13. Brie

CHAPTER 13

Brie

I won't have to try hard with the man in the security office. I know it from the moment I walk in, watching him stare at me, open-mouthed. He's astonished that I'm even talking to him.

"Hi," I say, and smile. His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows, sends a quick glance around the room as if hoping his colleagues are seeing this. "I need the security footage of the backroom hallways from the night my husband was killed. Can you grab that for me real quick?"

He's young, probably fresh out of college, with a nervous energy that makes him fidget in his chair. "Of course, Ms. Colombo, whatever you want. But, uh, Mr. Frank already reviewed them. They don't show anything unusual."

"Well, I'd still like to see for myself. Can you compile all the footage from that night and send it up to my suite on a flash drive?"

He hesitates. "You know, I…I'm not sure if I'm authorized to?—"

"You are now," I cut him off with a wink. "How long will it take?"

"Uh, maybe a few hours," he croaks. "Transferring files of that size to a?—"

"Send it up as soon as you're done, please. And…" I lean down, making sure my cleavage is at his eye level. "Do me a favor? Keep it quiet."

As we leave the security area, Nik is almost smirking. But I'm not in the mood to smirk. I need a distraction, something to clear my head and help me think.

"I need to unwind," I tell Nik, massaging my temples. "I think better when I'm relaxed. Let's head to the spa."

"What about Sophie Johnson?"

I pause, considering. "If Sophie's just skimming from the casino, that's Family business. The Syndicate doesn't need to be involved in that." And neither does Nik, I remind myself, but she knows now. No point pretending she doesn't.

Nik shrugs. "It's your call, boss lady."

I snort, but I weigh up the options. What would Terry have done? He was always open to sharing resources and making friends. If Sophie is embezzling, that's one thing. But if she's an assassin…

"You know what? Let's extend an invitation to the spa to Lyssa and Scarlett as well. We can give them a heads up about Sophie there."

Soothing scents greet us as we enter the spa, and I feel some of the tension leave my shoulders. I stop at reception to ask the staff member to call up with an invitation to the Syndicate women. And then I lead Nik toward the heated pool.

"I don't have a costume," she says, eyeing the water. And then she eyes me. "Neither do you."

"No need," I tell her. "Women only in this part of the spa. But if you want, you can use a wrap." I point toward the Lycra wraps folded and stacked neatly in the open cabinetry at one side of the pool, designed to be worn like wrapped towels but made from fast-drying material. "Changing rooms are through here."

Nik follows me in a moment later. I've already stripped off my gown and I'm peeling away the adhesive bra cups I wore under it. I see her eyes dart over my naked torso before resolutely coming back up to my face.

And then there's a Lycra wrap flying straight at my head. "Hey, watch it!"

"Put that on," she orders.

"I prefer to be naked," I tell her with a grin.

"You won't prefer it if there's an attack and we need to run across the casino floor to escape."

It's a sobering thought—and image. "Fine," I sigh, pulling on the wrap.

Nik turns away to strip and I try to politely avert my eyes, but it's hard. Those shoulders are just as broad and toned as I've imagined, with a large, stylized snake tattoo running across her back, shifting with her muscles as she moves.

She glances over her shoulder as though feeling my stare, and I look quickly away.

In silence we head back out to the heated pool, empty at this hour apart from us, and slide in, letting the warm water ease the tension. But Nik stays perched on the edge of the pool a few feet away, feet dangling in the water, eyes constantly scanning our surroundings.

"You know," I drawl, "the whole point of a spa is to relax."

Nik's jaw tightens. "I'm here to protect you, not pamper myself."

I roll my eyes, splashing a little water her way. "Come on, bodyguard. Live a little. The water's divine."

With a resigned sigh, she slides into the pool. The water laps at her shoulders, and I find my gaze drawn to the defined muscles of her arms.

I wonder how it would feel to have them wrapped around me.

To have them pressing me into the bed underneath her?—

"Happy now?" she asks, but there's a hint of amusement in her tone, as though she read my mind.

"Ecstatic," I reply, flashing her a grin. "Now, how about we hit the cold dip?"

Nik's eyebrows shoot up. "Cold dip? I thought you were all about relaxation."

I laugh, the sound echoing off the tiled walls. "Oh, honey. You haven't lived until you've done the hot-cold cycle. Trust me, it's invigorating."

With a skeptical look, Nik follows me to the edge of the cold pool. The water is crystal clear, a stark contrast to the steamy warmth we've just left behind. I dip a toe in and can't suppress a small gasp at the shock of cold.

"Ladies first," Nik says with a smirk, gesturing for me to go ahead.

I flip back my damp hair. "Scared, are you?"

Without waiting for a response, I take a deep breath and plunge myself in. The cold hits me like a brick wall, driving the air from my lungs. For a moment, everything goes quiet, the world reduced to the rush of blood in my ears and the icy embrace of the water.

I surface with a gasp. "Your turn," I challenge with chattering teeth.

Nik hesitates for just a moment before jumping in. When she breaks the surface again, her usually stoic expression has cracked.

"Holy shit," she says in a strangled groan.

I can't help laughing. Nik's skin is flushed from the contrast of hot and cold, droplets of water clinging to her eyelashes. Her nipples are visibly hard beneath the soaked wrap, a physical reaction to the cold that sends a rush of contrary heat through me.

"See?" I say, my voice a little breathier than I intended. "Invigorating."

Nik shakes her head, sending water droplets flying. "That's one word for it," she mutters, but there's a new energy about her, an alertness that wasn't there before.

"Ready for the sauna?" I ask, reluctantly tearing my eyes away from the droplets trailing down Nik's neck.

