Trick's Trap (A Singular Obsession Book 5) Read online

  Trick’s Trap

  A Singular Obsession Novel

  Lucy Leroux

  Copyright © 2018, Lucy Leroux

  http://www.authorlucyleroux.com

  ISBN: 978-1-942336-25-9

  First Edition.

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Contents

  Disclaimer

  Titles by Lucy Leroux

  Credits

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Writing as Lucy Leroux

  Making Her His

  Confiscating Charlie

  Calen’s Captive

  Stolen Angel

  The Roman’s Woman

  Save Me

  Take Me

  Trick’s Trap

  Peyton’s Price

  Cursed

  Black Widow

  Books by L.B. Gilbert

  Fire

  Air

  Kin Selection

  Discordia

  Disclaimer

  This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, and events portrayed in this novel are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with someone else, please send them to the author’s website, where they can find out where to purchase a copy for themselves. Free content can be downloaded at the author’s free reads page.

  Thank you for respecting the author's work. Enjoy!

  Titles by Lucy Leroux

  Making Her His, A Singular Obsession, Book One

  Available Now

  Confiscating Charlie, A Free Singular Obsession Novelette

  Available Now

  Calen’s Captive, A Singular Obsession, Book Two

  Available Now

  Take Me, A Singular Obsession Prequel Novella

  Available Now

  Stolen Angel, A Singular Obsession, Book Three

  Available Now

  The Roman’s Woman, A Singular Obsession, Book Four

  Available Now

  Save Me, A Singular Obsession Novella, Book 4.5

  Available Now

  Trick’s Trap, A Singular Obsession, Book Five

  Available Now

  Peyton’s Price, A Singular Obsession, Book Six

  Coming Soon

  * * *

  ***

  The Hex, A Free Spellbound Regency Short

  Available Now

  Cursed, A Spellbound Regency Novel

  Available Now

  Black Widow, A Spellbound Regency Novel, Book Two

  Available Now

  Haunted, A Spellbound Regency Novel, Book Three

  Coming Soon

  * * *

  ***

  Writing As L.B. Gilbert

  Discordia, A Free Elementals Prequel Short,

  Available Now

  Fire: The Elementals Book One

  Available Now

  Air: The Elementals Book Two

  Available Now

  Water: The Elementals Book Three

  Coming Soon

  * * *

  Kin Selection

  Available now

  Credits

  Cover Design: Robin Harper

  http://www.wickedbydesigncovers.com

  * * *

  Editor: Cynthia Shepp

  http://www.cynthiashepp.com/

  * * *

  Thank you to all of my readers!

  Introduction

  She’s a gamble he’s willing to take.

  * * *

  When world-class poker player Patrick Tyler meets his match, Tahlia, in an underground game, he’s immediately drawn to her swift talent and striking beauty. But it’s not long after their meeting that she mysteriously disappears. With nothing but a bloody crime scene as a clue to her whereabouts, she’s presumed dead.

  * * *

  Or so he thought…

  * * *

  A chance encounter changes everything.

  * * *

  Alone, afraid, and homeless, Tahlia needs Patrick now more than ever. Feeling compelled to help, he throws her a much-needed lifeline—a lady’s choice card game. When Tahlia’s family finds out Patrick’s plans, they will stop at nothing to get their hands on her. Will Tahlia be able to protect him from her family or will this game of high stakes end in the most devastating loss?

  Chapter 1

  Trick Tyler glanced over his cards at the beautiful brunette sitting across from him. She wasn’t just winning—she was destroying him.

  He hadn’t lost this badly in ages, not since his older brother Liam first taught him how to play poker.

  Trick squinted at his cards. Three of a kind, a middling hand. He’d won with less, but his gut told him it wasn’t enough. Not against this girl. There was no way to turn this around. He was going to lose.

  Well, I may as well enjoy the ride down. He threw a few hundred-dollar chips on the stack in the center of the table with a flourish.

  Was it his imagination or did his adversary smile? He wasn’t sure. She had an incredible poker face…and an incredible everything else. Trick fixed on her full lips a beat too long before forcing his focus back to the game as she matched his bet.

