

She was just reaching for something—anything—to cover herself with, when the door to the motel room exploded inward.

Maddie screamed, despite the fact she knew precisely who it was silhouetted in the doorway. She snatched up a pillow and held it against herself, knowing it did little to conceal the fact she wore nothing but a silk thong.

She stared at Colton in mute despair. He was clearly furious. He slammed the door shut behind him and advanced into the small room. Maddie backed away, hugging the pillow tightly against her bare breasts. Even as her heart leaped in alarm at the dangerous expression on his face, there was another part of her that secretly thrilled at seeing him.

He looked dark and forbidding in his black shirt and jacket. His face was set in taut lines, and his eyes traveled slowly over her, lingering briefly on her damp face, missing nothing. Maddie felt herself flush beneath his cold scrutiny.

“What?” she demanded, taking refuge in sarcasm. “Your badge gives you the right to barge unannounced into a lady’s room?”

“When that
lady
is in possession of a stolen gun, you’re damned right it does,” he growled. “I want to know what the hell is going on,
Maddie.
Why would a girl like you resort to robbery, kidnapping, drugging, auto theft and cheating at cards? Tell me, please, because I’m not getting it.”

He advanced into the room, and Maddie stepped back, not missing his use of her nickname. “At least turn your back and let me get dressed.”

He snorted. “No way, darlin’. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

His eyes were cold and challenging as he continued to stare at her, and Maddie knew there was no choice but to get dressed as quickly as possible. With her gaze locked on his, she dropped the pillow and reached swiftly for her jeans. His lips tightened and she thought he swallowed a little convulsively, but otherwise his lean features betrayed nothing at the sight of her nudity.

She struggled into the jeans, leaning forward to yank them up her legs. When his gaze became riveted on her breasts, she snapped upright and without pausing to button her jeans snatched a T-shirt from the bed and dragged it over her head.

“So what now?” she asked waspishly, shoving her bare feet into her sneakers as she fastened her pants. “You drag me to the nearest precinct and throw me in jail?” She shot him an accusing glare. “Isn’t it bad enough I lost all my winnings? That was my one chance to make everything right, and you went and ruined it all.” Her voice broke.

“That’s crap and you know it.” His voice was harsh. “You were cheating, and if I hadn’t intervened you’d be spread-eagled across a backroom pool table right now, begging those apes at the casino to take the money and just let you go.”

He was furious, that much she could tell. It was there in his tightly coiled muscles, his rigid jaw and the way his eyes flashed black fire at her. She shivered.

“I’ve managed to get along without you for this long; I’d have been okay.” Even to her own ears, her tone was less than convincing.

He snorted. “Yeah, right. So where in hell did you learn to count cards, anyway?”

She tipped her chin up and met his gaze squarely. “My father taught me when I was a little girl.”

His lips tightened. “That must have been one hell of a childhood. Why do you need so much money? Whatever the reason, it can’t be legal.”

Maddie swallowed. There was a part of her that wanted to confide in him, to tell him of the fear that consumed her, and what might happen to her brother if she didn’t come up with fifty thousand dollars in the next few days. But another part of her feared he could completely destroy her brother’s chance for survival if he insisted on intervening. If the kidnappers even suspected she had involved the law, they would kill Jamie.

So instead of answering, she hugged herself around the middle and stared out the window, refusing to look at Colton.

He made a sound of disgust. “C’mon,” he finally said, swiping a hand across his eyes. “Let’s get out of this dump.”

But when he attempted to take her arm, Maddie jerked it away. “Don’t touch me.”

If he did, she just might lose it. Might fling herself against his broad chest and weep all over his jacket. Now, more than ever, she needed to be strong. She needed to keep her head clear and figure out how to get out of this mess. She needed to get that money and contact the kidnappers, and she needed to do it soon. Time was running out.

She saw Colton’s lips tighten in response to her sharp command. With a growl of frustration, he grabbed her backpack off the bed and opened the door to the motel room, ushering her out.

As she slid into the cab of the truck, she watched him cautiously. He started the engine and then looked over at her. Maddie knew her mascara was probably smudged around her eyes from crying, and her hair had come loose from the elegant updo.

“You look tired,” he observed curtly. “I’m going to take you someplace where you can have a shower and a decent meal, and then we’ll talk.” He arched a black eyebrow, as if expecting her to argue.

But Maddie just nodded. She couldn’t even summon the energy to fight with him. She was completely exhausted. And hungry. She hadn’t eaten anything since the cold ham sandwich she’d shared with Colton the previous night. Right now, a hot shower and a good meal sounded like heaven. After that, there would be time enough to escape.

* * *

C
OLTON
WANTED
TO
throttle her. It was either that or kiss her. He was furious, both with her and with his own attraction to her. Despite the fact he knew her to be a cheat and a liar, he couldn’t deny that he wanted her.

Christ.

He couldn’t get the image of her standing naked and defiant in the motel room out of his head. Her breasts were perfect, round and firm and tipped with the sweetest pink nipples he’d ever seen. Even in his anger, he hadn’t been immune to her. He could still feel her lips moving against his, feel her body, soft and pliant, sprawled over him. She might have had an ulterior motive in kissing him back at the cabin, but even in his drug-induced haze, he’d recognized her desire. She hadn’t faked that.

