Calculating Desires (The Rockford Security Series Book 4) Read online

  Blake Rockford? Again? Alison’s heart sank. The only time she’d met Blake Rockford was at Glam, a night they all wanted to forget. If he’d told them about her drunken debacle, then they must have some super skewed ideas about her. Oh, well, wasn’t like she’d be sticking around to care what these people thought about her anyway. She was here for one person and one person only. Faye. Determined to stay on track, she pressed onward. “I’ll ask nicely one more time. What’s going on here?”

  Owen brushed past her, his heat far more welcome than Alison wanted to admit. “As you know, we have a cheater in the casino and Faye might have information about this mystery crook’s identity.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” Alison tossed her long red curls over her shoulder. “How would Faye know anything? She’s the most honest person I’ve ever met.”

  “Honest. Really?” Owen snorted and sank back into his seat behind the desk. “That’s funny, coming from you. You wouldn’t know honest if it bit you on the ass. In fact, I’ve got plenty of clues you’re the cheater we’re looking for.”

  “God, are we back to that again?” She placed her hands on her hips, her nerves overtaken by annoyance. “Let me say it for you again. Slower this time, so you’ll catch on. I’m. Not. A. Cheater.”

  Silence.

  Four gazes remained locked on Alison as if expecting a show.

  Fine. They wanted a show? Fine. She’d sure as hell give them one, for Faye’s sake. “Listen, none of you have any proof Faye committed any kind of fraud. If you did, you’d have already called the police.”

  Owen scoffed. “You couldn’t possibly know that.”

  “Am I wrong?”

  After several tense moments, he cursed and slumped back in his seat. “No.”

  “Right.” She rushed over and crouched beside Faye. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Just embarrassed.” She gestured toward the blond woman and her companion. “Getting dragged in front of the owners and not being able to help.”

  “Is Faye fired?” Alison asked the two strangers. Under other circumstances, she probably would’ve liked the woman. She had a sweet face and the dog seemed to adore her almost as much as the man at her side. Affection from an animal like that was usually well-deserved.

  “No.” The woman narrowed her blue gaze on Alison. “Not until we get to the bottom of this.”

  “Bottom found.” Alison took Faye’s hand and straightened, pulling her friend to her feet. “She didn’t do it. Neither did I. Come on, Faye. Let’s go.”

  “Hey, wait a minute.” Owen came around the desk, but they were already at the door. “Where are you going?”

  “That’s the second time you’ve asked me that today.” Alison opened the door and shoved Faye out into the hallway then turned back to Owen. “Let me be more clear this time. Anywhere you’re not.”

  The tough guy’s deep chuckle chased them both out into the hallway.

  “Al, what’s going on?”

  Faye tried to stop, but Alison tugged her forward toward the casino floor. “Not here.”

  They walked out the front entrance and into the pandemonium that was the Fremont Street Experience. Once they’d taken a seat on a deserted bench, Alison turned to Faye. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

  “I don’t know.” Faye’s pale complexion and shaking hands said otherwise. “They pulled me into the office and interrogated me about the whole cheating thing. I swear, Al, I don’t know anything about it.”

  “I know.” She took her friend’s hand, hoping to calm her. “But why do they think you do?”

  “Owen said my table gets an unusually high number of wins.”

  Because of me.

  Guilt mingled with the tension already eating a whole in Alison’s gut. “Did they threaten you at all?”

  “No. Of course not.” Faye took a deep breath and stared at the ground. “Owen’s really nice, contrary to what you may think. So are Shelby and Chase. They just asked me a lot of questions and I guess I freaked out a little bit.”

  “Freaked out how?”

  “They asked me about the players at the tables, if I noticed anything odd or had seen anything going on. I told them some of the players did win more often than others…” She winced. “That’s when they said they had figures, video footage.”

  “Figures.” She chuckled. “After talking to him last night, Owen Rockford wouldn’t know figures if his life depended on it. Trust me. From that aspect, you’re fine.”

