Animal Instincts (Entangled Ignite) by Patricia Rosemoor Page B

for sport.” He wouldn’t lie. He couldn’t help his nature, only how he chose to play out his life.
    “Then why were you there?” she asked.
    Before he could decide how to answer—what would best send her on her way—he was stopped by a beep on his headset. “What is it?”
    “We have some trouble,” one of his security guards told him.
    “Take care of it.”
    “I already tried. There’s been violence in the brothel and now Beatrix—”
    “I’ll be right down.” He turned back to Skye. “Something I need to do. You should leave.”
    But she didn’t look like she was willing to go.
    Wondering if he would have to rescue Skye Cross a second time, Luc waved over a guard. Though he was tempted to tell the man to remove her from the casino, he was certain Skye would resist and possibly get herself into trouble.
    Glaring at her, he told the guard, “Keep your distance but don’t let her get into anything she shouldn’t. Don’t let anyone mess with her. And whatever you do, don’t let her out of your sight.”
    …
    I stepped from the protection of the slot machines and watched my mystery man stalk off toward the elevators without looking back. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. My pulse raced and I was having trouble taking a deep breath. Despite myself—despite all logic—I was drawn to him. The only way I could describe it was a case of heightened animal magnetism.
    A long shiver coursed through me, and I shook away the primal energy and turned my back on the security guard he’d ordered to keep tabs on me.
    I was a little weirded out by the things that had been happening to me since entering the underground complex. Maybe I was home in bed. Asleep. Dreaming.
    Only I knew I wasn’t.
    “Excuse me,” I said to a passing waitress.
    The woman turned, her startled expression seeming to stretch her features a little. But when I blinked, she simply appeared normal.
    “Can I get you a drink?” she asked.
    I shook my head and pointed to the elevator where my mystery man was stepping inside. “Who is that?”
    “Luc Lazare.” The waitress grinned at me. “A real looker, isn’t he?”
    “But who is he? I mean, what does he do here?”
    “Luc’s head of security. And he’s the Boss’s son. If you don’t need anything…”
    “No, but thanks.”
    Boss. The conversation I’d overheard in the habitat—something about the boss and the only woman he wanted was Luc’s mother.
    So, the woman whose life Shade had saved was connected to the mob that ran this underwater casino. As was Luc Lazare, the man who had saved me.
    Needing to know more, figuring I wouldn’t get anything valuable out of Luc himself, I wandered through the casino, the security guard shadowing me, and eavesdropped. I had no clue as to how or why I could hear the thoughts of only certain people—the employees but not the customers.
    How much longer? a dealer asked a waitress who brushed up against him.
    I’m almost there…working overtime to earn it…
    Fear of my unknown power sizzled along my spine. How this was even possible, I hadn’t a clue, but I wasn’t going to let the opportunity to learn as much as I could about the operation go to waste.
    I rounded the table and slowed as I passed a couple of uniformed security guards.
    I heard Cezar lost his temper, almost sent Nik through the dome.
    Good thing Luc was there to calm him down.
    At the reference to my mystery man, my pulse rushed. I pretended interest in the craps game as I edged closer.
    The cops find more bodies, bad for all of us. Someone better figure out who’s responsible soon.
    They must be talking about the murders Shade had been investigating. So the workers I was hearing didn’t know who was running the fights, either. Before I could hear more, someone grabbed my arm—a dark-haired woman wearing a backless sapphire crepe dress. Her eyes were wide and her expression was incredulous.
    “Who are you?” she demanded, her gaze lowering to the sea glass pendant