Chapter One

There wasn’t a single charity event hosted by Zander Kapra—the man who ran Vegas—or his people that Cutler didn’t attend. It wasn’t the man he supported, even though he liked Zander, but it was the actual charity he was currently there for. He felt strongly about the cause. Every penny raised went to help child victims of sex trafficking to start new lives. It was an issue that was close to his heart for many reasons. This particular event was a bit different from the rest. Louder, for sure. Rowdier. Saul Gabris, Zander’s righthand Atlantic City man, had definitely put a twist on the usual boring speeches. Cutler had to admit, a four-night pirate cruise was a fun idea for people who knew how to party. No one knew how to consume copious amounts of alcohol while writing blank checks the way the elite did. It was interesting to watch the upper crust lose their inhibitions.

Cutler had always been a people watcher. He found Saul’s man especially interesting. The guy smiled so much, it was easy to believe he didn’t have a single thought in his head. Yet he had snagged Saul Gabris. That was a feat. Saul was a suspicious, mean, and bitter bastard. The way his gaze stayed locked on the man who’d won him was almost frightening. It made Cutler wonder if the poor guy was safe. He looked like the type to get eaten alive .

While trying not to look obvious, Cutler worked his way through the crowd until he ended up next to him at the bar. He glanced over and pretended surprise. “Oh, you’re with Saul, right?”

Sexy gray eyes turned his way. The smile never dimmed. “Yeah.” He held out his hand. “I’m Case.”

Cutler shook. “Cutler Maine.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Cutler dipped his chin. “Where did you lose Saul to?”

Case pointed toward a group of men across the room. Saul looked deep in conversation. “He’s there.”

Cutler decided to test the waters. Not that Case’s safety was any of his business, nor did he have a plan if it turned out Case was in trouble. “He’s a lucky man. Saul has a notorious temper, yet you look… happy.” Cutler hadn’t truly known where he was going with that. He didn’t know how to vocalize his concerns without incurring Saul’s wrath. Plus, what did he really think he would do?

Case looked confused. “People think Saul has a temper?”

Cutler made a dismissive gesture. “It’s just a rumor.”

Case’s expression cleared. “Oh. Well, there’s a lot of those, I suppose. When we first met, I was warned to stay away from him because he makes people disappear.” Case motioned toward himself. “Theory disproved,” he said with a laugh.

Cutler pasted on his fakest smile. “It seems so.” Before Cutler could say anything else, a too drunk guy snagged Case’s attention. The man immediately turned handsy. Case looked more than capable of handling himself, but Cutler’s gaze sought Saul in the crowd again. He wondered if he should step in. The murderous rage written on Saul’s face had Cutler sipping his drink and taking a step back. A fight would definitely liven up this party.

“What’s that smile about?”

Cutler turned his head at the question, finding a familiar man with a sexy body waiting for his attention. “Anticipating some action,” Cutler answered honestly. He loved drama as much as the next person, as long as it was someone else’s.

Green eyes swept down Cutler’s body. “Same.”

Cutler didn’t think they had the same action in mind. Still, Special Agent Gable Johnson had Cutler’s attention. This party would get wilder one way or another. A naughty CIA agent with a penchant for turning up in his life unexpectedly sounded like just the trick he needed.

Oddly, these reconnaissance jobs were Gable’s favorite. He had always been good at blending in, going unnoticed. He was a bit of a chameleon like that. As a liaison between the CIA and FBI, he did a lot of various things. Sometimes, he might buy drugs from biker gangs. Other days, he rubbed elbows with society’s most elite. That was the case now. Everyone on the list of Atlantic City’s most wanted was in attendance—from the most sought after and richest bachelors to the CIA’s top ten list of most wanted criminals. Those two lists were a Venn diagram, which was also a solid circle .

One thing he had learned about the uber wealthy was they were strange. They loved to party, but they were also bored with everything. That combination led to events like this one: a four-night pirate cruise to raise money for a children’s charity. It was a good cause. The charity saved countless children from sex trafficking. None of these people cared about that. They just wanted to dress like pirates, get shitfaced, fuck, and then they would write a big check. Everyone went home happy… and hungover.

