Wages of Sin — Michelle St. James

"Warning: Do not start reading this too late in the evening because the next thing you know it will be the middle of the night and you still won't want to put it down!" - Amazon Reader Review

Max Cartwright finally realized he was in love with his best friend -- and now she's gone.

Devastated over Abby's flight from Vegas, Max nurses his loss at Jason Draper's casino, desperate for another opportunity to take down the man who came between him and Abby. At first it's a way to forget, but when his hours at the roulette table reveal a new connection between Jason and DeLuca, Max sees a way to disrupt their partnership for good.

And all it will require is a high-stakes heist.

Abby Sterling should have known it was too good to be true.

Hiding out on a beach in Mexico, she replays everything that happened between her and Max, searching for a clue that he wasn't the man she believed him to be. Then Angel Vitale appears, telling Abby she was manipulated by Jason. Max was one of the good guys all along -- and now he's in trouble.

Back in Max's arms, Abby is determined to help bring down Jason, the man she thought was her friend and mentor. Doing so means resuming her job at the Tangier and feeding information to the Syndicate, not to mention dodging the deadly mercenary Jason has hired to protect him.

When Max makes good on the plan to steal the money being laundered at the casino, old loyalties are pitted against new alliances. Now Max is forced into a confrontation with Jason and DeLuca -- and Abby isn't as safe as she seems.