Beside him, she was silent and miserable. She stared out the window, chewing her lower lip. They drove in silence until they reached one of the larger chain hotels in downtown Reno. Colton opted to pay the valet to park his truck in a guarded lot. He still intended to go to his cabin, and couldn’t afford to have anyone steal the supplies from the back.

Throwing Maddie’s backpack over one shoulder, he took her elbow in one hand and grabbed his duffel bag with the other, then led her into the lobby. As he secured a room, he was acutely aware of her standing at his side, tense and unhappy. When they reached the room, Colton locked the door and switched on the table lamps. He’d chosen a suite with a small living room and dining area, and now he dumped their gear on the nearby sofa.

“Go take a shower,” he said gruffly. “I’ll order room service.”

Without looking at him, she walked into the bedroom and closed the door decisively behind her. Colton waited until he heard the water running in the bathroom, and then ordered dinner for each of them. He peeled his jacket off and draped it over the back of the sofa. As he did so, his eyes fell on Maddie’s backpack. Without hesitation, he unzipped it and searched through the contents until he found his revolver. Checking the magazine, he was reassured to see all seven bullets still in the chamber. He placed the weapon in his duffel bag and returned his attention to the backpack.

He rummaged once more through the contents, pushing aside the shoes and clothing until he found a small pocketbook at the bottom. Snooping through Maddie’s personal belongings wasn’t something he enjoyed doing, but he hoped he might find a clue as to her actions.

Opening her pocketbook, he withdrew her wallet. A lipstick and a hairbrush lay at the bottom of the bag, along with a slim silver holder for business cards. Extracting one, Colton read the words
Certified Public Accountant
beneath her name. She was an accountant? He found the idea both astonishing and amusing. The role of tomboy and femme fatale suited her better than a bean counter.

He replaced the card and tipped the pocketbook toward the light, seeing a slip of folded paper at the bottom of the bag. Pulling it out, he quickly scanned the message written there: “Bring the money or bury your brother.”

Colton didn’t feel surprised or shocked. Instead, he felt relief. Replacing the contents of her purse, he carefully rearranged her backpack the way she had left it, and moved toward the windows to stare unseeingly at the strip below. At least now he knew what Madeleine’s motives were.

Someone was using her brother to extort money from her.

That, he could handle. He didn’t know how he would have felt if he’d discovered she was into drugs, or if she was some kind of career criminal. Bad enough that she’d drugged him and stolen his truck and service pistol.

While he didn’t know precisely who was threatening her, he knew what kind of people they were. He knew there was an ongoing investigation, in both Reno and Las Vegas, into a rackets ring that involved gambling, loan-sharking and extortion.

Pulling out his cell phone, he punched in the number for Jason Cooper. His boss answered on the first ring.

“Tell me you have her, Black.”

“I have her.”

“Good,” Cooper replied. “Take her over to the Reno sheriff’s office. They’ll handle it from there.”

Colton was silent, and after a long moment, he heard Cooper make a sound of irritation. “Is there a problem, Deputy Black?”

“There’s something bigger going on here, sir. I found evidence that her brother is being held for ransom.” He glanced toward the bedroom door. “What if the Canterinos are behind this?”

The Canterino family ran a crime ring that extended all the way to New York City, with several factions in Las Vegas, Reno and even Costa Rica. The ring was suspected of issuing usurious loans at prearranged rates of interest, amounting to 175 percent. Collection of the unlawful debts was sometimes accomplished by removing a body part, usually a finger or an ear. Unfortunately, the victims were unwilling to talk to law enforcement, knowing that they might lose their lives if the Canterino henchmen found out.

“My instincts tell me this girl is into something bad, and we need to let it play out. This could be our opportunity to get some solid evidence on the Canterino family and their factions,” Colton continued.

“I ran a check on Ms. Howe,” Cooper replied, “and while she came up clean, the same can’t be said about her family. She comes from a long line of career gamblers and scam artists. It wouldn’t surprise me if her brother did borrow money from the Canterinos. He has a rap sheet for underage and illegal gambling. Bring her in, and I promise you she’ll talk.”

The underlying threat was unmistakable, but Colton knew better. Cooper might come across as a hard-ass, but Colton had known the other man for a long time, and knew he’d never harm Madeleine.

“If I bring her in to the sheriff’s office now, she’s going to close up tighter than a minister’s daughter,” he said, keeping his voice low. “I think we need to let this play out and find out who the extortionists are. My bet is she’ll lead us right to the Canterinos. Her brother stands a better chance of escaping with all his body parts intact if we intervene. But if we don’t take this opportunity, there are going to be more victims.”

“Send me everything you have. I’ll contact Deputy Burns in the Reno district and get something set up. I’ll be in touch.”

After clicking off, Colton glanced toward the bedroom. The water was no longer running in the bathroom. Thinking about Madeleine alone with any of the Canterino gang made his blood run cold. If her brother had made the mistake of borrowing money from them, his life was in danger. And Madeleine likely had no idea just how ruthless those men could be.

He could help her, keep her safe. Was he still seriously pissed off over the way she’d used him? Oh, yeah. But the thought of what had driven her to such desperate measures pissed him off even more.

He turned at the sound of the bedroom door opening. With her wet hair combed slickly back from her face, Madeleine stood there wearing a white terry cloth bathrobe that was several sizes too big for her. She had a fresh, just-scrubbed look that made her look young and innocent, although Colton knew better. She gave him a wary glance as she advanced into the room.