Page 88 of Dangerous Men

My legs press together as I remember the riding crop. The wrist cuffs.

I nod again, biting my lip with a smile.

“Good,” Alec says in a voice like a purr. “And for the record, I will never be mad at you for what you might do with him.”

“Why not?” I ask in a small voice.

“He’s my brother,” he tells me, as though it’s as simple as that. “Not biologically, but… we grew up together. We’re close. And my brothers mean everything to me. We run our business together, we live together, we… share things.”

“What kind of things?” I ask, feeling a little lightheaded.

“Everything,” he answers. The way he says it makes it sound like the answer is obvious.

I don’t mind sharing, his voice echoes in my memory.

The car slides to a stop, putting an end to the conversation.

“Ah,” Alec leans back, taking his hand from my knee. The air is shockingly cold against my skin where his hand was resting. “Looks like we’re here.”

The door opens from the outside, and Alec slides out, offering a hand to help me exit.

“Thanks, Earl,” Alec says.

The man inclines his head. He’s an older gentleman, maybe in his seventies, with kind eyes.

“I’m Sydney,” I say as I hold out my hand to shake his. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Earl looks up at Alec, as if waiting for permission, before reaching out to grasp my hand with both of his.

“It’s lovely to meet you as well, Sydney,” he says with a twinkle in his eyes. With that, he turns to head back to the driver’s side.

There’s something about him that feels familiar, like I’ve heard his voice before. I shake it off and turn back to Alec, finally registering the scene in front of me.

I stare up at the tall building, slightly shocked by the lights, the colors.

“It’s a casino,” I say, surprised.

“It is,” Alec says, sounding amused. He rests his hand on the small of my back, escorting me forward. “It’s my casino, in fact. The largest in Fortune City.”

Sterling Silver, the name reads, in bright neon lights.

All my years living here, and I’ve never actually been inside. I’ve seen a few of the other smaller casinos, but never been here, in the city’s most spectacular one. I find them fascinating, but I’m not exactly a gambler. I prefer to keep the small amount of money I have exactly where I can see it.

We’re greeted by smiling, happy faces as we make our way inside. Every employee seems to notice Alec’s arrival, falling all over themselves to welcome him. It’s a little overwhelming. That, and the sounds, the sights. The front doors open to the main casino floor—a massive room of slot machines, and card tables, and flashing lights and noises. There’s so much to see my eyes can’t seem to focus on any one thing.

“Did you know Vincent Laurent has a restaurant here?” Alec asks, steering me gracefully away from the lights and toward the edges of the room.

“Vincent Laurent?” I ask, in shock. “The celebrity chef?”

Alec nods. “The same, yes.”

Wow. Even I know Chef Laurent. Though, truthfully, I only really recognize him from his TV show on the Food Channel. Still, I know enough to be impressed.

A sudden realization hits me. I glance over at Alec, looking glamorous and rich in a bespoke gray suit, and then down at myself.

In my flowery sundress. That I bought on sale. Long enough ago that I don’t even remember the year.

“Alec,” I protest, stopping. “I can’t go to a restaurant like that looking like… like this.”