Page 362 of Double or Nothing

“Come on, BT,” he says. “I’m not going to be the one making every move this time. Time to turn this into a fifty-fifty.”

He nods to his hand on the seat.

It feels so good to slide my fingers across his. He closes his hand around mine and the simplicity of the contact almost undoes me. Fuck, I need this.

“You like Eli, don’t you?” he says. “Most people find him terrifying.”

“He is terrifying. He’s got the air of a man who could challenge a person’s entire outlook on life without changing his tone.”

“That isn’t air. He does that. Daily.” He smirks at me. “He liked you too, that much was obvious. He gave you a tour, which isn’t part of his usual regime.”

“Nice to know.” My mind flits back to Eli. Such an enigma. “He called me Someone. What was that all about?”

Jack laughs.

“When I asked to come back to the casino, he wanted to know what the hell had happened. What had been going on.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him I didn’t want to discuss it, at which point he asked who had happened instead.”

I have to smile.

“And now he thinks it’s me?”

“He knows it’s you. He saw my face when you walked into the office. He might be slightly more taken aback when he realises there’s another someone at play for both of us.” He pauses. “Nah. Actually, I doubt it.”

I squeeze Jack’s hand at those words and don’t let go. Not all the way home.

Home.

The tower looks exactly the same. The entry code is the same. The elevator the same. The walk to the front door. But my nerves return with a vengeance the very second Jack inserts his key.

“Welcome back, BT,” he says. “Coffee, or water?”

“No De Chante?”

“Have some if you want. I won’t be joining you, though.” He gives me a wink. “I’ve got work in the morning.”

I take a seat at the kitchen island.

The Toastique Pro remains in front of me. Gleaming with perfection.

“You haven’t used it. The cable is still tied exactly the way I left it.”

“I was saving it,” Jack says.

“For me?”

His gaze meets mine.

“For both of you.”

Alice’s absence moves through the room. Painful.

Jack’s expression hardens.

“We’ll get her back. Home. Where she belongs. Or we’ll at least give her the option. A genuine one.”