All or Nothing: A Trust No One Novel Read online

  All or Nothing

  A TRUST NO ONE NOVEL

  DIXIE LEE BROWN

  Contents

  * * *

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  About the Author

  An Excerpt from The Earl in My Bed by Sophie Jordan

  An Excerpt from Kiss Me by Codi Gary, Cheryl Harper, and Jaclyn Hatcher

  An Excerpt from Adventures with Max and Louise by Ellyn Oaksmith

  An Excerpt from Get There by Megan Hart

  An Excerpt from Vampires Gone Wild by Kerrelyn Sparks, Pamela Palmer, Amanda Arista, and Kim Falconer

  An Excerpt from Saved by the Rancher by Jennifer Ryan

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  Chapter One

  * * *

  Friday, 8:23 pm

  JOE REYNOLDS LEANED against the mezzanine railing and studied the tall blonde entering the casino on the floor below. Cara Sinclair, casually dressed in black slacks, sandals, and a long-sleeved cotton shirt, wasn’t exactly the femme fatale he expected. Even so, she turned a few heads when she walked through the door. No wonder Charlie fell for her.

  Joe rode the escalator to the lower level and mingled with the crowd as he slowly closed the distance between the woman and him. Her smile radiated warmth as she interacted with the people she passed, in direct contradiction to what he knew she was—a cold, callous bitch. Clearly, she was good at her game.

  He followed her as she walked through the uproar of noisy machines and excited people. She arrived with her half brother and his wife, but they split off toward the gaming tables as soon as they walked through the door, leaving Cara to fend for herself. She strolled down the rows of brightly lit slot machines, stopping here and there to study a game then move on. Obviously, she wasn’t a die-hard gambler or she’d have chosen her poison by now.

  Every few seconds, he glanced toward the entrance, then the escalator and the crowded floor, never losing track of the woman’s brother. Red-hot rage shot through him. Brian Sinclair, drink in hand, seated himself beside his wife, Kathy, at a blackjack table. The bastard acted like he didn’t have a care in the world. What Joe wouldn’t give to simply choke the life out of him and save the trouble of putting him behind bars. This wasn’t the first time he’d grappled with that particular urge and it probably wouldn’t be the last, but he wasn’t going to risk the investigation or negate Charlie’s sacrifice for two minutes of revenge.

  His job would be easier if Brian didn’t learn he was here, but that wasn’t the only reason for his vigilance. If the game Brian played was going down tonight, and Joe had every reason to suspect it was, there were still a few key players missing.

  His gaze settled on Cara again as she stopped in front of an unoccupied slot machine, her hand resting lightly on the back of the chair as though deciding whether to slide onto the seat or pass on by. She was striking, her sensuous lips set in a mysterious half smile, and he knew from the picture in her dossier that her light blue eyes held a touch of sadness. Slender, almost too thin, she moved with willowy grace. Her long hair framed a heart-shaped face and fell about her shoulders in windblown waves.

  He pressed against a wall and tensed as a stocky, middle-aged man stopped and spoke to her. Even from here it was obvious he was trying to pick her up. Didn’t the poor sap know she was out of his league? This black widow would eat him alive. She laughed at something he said and touched his arm, her lips moving in reply, and the man walked away, a contented smile on his face.

  “The spider isn’t hungry tonight.” Joe frowned. That wasn’t the reaction he expected from her and, for some reason, it bothered him. Had Charlie been right about her? Was she an innocent victim?

  He shrugged off the doubts that battered his resolve. His plan was already set in motion—he couldn’t afford to go soft now.

  His glance swept the entrance again then back to the gaming tables. It seemed Cara’s brother wanted his wife to accompany him, and he pulled her away from the game they’d been playing. Kathy glanced over her shoulder to where they’d left Cara as Brian whispered something in her ear. She laughed, took his hand, and followed him to the escalator without a backward glance.

  Cara was alone.

  Apparently deciding to give the game a try, she finally seated herself second from the end in a row of four slot machines. One empty seat remained. Joe pushed away from the wall and walked toward her. He’d do whatever was necessary—charm, bully, or even abduct the woman if that’s what it took to keep his promise. No way in hell would he let Charlie down again.

  Six years had passed, but Joe remembered well the bite of the leather strips that cut into his wrists and the cruel blows of his captors as they forced him to kneel in the sandy shale with a rag tied over his eyes. A few hours earlier, he’d led a team of five men into the Hindu Kush Mountains in northern Pakistan, pushing through to the Khyber Pass. Their mission—to locate a high-ranking Al Qaeda operative and bring him back alive—was ill-fated from the start. When everything went to hell, he made sure his team got out, but he hadn’t been so lucky.

  He’d never forget the smell of gunpowder in the air, or the excited revelry of the half-dozen insurgents as they prepared to execute him, but what stuck with him most was the coldness of the Makarov semiautomatic pistol pressed against the back of his head.