  Faye didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know. I mean, there’s obviously someone cheating, right? Otherwise they wouldn’t keep pursuing this.”

  For a brief second, Alison wished she could see those ledgers. If anyone could find the real culprit, it would be her. Chances of her getting her hands on Owen’s data, or anything else after her little showdown in his office, however, were now slim to none. “C’mon.” She stood and waited for Faye to do the same. “I need to check something.”

  It had been a few days since she’d last gotten a drop off, so another was due. She led Faye to the back of the casino building, through the parking lot and out to the bus hut. A quick search under the bench seat revealed another envelope taped in place, just like before. Alison tore it from its spot and opened it quickly, scanning the letter inside for clues.

  “What’s that?” Faye asked, holding a hand over her eyes. “I really need to get back inside. I’ve still got six hours left on my shift.”

  “Nothing.” Alison tucked the letter inside her duffle then sighed, glad not to have found the code words that meant her cover had been blown. “It just means I have time to help you find this cheater.”

  “Oh.” Faye followed Alison back toward the Lucky Ace. “What are you, some kind of a spy?”

  Alison snorted. “Yeah, I’m a real super sleuth. Can’t you tell? Too bad I’m not smooth or covert.”

  “Nope. Definitely not.” Faye laughed and linked arms with her. “Did I mention I’m happy you’re staying? For a little bit longer, at least.”

  “Thanks.” They walked back into the cool interior of the casino again, the happy jingle of the slots at odds with Alison’s solemn task ahead. “I need to convince your boss Owen to let me see those numbers he keeps talking about so I can find out who’s the real cheater.”

  “Good luck with that.” Faye pulled Alison over toward her assigned table. “What should I do?”

  “Talk to the other dealers. See if they’ve noticed anything suspicious You guys see and hear everything, right?”

  “Will do.” Faye gave her a mock salute. “See you later?”

  “Yep.” Alison headed off to find a quiet place to concoct a new plan of attack. Owen Rockford was now a threat to her in more ways than one. She needed to figure out a way to get close enough to help him without getting burned or her heart broken in the process.

  Eight

  Back in his office, Owen continued to stare at the closed door. The girl had kahunas, he had to admit. No one waltzed into his office like that. No one. And yet Alison James had done it, and damn if he hadn’t almost thanked her for the privilege.

  “You really think she’s the cheater?” Shelby asked, jarring him from his thoughts.

  “Makes sense.” He sat forward and folded his hands atop the desk. “She’s friends with Faye and her number of wins at Faye’s table are unusually high.”

  “I don’t know.” Shelby frowned. “Maybe she’s just lucky. And Faye’s been with us forever. I can’t believe she’d do something like this.”

  “There’s too much evidence to be pure coincidence.”

  “Still, it was brave of her to crash in here to rescue her friend. And Peaches went right over to Alison too. That says something about her integrity.” Shelby scratched the dog behind the ears. “Doesn’t it, girl?”

  Chase placed a hand on Shelby’s shoulder. “People get scared when they get caught and they do things they normally wouldn't, baby.”

  “No. She wasn’t scared. Not ab
out this, anyway.” Shelby chuckled as Peaches rolled over at her feet, exposing her belly for a rub. “I’d say Ms. James is more of a cat person though. Perhaps a rag doll or a Siamese…”

  Owen shook his head. “Lord save us from matchmakers.”

  Shelby looked up at him and grinned. “Never.”

  Peaches bounded to her feet and loped over to Owen next, all goofy dog grin and wagging tail. Unfortunately, he couldn’t seem to resist her sweet canine charms and soon found himself petting her head while she rested her chin on his knee and gazed up and him with adoring eyes. He gave Shelby a critical look. “You’re a nuisance, you know that?”

  The dog whined and they all laughed.

  “And so are you, my poochie girl.” His voice turned sing-song. “Yes, you are. Aren’t you, girl?” After indulging in a few more doggy pats, he tried to steer the conversation back on track. “Look, this whole thing is too coincidental not to be true. Alison always plays at Faye’s table. Why would she do that if not for the advantage?”

