Sex, Lies and Valentines by Tawny Weber

Author:Tawny Weber
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Undercover Operatives
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

8

SMILING, GABRIEL LEANED back in his chair and arched a brow at the other five men at the table. None of them were looking too happy. Then again, in the last three hours playing poker, he’d won a few grand off them. He’d figured with Danita gone this afternoon, it was the perfect time to cement his spot in the good-ole-boys’ club. He’d found Ham, scared up a poker game and proceeded to do what he did best. Play the game.

So far, in addition to a few grand, he’d pulled in a few enticing hints about the cartel that he figured Danita would appreciate. Nothing, though, that shed any light on who was behind it all. He figured he had another half hour, tops, before Danita returned and put an end to his little fishing expedition.

So the stakes were high. The energy was tight. His hand was crap. So it all came down to the bluff.

Just the way he liked it.

“Your bet,” he reminded Ham.

The innkeeper grimaced, shifting his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. “You used to be more fun to play with, boy.”

“I used to be seventeen,” Gabriel returned with a laugh. “Who’s good at that age?”

He had been. But he’d also been taught young the art of the hustle.

“Kid, you’re killing me,” Ham groaned, eyeing his cards before peering at Gabriel to try and gauge his hand.

“Tell ya what,” Gabriel said, scooping up a tortilla chip full of guacamole and munching with a smile. “I’ll give you a pass on ponying up the call money. In exchange, I win this hand, you talk me up to the boss.”

“You’re a sad, sad case,” Mikels, the big blond goon said with a shake of his head.

“When’s the head honcho gonna decide which of us is best to play leader of this band of merry criminals?” Gabriel asked, his tone as casual as a warm summer day despite having asked the same question four times already. “Doesn’t he need to meet us, get a gauge on our talent in person?”

“The boss has met everyone already,” Ham said, his attention on his cards. “Word will come down in due time.”

“Hey now,” Gabriel protested. “How’d I miss the meet and greet?”

“Quit bitchin’. The best interviews are the ones you don’t realize you’re having.”

Shit. Gabriel forced himself to keep smiling like this new info wasn’t huge. He’d already met the boss? When? Where? Before he’d come to Black Oak? Or after?

While his brain scrambled to list names of everyone he’d talked to since coming to town, his heart struggled against the knowledge that one of the people he’d talked to was his own father.

His gaze scanned the table, noting that a few of the players were as skilled as he at keeping their expression bland. A frown here, a furrowed brow there. Yeah, none of them had been aware that they’d already met the boss face-to-face, either.

“Don’t think the boss is gonna care much about your pretty face and fast-talking, either,” Ham said, still glaring at his cards.

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