Chapter Three

C ori

Cori took a deep breath as she entered the Babylon Auction House. She was dressed to the nines in a sleek black gown. Her new auburn-colored wig was swept up in an elegant chignon. A pair of diamond earrings sparkled at her ears, and a matching necklace rested against her collarbone. To the untrained eye, she looked every bit the wealthy socialite, ready to mingle with the city's elite at the annual charity auction.

But Cori was here for one reason and one reason only: to con her next mark out of a small fortune. She scanned the room, her eyes searching for her target, a wealthy businessman with a reputation for his less-than-savory dealings.

As she made her way through the crowd, Cori couldn't shake the memory of her encounter with Remy just a few nights before. The way he'd looked at her, the hurt and betrayal in his eyes, had haunted her every waking moment since.

Cori pushed the thoughts aside, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. She spotted her mark across the room, chatting with a group of well-dressed men. She straightened her shoulders and plastered a dazzling smile on her face, ready to work her magic.

But just as she was about to make her move, a familiar figure caught her eye. Remy. He was here, at the auction, looking devastatingly handsome in a tailored tuxedo. Cori felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart skipping a beat. How the hell had he found her?

She watched as he made his way through the crowd, his eyes scanning the room. For a moment, she thought he hadn't seen her, that she could slip away unnoticed. But then his gaze locked with hers, and she knew a shot in the balls wasn't going to stop him this time.

Cori's mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. She couldn't let Remy catch her, couldn't risk him ruining her con. But she also couldn't bear the thought of hurting him again, of seeing that look of betrayal in his eyes once more.

She made her way to the bar, keeping her back to Remy as she ordered a glass of champagne. She could feel his eyes on her, could sense him moving closer. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves.

"Fancy meeting you here," Remy's voice came from behind her, low and smooth. Cori turned to face him, a coy smile on her lips.

"Remy," she purred, "what a surprise. I didn't expect to see you at an event like this."

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes never leaving her face. "I could say the same about you. What are you doing here, Cori?" He slipped off his jacket and folded it over his arm.

She shrugged, taking a sip of her champagne. "Oh, you know me. I love a good party."

Remy's jaw clenched, and Cori could see the frustration in his eyes. "Cut the crap, Cori. We both know why you're here. Who's the mark this time?" He thrust one of his hands into the pocket of his pants.

"Go away," she said, her voice low and harsh.

Remy took a step closer. "Cori, please. Just talk to me. Let me help you."

For a moment, Cori felt her resolve waver. The sincerity in Remy's voice, the concern in his eyes, made her want to spill everything, to confess all her sins and beg for his forgiveness. But she couldn't. She wouldn't drag him into her mess.

She shook her head. "You can't help me, Remy. No one can. This is my life now, and I have to live with the choices I've made."

Remy opened his mouth to argue, but Cori cut him off. "Please, just go. Forget you ever saw me here."

She turned to walk away, but Remy's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. Cori gasped, her eyes flying to his face. "I can't do that. I won't let you disappear again."

She glanced around the room, making sure no one was watching them. "Let go of me. People are starting to stare."

He shook his head, his grip tightening. "I don't care. I'm not letting you go, not this time."

Panic rose in her throat. She couldn't let Remy ruin her con, couldn't let him blow her cover. She had to get away from him, had to finish what she'd started. Leaning in close, her lips brushed against his ear. "Meet me outside in five minutes. We can talk then."

Remy let out a low, humorless chuckle. "Do you really think I'm that stupid? I'm not giving you a chance to slip away again."

She had to find a way out of this situation, had to escape before Remy could blow her cover and ruin everything. But before Cori could react, Remy reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. With a quick, fluid motion, he snapped one end around her wrist and the other around his own.

Cori stared at him in shock, her mouth falling open. "What are you doing?" she asked, her voice shaking. "You said you weren't a cop anymore." Had he lied to her? The fact that the possibility of that cut her to the quick was ridiculous, but there it was.

Remy gave her a small, sad smile. "I'm a bounty hunter."

Cori felt a rush of emotions—fear, anger, and a desperate, aching pain that threatened to overwhelm her. She knew she should fight him, should try to escape and disappear into the night like she had so many times before. "I don't suppose you could be bought."