  “They’re friends,” Shelby said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  “Yeah.” Owen ordered Peaches back to her towel and toy in the corner then leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands atop his flat stomach. “And maybe she’s taking advantage of that friendship.”

  “Jeez. What is it with you always thinking the worst of people?” Shelby’s voice took on an uncharacteristic edge. “What we need here is Snickerdoodle. He mellows everyone out.”

  Chase whispered something in Shelby’s ear. Owen couldn’t hear what exactly was said, but from the crimson color now suffusing his boss’s cheeks and the way she batted her fiancé away, he’d guess it was pretty risqué. “Seriously though, Owen. What real, concrete proof do you have that she’s our cheater, other than your hunch? I learned to be a pretty good read of people from my dad, and nothing about her strikes me as thief material.”

  “Thief material? Do enlighten me.” Owen crossed his arms, more to block out his own doubts about Alison being the cheater than anything else. “What exactly does that look like?”

  Shelby mimicked his movements, clearly without an answer. “Smartass.”

  “Blake’s the one who pointed all this stuff out and his opinion is good enough for me.”

  “Right,” Chase chimed him, crossing his arms too. “Because Blake never has ulterior motives for bringing people together.”

  Owen scowled. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Think about it, man. Jan and Dino, Laura and Mike, me and Shelby.” Chase placed his hand on her shoulder again and this time she took it, lacing their fingers together.

  “Oh, God. Please tell me you’re not implying my cousin did all of this to hook Alison and me up.” He ignored the twinge of longing seeing Chase and Shelby so happy together created. He wasn’t looking for another relationship. Not now. Maybe not ever. He’d been played one too many times. “Besides, Blake doesn’t even know Alison. You’re insane.”

  Chase gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Whatever you say, man.”

  “What I say is I’m not dating Alison or anyone else. Especially not while she’s a suspect. End of story.”

  As if on cue, Peaches trotted over again and batted him on the leg with her paw.

  “God, is everyone conspiring against me getting some actual work done today?” Owen reached down and scratched her behind the ears despite his harsh tone. “Can’t you take her for me, Shelby?”

  “Nope. I told you I fostered her out to Liv.”

  “How about finding her a better parent then, since my cousin doesn’t seem all that interested in picking her up?”

  Shelby leaned forward and grinned. “Are you volunteering?”

  “Yeah, I am, actually.” He grabbed the dog’s leash off the corner of his desk and stood. “Volunteering to take her straight to Liv’s office. We’ll see how she likes having her workday interrupted.” Owen clipped the leash onto Peaches collar. “C’mon, girl. Let’s take a walk to your mommy’s office.”

  “Fine.” Shelby sighed and sat back in her chair while Owen and Peaches walked toward the door. “But I’m sure if you change your mind, Liv would sign her over to you anytime. Peaches really likes you.”

  “Right. And I’m sure the fact you keep foisting her off on me has nothing to do with it.” He opened the door and followed the dog out of the office. “Be back in a few.”

  Twenty minutes and numerous potty pit-stops later, Owen walked into the Rockford Security offices with Peaches by his side. The guards looked at the pair askance but didn’t say a word. After all, they had to be too used to seeing Blake run around with a pet iguana on his shoulder to care.

  He rode the elevator up to the executive suites with an antsy Peaches near his feet then made a beeline for Liv’s office, barging in without knocking. “You lost your dog.”

  Olivia glanced up at him from over the top of a stack of paperwork and files, seemingly not at all surprised by his arrival. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you shut the door and let her go? You call her. I call her. We’ll see who she obeys.”

  Jaw tight, Owen clutched the leash tighter. “I don’t have time for a pet right now. Not with my crazy work schedule.”

  “Shelby said you can bring her with you to the casino.”

  “And that sounds like a good idea to you?”

  “No.” Liv sat back, her smile sly. “It sounds like a fabulous idea to me. You need a woman in your life.”

