Read Online Queen of Hearts: (Family Stone #6 Shelley) (Family Stone Romantic Suspense) by Lisa Hughey - Free Book Online Page A

there was something meticulously ordered about it. “Neat.”
    “Yeah. That’s what I thought too.”
    The security guy pulled up the video recordings from the prior night.
    Jack was clearly uncomfortable. “What time did you guys, uh, meet?”
    Ric flushed. “At the bar, about nine.” Thankfully, Jack didn’t ask what time they’d gotten to his room. Because the land speed record for hook ups hadn’t been broken but they’d come close. Their attraction had been that intense.
    “Start at 8 p.m.” Jack requested the security guard.
    They watched the video, scrolling through hours of hotel guests. Several amorous couples; a group of drunk women dressed up for a bachelorette party, the guest of honor wearing a short white veil and a Beauty Contestant banner across her chest that read, “Bride To Be”; one guy with two hookers, one on each arm; and finally at two a.m. a lone man got off the elevator. Before he got to Shelley’s room, Ric knew this guy was the one.
    He was wearing a ball cap with no logo, long sleeves with a paunchy stomach, baggie Levi jeans, and generic tennis shoes. The cap was pulled far enough down that only his jaw was visible. And he’d angled his head so that no usable shots were captured by the camera.
    “No identifying features, tattoos.”
    Ric eyed the way the guy moved. “Stomach could be fake.”
    “Yeah. Watch the way he walks. It probably is.” Jack studied the man as he paused at Shelley’s suite. He didn’t look around, no furtive glances or uneasy movements.
    “Definitely not an amateur,” Ric said which didn’t make him feel any better. Then he barked out, “Hold and zoom in on his hands.”
    Sure enough he was wearing thin latex or vinyl gloves.
    “I don’t like this,” Jack said.
    They continued to watch, keeping an eye on the time stamp. “Guy was in and out in under ten minutes.”
    The man sauntered toward the elevator, no rush, no agitated movements. He displayed no signs of temper at all. At first glance and with the angry words written on her walls, the destruction was an act of rage. However, there was a more calculated intimidation going on here.
    “Shift to the cameras in the casino,” Ric said. From the time stamp on the floor video, they started watching that elevator on the main floor. But the guy never came out. They knew he had gotten in the elevator going down so they checked each floor’s cameras until they found the tape. He’d gotten out on the third floor then walked toward the shops.
    Ric’s uneasy feeling grew. “We need to talk.”
    Jack nodded. “Yeah.”
    “Can you print the best picture of him we can get?” Ric asked the security guy.
    The casino ran the image through their facial recognition software but their database was full of known cheaters and grifters, not work for hire guys like this one.
    “Sure.”
    “Print several copies,” Ric said.
    Jack interjected. “Six.”
    Ric raised a brow. “Six?”
    “Me, you, Con, Riley, Colin and John.”
    “Who’s John?”
    “I guess we haven’t caught up in a while,” Jack said ruefully. “I have another brother.”
    Seriously? Ric’s mind shifted immediately to Shelley. Like she didn’t have enough stuff to deal with. “Must have been rough on Shelley.”
    “Nope. She was the first one to really welcome John into the family.” Jack said proudly, “Shelley is one of the most amazing, resourceful, strong women I know.”
    Ric thought about the woman he’d had sex with last night. She was more than that. She was a sensual, charming, funny, fun woman who deserved a hell of a lot better than she’d gotten lately.
    What was he thinking? That he’d be the one to give her what she deserved?
    Ric shuddered. It was like her pheromones had wrapped around his brain and squeezed out all his common sense.
    They were a hook up, he reminded himself sternly.
    A hook up he now had to protect.
    “I think the cover of you and Shelley dating will work nicely.” Jack interrupted his