"No." He looked so disappointed in her, she cringed.

He placed his folded jacket over their bound wrists and walked her towards the door.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking. "For everything. I never meant to hurt you, Remy."

"Save it for the judge, sister," he said.

"I'm being sincere," she gritted out.

"That would be a first," he huffed. "I did some research on you. More than what was in the file that Hunter's Guild had given me. You cleaned out Calvin Doherty, didn't you?"

"That's never been proven."

"I remembered his name from your mother's insurance paperwork."

Cori swallowed hard and didn't say another word.

"Your old man must have been proud of you."

"Fuck you," she said without any heat. Because he had been. He also spent the next five years teaching her everything he knew. And then he went to Rykers. She sent him a cake with a file in it as a joke on his birthday every year.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, Remy. I really did. And I left because I knew you'd never understand that."

They were in the parking lot now. Cori couldn't believe she was finally going to face the consequences of all her actions. She'd be going to prison for a long time. It was oddly ironic that Remy was the one to bring about the end of her crime scheme. And he wasn't even a cop anymore.

"So you know why I left," she said as they walked towards a tricked-out Mustang that could only be Remy's. "Why did you quit the force?"

"Believe it or not, for a similar reason why you emptied Calvin Doherty's bank account."

She gave him a strange look.

"I'd arrest these white-collar criminals for destroying people's lives, and their lawyers would either get them off or they'd be given a slap on the wrist and were sent out to do it all over again. I got disillusioned."

"So you became a bounty hunter instead?"

"Got to pay the bills somehow." He glanced at her diamond jewelry. "Without breaking the law that is."

"I never kept all the money," she said. It was important to her that he knew she wasn't a total thief. "I donated most of it. I've got receipts to prove it. And I only went after people who were corrupt and abusing their money and power."

"Like I said, save it for the judge. Pretty woman like you, a big enough sob story, and the Robin Hood antics? I bet you'll get a slap on the wrist too." He gave her an unfriendly look and clicked the unlock feature on his keys. Sure enough, the Mustang flashed its lights.

***

R EMY

Remy opened the driver's side door of the Mustang and gestured for Cori to get in. She hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out how to get in with her tight dress and high heels. Her movements were awkward and restricted by the handcuffs that bound them together. He considered unlocking them when a black SUV came screeching into the parking lot, its tires squealing against the asphalt. His instincts kicked into high gear, and he reached for his gun, only to remember that his right hand was cuffed to Cori's left.

"Friends of yours?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he watched four men in dark suits jump out of the SUV, stun guns and clubs in hand.

Cori shook her head. "Nope."

"Give us the girl," one of them shouted, his voice cold and authoritative.

Remy stepped in front of Cori, shielding her with his body. "Who the hell are you?"

The man who had spoken sneered, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "We work for Damian Blackwell. And he doesn't take kindly to people who try to con him out of his money."

Remy's stomach churned at the name. Damian Blackwell was a notorious billionaire with a reputation for ruthlessness and a penchant for revenge. If Cori had already conned him, she was in serious trouble. He had been ordered to bring her into Hunter's Guild before that happened.

"What the hell did you do?" he muttered to her.

Cori gripped his arm, her fingers digging into his skin. "Remy," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Just let them take me. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

He still wasn't sure this also wasn't a con. Maybe these were Blackwell's men. Maybe these guys were her backup. "No, you're sticking with me. Kick off those heels and prepare to run like hell," he whispered.

She snorted. "I can run in heels."

"Then let's head back inside. Go."

While the men were closing in on them, Remy sprinted back towards the auction house.

"Shit," Blackwell's goon said and started running after them. But Remy was counting on the last thing they would want to do was to make a scene. Security was tight inside the auction house. They made it to the door just as Blackwell's men reached the stairs leading up. The goons had to slow down to avoid making it look like they were chasing them.

"Didn't want to miss our bid," Cori said to the doorman, not even breathing hard.

He watched the doorman not even blink at her as she flashed her bid card. She had kept up with Remy while wearing those stilts. That was impressive.

"Now what?" she muttered as they walked back inside towards the bidding area.

"Now, I call in some backup." He covertly unhooked their cuffs under his jacket.

