23. Brie

CHAPTER 23

Brie

The Golden Sands never sleeps, but 8 a.m. is never its busiest time—not for our guests, anyway. But it is a good time to catch staff, such as Sophie Johnson. And that's the time we pick the next morning, leaving Holden out at the Solara house working on the security footage. I've never used the tech in the security room much, except to check the cameras now and then, but now I'm glad Terry insisted on it, and had it filled with the kind of tools and software that Holden seems to need.

I'm intensely aware of Nik's presence behind me as we walk through to the offices. Since last night, something's shifted between us. It's more than just the sex—though God knows that was amazing. It's the way she looks at me now, like she sees right through the carefully crafted mask I spent years perfecting. It's terrifying. Exhilarating.

I have no idea where things are going between us. It feels like I'm riding a rollercoaster into oblivion.

"You ready for this?" Nik's voice is low, meant for my ears only.

"Sophie's smart. She'll cooperate if she knows we know about the missing money."

"Or she might try to kill us," Nik points out. "If she's an assassin."

I contacted Lyssa before we drove all the way in again, but got no answer. Still, I feel like the Syndicate would have alerted me to it if they'd found inconsistencies in Sophie's background. We pause outside Sophie's frosted glass office door. "Pretty sure she's not an assassin," I murmur.

" Pretty sure," Nik says with meaning.

I push the door open without knocking, the element of surprise our first weapon. Sophie jumps in her chair, papers scattering across her desk like startled birds. Her eyes are wide, darting between Nik and me. And then she seems to relax.

"Oh, Mrs. Colombo! I…I wasn't expecting you." She hastily gathers the fallen documents.

"I'm sorry if we started you," I say, my voice cool as I gesture for Nik to close the door behind us. "We need to talk, Sophie."

She nods jerkily, smoothing her blouse with trembling hands. "Of course, of course. Please, have a seat."

I settle into one of the chairs facing her desk, while Nik remains standing by the door. "How are you holding up?" I ask, my voice deceptively gentle. "These past few days can't have been easy."

Sophie's laugh is surprised. "It's been…challenging. But we're managing. I'm sure it must have been much more difficult for you, Mrs. Colombo."

I lean forward, placing my elbows on her desk. The move is deliberately intimidating, invading her space. "Look, Sophie, I'll cut to the chase. We need to discuss the casino's finances."

She stares at me. "You know already?"

I nod slowly. "Yes. I know ."

But before I can continue, she collapses on her desk with a breathless laugh. "Oh, thank God , I'm so relieved to hear that. I've been wanting to talk to you, but with everything that's happened, and given the delicacies involved?—"

"You're relieved?" I echo, caught off guard. This isn't how I expected things to go. I glance at Nik, who looks equally surprised.

Sophie makes an effort to seem more somber. "Well, of course, I'm shocked. Naturally. But also very relieved, I can't deny it. As I said, I wanted to talk to you about it, but I couldn't find the right moment."

"Talk to me about what, Sophie?" Is this a confession? A plea for leniency?

She takes a shaky breath, and I'm struck by how young she looks in this moment. Sophie's always carried herself with a maturity beyond her years, but right now, she seems barely out of college.

"About the missing money," she says, her voice barely above a whisper, as though she's worried someone will overhear. "I know you must have questions, but I'd like to go through everything with you first—the numbers."

A memory surfaces, unbidden: Sophie, newly hired, nervously presenting her first financial report to Terry. I happened to be in the room, only because I was curious to see this young, female accountant that Terry had decided to hire. Her hands were shaking then, just like they are now as she shuffles her papers, but her numbers were utterly precise.

Terry had been impressed, said she had potential. "She's got a good head on her shoulders," he'd told me later. "And more importantly, she's loyal. We need more people like her."

He'd trusted her. Maybe I should, too.

"I'm listening," I say, leaning back in my chair.

Sophie's words come out in a rush, like a dam breaking. "Phil Reynolds has been skimming from the casino for the last few months. Small amounts at first, barely noticeable. But lately, it's gotten worse. I've been trying to track it, but he's good at covering his tracks."

I struggle to keep my face neutral, even as my head spins. Sophie and Phil—accusing each other. Who to believe?

"That's a serious accusation, Sophie," I say at last. "Do you have proof?"

Sophie nods frantically, her chair squeaking as she leans forward. "I noticed patterns at first. Discrepancies in the entertainment accounts that only a handful of people have access to, and then I traced the money into a few different areas of the casino, but it was eventually funneled out—and all of it was done under Phil's login."

I'm not sure what my face looks like, but Sophie's eyes get a little frightened.

"I wanted to tell someone," she goes on quickly. "But with Mr. Colombo gone, I didn't know who to go to. I was waiting…I hoped that they might have decided on, well, you know."

A new Don. She was waiting for the newly appointed Don.

I make a show of considering her words, even as doubt gnaws at me. Is she telling the truth? Or is this an elaborate act to throw us off her scent?

"Alright, Sophie," I say finally, my decision made. "I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. I'll look into it. In the meantime, I need you to send me any evidence you can. Discreetly. Can you do that?"

She nods eagerly, relief washing over her face. "Of course. Thank you for believing me. I won't let you down."

As Sophie turns to her computer, already pulling up files, I rise from my chair, smoothing down my skirt.

"I'll be in touch," I tell Sophie, and then, injecting a note of warning into my tone, I add: "Remember, not a word of this to anyone. As far as anyone else is concerned, this meeting never happened. For your own safety, Sophie, as well as mine."

Sophie nods, her face serious. "I understand. You can count on me, Mrs. Colombo."

I lead Nik to my dressing room, which is nearby, and pull her into the bathroom again, turning on the shower.

"What do you think?" she asks me.

I can't afford to trust blindly. But something about Sophie's reactions felt genuine. "We'll play along for now," I decide. "But we keep a close eye on both Sophie and Phil. If she's lying, we'll find out soon enough."

"Whichever of them it is, they could also be a killer," Nik warns me. "You get that, right?"

"Of course I get it," I snap, and then sigh. "Sorry. I'm just on edge."

"You're allowed to be," Nik says with an ironic smile. Her hand floats out, and just when I think she's going to cup my cheek, she drops it again. "We should get moving."

We make our way back to the casino floor, my mind churning with possibilities. But as we head back to the lobby, I spot a familiar figure across the room. Phil Reynolds is charming a group of high rollers who seem to have just arrived from the airport. His laugh carries across the floor, smooth and practiced.

Our eyes meet across the room. Phil's smile doesn't waver, but something in his gaze seems harder. Speculative.

I force myself to smile back, to nod as if nothing's wrong. It's a smile I've perfected over the years—the ability to look a potential enemy in the eye and make them believe I'm not a threat.

But my heart is pounding, adrenaline coursing through my veins. Nik's hand finds the small of my back, a silent promise of protection.

And one thing's for certain: I'm done being a pawn in someone else's game.

It's time for this pawn to become a queen, damn it.