Zane placed a finger on her lips. “Say no more. I totally get it.”
They were amazing.
Both men shot off the bed. “Hey sugar, how about getting under the covers so we can turn on the lights. We need to find our clothes.”
Once more, their consideration for her feelings made her fall for them harder than she thought possible, and she did as he asked. The problem was when the lights came on, she noticed the clothes she’d tossed on the bed while trying on a few different outfits, now covered the floor. “I see I have a little straightening up to do.”
Holding the sheet to her chest, Nikki scooted back against the headboard and watched two of the most incredible men get dressed. They were such fine specimens, and she prayed she didn’t make some mistake that would force them to walk away.
Garth finished first. “You mentioned you needed to enroll Mark in school on Monday.”
“Yes.”
“We have a cousin who works in the main office. If you want I can come with you and make sure Mark is placed in the right classes. He’s a special kid and needs to be in some subjects at a higher grade.”
He’d seriously do that for Mark? “Is this the rescue part of your job?” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she regretted them. Why couldn’t she accept that some people were good and kind and really wanted to help?
Garth stilled. “No. We like you and want to see you and Mark happy.”
That attitude was totally foreign to her, but she didn’t want to do anything that would hurt Mark’s chance at success. “I’m sorry I reacted that way, it’s just that I’m not used—”
Garth held up a hand. “No problem. I understand.”
He probably did. Her smile wobbled. “That would be great. I know Mark would love to see you again.” And again and again.
He gave her a thumbs-up. “I’ll give Tracey a call and let her know to expect us at, say, 7:30 a.m?”
“Perfect.”
Both men crawled back on the bed. Garth leaned over first and kissed her then Zane cupped her face and placed five tiny kisses over her cheeks and finally on her lips. “Later.”
She wanted to get out of bed and walk them to the door, but she was naked, and by the time she found her robe, they’d be gone. The front door clicked open then snicked close. She dropped her head back on the pillow and sighed. Life had taken a positive turn for a change and she was falling fast.
* * * *
Nikki barely slept Saturday night. Her pussy refused to stop throbbing and her breasts ached, but in a good way. Every time she rubbed them, Zane’s image would pop up. He really seemed to love her tits. She smiled. When she’d pictured ending up in bed with two men, it had been with her being twenty or thirty pounds lighter and after she’d hit the gym for a few months. The nightmare with Gwen and the Force had caused her to eat everything in sight, and now she was paying the price.
She had to get back some control. A noise in the kitchen startled her. She jumped out of bed and then dropped back onto the spread. Mark must be up. She looked around at the chaos. From now on she had to sleep in clothes. No telling if Mark should need her for some reason in the middle of the night.
As quickly as she could, she put on another set of nice lingerie, her jeans, a shirt, and a sweater, as it was chilly in the house. She rushed down the hall to the kitchen.
Mark was pulling a carton of eggs from the refrigerator.
“Good morning,” she said.
He looked up and smiled. Wow. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever see that look. “Hey.”
“Sleep well?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you doing?”
“I wasn’t sure when you were getting up and I was hungry.”
She slipped the carton from his hands. “How about I make scrambled eggs and you feed Jackpot?”
“Can I take him for a walk, too?”
She gave him her evil eye. “You promise to come right back?” When he stiffened, she winked.
“Yes, and I’m really sorry. I never meant to worry you.”
“It’s okay. Just don’t do it again.” His mom had brought him up well.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Please call me Nikki.”
He nodded and spun around. His feet slapped against the wood. “Come on, Jackpot.”
A few minutes later the duo arrived and rushed outside through the back door. She wanted to tell him to wear his hat, but he had to learn on his own.
The eggs were almost done when he returned. She grabbed a towel and handed it to him. “Wipe his feet.”
The snow had partially melted and she bet the dog’s paws were not only wet but muddy. Mark didn’t complain and did as she requested.
She placed the eggs on the table, along with three slices of toast, and some juice. She’d have to go shopping soon. Mark probably ate more than she did. He dumped food into Jackpot’s dish and filled the other bowl with water. Once that chore was done, he slid onto his seat.
She sipped her coffee. “Summer said your mom home schooled you.”
He cast his gaze downward. “She tried, but she wasn’t really into teaching. Mostly it was the techies at the casino who helped me.”
That didn’t sound good. He needed to be around other students. “On Monday, Garth and I are going to enroll you in school.”
He looked up at her. “Can’t you just teach me?”
As flattered as she was, she suspected he was just afraid to be with kids his own age. She hardly blamed him. “I have a job. Besides, it’ll be fun.”
“Kids make fun of me.”
Her hunch had been dead on. “Not in Freedom, I bet. If anyone gives you crap, tell them they’ll be looking down the barrel of my gun.”
His eyes widened. “Okay.”
Her phone chirped, and she picked it up. Dani had texted her. The message read, “Are they gone?”
Leave it to Dani to think they’d spent the night. “Yes,” she typed back. A few seconds later, her cell rang, and Nikki tapped the green button. “You’re up early.” It was close to nine, but Dani liked to sleep in on the weekends.
“I’m kind of feeling guilty that we never got to meet the casino men.”