Gable had watched the drama all night while sticking to the sidelines. Then a familiar face had cut through the crowd. Gable’s entire body had gone on alert. Cutler Maine likely had at least ten years on Gable. The last time Gable had seen him had been inside the CIA’s Alabama headquarters, for reasons Gable still didn’t quite understand. A leather jacket had hidden his sexy body. The guy had light blue eyes and a wicked smile that had completely distracted Gable from the reason for Cutler’s visit. Now here he was again… the sexiest older gentleman Gable had ever seen. Gable honestly didn’t know his age. He was likely close to fifty. With one look at him, Gable’s thirty-five didn’t feel that distant.

While Gable had watched, Cutler leaned against the bar, speaking with a much younger man who was too beautiful for his own good. Gable thought his name was Case. While Gable wasn’t totally positive of his name, he was a thousand percent aware the guy was dating the host of the event, Saul Gabris. That was a deadly endeavor for Cutler. Saul had been on the CIA’s radar for years, but the guy was untouchable. His connections had connections. Plus, Saul never made anyone innocent disappear. It was hard to care about the type of people who saw Saul as their last sight on earth. There were just some things Gable had no trouble turning a blind eye to. Saul was one of those things.

As Gable had looked on, Saul’s icy stare latched onto the spot where his man received too much attention. As Saul had headed Cutler’s way, Gable had moved too, in case he needed to protect a CIA asset. Cutler had his own set of connections that kept him out of prison, but he also—occasionally—worked with the CIA on freelance. Gable couldn’t let him get hurt. He had made it to Cutler just in time to see Saul unleash his fury on a different guest. The overly inebriated man had gotten handsy. Gable was oddly grateful for the douche. He had unwittingly saved Cutler from Saul’s wrath.

Now, Gable had the attention of the one man at this party he should avoid like the plague. Unlike everyone else, Cutler knew Gable worked for the CIA. While a vast majority of people there wouldn’t care, Gable still had a job to do. For a moment, he let Cutler’s sexy eyes and wicked mouth distract him. Unfortunately, his prey chose that moment to appear. Gable’s gaze slid past Cutler. “Please excuse me. As much as I’d like to play, duty calls.”

“That’s too bad. You’re eerily good at slipping from my clutches.”

Gable bit back a laugh as he fell into character. He had a long night ahead of him.

Cutler watched Gable transform before his eyes. He rolled up the sleeves of his white pirate shirt, exposing his tattoo-covered forearms. Gable went from bland wallflower to sexy soul wrecker in an instant. After undoing the top two buttons on his shirt, letting everyone see the heavily tattooed chest underneath, his expression changed. No longer was he the straight-laced CIA agent Cutler had met by chance months earlier. He was out to break hearts… or someone’s bed. Pity it wasn’t his.

With another devilish look his way, Cutler watched Gable dive into the crowd. He bumped into a guy who looked vaguely familiar, but Cutler couldn’t place him. Anyone else watching might’ve thought the collision had been accidental. Cutler knew better. He watched the man’s eyes turn hungry. Gable’s gaze swept the man’s body with interest. The pair shifted closer. Cutler’s phone buzzed .

With a sigh, he dug his phone from his pocket. He very much feared it was time for him to get to work too. As an elimination specialist, he didn’t always know his target until he was in place. He was in place.

X: Job canceled. Plans have changed. An agent is onsite to takeover.

That was a bit irritating. He was two days into this four-night bullshit. If the CIA continued wasting his time, he had higher bidders. His phone buzzed again before he had time for his mood to darken further.

X: Pay will be unaffected. Confirmation of receipt is needed.

Cutler’s shoulders relaxed. He was cool with getting paid for a cruise with zero expectations. Now he could relax and enjoy himself without fear he would have to kill the person he fucked. It was a win in his books.

Cutler: New orders confirmed .

His gaze moved back to where Gable charmed his new friend. It seemed this was his target. Truth be told, he was a little disappointed it wasn’t the handsy guy who had accosted Case. Still, Cutler found a barstool and sat. Now that he knew who had earned the wrath of the U.S. government, Cutler wasn’t sure he should leave Gable unprotected. While Gable’s cut body screamed he could take care of himself, Gable was the white knight type. Cutler had no such bullshit holding him in check. He had seen the underbelly of the world and no longer cared if it burned. There was nothing he wouldn’t do. His conscience had been stripped from him a long time ago. Now he lived by his rules for the highest bidder. He would keep Gable safe.