Chapter Five

C ori

The urge to cut and run again bubbled within her as she and Remy approached the unassuming entrance of the Hunter's Guild Elite Bounty Service headquarters. But a glance at Remy's steady presence beside her quelled those thoughts. His strong hand gripped hers, the warmth of his touch providing a sense of comfort amidst the uncertainty.

"Ready?" Remy asked, lifting an eyebrow and offering a reassuring smile.

"Wait," she said, coming to a full stop. "Shouldn't I have a lawyer or something?"

"I'll find you one. But we don't even know what we're walking in on. I was hired to bring you here. That's all I know."

"And you're sure Blackwell isn't behind this?"

"Based on the timing that we discussed, I was hired a few days after your poker game. I was told you were in danger from Blackwell. But John Hunter's a solid guy. He said they weren't going to hand you over to Blackwell and I believe him."

"Okay," Cori said, inhaling deeply and steeling herself for whatever lay ahead. "I trust you."

"I won't let you down." He tugged on her hand until she looked at him. "I'm here for you now, like I should have been when your mother died."

"Thanks," she whispered, her throat suddenly tight.

The door swung open to reveal John Hunter's office—immaculate and organized, with a hint of danger lurking beneath the surface. Just like the man himself. But it wasn't John who caught Cori's attention. It was the last person she expected to see waiting for them, Harv, one of her partners from the poker scam.

"What's going on?" Cori blurted out, her grip on Remy's hand tightening.

"Hey, Cori. It's been a minute." Harv leaned back in his chair with a casual smirk.

"Thought you'd dropped off the face of the earth," Cori retorted, her insides churning with a mix of relief and trepidation. "Last I saw you, we were both five million richer thanks to Blackwell."

"Good times," Harv mused, his gaze drifting to Remy. "I see you've made a new friend."

"More than a friend," Remy interjected, his protective stance making it clear that he wasn't about to let any harm come to Cori.

"Easy there, buddy," Harv said. "We're all on the same side here."

"Are we?" Cori couldn't help but question, her mind racing with all the possible reasons for Harv's sudden reappearance. "Have you heard from Ryder?"

Harv looked concerned and shook his head. "No, I had been hoping you had."

"We'll find her," John Hunter said.

"I hope so," Harv replied.

"Do you think Blackwell has gotten to her?"

"I don't know. Look, the reason I hired Hunter's Guild to bring you and Ryder in isn't just because I'm concerned about you two. I'm an undercover FBI agent."

For a moment, the world seemed to spin on its axis, and Cori fought to keep her balance. She'd trusted Harv, confided in him, and now it turned out that he'd been playing her all along.

"An FBI agent?" Remy's grip on her hand tightened, his face a study in disbelief and concern.

"Yep," Harv said, his voice devoid of any trace of humor. "I've been working to bring down Damian Blackwell for years. We know he's trafficking drugs and women. We haven't been able to catch him."

"Fuck," Remy said.

"Do you think he's trafficked Ryder?" Cori asked. Her hand flew up to her suddenly tight throat. Was that what they had planned for her last night?

Harv shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just glad we got to you before he did."

"It was a close," Remy said.

Cori hoped Ryder got away. She had been brilliant and tough. Cori had been looking forward to working with her again. But Cori had bigger issues to worry about now. Ryder could be in the wind. But Cori was caught dead to rights. "So the FBI knows everything I've ever done? I'm screwed."

"Actually, that's where things get interesting. The poker game brought us closer to him than ever before. You've got a talent for getting under his skin, and we think you could be the key to his downfall."

"Me?" Cori couldn't help but scoff. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Simple." Harv's expression was deadly serious. "We're offering you immunity for your past crimes if you agree to wear a wire and help us gather incriminating evidence against Blackwell."

As the words sunk in, Cori felt as though she'd been doused with ice water. A chance at a clean slate. If Blackwell didn't kill her first.

"I'm in," she said. "All in."

"Good." Harv nodded in approval.

"Wait," Remy interjected, his eyes locked on Cori's. "Are you sure about this? It's dangerous."

"I'm sure," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "I can do this. I have to."

"We can find another way. One that doesn't put you at risk of being trafficked."