  He would have died that night if Charlie Dugan hadn’t defied orders and come back for him. Three weeks ago, when it was Joe’s turn to be there for Charlie, he was too late. Anger ground through his gut.

  So he’d come to Lincoln City, on the Oregon coast, with one purpose—save Cara Sinclair’s life. Not because he gave a rip, but because Charlie begged him to while dying in Joe’s arms. His friend would never have approved of his plan to use her to take her half brother down, but the way he figured it, she was at least partially responsible for Charlie’s death. She could begin her penance by helping convict his murderer. If she chose to cooperate, that would be ideal, but he’d be damned if her reluctance would stand in his way.

  Friday, 8:38 pm

  “YOU MUST BE my lucky charm.” The man at the next penny slot machine grinned as the game he played paid off for the second time in less than five minutes.

  Cara smiled politely and her gaze shifted to the game next to hers. The machine she played swallowed her money as fast as she put it in, but she didn’t care about winning. She was only killing time, pretending to enjoy herself for a few minutes until she could slip away to
her motel room without her brother noticing.

  “Would you like to get some coffee?” the man asked.

  “No thanks.” She shook her head without looking at him, her brows knitting in a frown. Her second invitation tonight. Was it written on her forehead or something? I need a man—or maybe—I’m easy. Let’s hook up?

  Her hand was halfway to the SPIN button when his fingers brushed against hers. Jerking away as energy pulsed between them, she stared at him in surprise.

  He flashed a self-mocking grin as he lifted an eyebrow and studied her. “Sorry. Can I show you something?”

  Pointedly, she swept a glance over him then looked him in the eyes. “I don’t think you have anything I need to see.”

  Surprise flashed in his eyes for a second before they darkened. Great! She’d been here all of fifteen minutes before she’d pissed off some guy who was now going to cause a scene and ruin her weekend. Abruptly, she tore her gaze from his and reached to spin again, but his hand came down on top of hers as it rested on her machine.

  He leaned toward her, a smile playing on his lips, and gripped her hand tighter when she tried to jerk away. “I’m sure there are a lot of guys who probably deserve that slap in the face, but I only wanted to show you that if you play all the lines with the maximum bet, you’ll have a better chance.” He removed his hand from hers, pushed the two buttons he’d indicated, and waited.

  His golden-brown eyes sparkled with humor in the dimness of the casino as he leaned back on the seat next to hers. He was thirty-something and tall, with wide shoulders and a powerful build. Well-defined thigh muscles strained against the confines of his jeans, his leg only inches from hers as he turned sideways, and the room seemed suddenly smaller. His features were rough and masculine, his dark brown hair a little long on the sides. He reminded her of an actor in the prison break movie she’d watched last weekend on TV. Cara swallowed the dismissive remark she intended to use—in case the resemblance wasn’t just by chance.

  “Worth a shot, I guess.” With a shrug, she spun and lost. But now she wasn’t losing just a penny… she lost four dollars. Fine—she’d play out the rest of her credits and go find a new machine, away from this guy who couldn’t mind his own business.

  She scanned the smoke-filled room. Where had Brian and Kathy disappeared to? It’d be nice to have an interruption from her big brother about now. He’d talked her into this trip, convincing her she spent entirely too much time alone, yet disappeared within minutes of their arrival. He was right, of course. She preferred being alone and had no desire to go out among people—not after… everything.

  She hit the RE-SPIN button, which automatically duplicated the previous bet. Her machine lit up and a cacophony of sirens and clanging bells joined a loud, continuous ker-chunk, reminiscent of the old-fashioned slots dispensing coins into a metal tray. Everyone within shouting distance stopped what they were doing and stared.

  “There you go,” the man next to her said. “You won three hundred dollars.”

  “What?” Cara stared at the machine, hoping the clamor would end soon. Winning was more embarrassing than losing.

  “Now, if I were you, I’d cash out and start over.”

  “Okay. Thanks for your help.” She fully intended to start over on the other side of the casino, but it wouldn’t hurt to be polite, even if the man did intrude on her personal space. He was probably expecting an apology, but she’d be damned if she’d go that far.

  “Normally I’d collect a commission, but have a cup of coffee with me and we’re square. You can buy.” He cashed out on his machine and stood, unfolding his long frame to well over six feet.

  Oh no. Now what? He’d played her, and she walked right into his trap. Amusement danced in his eyes, daring her to refuse—and she had every intention of doing just that. He was smooth, and self-assurance twisted his lips into a grin as he studied her. Somehow the words she needed to send him away escaped her. She sighed. One cup of coffee with the man was probably harmless enough. Besides, there were people everywhere. It wasn’t like she’d be alone with him.

  “Okay. A cup of coffee.” She grabbed the winning ticket her machine spat out and stood.

  He laid his hand on her back to guide her to the café on the other side of the escalator, just outside the rows of slot machines. They found an empty booth. The waitress brought water, and they ordered coffee. He never took his eyes from Cara’s face, studying her as though he could read her thoughts. She met his gaze, hoping he couldn’t tell she was as nervous as a teenager, despite her twenty-seven years.

