Back in Her Husband's Bed

She found her assigned chair at the table and settled in. There were still a few minutes before game time, so she closed her eyes and tried to gather her focus.

“Annie, may I speak with you privately for a minute?” Nate’s voice came over her shoulder, but it was unusually stiff and formal. She told herself it was because of the tournament. They were publicly a couple, but he was always professional.

Still, she frowned, getting up slowly from the table. “What’s the matter?” she asked. Was her wire malfunctioning again?

Nate caught her elbow and led her a good distance from the tournament area. “There’s a problem,” he said once out of earshot. His face was gravely serious, without the slightest hint of the man she’d made love to beneath it. “It’s about Tessa.”

Annie froze, her desire to return to the game table dwindling rapidly. He knew. She hadn’t told him, but somehow he’d found out. She looked into his dark eyes, searching for a hint of how much information he really had. Her face tightened, her defenses rising to prevent her from giving away anything he could use against Tessa. “What about her?”

“I’ve seen the surveillance tapes from yesterday. I know you saw her.”

Her eyes widened with panic. “Nate, I—”

He held up his hand to stop her. “Don’t bother explaining. It isn’t important.”

“Okay,” she said slowly. This was not the reaction she was expecting. She would actually be less disconcerted if he was angry and yelling. That, she expected. “So what do you want?”

“I wanted to warn you that Tessa is going to be playing at your table today.”

Annie groaned before she could stop herself. It was bad enough playing against her sister, given how badly they both wanted to win. Knowing Tessa was cheating and could possibly bump Annie out of the tournament was even worse. “How could that happen?”

“Someone is manipulating the roster. But this is our chance to nail them. Tell me how they’re doing it. We need to know if we’re going to catch them at it.”

Her throat went bone-dry in an instant. “No.”

“Annie,” Nate pressed, his voice calm and cold. “It’s already too late to save her.”

Her eyes widened as she frantically searched his face for a sign he was bluffing in the hopes she would reveal the critical information he lacked. His jaw was firmly set, his dark eyes hurt that she hadn’t been honest with him. But there were no signs of a bluff. He meant every word.

What choice did he leave her with? Either betray her sister or destroy her career. She tried not to let the disappointment creep into her voice. It ended up coming out in a hushed whisper. “I didn’t know anything until yesterday.”

“What did you see?” he pressed.

Tessa had dug a hole deep enough to bury them both. Annie might as well jump in. “I saw her signaling to another player. Watch her every gesture. Each move is deliberate. Whoever her partner is today will drive up the pot to help her win.”

He nodded, his grip tightening on her elbow. “We’re going to need your help to catch them.”

At this, Annie closed her eyes. “Don’t ask that of me, Nate. I can’t do it. Even if it means putting Eddie in jail where he belongs.”

“Annie, please.” Nate’s voice softened as he tried a new persuasive angle. “We need more evidence to build a solid case against Eddie.”

And was she supposed to provide the evidence they needed? Not when it would do nothing but incriminate her sister and let Eddie walk away as he always did. Annie crossed her arms defensively over her chest, trying to rebuild some of the barricade that she’d let down between the two of them. She loved Nate, but she had to protect herself. “No. I told you what I saw. Your security people will have to do the dirty work.”

At that, she reached under her sweater and ripped the wire from her skin without a thought about the pain. She shoved it into Nate’s hands. “I have to go.” She spun on her heels and rushed back to the table before she changed her mind and did something she would regret.

She came to a halt several yards from the tournament area to gather her composure. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hands smoothed over her hair and sweater, tugging at her skirt. By the time she took her third deep breath and opened her eyes, her furious heartbeat had slowed in her chest and she felt fairly in control.

Annie settled in her seat just as the announcement was made that the tournament was beginning. Tessa was sitting two seats to her right, but she didn’t look at her sister. She didn’t greet the other players or chat with the dealer. She also didn’t look around for Nate or the navy-clad security officers who swarmed around the tables like sharks. Whether or not she’d wanted to cooperate, her role in Nate’s plot was over and at last she only had to focus on the cards.