Hard Case: Boxed Set Books 1,2 & 3 (John Harding Books)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “There’s a mission on the horizon that’s right up our alley. It involves cruising in a yacht as a couple of rich one-percenters.”

  “Oh baby, I like the sound of that one. We’ll have had one momentous time of it in our first year together if we pull through all these adventures in one piece.”

  “Yep. I figure after we deliver the killers carving up women when we go play on the Harvard campus, we could make this cruise mission our honeymoon.” Clint wrestled around laughing with the stunned Montoya. “You didn’t think I was going to live in sin out there with you, did you? I have a reputation to think of. What? Am I moving too fast for you?”

  Lynn brushed away the tears forming at her eyes, gazing up into Clint’s face. “You’ve turned my life around. If you want to take a chance on something permanent, I’d love to gamble with you.”

  “What gamble? It’s a sure thing. This isn’t a very romantic proposal though.”

  Lynn framed his face with her hands. “It’s the most wonderful proposal ever. Maybe we’re not so psycho after all.”

  Clint leaned down to brush her lips in a caress. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, baby.”

  “Will my being with Darzi make you mental?”

  “No, but I’ve thought of a way safest for taking him out, and leaving open a very fast exit. Add to my little plan the fact he won’t be discovered in anything other than a natural passing from this sphere, and I think we have a winner.”

  Montoya began moving out from under Clint only to be forced back down. “C’mon, cowboy, explain what you have… oh… oh… well… later.”

  * * *

  “How’s it look, kid?”

  Jafar had hacked into all the security feeds inside the Stratosphere. “It is all clear, Clint. Lucas confirmed Darzi down and clearing check out. Casey has everyone in position. The Mandalay Bay has been alerted the heiress Constance Madrid will be arriving shortly. They have the limo license and all the details.”

  “Acknowledged. C’mon out, babe. Does Butch have your bags?”

  “Yeah. Our Stratosphere confidant is a little confused but right here next to me. We’re on our way.”

  When Devon Constantine glanced out past Clint at the rear Stratosphere entrance, Clint grinned at his companion’s surprised look. “She does appear alluring enough, wouldn’t you say, Dev?”

  “If that Sargon dude doesn’t take the bait, he’s gay.”

  Clint nodded. Lynn had not chosen anything gaudy. She dressed in skin tight black stretch jeans with a very revealing red silk, plunge neck, halter top, gathered tightly just past her waist, with back open to the hem. Her now long flowing blonde hair swayed with her every step. The effortless grace of Lynn’s gliding approach in strappy black stiletto heel sandals would have made a Hollywood starlet on the red carpet jealous.

  Dressed in full limousine attire with all black suit and hat, Clint hurried out to open the rear door of the black stretch limo. He winked at the manager carrying Lynn’s bags as he relieved him of the burden, and set them aside for Devon to load in the trunk. “We’ll be back in a couple days I hope, Butch. Hold our room.”

  Their manager acquaintance, Royal Kershner, smiled and nodded, recognizing Dostiene. “Of course, Sir. Perhaps you two will have a story for me at some point. I would love to hear it. The drinks will be my treat.”

  “Wouldn’t mind sipping a couple with you, partner,” Dostiene replied as he guided Lynn into the limo. “Agent Montoya and I may have to beg off on the story though.”

  Kershner backed away with a wave. “That will be just fine, Sir. Good luck.”

  Devon and Clint reentered the limo, and Constantine had the vehicle moving slowly toward the main drag in moments. Clint smiled back through the open access from the front. “Good Lord, you look incredible. Doesn’t she, Jafar?”

  “Oh yes,” Jafar answered. He turned red and looked back to his notebook computer screen. “I will immediately buy Samira the same outfit. As Dev said, Darzi is gay if he doesn’t make a play for you, Ms. Montoya.”

  Lynn patted Jafar’s hand. “Thanks. You guys don’t think I overdid the cheap hooker look, do you? I was shooting for the casual but elegant starlet look.”

  “Mission accomplished,” Clint replied. “How’s our timing, Jafar?”

  “Perfect so far. We should be pulling into the Mandalay Bay only moments before Darzi. Lucas says he has three of his bodyguards with him in the limo, and three more following. He says it will be imperative to make enough of a fuss that Darzi will be watching our limo. If he hustles past everyone to the entrance, he will not even catch a glimpse of Ms. Montoya.”