  Dammit. Owen forced his tense shoulders to relax. “What I need are for people to mind their own damned business.”

  “Why?” Liv perked up. “Got a hot date I don’t know about?”

  “No.” He shoved the images of Alison and the molten lust he'd felt when they almost kissed from his mind. “Don’t be silly.”

  “Whatever. Nothing silly about love.” Liv concentrated on her paperwork again. “Either take the dog or stop removing my decorations.”

  “How about you stop making my apartment into a frigging scrapbook? How about that?”

  “How about you start acting like a part of this family again, Owen?” She tossed her pen down and glared at him. “We’ve stood by you through everything. All that mess with your discharge and then getting you the job at the Lucky Ace. Or have you forgotten all that already?”

  They stared each other down from across the room, Peaches dancing nervous figure eights around his ankles from the palpable tension in the air.

  “Hey, what’s going on in here?” Blake poked his head through the open doorway, his voice hushed and his expression concerned. “Anything I can help with?”

  “No.” Owen knelt to tie Peaches leash around the leg of one of Liv’s office chairs then straightened, stopping near Blake on his way out of the office. “Forget it. I was just leaving. Before somebody else tries to set me up on a date I don’t want.”

  Blake looked from Owen to his sister, his tone droll. “Maybe you should take a look at your own life, sis, before you try your hand at matchmaking. You know, since you seem to have a lot of extra time to meddle in everyone else’s.” He stepped aside to avoid the crumpled up paper she hurled at his head. “Hey, you accuse me of doing the same thing all the time. I’m just sayin’.”

  Owen got the hell out of there before their sibling nosiness turned in his direction once more, but Liv called out to him on his way to the exit, halting his steps. “We love you, you know. So does Peaches. We only want what’s best for you, Owen.”

  He turned back one last time after punching the elevator button, though he hated himself for doing it. “I can take care of myself, thanks.”

  * * *

  An hour later, Owen walked back into his office at the Lucky Ace. He’d stopped for lunch and even walked around the block a few times, all to clear his head and get back into the groove of a full work day.

  Too bad none of it seemed to help.

  He felt wrung out and fed up. So far, he’d looked into the background of any person on t
he casino’s surveillance videos who even sneezed the wrong way and hadn’t found diddly shit for proof of another cheater. Never mind Alison seemed a less likely candidate by the second. In all honestly, the only thing about her that still bothered him was that damned envelope he’d seen her take that night at the bus stop.

  What the hell was in that thing? Money? Drugs? Worse?

  Exhausted and frustrated, he stalked back toward his office only to be stopped by the guard on duty.

  “Uh, sorry sir, but there’s someone waiting for you,” the guard said.

  Owen gave him a dark stare. “There weren’t any appointments on my calendar.”

  “Not a scheduled appointment, sir.” The guard cocked his head toward Owen’s door. “It’s a suspect. Caught her lurking in near the security office. Should we call the police?”

  Fuck. He asked the question, though he feared he already knew the answer. “Did you get her name?”

  “Her license said Alison James, sir.”

  Perfect. Stupendous.

  Just what I need this afternoon. Another run-in with a prickly, pig-headed female.

  He sighed loud and hard. “No police yet, Jeff. Thanks. I’ll handle it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Owen opened the door to his office only to find Alison held between two guards, one on each arm. She looked pissed enough to do them serious bodily harm. He took in her flushed cheeks and glittering green eyes before shifting his attention to the guards. “That isn’t necessary.”

  “But sir, we caught her snooping in the security office. We didn’t want to risk her getting into your private things too.”

  “Let her go.” Unfortunately, Alison James had gotten way more into his private things than he ever wanted or expected. She intrigued the hell out of him and infuriated him, all at the same time. Resigned to an afternoon of battle, he nodded. “It’s fine. Thanks, guys. You can go. Ms. James and I have some things to discuss.”

  The guards left and Owen locked the door behind them, leaving him and Alison alone at last. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. “So, you’re a thief now as well as a cheater, huh?”