Cori chewed on her lower lip, touched by his evident concern. But she couldn't help feeling a thrill at the idea of one last con, one final gamble to free herself from the shadows that had haunted her since her mother's death five years ago. It was now or never. "There is no other way, Remy. It's this or prison, right Harv?"

Harv gave a half shrug. "I didn't want to put it that way, but ... yeah."

"I've got a plan," Cori said.

"Just like that?" Remy asked.

"We set up another poker game with Blackwell."

"Blackwell won't fall for that again," Harv said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Give me a phone and I'll prove it," Cori retorted.

John Hunter passed her a burner phone. They all watched her intently as she dialed the number she used to contact Blackwell. It took several long minutes before she heard his surly voice on the other end. She put him on speaker.

"You got a huge set of brass balls on you, bitch."

"Nice to hear from you too," Cori drawled, the corner of her mouth quirking up in a smirk. She knew she was playing with fire, but a part of her relished the danger. "You're a sore loser, you know that? Sending your goons after me just because I outplayed you."

"Outplayed?" Blackwell snorted. "You cheated me out of fifteen million dollars, and you think I'm just going to let that slide?"

"Five," she corrected. "You lost the other ten million to two other players."

"Your partners."

"Never seem them before in my life."

Harv looked anxious.

"But the reason I'm calling is that I'm willing to give you a chance to win your money back."

"Ha!" Blackwell barked out a bitter laugh. "You must think I'm an idiot if you think I'd trust you to run a clean game."

"Trust has nothing to do with it," Cori said smoothly. "The game will be at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut this weekend, in a special VIP high stakes room. All on the up and up."

Blackwell hesitated, clearly weighing his options. "I want the other two assholes there too."

Harv nodded, but Cori held up a hand. "I told you, I have no idea who or where they are. If you can find them, bring them to the game. If not, it's just you and me. And win, lose, or draw, you stop sending goons after me."

"Fine," Blackwell finally growled. "But the buy-in is twenty million. And if I find out you're trying to cheat me ..."

"Deal," Cori interrupted, cutting off his threat. "I'll call you with the confirmed date and time once everything's set." She ended the call without waiting for a response, her pulse racing with the thrill of victory.

"Damn, you're good," Harv said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'd have thought he'd tell you to jump in a lake."

"He doesn't have Ryder." Cori's grin was equal parts satisfaction and relief. She'd taken a gamble, but it had paid off. Now all that remained was to see if she could pull off the biggest con of her life—and escape with her freedom, and maybe even her heart, intact.

Remy shook his head. "I don't like it."

"Remy, your business here is done," John Hunter reminded him. "This is between Cori and Harv now."

But Remy was resolute. "It's not just business anymore, John. Cori and I are a joint deal. Where she goes, I go."

Hearing those words sent a jolt of warmth through Cori's chest. Perhaps there was a future for them after all, one that extended beyond the perils of her criminal pasts.

"If you're committed to this lunacy," Remy continued, "I'm coming with you as your bodyguard. I won't let you face Blackwell alone."

The concern in his voice tugged at her heartstrings, but she hesitated, unwilling to put him in the line of fire. For a moment, she considered refusing his offer, but the thought of facing Blackwell without Remy's steady presence made her stomach churn.

"All right," she finally agreed. "but only because I know how stubborn you are."

"Then it's settled." Remy's muscles relaxed.

Cori still couldn't believe she wasn't in the back of a van heading towards a maximum-security prison as she and Remy stepped out of the Hunter's Guild Elite Bounty Service headquarters. They got into the Mustang and headed towards Connecticut. They had a long drive ahead of them before they could check into the hotel that the FBI was setting them up in.

"I appreciate you helping me out like this," Cori said.

"I'm just glad it's not too little too late."

"I know it might be a little too early to be celebrating or planning for the future," she said, looking out the window. "And maybe too much time has passed for this to be feasible. But when this is all over, I would like us to pick up where we left off five years ago."

"Five years ago, I was ready to ask you to marry me," he said.

Cori's breath caught on a sob.

"Is that where you want to pick up from?"

She didn't trust her voice, so she just nodded.