  “Leave it to Lucas - nitpicking every detail we’ve been over fifty times,” Clint said.

  Jafar chuckled. “Lucas says it’s either that or end up watching you go into locoweed gear when you screw up. Okay… here we go. Slow down just a bit, Dev. You’re good. Turn and take us in. Darzi is two cars back.”

  Constantine drove into the valet drop off that circled back out. He parked and Jesse Brown in valet uniform brought out a luggage cart. He shifted Lynn’s bags from the limousine storage area to the luggage cart. Darzi’s limousine parked behind them. Jesse moved the luggage cart toward the front of the vehicle to be out of the way. Dostiene exited the limousine, and opened Lynn’s door at the same time movement at Darzi’s limousine began. Clint offered her his hand, helping Lynn to make a slow sensuous transition from limousine to walk area. Lynn smiled, casually walking forward slightly, while looking around the drop-off area as Clint took the luggage cart from Jesse, who then waited patiently to lead Lynn and Clint inside.

  * * *

  “Oh yeah,” Jafar whispered, checking his camera feeds on Darzi’s limo. Darzi had caught hold of his lead bodyguard’s suit-coat sleeve, while watching every movement Lynn made. “He’s not gay, and if he stared any harder at Lynn, her clothes would start to smoke.”

  Devon chuckled, looking back through the darkly tinted windows at his view of the scene. “He’s doing everything in his power to slow his entrance so as to end up behind Lynn. Damn, that girl has good timing. Look, she’s gliding in with the guppy on the hook outpacing his guards. Player lookin’ for a time on the town. You couldn’t ask for a better example of lookin’ for love in all the wrong places.”

  “Yes,” Jafar agreed. “Denny says she’s one of the most dangerous women alive. That is a high compliment coming from him.”

  “That Clint seems like a nice guy. I hope for his sake, he can stay on her good side.”

  * * *

  “He’s coming right up to her from your right, Clint,” Jafar told Dostiene in his earpiece.

  Clint turned to face Darzi. “Ms. Madrid.”

  Lynn stopped, looked at Clint quizzically, and then at Darzi striding up next to her. She smiled at him, shifting not into a pose, but a graceful waiting posture.

  “I pray to Allah you will be staying here at this hotel,” Darzi said in only slightly accented English. “I am Sargon Darzi, your humble servant forever.”

  Lynn appeared confused. “I beg your pardon. Do you work for the Mandalay Bay?”

  “No… no, sweet Miss. I am merely a traveler like you. I’ve come to see the UFC fight. Please forgive me for being so forward. You are stunning.”

  “That is nice of you to say. Perhaps we will see each other again. I’m here to see the fight among other things too,” Lynn turned away from him, following the now moving Jesse Brown.

  Darzi grabbed Clint’s arm. Dostiene stopped the cart, looking down at Darzi. “Yes, Sir?”

  “Who is that woman?”

  “Constance Madrid.”

  “Is she here alone?” Darzi asked, while not taking his eyes off of Lynn.

  “I am her personal valet and bodyguard.”

  Lynn had paused, looking back at Clint with a slightly perturbed look, but with such presence, she seemed to be casually modeling for a photo shoot. “Dan?”

  “I must go, Sir,” Clint said, pull
ing away from Darzi. Dostiene hurried the cart to the entrance, trailing Jesse and Lynn into the Mandalay Bay. “I think the hook went right through his jaw. I’m not sure you could beat him away with a baseball bat, babe.”

  Lynn tittered musically. “That would be one bloody Sunday, cowboy.”

  * * *

  A concierge rushed over to Darzi, keeping pace with him as he tried to follow Lynn. “Mr. Darzi, on behalf of the Mandalay Bay, welcome, Sir. Your arrival has been handled. I am here to help you in any-”

  Darzi gestured him to silence. “I wish to know where that woman in red is going. What floor is she on, and how far away from her am I?”

  The concierge looked confused for a moment, trying to determine who Darzi was talking about. He then noticed Lynn. “Ah… oh yes… Ms. Constance Madrid. A very lovely woman, heiress to some software conglomerate.”

  The man quickly scanned through the iPad he carried. “Yes. She is on your floor, Sir.”