  Didn’t work. Even her hands were amazing. Huh. He’d always thought long nails were elegant. Now they seemed excessive somehow compared to these neat unpainted ones.

  Trick gave himself a little shake. Waxing poetic on a woman’s nails? What was wrong with him? Everything about this girl was scrambling his signals.

  The only other player, a sweaty middle-aged man, folded with a grunt. He shot them a dirty look before standing and heading to the bar.

  Feeling decadent, Trick threw another grand in chips into the pile in the middle of the table, then peeked at the girl again. She lifted her drink to her lip, sucking it up through a tiny red straw. All the blood
in his head promptly rushed south.

  Trick gave himself a little shake. If he didn’t end this, he was going to embarrass himself. “I call.”

  He held his breath, mesmerized, as his alluring adversary laid her cards on the table.

  Of course. She had a straight, which beat his two pair. It was official—he’d lost.

  “Will you marry me?” The words were out of his mouth without thought, but he wasn’t about to take them back.

  The girl stopped with her hand halfway to the chips. Trick smiled at her. One corner of her lip turned up, but he wasn’t sure if she was smiling back.

  She pushed her chair away from the table. “The last guy I beat wearing a suit like yours didn’t propose. He accused me of cheating.”

  Her voice was like a warm whiskey. He immediately fell in love with the rich buttery sound.

  Trick dismissed her observation about men in suits with a wave. “That guy was a jackass. What do you say to a June wedding?”

  This time, she laughed. Suddenly feeling like a winner, he sat back as she signaled Chao, their host. “Can I please cash out?” she asked him when he arrived.

  Damn. Did that mean she was leaving?

  Chao murmured something and handed the chips to an underling. They were duly carried off to the no-go zone in the back where the count room was located. The brunette turned away.

  “Are you sure you want to go without setting a date? Our children would be the most adorable sharks on the playground,” he called after her.

  She turned and smirked, but only for a second. Trick half-considered following her, but chasing her smacked of desperation. He hadn’t chased a girl since…ever. Even in school, they chased him.

  Smiling wistfully, he watched the brunette go. She banked left, heading in the direction of the bar and bathrooms.

  It’s not the exit…night’s not over yet.

  He rose to his feet, heading to the small dais where the owner’s private table was located. From there, the gangster observed his domain. “Tell me everything about her, Chao.”

  Chao didn’t bat an eyelash, but Trick sensed he was amused.

  “I’m very sorry, Mr. Scott, but I can’t oblige,” Chao said with an emphasis on the name. “You understand.”

  Damn. Trick should have known he wouldn’t get anything out of his crusty host. Chao knew his name wasn’t Scott. One of the reasons this gaming hall was so successful was because of the staff’s discretion. No one used their real name here. If people had the cash and could keep their mouth shut, they were welcome. They, in turn, protected your anonymity.

  He tried a charming smile. “I don’t suppose there’s anything I can do to change your mind?”

  “I’m afraid not, Mr. Scott.”

  Trick sighed and inclined his head. He thanked his host and went in search of his mystery girl.

  All was not lost. Only the most elite players received credit at Chao’s. And judging from the ass-whooping he’d just received, this girl was elite with a capital E. Which begged the question—how had he gone this long without meeting her?

  Trick knew every underground card room worth visiting on the East Coast. The dealers in Atlantic City knew him by name. He was also known by reputation at a fair number of Indian casinos, too. Without conceit, he was considered one of the best poker players in the world. That rare circle was a small community. Anyone capable of beating him should have been on his radar long ago.

  And yet, here he was. He’d been blindsided tonight, in more ways than one.

  Trick ordered a glass of Moutai from the bar, sipping and wondering where his mystery woman learned her craft. Some might attribute her win to luck, but Trick had played cards at a professional level for years. He knew skill when he saw it. Not that luck hadn’t played a part. But even though she’d been the victor, Trick was inclined to think it had been on both their sides tonight.

  Where was she?

  Even his sister Maggie didn’t take that long in the bathroom. He scanned the room, spotting her in the back. His mystery woman was headed in the direction of the count room.

