Page 83 of The Scarab's Game

And if Martine had two armed guards on the other side, it wasn’t a complete secret.

I had to position myself in roughly the right area so my GPS would be helpful. I pulled back from Jenn and cupped her cheek in my palm. “I’m sorry.”

She blinked rapidly, but didn’t flinch from my grasp. “For what?”

“I should have asked if you were okay. Were you scared?”

“Terrified.” She spluttered a laugh. “And I fell, so my knees hurt, but then I saw you…”

“Do you need to sit?” I glanced down at her pants, which were no worse for wear.

“I’m okay.” Her eyes glistened, and she nodded quickly. “But I lost all your money.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. It was so preposterous. The money wasn’t important. She’d found the secret entrance for us, and that was what mattered. “Have you tried roulette yet?”

The roulette tables were near the ladies’ room.Using her again, aren’t you?

“I honestly think I have the worst luck in the world.”

I slid my hand down from her face, along her arm, and took her hand. “Mine’s pretty good. Maybe it’ll rub off on you.”

Her fingers flexed in my grip, and I glanced at her long enough to witness her cheeks reddening. “How do you know the manager?”

I towed her through the crowd, which had thickened since we arrived. “I’ve been here a few times.”

She stayed close to me, wrapping her free hand around my arm. “This whole situation feels like something out of a spy movie.”

I chuckled, trying to keep my tone light. “Oh yeah? Which one?”

“I don’t know—James Bond?” She glanced around nervously. “That Martine woman could pass for a Bond villain or something.”

Hopefully, Martine’s far from a villain.We arrived at a roulette table, and I pulled out a chair for her.

“Although…” Jenn sat, looking up at me with amusement in her eyes. “What if everyone thinks she’s the Bond girl, but it turns out to be a case of mistaken identity?”

I grinned at her. “What does that make you?”

Her cheeks reddened more. “The real Bond girl?”

When the dealer was ready, I pulled out a few hundred euros and placed them on the table. “The temptress? Here to uncover my secrets?”

Jenn’s fingers trembled slightly. She was flirting to distract herself, wasn’t she? To get over what happened?

My turn to play along.It wasn’t a hardship, despite knowing the danger she was in and how much I was keeping from her. If it kept her calm and distracted from the very real threats around us, I’d suffer.

“So, Miss Temptress”—I gestured to the roulette wheel—“where should we place our bet?”

Jenn bit her lip, considering. “If you’ve got the luck, you should pick.”

I winked at her. “It’s not luck, it’s skill.”

Her playful smile faded, and her gaze dropped to my lips.

The wink might have been taking it too far. She’d been open about her feelings for me, and I was using those feelings to manipulate her.

To make her feel better.

That was a supportive thing, right? Not selfish?