  “Are you here alone?”

  “Good question—if you’re a serial killer.” She laughed to take the edge off her half-serious comment. “I’m here with my brother and his wife.”

  “Don’t tell me. You’re supposed to meet them in five minutes so there’s no time to have my way with you?” He mimicked an evil laugh.

  “I was going to say that.” She shrugged as heat crawled up her neck.

  “That’s smart. Women need to be careful.”

  “Now, see—I was hoping you’d deny being a serial killer.”

  He laughed and reached across the table to cover her hand. His touch left her oddly breathless, and she tugged to free her hand, but he wouldn’t let go.

  “I promise you’re safe with me.” The humor in his eyes was gone, replaced by an earnestness that drew and held her gaze.

  His statement was logically unsound, but all she could do was nod as she stared at him. His hand warmed hers, and the heat spread upward from her neck into her cheeks. She should move… get up and leave. This was insane. She knew nothing about this man, but his hand on hers soothed her somehow, and his eyes, staring at her lips, made her knees weak. What was wrong with her? She was acting like a schoolgirl. Averting her eyes, she silently wrestled the languid slowness settling in her limbs.

  “We might have something worth exploring here.” He leaned forward in the booth. “Are you up for a little research?”

  “What kind of research?” She eyed him warily.

  He still held her hand, probably so she wouldn’t run away, but he needn’t worry. The heat spread through the rest of her body, and his voice, lowered to a silky murmur, kept her in her seat.

  “Let’s get away from here—go somewhere. Have dinner with me.” It was more a command than an invitation.

  Cara snorted, shrugged off the spell his words had cast, and tried to yank her hand away. “That’s not happening.”

  He held on to her firmly, but gently. “Hear me out. We’re both from out of town. Right?” He didn’t wait for her to agree. “There’s something between us. I know you feel it too.” He held up his hand to stop her when she would have protested. “Let’s both take a chance and see what happens. Have dinner with me… someplace away from all this.” He jerked his head toward the games and the animated patrons feeding money into them. “Then we’ll go for a walk, or whatever you’d like to do. It’s just dinner. That’s all. Unless you care to share something else.” The eyes that met hers were speculative. “Naturally, I won’t turn down a good-night kiss, or your phone number.” A crooked grin settled on his face. “We might find out we’re crazy about each other. If you don’t give me a chance, we’ll never know. Aren’t you just a little curious?”

  She was all curiosity at this point, about this guy and why he thought she’d leave the relative safety of the casino and go anywhere with him. Yet his offer intrigued her, and she was drawn to this man she’d never laid eyes on before… and that both terrified and excited her. Was it foolish to agree? If she didn’t, would she always wonder?

  His teasing grin challenged her, and she’d always been a sucker for a dare. It wasn’t just his rough-hewn features, or his subtle scent of spice and leather, that attracted her. He exuded an intensity that spoke of intelligence, passion, and power. Someone who knew what he wanted and obviously excelled at convincing those around him to comply. All qualities that should send her running in the opposite di
rection, especially in light of the past three years.

  Was it anticipation or uneasiness that made the shiver run up her back? Good Lord! She actually wanted to accept his invitation. Was she crazy? A man could easily hide his ugly, violent side. She learned that lesson the hard way. It was completely mad to leave here with him.

  His shrewd smile told her he was sure he’d convinced her. Maybe he was a little smoother than she’d thought. There was a fine line between a confident man and an arrogant jerk, and the scales just tipped the wrong way.

  “Nice try, but no thanks.” She tugged her hand from beneath his.

  “Why not?” He grew serious again as his gaze swept her face.

  “So many reasons. Let’s start with… I don’t know you.”

  “Get to know me… over dinner.”

  “I keep wondering what possible reason you could have for trying to pick me up, here of all places. Are you attracted to women with gambling problems and nicotine addictions?”

  He chuckled and looked a little embarrassed. “Did you ever stop to think I might not make a habit of picking up women? Maybe I’m attracted to you because you have a drop-dead gorgeous smile, which you don’t use often enough, by the way, and mesmerizing blue eyes that haunt me even when I look away. Or just because you’re nice.”

  “We only met ten minutes ago. You don’t know anything about me.”

  “We could fix that… over dinner.” He leaned casually back, stretching his long legs under the table. The little-boy-last-to-get-picked-for-the-team look he shot her was almost enough to make her reconsider. Man, this guy didn’t give up. She dragged her eyes away from his.

  “I should get back.” She threw some money on the table and scooted from the booth.

  He stood too. “Wait. I don’t even know your name.”

  “I think it’s better that way. Don’t you?”

  “Come on… let me have something to remember you by. Please don’t make me beg.” He smiled beguilingly as he matched her stride.

  “Cara… my name is Cara.” She sighed, annoyed.