had claimed me. After I confirmed that a pair of black patten Manolo pumps were missing from my luggage, weâd woken my parentsâ next-door neighbor. Heâd promised to check on Elva and Howard, and after a few minutes, they called. The ringer had been turned off their phone, certainly the act of the kidnapper, a supposition I kept to myself. We stayed on the line while they discovered Aphrodite was gone. Because we were prevented from involving the police, Shana had come up with the excuse that Affie had run off to Galveston with friends in a bout of teenage rebellion and our parents ought not to worry. Mom was incensed, although this fairy tale was nothing compared to what Ben had put her through in his teen years. I ached for Shana that she had to withstand an undeserved parenting lecture from Elva in the midst of worrying about the safety of her child.
Iâd fallen asleep in the bed opposite Shana, but only after Iâd warded off Ben four times. He claimed he was only checking on Shana, but that was so out of character for him I knew he was just covering up what he was really after. Nothing else made sense.
âHoney Bee.â I heard Frankâs voice but knew I had to be dreaming. Iâd been imagining what Ben had on his mind and now it was on mine. âGet up.â
His voice was quiet and urgent, but not quite the tone I wanted to hear from my lover in action. âGet up or Iâll drag you out of bed.â
âUrgh, isnât it supposed to be the other way around?â I croaked, eyes still closed, half hoping this was the beginning of a nightmare I could turn around.
âLater,â Frank whispered, pulling the covers off my head and easing me to a sitting position. âMaybe. If youâre a good girl and do as I say.â
âIâm not very good at that.â I pointed out with a yawn.
Frank bit back a grin that wouldâve softened the worry lines around his eyes. Uh-oh. Sparing a glance at Shana, who seemed asleep, with her back to us, I threw the covers off and tiptoed to the door. Frank followed me, lifting my short nightie for a peek. I slapped his hand away lightly, and he pushed me through the door and closed it with a quiet click.
âWhat time is it?â I asked as I blinked against the bright sky out the picture windows. I stifled another yawn.
âNine,â Frank said, reaching for one of two coffee shop cups on the foyer table and bringing it to me as I plopped onto the couch.
Folding my fingers around it, I savored the aroma of the rich Columbian for a moment. âI think I love you,â I breathed.
âMe or the coffee?â
âThe coffee, but you by extension,â I murmured into the cup.
âRemind me to never come empty-handed.â
âGood advice.â
I took two luxurious sips and, though I was tempted to, couldnât delay any longer. Iâd have liked to, especially since Frank hadnât spoken yet, and that meant it was bad. Frank was frank by nature, and, when he wasnât, it was a sign of trouble.
âOkay, what did you find out from Abel and how much do I owe you for his grandmotherâs next gallbladder operation?â
Frank had to smile. Abel, his friend with the Clark County cops, liked to think of himself as an honest guy, trying to provide for his familyâs emergencies through sharing bits of gossip.
âWord on the street, according to Abel, is that there is a major crime planned for this yearâs Main Event. Vice has been tracking down leads for a month.â
I shrugged, sipping my coffee, looking out the window at the group of hookers soliciting in a way that most people walking by on the street wouldnât catch. Illegalities occurred in the most holy events and Texas Hold âEm was far from holy. In fact, gambling on the game was against the law in most states so the fact that someone was polluting it with a shady deal or two didnât surprise me. I