"Thanks," she said and rubbed her wrists.

"Don't make me regret it."

Blackwell's men came into the auction area and spread out.

"I think I'm safer with you at the moment," she said.

"Stick close or I'll cuff you again."

"Promises, promises." She gave him a look that was pure sex.

Fuck.

He still wanted her.

Deciding to ignore that for now, Remy picked up his phone and cashed in a favor. The Sentinels of Babylon motorcycle club was a biker gang run by an ex-cop, an ex-Green Beret, and an ex-prison warden. They were active in the community and patrolled the Long Island streets at night. They did other things too. Things that Remy agreed with, but he didn't necessarily want to cross that line. He looked at Cori, assessing her. It wasn't that much different from what Cori was doing.

"Sentinel," Remy said when the gruff voice on the other end answered. "I need your help." He told them what was going on and where he needed them to be.

There was a long pause, and for a moment, Remy thought the man might refuse. But then he heard the roar of motorcycle engines in the background, and he knew the S.O.B.s were on their way.

"Hold tight," Sentinel said, his voice crackling over the line. "We'll be there in five."

Remy ended the call. Cori was waiting for an explanation. "We're going to wait for the distraction and head on out again."

"I don't suppose you can let me work my magic while we wait."

"No," he said shortly.

"Pity," she said. "I hate wasting an opportunity. But I'd hate letting Damien and his goons win even more."

"What did you do to that guy anyway?"

"He's not the poker player he thinks he is, and he's a very sore loser."

Remy winced. "How much did you take him for?"

"Not as much as I wanted to."

When Remy just looked at her, she sighed in exasperation. "I took him for five mil."

"Jesus, Cori."

"And so did my three partners."

"Fifteen million dollars?" he choked. "Maybe if you give the money back ..." he started to say, but she was already shaking her head.

"My share paid off a lot of GoFundMe accounts."

He had no reason to believe her, but somehow, he still did. "How did he track you down?"

"I guess the same way you did. Or he caught one of my partners and made him talk." She glanced down at her phone. "I haven't heard from Harv or Ryder in a few days."

Remy went cold all over. "If he catches you and you don't have the money, he'll kill you."

"If I'm lucky," she said with a humorless smile.

"You don't leave my side," he ordered.

"The money you're going to get bringing me in isn't worth the trouble."

"You don't get to decide that," he said harshly.

"How do you know they're not going to hand me over to Blackwell?"

He didn't, but Hunter's Guild had a decent reputation. "I won't turn you over to them until I'm sure."

"You could just let me go."

But Remy wasn't sure that was possible. Not after being with her and realizing why she had left. But that was something they could address later, once they gave Blackwell's goons the slip.

A loud rumble of several motorcycles fills the air, leaning heavily on their straight pipe exhausts that gave their engines their signature aggressive sound. The glasses on the bar shook from the noise.

"That's our cue," Remy said, grabbing her elbow and escorting her back through the crowd towards the door. Cori, accidently on purpose, shouldered a fur clad woman into one of Blackwell's men who was guarding the door, and they slipped outside while the two untangled themselves.

Outside, the noise was deafening, as ten bikes revved their engines in unison. The thunderous roar set off car alarms in the parking lot. Remy and Cori ran for the Mustang again, but it looked like Blackwell's men were going to catch them before they got there. Except they hadn't counted on Sentinel and his club forming a wall between them. Sentinel shot out, cutting Blackwell's men off from the parking lot. The rest of the gang played chicken with them, swinging chains at the goons, which allowed Remy and Cori to get into the car and speed away.

"They'll keep them busy. Hopefully, we won't be followed."

The sound of police sirens in the distance was another good sign that they would get a big enough head start.

"So what now?" Cori asked.

"Now, I need some answers before I do anything," Remy said as he drove off. He didn't dare go back to his apartment. If they could track down Cori, it stood to reason that it would be easy to track down his home address as well. After a quick stop at an ATM, he drove out to Commack and rented a room by the hour in a motor inn.

"You take me to the most unique places," Cori said.

"Only the best for you." He gestured her into the jungle themed room, complete with a leopard print bedspread and fake vines hanging from the ceiling.