Annie’s fists tightened in her lap, the anger coursing through her veins. Since she was old enough to make decisions, every facet of her life had been decided by her. Right or wrong, she was in charge of her fate. She’d left Nate before he could start telling her what to do. She certainly didn’t want the likes of Eddie and Jerry calling the shots.
“What about him?” She jerked a thumb in the direction of Walker.
“He’s leaving. They suspect him, so his disappearance will confirm they’ve caught the right people. It’s all managed, Annie. I assure you that this is a well-organized plan. You’ll walk away with the glory, a third of your winnings and most importantly, a guarantee of your sister’s safety.”
Somehow, winning the tournament paled in comparison to what it would cost her. She hadn’t intended it to happen, but she had fallen in love with Nate. They had both grown up a lot since the last time they were together. They could have a future—one she’d never realized she wanted until she had Nate back in her life—but Jerry would force her to throw it all away.
And for what?
Even if she did everything she was told to do, there was no guarantee she could walk away from this. She would just be giving them more evidence to blackmail her into playing again. “And that’s it?”
“Until such time that we see fit to call on your services again.”
There it was. She was not just taking Tessa’s place tomorrow; she was filling her shoes until Annie came under suspicion and they had to replace her. In the end, her career and her marriage would be ruined.
Despite his assurances, she would never be free of any of this. Tessa would never be safe. And Nate would never, ever forgive her.
* * *
Nate was having one of the longest days of his life. He’d kept telling himself that catching criminals and protecting his casino was the most important thing. After seeing Annie’s reaction, he wasn’t so sure. He hadn’t had much time to think about it, though. Since Tessa was eliminated, he’d spent most of his evening in the security offices interviewing her and Darrell.
Hours of interrogation and working with the police had taken a lot of energy out of him. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with Annie and sleep. Honest-to-God sleep, for more than four hours. Twelve would just about do it.
But he knew he was likely to get none of those things. He’d seen the look in Annie’s eyes when he’d threatened her. He’d recognized the pain hidden there when he asked her to betray her sister and had forced her to choose. What choice did he have? He couldn’t just let Tessa walk because she was his sister-in-law.
When the elevator chimed and the doors opened to his suite, he was surprised to find Annie sitting on the leather sofa in his office. The lights of the Strip shining through the picture window were the only thing illuminating her as she sat in the darkness waiting for him. She looked up when he came in, but there was barely a flicker of recognition in her eyes, much less a warm greeting.
Nate walked over into the mostly dark office, flipping on the lamp on his desk. The light was enough to highlight the tracks of tears that had dried on Annie’s cheeks. His stomach immediately sank.
“How’s my sister?” Annie spoke the words without looking at him. Her gaze was fixed firmly on her hands, folded in her lap.
“She’s fine. A smart girl mixed up in something stupid. Hopefully they won’t go too hard on her. She’s working out a plea bargain with the D.A. for information to convict Darrell and Eddie.”
“Just Darrell and Eddie?”
Nate frowned. Did she think he was going to have her charged, too? She should know better. Or should she? Hell, if she had been involved, Nate probably would’ve hauled her in, even if he regretted it later. “Yes. We don’t have evidence of anyone else being involved at this point. I think that’s quite enough, to be honest. Tessa should be released on bail tomorrow morning.”
“Good.” Annie stood suddenly, scooping up her purse and grasping the handle of her rolling suitcase.
He didn’t know why he was surprised. “Where are you going?”
She continued to hide beneath her dark lashes. Nate couldn’t understand why she was hiding from him. What did she think he was going to see in her eyes?
“I’m going to check into my own hotel room. I think given the current situation it’s the best idea.”
“So you’re leaving.” It was more of a statement than a question, but Nate wanted to hear her say the words. When she left the last time, he hadn’t been there. She’d written a note and slipped out in the night. If she was going to leave him again, he wasn’t going to make it easy on her. It certainly wasn’t easy on him.