She nods vigorously, pulling herself out of the pool quickly. I follow, acutely aware of her eyes on me as I emerge from the water.

And hell, maybe I shake my ass a little more than necessary as I walk ahead of her to the sauna area.

Something has shifted between us. Whether it's just the rush from the hot-cold cycle or something more, I'm not sure. But as we step into the humid hug of the sauna, Nik's hand brushes against my lower back as she holds the door open for me, and I have to swallow a moan.

The sauna is a small, cedar-lined room, and it smells pleasantly of humid wood. I sprawl on one of the benches, letting the warmth seep into my bones. Nik sits opposite me, her posture still alert.

I stare at her, watching beads of sweat form on her skin, tracing the lines of her collarbone, the curve of her lips.

I swear I see a faint blush creep up her neck that I bet has nothing to do with the heat of the sauna.

I'm about to speak—to say something flirty, maybe, or ask her a question—but the door opens, and Lyssa and Scarlett enter, each in their own wraps, and each looking grim.

"Ladies," I greet them, sitting up straight. "Glad you could join us."

As they settle in, I find my gaze darting between them and Nik, and with a shock I realize I'm searching for any sign of attraction . But Nik remains as impassive as ever, coolly assessing our new companions.

"So who's your friend?" Lyssa asks, cutting to the chase as always as she stares at Nik. "Novak Consortium, right?"

"This is Nik. She's with me," I say.

Nik reaches out a hand and Lyssa, after a moment, shakes it. "Whatever," she says, taking a seat. "Anyway, I doubt you invited us here for girl-talk. What's going on?

I lean forward, lowering my voice despite the privacy of the sauna. The humidity and steam in here mean listening devices and cameras would have trouble picking up anything, and the soft nature sounds and strings playing over the audio system help mask my voice. "I wanted to ask about those background checks Juno had done. Specifically the one on Sophie Johnson."

"Your CFO?" Scarlett says sharply. I nod, and her dark eyebrows shoot up. "Any particular reason?"

I hesitate, weighing how much to reveal. "Let's just say some things aren't adding up. I don't think Sophie is the woman you're looking for, but as a professional courtesy, I'm telling you there might be…an issue there."

Lyssa and Scarlett exchange a look, having one of those silent conversations that only people who truly know each other can have. Finally, Lyssa nods.

"Juno said nothing turned up on anyone. But we'll take a second look. And Brie, I want to warn you again. If Grandmother does have an active in the Colombo Family, it's dangerous for you to go poking your nose into things you shouldn't be."

"Mrs. Colombo is the current head of the Family," Nik says, her voice as cold as the plunge pool we were in ten minutes ago. "She can put her nose wherever she chooses."

Lyssa gets this wolfish grin. "That's my point. If there's an assassin here, they'll either want to control Brie, or cash her in for someone they can control."

"And right now it's my job to make sure that doesn't happen," Nik says. "Whoever this assassin is, they won't get past me."

For the first time, Lyssa's tone turns serious. "I really hope that's true."

The conversation wraps up shortly after that, Lyssa and Scarlett promising to dig into Sophie's background and current finances, and report back. As they leave, I sink back onto the bench, my mind whirling.

"You okay?"

I look over at Nik, suddenly feeling very exposed, and not just because I've done my best to be practically naked in front of her. "I'm fine," I lie, then sigh. "No, actually, I'm not."

Nik moves to sit beside me, a clear invitation to spill. So I take a deep breath. "Despite what you said to them, I'm just a figurehead for the Colombos. Frank and the others, they're the ones really running things for the Family. But I'm…worried about the direction the Family is headed. We have two main candidates to take over, and neither option is great."

I pause, reminding myself that Nik is the enemy—or if not the enemy, certainly not an insider. She senses it, though. "You might as well just say what's on your mind. Everyone knows the two top picks. Sabatelli and Caruso, right?"

In this case, I'm pretty sure it's not just Frank's big mouth to blame. Plenty of Colombos are talking about which man they'd prefer, and they're not shy about sharing opinions.

"That's right. Vince Sabatelli, late forties, been with the Family for over two decades. One of Terry's most competent Capos. He's shrewd, ruthless, always had his eye on the top spot. But he's the kind of guy who'd sell his own mother if it meant more power, and I don't know if that's the kind of guy you want at the top."

"And Caruso?"

"Larry Caruso is respected, feared even. Fair in his own way, but brutal when he needs to be. He's great at maintaining order, but…he's not exactly a strategic thinker. More brawn than brains, if you know what I mean."

"Neither sounds ideal."

"And the worst part is, I don't know which one would be worse for the Family in the long run."

We sit in silence for a moment, the only sound the hiss of steam. Finally, Nik speaks up. "So…what's your play?"

" My play?"

"You might just be a figurehead, but you said yourself you have an important job here at the casino. I bet that extends to the Family side of things, too. Right?"

I shake my head with a laugh. "I'm no Juno Bianchi or Hadria Imperioli. Don't get me wrong, I'm very good at what I do. But I'm not looking to crown myself." I stand, stretching, and look down at Nik, who is still regarding me with thoughtful eyes. "Well, bodyguard, have a front-row seat to the Colombo Family politics tonight. There's an event, and both Vince and Larry will be there. You can see for yourself what we're dealing with."

Nik raises an eyebrow. "An event? What kind of event?"

"Oh, you know," I say, very aware of Nik's eyes on me as I stretch again, "just a little poker game. Nothing too fancy. Just the who's who of the Vegas criminal underworld, all dressed up and pretending to be respectable citizens."

"Great," Nik mutters.

I can't help but laugh. "Welcome to my world, darling. Hope you brought something to wear."