Page 41 of Hidden Ties

Sal desperately tried to take a deep and calming breath but gave up. “Okay, I understand.”

“Sorry, Sal.” She looked at him pityingly but not too pityingly that she would change her mind. “I just have way too much work to do, and she’sa bitdistracting.”

Knowing his sister was trying to be nice by sayinga bit, he knew it was more likea lot a bit. “Tell me about it,” he mumbled under his breath before shoving open the door to find Valerie shooting staples out of a stapler. “Let’s go.”

Putting down the joke of a loaded weapon, Valerie hurried out of the office. “Something wrong—Bye, Kat! See ya later!” she tossed over her shoulder to the waving woman when Sal grabbed her hand and dragged her along down the hallway.

You could say that. YOU.

But Sal didn’t say those words out loud. Too afraid he’d lose his temper with any of her responses that always held a bit ofsarcasm. Trying to cool himself, he knew this wasn’t like him. He was the cool, calm, collected, and responsible one in the family, and Valerie was driving him insane right along with her.

“Jesus, Sal.” She snatched her hand out of his grasp and put her foot down. “Where the hell are we going?”

Truthfully, he knew he wanted to take her right back to his place here at the Casino Hotel and fuck her brains out again, but that fact scared him.

Absolutely terrified him.

Never in his life had he ever fucked a woman twice.

Sure, he had stopped looking women up on the web when he wanted to sleep with them; otherwise, he’d still be a virgin. But he always broke and did so after the first encounter. Sal knew his downfalls, and becoming easily attached was one. He had his childhood to thank for that.

But falling fast and hard for a woman who had returned a dog to a shelter or still cyberstalked her ex wasn’t the one. It didn’t matter how small the offense was, or if she GoogledDo dogs have souls?

Everything always gave him a reason to never sleep with them again.

He still remembered looking her up before he bought the house next door to her and found practically nothing but basic information. Hell, he hated to admit it, but it was why he’d decided to sign on the dotted line.

So, imagine his surprise that the woman with no social media or problematic Internet history was the reason he regretted ever buying it.

“Sal …” She snapped her fingers in front of his face to bring him back to reality. “Where. Are. We. Going?”

He hit the elevator button that lit up with the down arrow. There was no way in hell she could work in the main casino, but she could somewhere else. “Underground.”

SIXTEEN

NOT IN KANSAS CITY ANYMORE

The door being guarded by the big bald man told her they were not in Kansas City anymore. Wherever this place was, it was a well-kept secret.

She found it strange when the bodyguard didn’t open the door immediately. It wasn’t until Sal gave him a threatening glance that he gave in.

Well, that wasn’t strange at all, she thought when he finally gave in and moved to the side, opening the door for them. Nothing could have prepared her for what she walked into as a packed casino that was different than the one that sat above it was revealed.

Valerie was really beginning to feel like a broken record at this point. “Sal, where the hell are we?”

“An illegal underground casino.” The way he said it was like it was no big deal.

Taking a look around at all the hot women in the tiny, scantily-clad outfits serving men drinks, or taking their chips from behind the tables, she finally just shrugged like it was, in fact, no big deal after all. “Well, all righty, then.”

Sal looked over at her, suspiciously surprised. “This isn’t a problem for you?”

She raised a brow. “Everyone in here eighteen or older?”

He nodded. “Yep.”

“And do they all get paid well?” she asked, raising the other one.

“Very well.”