AMBER LOVED Law and Order. She watched the television show religiously whenever she got the chance and thanks to syndicated reruns, she could always find it on one channel or another. She’d been curled up on the couch, trying to get lost in the crime drama and not think about her own problems, when Mike came home from work.
At the end of the workday, he was adorably disheveled with a day’s worth of razor stubble darkening his handsome face. Every time she looked at him, her desire for him renewed, stronger than before.
Since he’d said he’d grab dinner out, she expected him to shower and head to bed, where she’d have to corner him for a serious talk.
Instead, he sat down beside her on the couch. “What are you watching?” he asked.
Surprised, she decided to test his mood with some simple conversation. “Law and Order. Do you like the show?”
He inclined his head. “When I let myself forget I’m a cop, it’s pretty good. Catch me up?” He pointed to the large screen.
“Okay. The blonde and her boyfriend had a con going and when things went bad, he bailed on her, leaving her to take the fall,” she said, her voice dropping as the explanation reminded her forcibly of her own situation with Marshall.
Mike settled in to watch, but Amber couldn’t concentrate on the show.
She knew she had to tell him everything. It was only a matter of time before King Bobby tracked her down. But that wasn’t her main priority, much as it should be. No, making this marriage work was her biggest concern. She needed to come clean. Mike had tried to push her for answers earlier. She’d wanted more time as a couple before she dropped the bomb on him. She’d been wrong to wait.
“What are the chances of that happening?” Mike asked sarcastically, gesturing toward the television.
Amber had missed whatever he was referring to.
“You see? This is why it’s hard for me to get too involved in cop shows. They condense the time frame and things happen that frustrate the hell out of me.”
She forced herself to meet his gaze. “You prefer real-life drama?” she asked.
“You know I do. Why?” He’d obviously caught her serious tone.
She drew a deep breath and curled one pajama-clad leg beneath her, steeling herself for his reaction. “Because I’ve got some real-life drama for you.”
Mike raised an eyebrow. “Your life?” Shock tinged his voice. He probably didn’t believe she was ready to come clean.
She could barely believe it herself. “Someone’s looking for me,” she said before she could chicken out and disappoint him.
“Marshall and his friend,” Mike said with certainty and a good amount of disgust.
She winced because the truth was much worse than whatever he obviously imagined. “Not exactly. There’s someone else. Remember the poker game I told you about?”
He pinned her with a steady look. “The one you stole my money for so Marshall could buy into?”
She forced herself not to look away and make her actions any worse by refusing to own up to them. If she wanted him to believe in her, she had to make sure she showed him she wasn’t the horrible human being he thought.
As if such a thing was possible at this point. From his guarded tone, she meant no more to him than any other suspect he questioned.
“That’s right.” She swallowed hard. “Marshall was sure he’d win by counting cards. And he did. Only apparently, the man he won the money from was a con himself, a ‘connected’ con. He isn’t happy and he’s looking for me.”
Mike narrowed his gaze and she could see his cop brain at work, attempting to figure out all the angles. “Why is he looking for you and not Marshall?” he asked at last.
“Because the snake’s gone underground, that’s why,” she said, opening and closing her damp palms in frustration. “I’ve been trying to find him for the last few days. I’ve called every place and person I can think of and nobody’s heard from him,” she said, allowing Mike to see her exasperation. “I’m not sitting around doing nothing, but he’s disappeared.”
“Because he’s a pro.” Mike’s disgust was obvious. “If you can’t find him, the guy looking for him won’t be able to, either. But that doesn’t explain why this guy would be looking for you. It’s not like you were the one who cheated.”
Here we go, Amber thought, her stomach twisting into tight knots, making her sick.
At her silence, Mike looked at her warily. “Right?” he asked, pushing for the one answer it hurt her to give.
The man was a cop and she was about to tell him she was a c
heat. For all the rationalization she’d done for the last few months, she suddenly couldn’t face what she’d done.