Was that only yesterday? It seemed like an eternity ago. “What do you want to do?” Mark wasn’t watching her, but from the way he’d stilled, he was listening.
“Holly has some information on the men. Can you and Mark stop over at the office? I doubt you want to let him stay with Mrs. Cunningham again.”
“You’re right. You there now?”
“Yes. Holly must never rest.”
It was Sunday. She needed to get a life. “We’ll be there as soon as we get ready.” She faced Mark. “I need to do to something in the office. You mind grabbing your computer and coming with me? You can meet Holly Morganton. She’s our computer guru. Maybe you can show her a few things.”
His eyes shone. “Sure.” He scarfed down the rest of the eggs on his plate and then stuffed a piece of toast partway in his mouth. His chair scraped back and he was down the hall in an instant.
Oh, boy. Nikki smiled. She wasn’t sure she was ready for raising a young man while working, but she wanted to give it a try.
Chapter Eight
Nikki had Mark sit in her office while she and Dani hovered around Holly’s computer. The information must have been important for her to call them in.
“What did you uncover about Conner Gillespie and Harper Anderson?” Nikki almost didn’t want to hear about their past. Anyone who dealt in human trafficking would have a sordid history.
“That’s just the thing. I can’t find anything bad.”
Both she and Dani pulled up chairs. “Explain,” Dani said.
“Harper Anderson, thirty-five, and his cousin, Conner Gillespie, thirty-six, went to Notre Dame.”
“That’s not what I expected you to say.” Nikki was totally blown away. “How did a bunch of Catholic boys end up owning a casino and get into trafficking?”
Holly would have used a few sources before stating her case.
“My thoughts exactly, so I dug deeper. While in school, they hooked up with Jack Marr. He was a senior and a business major. His parents were wealthy and from Colorado.”
She looked at Dani. “Why didn’t Sussman mention him?”
Before Dani could open her mouth, Holly answered. “That was easy. I searched the public record to see who actually owns the casino. It turns out Anderson, Gillespie, and Marr all bought the casino.”
“What happened to Marr?”
“This was where the story turned interesting. He was caught dealing drugs, some of which were sold to kids. I looked through a lot of newspaper articles during that time and from what I could glean, even though Marr was only sentenced to a few years in jail, the other two men wanted nothing to do with him and bought him out.”
Nikki leaned back in her seat. “Because they didn’t want to sully their good name? Please.”
Holly shrugged. “Maybe. But here’s the kicker. Right before Marr went to jail, Harper’s wife was killed in a car accident. It was a hit and run and no one’s been punished for the deed.”
Anyone who lost a loved one had to be traumatized, but she couldn’t garner much sympathy for him. “Are you suggesting Marr was responsible? That her death was a payback for Harper turning his back on Marr?”
Holly shrugged.
Nikki didn’t buy it. “If Harper and Conner bought Marr out, they probably had to turn to selling women as a way to pay back what they owed.”
“You might be right. I did take a quick albeit illegal, glance into their bank accounts. Neither Harper nor Conner are doing well, either personally or businesswise.”
“So it would make sense they’d need added income.”
Dani leaned forward. “But if they’d already sold a shipload already, as Sussman implied, where were the funds?”
“I didn’t find anything.” Holly slipped off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
Nikki wasn’t convinced they were broke. “How do you know they don’t have an offshore account?”
“I don’t know that yet, but they share a modest house and drive old cars. I would have thought casino owners would want to have an image of high rollers.”
Holly was right. “True.”
Dani stretched out her legs. “Learn anything else to tie them to the auctioning of women?” The men couldn’t be convicted on hearsay.
“Not yet.”
Nikki got an idea. Her cop mind was going crazy. “You said Jack Marr got a few years in jail. When does he get out?”
Holly checked the screen. “Two weeks ago.”
That wasn’t good.
Dani pushed back her chair. “Keep digging. Look into their extracurricular activities. Find the names of known scumbags to see if you can tie these two to any of them.”
“Will do.”
Dani threaded her arm through Nikki’s. “I think we should wander down to Black Hawk.”
She was afraid she’d suggest that. “Would you mind if Mark came along?”
Her brows pinched. “Do you think that’s wise?”
“We could stop by the Golden Nugget and see if some of the woman can watch him for a few hours. We’ll pick him up for lunch and then decide what we need to do. If we do a drive by, he can lay low in the backseat. I’m sure he can keep occupied with his computer.”
Dani’s gaze shot right then left. “Okay, but only this time.”
“I agree.” She didn’t need to be dragging Mark into a potentially dangerous situation.
She went into her office where Mark was working on some computer code. “Hey, Mark?” He looked up. “Dani and I need to head on down to Black Hawk for some surveillance. You want to come with us?”
He jumped up. “Really?”
She smiled. “Really.”
* * * *
Nikki dropped two more quarters into the slots and pressed the button, not really paying a lot of attention to what came up. If coins dropped in the tray, so be it. A small smile lifted her lips. She kept thinking of the last time she’d sat here when she’d run into Zane and Garth. Her life sure had changed in the last forty-eight hours. When she recalled the pain and horror of Mark’s disappearance, she refocused on her surroundings.
