Part 18 (2/2)

”Very.”

He smiled. ”Good.” Then he removed his hand from her hair, moving it to her throat. He ran his finger under the chain of the choker, grimacing. ”This is cheap. You can't be seen in this.” With a sharp pull he ripped the choker from her throat and she grabbed for it.

”That's mine. It has...sentimental value.”

Valente dropped it to the floor, stepped on it, and smiled widely at the crunching sound under his heel.

”Be thankful it was the necklace and not your neck.”

With that he left the room. Sarah looked Lex the gorilla in the eye, wondering if she could take him. Probably only if she could get his gun away from him. He let his eyes wander down her body lasciviously. s.n.a.t.c.hing up the clothes, she locked herself in the bathroom.

Without the choker she was truly on her own. If they took her somewhere else, or threw her overboard, no one would know. Hopefully Ian and E.J. had contacted Logan, and they were on it.

Help would be on the way soon, she rea.s.sured herself as she stripped, self-conscious even though she was alone in the shower stall. She hoped she could stay alive and unharmed until it arrived.

LOGAN WAS going broke as he ordered another whiskey from the bar while he c.r.a.pped out yet again at the table. The guy next to him slapped him on the back in condolence before he left with a woman who'd only spared Logan a look that said ”loser.” Well, it was the image he was working to project. going broke as he ordered another whiskey from the bar while he c.r.a.pped out yet again at the table. The guy next to him slapped him on the back in condolence before he left with a woman who'd only spared Logan a look that said ”loser.” Well, it was the image he was working to project.

Good. As he took a sip of the whiskey, then covertly emptied the rest into the plant that sat next to him at the table, he figured his plan was working. The Coast Guard vessel had shown up, run alongside and done a visual inspection from their s.h.i.+p-while a diver left the computer card. Logan had surrept.i.tiously retrieved it while taking a break from his losing streak. Now it was time to try to get into Valente's office.

Pretending to down the drink, he slammed the gla.s.s back down and set both hands on the table, snarling at the stickman.

”I've never lost this much in my life. This game is rigged!” He raised his voice, slurring his words just a little. The man by the side of the table looked offended and raised his eyebrows.

”I want my chips back! This guy should be replaced. This table is a rip-off.”

Logan wasn't surprised when a very large man in a dark suit appeared by his side.

”Is there a problem, sir?”

Logan turned and faced the security guy, practically nose to nose.

”Yes, there's a problem. Cheating is a problem.”

”I can a.s.sure you there is no cheating on this boat. Maybe you should let me see you back to your room.”

The man grabbed his shoulder in an iron grip, but Logan had no problem shaking him off. He could probably take the guy, but his real goal was to grab the attention of the big guns, and if he had to take a punch to do it, he was up for that.

”Get your hands off me, flunky. I want to talk to the owner of this cruise. I want to talk to the captain!”

”Sir, you need to quiet down....” The ape's voice had taken on a more threatening timbre now, and Logan saw his real opportunity. He pushed out, shoving the guard back.

”I will not be quiet. I demand to see the owner. I am not going to deal with some-”

Someone slid between them, narrowly saving Logan from a black eye or worse. He confronted a man of about his own height, though of a slighter build, in a very expensive suit.

”I'm Vincent Valente, the owner. You have a complaint, sir?”

Logan huffed out a breath, giving the man the full effect of what whiskey he'd sipped. He watched him grimace in distaste, and did it again before he spoke.

”You're the owner?”

”Yes, I am. I overheard you wanted to talk with me?”

”Yes, I do. I keep losing at this table-I think it's rigged. I want proof this table is not rigged.”

Valente slid a look to the side as some other customers approached the table and then discreetly walked away. Returning his hard gaze to Logan, he tried to appear friendly. Logan could see he was anything but.

”Well, why don't we go back to my cabin where we can find a resolution to this issue?”

Logan smiled a drunken smile and grabbed Valente's hand, shaking it hard. ”That would be very good, yes, very good. I knew if I could just talk with someone in charge, things would work out.”

They hurried him out of the room, Valente making chitchat along the way. Everything seemed pleasant and professional enough-maybe too much so, Logan thought uneasily as they approached a door at the end of the hall.

He was glad he'd thought ahead and slipped the card in his shoe, and placed the tiny transmitter in an inside pocket where it hopefully wouldn't be detected. It looked like a watch battery. Sarah's cohorts had some seriously advanced toys. If his escorts found it, they probably wouldn't realize what it was. He hoped.

The door opened, and before he could brace himself, he was roughly shoved into the room. He stumbled to the floor, and it occurred to him that he might not have avoided that bruising after all. He picked himself up slowly, still maintaining his inebriated behavior. Holding his position on all fours for a second, as if disoriented, he looked up and spotted the computer desk at the far side of the room.

But before he could get up, a foot caught him in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him and sending him slamming over onto his back. He gasped for air, not needing to fake a thing in his pained response. He looked up to see the security guard towering over him, eyeing him like a big dog getting a treat.

Logan pushed himself up into a sitting position, groaning. ”What the h.e.l.l? Is this how you treat all your guests?”

Valente smiled pleasantly, staring down at him.

”No. Only the ones who accuse us of cheating.”

Logan held up a peaceful hand. He had to find a way to get back by the computer.

”Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I just lost a s.h.i.+tload of money, that's all. Can't a guy be p.i.s.sed?”

Logan raised himself up and staggered forward, holding his gut, feigning a sheepish expression.

”No, not when it could cause irreparable damage to my reputation.”

Logan nearly laughed out loud, but staggered a little closer.

”I said I'm sorry.” A little closer....

”Your apology is useless. You are banned from any of my gambling establishments. Permanently. Call yourself lucky.”

And just close enough. ”Why, you filthy...” Logan jumped forward before any of them could see what he was going to do, and he pounced on Valente, landing one hard punch to his jaw. Valente's head whipped back with the impact, but he was tougher than he looked. He didn't go down. Instead, he spoke calmly to the guard, but there was violence in his eyes.

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