Count von Hofstein groaned. “Mein lieber Gott.”
Cara Taylor looked at the last card and smiled. But the corners of her mouth wavered as she did so. “Four of a kind. The gentleman wins.”
Jack stood. He didn’t feel satisfaction or triumph. He simply felt done.
“If you will excuse me, gentlemen, I believe I’m going to cash out.”
Cara’s fingers definitely trembled as she gathered the cards. Red Tie glared at her furiously before turning to look over his shoulder. A prickle of awareness tingled through Jack. This wasn’t good, and yet it was too late to change the outcome. Dammit, he’d known Bobby Gold was up to something.
As if in confirmation of the fact, Bobby stepped from behind a door at the other end of the room. He stopped to talk with one of the bouncers. A few seconds later, the man made his way toward the table. The other players were getting up to stretch their legs, but Jack didn’t miss the look on Cara’s face when the man stopped beside her and leaned down to whisper something in her ear.
Beefy fingers spanned Cara’s upper arm as she turned and walked toward the back of the room with him. Another croupier stepped from the wings—a blonde with fake breasts and a spray tan—and took out a fresh deck.
“Gentlemen,” she cooed. “Surely you aren’t finished yet. Mr. Gold would like to spot each of you fifty thousand euros as his gift to remain in the game.”
Jack’s intuition kicked him in the gut as Cara disappeared behind the door Bobby had just exited. He knew what fear looked like, knew the kind of terror an abusive man inspired. He’d witnessed it often enough growing up. Cara Taylor was scared about something.
And he couldn’t leave without finding out what it was. He’d been unable to protect his siblings from William Wolfe’s wrath, but he’d be damned if he’d let Cara get hurt tonight.
Cara’s cheek stung where Bobby had backhanded her. Blood trickled down her lip from where his ring sliced her. She sat on a small chair in a windowless room and cursed herself for her inability to do what he’d wanted.
But as she’d stood there, looking at the pile of chips in the center of the table, she’d known she couldn’t cheat. Mama would be ashamed of her. She would be ashamed of herself. The only thing she had was her integrity. To allow someone else to take that away?
Unthinkable.
And yet she now wished she’d done just that. Because Bobby was furious. He’d hit her and screamed at her and locked her up in here. She didn’t know what came next, but she was certain it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
She dropped her head into her hands and sat there, waiting. Bobby was ruthless, but she didn’t think her life was in danger. And once he got over his anger, he might let her return to the tables. She was very good at what she did, and Bobby knew it. But she wasn’t willing to compromise her integrity. She simply couldn’t. If they knew where they each stood on the issue, then she could keep working and Bobby would never put her in a position like this again.
Dream on, Cara.
It was impossible and she knew it, but she couldn’t help holding out a small hope everything would work out. If not, then she’d head home and start again. Starting over was nothing new for her. She’d find a way to make it work.
The door opened and her head snapped up. She expected Bobby—and she was ready to try and make him see reason—but the man who entered made her stomach drop to her toes. She shot to her feet, her heart thudding.
“What are you doing here? Get out before Bobby finds you!”
She felt Jack’s gaze on her skin like a hot brand. His jaw hardened as he took in the welt on her cheek, the blood on her lip.
“I’m not afraid of Bobby Gold. Is he the one who hit you?”
Damn the man! He was going to ruin everything. All she needed was for Bobby to find her with a professional card shark—then he’d never believe she’d simply been doing her job honestly.
“I don’t care if you’re afraid of him or not! I can handle myself, and I want you gone before he finds you here!”
“Did he hit you?” Jack demanded.
Angry heat flowed through her. He simply didn’t get it. “That’s none of your business. Now go away.”
“I can’t do that, Cara,” he said, his expression darker and more ruthless than any she’d ever seen on Bobby’s face. It made her shiver and she took a step back instinctively.
“Just go, Jack. I appreciate the concern, but I’ll be fine.”
“I hardly think so—”
The door opened again, and Cara’s heart sank. Two of Bobby’s hired goons hulked into the room, followed by the man himself. If Bobby was surprised to find Jack Wolfe, he didn’t show it. In fact, he seemed pleased.
“Well, well,” he said. “If it isn’t Jack Wolfe. You must like our little Cara, hmm?” He reached out and ran a finger down her bare arm. Cara flinched. “She is quite lovely. I can understand why you’d be tempted.”
“You’re nothing but scum, Bobby,” Jack said. “No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be anything more.”
Bobby’s expression grew positively evil. “I’m sad to say you won’t be leaving here with my fifteen million in hand,” he said. “It’s really too bad you had to cheat. Met the lovely Cara and bribed her to cooperate, did you? “
“Bobby, that’s not true!” Cara exclaimed. “I never saw him before tonight—”
Bobby’s hand shot out and twisted in her hair. “Shut up,” he growled before he slapped her again. The blow stung, but he hadn’t cut her this time.
Tears sprang to her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
Bobby shoved her down on the chair. Her hair covered her face and she dragged it back. But not before she heard a scuffle and a punch.
When she could see again, the two bodyguards were holding Jack between them as he jerked hard against them. Blood dripped from one of the guard’s noses and Jack’s knuckles were scraped.
“You will regret this, Gold,” he growled.
“No,” Bobby said, his voice full of menace, “you will.”
Jack sucked in a torturous breath. His rib cage felt like an elephant had sat on it. He wanted to open his eyes, but it hurt to do so. Where was he? He didn’t remember anything beyond the moment when Bobby’s thugs had started to beat him. He’d fought back, but two against one were never good odds.
He was in a vehicle now, moving. He had to open his eyes, in spite of the pain, and see if he could figure out where they were going.
It was dark, but he could see the road in front of them and a flash of silver hood in the streetlights. He was sitting in the passenger seat, and the dashboard looked vaguely familiar. The throaty purr of the engine was familiar, as well.
He turned his head on the seat back. Cara Taylor’s profile was the first thing he saw. She looked determined. His gaze followed her arms until he realized her hands were on a steering wheel. She was driving. They were driving. Somewhere.
“How.?” he asked.
Her head whipped sideways, back to the road again. “I told you to leave when you had the chance,” she said from between clenched teeth. “I could have fixed it. None of this would have happened.”
His laugh was rusty. God, he felt like he’d gotten into a fight with a freight train. “You weren’t fixing anything, sweetheart. You cost Gold a lot of money.”
It