  Darzi waved his men on. “Then let us hurry. I wish to know Ms. Madrid’s complete itinerary.”

  The concierge looked stunned, hurrying along to the left of Darzi with the rest of his baggage train and men. “I cannot do that, Sir. If there are any publicly posted intentions, I can make them available to you.”

  “Good… make it so. You will be rewarded. Perhaps I will be able to have a word with her before she gets into her room. Quickly!”

  The concierge, an immaculately dressed Casey Lambert, smiled. “I’m sure that can be arranged, Sir.”

  * * *

  “Stall at your door, Ms. Montoya. The fish wishes to squirm on the hook for you once more before you enter your room. May I suggest Jesse having trouble with the key card?”

  “You’re funny, Jafar. We’ll stall while I pretend to be texting on my iPad. Did you get that, Mr. Brown?”

  Jesse smiled. “Yes Ma’am. It will be a few moments before I’m able to open your door.

  Clint stayed near Jesse as he pretended problems at the door. Lynn leaned provocatively against the opposite wall, showing her bare back. Darzi’s entourage arrived only seconds later. He tried to look calm as he approached Lynn once again, motioning for his men to stay where they were at his room door.

  “Hello again, Ms. Madrid. I see you are staying quite close to me,” Darzi said with an ingratiating smile.

  Lynn straightened, putting her iPad down to tap against her leg. She looked over at Dostiene. “Dan? Did you tell this gentleman my name?”

  Dostiene nodded after a moment. “I’m sorry, Ms. Madrid.”

  Jesse opened the door a second later. Dostiene awaited Lynn’s conversational lead before going inside.

  “I am very sorry, Ms. Madrid,” Casey apologized too. “I also mentioned your name to Mr. Darzi. I am certain Mr. Darzi will be discreet concerning your identity.”

  Darzi laughed. “Of course… of course… it is a small thing. I will have my men watch over your privacy too, Ms. Madrid.”

  Lynn smiled a disarming, slowly spreading gem as she glanced around at Darzi’s bodyguard detail. “You certainly have enough of them. Not necessary though – Dan here has a room in my suite. I’m sure he will be more careful about running off at the mouth. Well… nice seeing you again.”

  “Would you have dinner with me this evening?”

  “I don’t think so. I really need to get settled in. Please excuse me.” Not waiting for Darzi’s response, Lynn swayed beguilingly past everyone into her room. Jesse and Clint followed her. Jesse closed the door with Darzi still trying to come up with a response.

  * * *

  Darzi turned to Casey, yanking out three one hundred dollar bills. “Find out her plans for this evening and call me immediately. I will be in my room.”

  “I will do my best, Sir. Thank you. May I assist you in settling into your room?”

  “No. My men will handle that. Go now and do my bidding. I expect to hear from you soon.”

  Casey nodded and backed away, turning to the elevators. “I will call if I find out anything.”

  “I must know that woman, Kadar,” Darzi whispered urgently to his top man. “Do a complete background check of her. Leave no detail unobserved. Do you understand?”

  “I will set up inside immediately and get to work on it,” Kadar answered, striding to the door and opening it with the key card.

  * * *

  Jesse handed Lynn the special universal keycard with a big smile. “It was a pleasure watching you work.”

  “Thanks, Jess. He’ll be taking my alias through the meat-grinder now to see if it’s safe for him to come on to me like he’s a dog in heat.”

  “You take care, Ma’am. We’ll all be around.” Jesse clapped Dostiene on the shoulder. “See you two later.”

  “I like the crew,” Lynn said. “I think we’ll enjoy our new Oakland gig.”

  “You were amazing,” Clint replied, kissing her right palm. “As an actress, you’d be making eight figures a movie.”

  Lynn smiled at the naked desire on Clint’s face. “Yeah, but would they let me kill people? I see in your eyes you like what you see. Want to fool around?”

  Dostiene grabbed her up off the floor into his arms, heading for the bedroom. “I like what I see so much, I want to fool around until you scream for mercy.”

  “Oooohhhh… I hope the walls are sound proofed.”

  “I’ll help you stay quiet.”

  An hour later Dostiene’s iPhone vibrated on the nightstand. He checked the screen. It was Casey. “You were excellent as the concierge, Case.”