Dani sat at another machine facing her. Between the two of them, they should be able to spot the owners or any of the known scum. They’d been there twenty minutes, and so far the stakeout had been a bust. It was before lunch, so what did they really expect?
At least she knew she wouldn’t be getting a panicked phone call from Mrs. Cunningham. When she’d dropped Mark off at his old stomping grounds, a few of the waitresses had gone wild over him and promised to watch his every move. He looked to be in heaven. Once Nikki gave Belinda her cell number and promised not to be gone more than a few hours, she felt better. The hard part was coming up with a good reason why she and Dani weren’t gambling at the Golden Nugget.
Before they dropped him off, she’d asked Mark not to tell anyone that they were at the Mountain View Casino to spy on two men, and he promised.
She’d added another quarter to the slot and pushed the button when she spotted what had to be the two owners. At six-foot four inches of pure muscle, Harper Anderson was hard to miss. His sidekick, Conner Gillespie, had black hair pulled back in a queue tied with a leather wrap. His strong nose seemed to indicate he had some Native American blood in him—Blackfoot maybe. He was a little shorter than Harper, but not by much, and his shoulders were equally as wide. She wondered if these two handsome men had turned bad.
She gathered her coins and sauntered over to Dani, whose back was to the men. Her friend looked up. “You see something?”
“Keep playing, but our marks are by the bar. Harper has his arm around a customer. Conner is chatting to someone who looks to be the man’s elderly mother.”
“Is it safe to turn around?”
Both of them seemed focused on their conversation. “Be quick.”
Dani looked. “Holy moly. They’ve got it made.”
“What do you mean?”
Dani turned back around. “How easy would it be to ask a pretty girl to stop over to their house after work? When she arrived, she’d never leave, except in a hot truck, drugged, and tied up.”
A shiver of revulsion snaked up her spine. “I guess you could be right.” Nikki kept her gaze on the men, noticing how Harper seemed to smile easily. “They are charmers.”
“Most of the bad ones are.”
Loud curses and banging drew her attention to another part of the casino. Both owners stopped chatting and glanced over at a man who was pounding the machine. Security rushed over and grabbed the frustrated man’s arm, but he wouldn’t stop shouting.
“What’s he saying?” Dani asked.
Nikki listened hard. “Something about the machine not giving back the right percentage.”
Conner and Harper descended. Instead of motioning for the security to toss the guy out, Conner waved them away. With crossed arms, both he and Harper listened as the man discussed the problem with the machine. Soon his voice lowered and she could no longer make out the conversation.
Dani studied them. “Did he just do what I thought he did?”
“You mean did Conner just hand the customer a wad of bills?”
“Yeah.”
Nikki watched as the man shook Conner’s hand. Situation defused! “Now why am I confused about this?”
Dani raised her brows. “Because you think that men who do evil deeds can never be nice?”
“Maybe.” Though something sinister could have gone down.
Dani leaned back in her seat. “I have to admit, this is going to be a sweet assignment. These men are rather easy on the eyes.”
Nikki’s mouth opened. “Danisa Milan. You’re engaged.”
She grinned. “I still have eyes, don’t I?” She winked then sighed. “It’s just a shame if they are guilty. Two nice men go to a top uni
versity only to get sucked into the bad life.”
“I know.” Nikki checked the time. “How about we save Mark and take him to lunch? I have to enroll him in school tomorrow morning, but after that maybe we can come back here. Hopefully, Holly will dig up more dirt by then.”
They didn’t want to overstay their visit or the men might get suspicious. Coming when the place was fairly empty probably wasn’t smart either, but at least they knew what the men looked like now.
* * * *
Monday morning, at exactly 7:30 a.m. on the dot, Garth arrived at her house. She believed the only reason Mark didn’t put up a fuss about enrolling in a public school was because Garth was going with them.
Garth ruffled Mark’s hair, something he seemed to like to do. “Did you feed Jackpot already?”
“Yes, sir. I even let him run around the backyard for a bit.”
“Good for you. Excited to meet some new friends?”
A tic around his eye flared. Nikki stepped close and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Put on your jacket and grab your backpack. We don’t want to be late.”
Mark ran into his room. She glanced up at Garth. “I really want to thank you. He seems to admire you.”
“It’s a guy thing. You’re doing a great job, too.”
She hadn’t been searching for a compliment. “Thanks. I notice you often ruffle his hair. Did your dad to that to you?”
He grinned. “Caught that, did you? Yes, it’s a Milosino sign of affection. Instead of a pat on the back for a good deed done, Dad would ruffle our hair. Ashley never liked it, though.”
Nikki chuckled. “I can see why.” Mark dragged back in.
“Ready?” she asked.
“I guess.”
It would be hard for any kid to step in so close to the end of the school year. She wanted to talk to the teacher or teachers and let them know about Mark’s circumstances. Hopefully, if they understood his past, they’d watch over him with more care.
Garth wrapped an arm around Mark’s shoulder and walked him out. She locked up and followed. Instead of heading to her car, Garth ushered Mark into his truck. Mark climbed in the back and she slid in the front.
Freedom to Trust [Freedom, Colorado 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 7