  Not good. Chao and the others didn’t appreciate it when his patrons tried to go back there. Trick rose from his barstool, intending to go over and nudge her in another direction. Preferably to the Caislean, the hotel he owned with his siblings, for a late steak dinner and drinks.

  She was gone. Trick blinked. One minute she was there, and the next she disappeared when two German businessmen blocked his path.

  “Did you see a beautiful girl in a blue dress?” he asked one of the guards blocking the corridor to the count room. He gestured to a point past his shoulders. “She has long brown hair, blue eyes.”

  “Over there,” the man said, gesturing to a little-used side staircase. It was the one used to bring dim sum and other hot dishes from the restaurant downstairs. And the only exit down that way led into a back alley, one even he would hesitate to walk alone.

  She probably doesn’t know. His mind went to Maggie, his sister. He wouldn’t want her walking down that way on her own. Trick quickened his steps, hurrying down the stairs.

  The kitchen was in the process of shutting down for the night. He nodded at two of the line cooks before making a beeline for the back door. A busboy came in just as he reached it.

  The kid nodded and smiled, getting out of his way. Trick shot past him only to hear the distinctive sound of chain-link fence rattling. He was outside in the alley in a fenced-in box that protected the dumpster. She was on the other side, her luscious lips parting as he skidded to a stop on the wet pavement.

  The door between them was padlocked. Had the busboy let her out? Crap.

  “So…how about dinner?” he asked from the other side of the fence, as if no time had passed.

  The girl shook her head in disbelief, a smile playing on her lips. “You don’t give up, do you?”

  “Never been known to before.” Trick grinned, drinking in her eyes. “My name is Patrick by the way.”

  “Hi, Patrick.” She tried not to smile and failed. He grinned at her like an idiot.

  Trick knew plenty of beautiful women. Models, socialites, actresses…Over the years, many of them had graced his bed, but those were lighthearted and no fuss affairs, at least on his part. His feelings had never been deeply engaged. Staring into this girl’s light blue eyes, he knew she could be different.

  “Why do you want to go out with me?” she asked, suspicion clouding her expression.

  He laughed. “Aside from the obvious, I don’t think anyone’s kicked my ass so hard at cards since I was in high school.”

  Her head drew back. “So you’re a glutton for punishment?”

  “Something like that. What do you say? The cook at the Caislean makes an amazing tenderloin filet.”

  She was thinking about it. He could tell. “It’s after midnight. The kitchen will be long closed by now.”

  “They’ll open it for me,” he assured her, deciding not to mention he was one of the hotel owners.

  C’mon. Let the gods smile on him one more time.

  A distant noise made her turn around. Her face shuttered, all expression wiping clean, as she stared down the mouth of the alley. He couldn’t say why, but he sensed something had changed.

  “Sorry.” She glanced back at him almost apologetically.

  Trick frowned. “At least let me walk you home or call you a car. It’s not safe out here at this hour. Hell, it’s not safe at noon.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, starting to walk away before pausing. “By the way, what is the obvious reason?”

  “For me wanting to buy you dinner?” He’d wondered if she’d ask. “That would be the fact you might be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

  Her chin dipped down briefly. She might have blushed, but it was hard to tell under the yellow glare of the streetlight.

  “Well…maybe next time.” She hesitated a second before rushing to the chain-link fence. Trick rushed to grab the links on his sid
e as she stood on her tiptoes to reach his mouth.

  Her lips were warm and soft, but the sweet pressure was too brief. She backed away, leaving him aching and frustrated.

  Impulsively, he tried to grab her coat through the fence but couldn’t hold on. She slipped away and was halfway down the alley before he could blink.

  “You could at least tell me your name,” he called.

  For a long moment, the only sound was the tap of her high heels, walking away.

  Halfway down the block, she turned. “It’s Maria.”

  Then she hurried away, disappearing around the corner.

  Chapter 2

  Trick summoned a lackluster smile for Solomon, the Caislean’s weekend doorman. He went inside, only half-paying attention to his surroundings.

  I should have climbed the fence. There had been barbs at the top of it to keep vermin out, but he should have done it anyway. He was kicking himself for going back out through the kitchen. By the time he exited the front door and made it back to the alley, Maria was long gone.