  “Even better than you think, Clint. El Dumbass tipped me three hundred dollars to let him know all of Lynn’s movements.”

  Clint chuckled as Lynn leaned against him, listening. “Oh, that is sweet. It may be time for our first unexplained casino interlude. We’ll be down in about an hour. I’ll have Lynn play Baccarat until dipshit gets word from you to come down. She’ll play the 10,000 dollar minimum table. Lynn gasped next to him, and Casey laughed.”

  “I think you’ve finally managed to surprise your girl. Tell her they have higher minimum Baccarat tables than that. I’ll be watching for you.”

  “You want me to what?” Lynn had mounted Dostiene, leaning incredulously close to Clint’s face. “Are you nuts?”

  “You’re really good at this. I bet you know how to play too.”

  “Well, sure, it’s the simplest game of all,” Lynn admitted. “That doesn’t mean I want to play 10,000 a hand.”

  “I want you to do it and act bored while you do it,” Clint replied.

  Lynn giggled, smacking Clint’s shoulder. “This’ll be fun, but… hey… no… we have to get ready. Oh shit… damn it, Clint.”

  * * *

  Darzi rushed down alone without his bodyguards, ordering them to stay put. Exiting the elevators, Darzi headed for the high stakes Baccarat tables he had been told Madrid was playing at. When he reached the special high stakes Baccarat area, a crowd had formed outside the ornately columned room, beyond the elaborate entrance. Edging through the crowd of onlookers he noticed Lynn in a spaghetti strapped black, tightly contoured dress that ended mid thigh. With her long blonde hair falling in a seductive haze around her shoulders, accompanied by a nearly bored sneer on her face, Lynn seemed both drawn to the game and yet content at the gaming aspect. Darzi clenched his hands into fists, flexing his fingers. He wanted this woman. Striding through the crowd, Darzi sat one stool away from Lynn. She had been the only player at the table.

  Darzi signaled the attendant to the table. “I wish one million dollars of play. It is good to meet with you again. I see you are doing very well here.”

  Lynn had won in excess of a million dollars, much to the dismay of the Mandalay Bay dealer, who had been changed moments ago, although Lynn had tipped him with a 10,000 dollar chip. She made a dismissive wave of the hand. “It is not the winning that tests us. Losing divides the addicts from the gamers.”

  Darzi brightened immediately. “Yes! It is exactly so.”r />
  Forty-five minutes later, Darzi was not as open minded toward his losses. Lynn had held her own, fluctuating in the nearly 50/50 match up with the House in a slightly positive manner. Darzi lost, so much so, he fingered his cards with suppressed rage. He noticed Lynn looking at him sympathetically which drove him nearly wild. Then, she surprised him with a look of acceptance.

  “I’ve lost my taste for this game.” Lynn haphazardly gestured at her chips, and gave one to the dealer. The manager nearby nodded his understanding. Because of the amount of her winnings, an accounting with the IRS would have to be filed. “Goodbye, Mr. Darzi. Good luck.”

  As he watched Lynn get up and walk away through a smattering of applause from the appreciative onlookers, Darzi could not remember a time when he was so drawn to a woman. He angrily indicated his intent to leave the table, and waited impatiently for the manager to indicate he would tally his credits. Darzi hurried after Lynn, seeing she had opted for a walk in a long path toward where he could see from the signs left multiple destinations. When they rounded a turn, the black elevators in groupings made it clear there was only one social excursion to be drawn as a choice. Breathing a sigh of relief at noticing the sultry pace of her journey to the elevators with every eye turning as she passed, Darzi slowed to a pace which would allow him to arrive at the same time. He frowned as Clint, joined her, walking slightly behind and to the right.

  “Ms. Madrid,” Darzi said as Dostiene turned to intercept him.

  Clint moved out of his way. “Sorry, Sir, I didn’t recognize you at first.”

  Darzi brushed by him without acknowledgement to reach Lynn’s side. “Please, may I buy you a drink?”

  Lynn smiled. “I’m going up to the The Mix Lounge. Maybe you better let me buy you a drink.”

  Darzi laughed. “Yes… I did not do well at the table tonight. You were magnificent.”

  “In spite of the James Bond movies, winning at Baccarat is luck,” Lynn replied. They walked along in silence for a time. “It comes and goes in streaks.”