Stone-faced, I replaced the pillow, not looking at her. “Why are you here, Ember?” I asked. “Did you need something?”

“Actually, yes.” I looked up and found her watching me with a certain maniacal glee in her eyes. “You can come downstairs with me,” she announced. “Right now. I swear, if I have to watch one more pay-per-view, I’m going to set something on fire.”

“Downstairs?” I repeated, and she nodded eagerly. “To the casino? Why?”

“Because it’s Vegas!” Ember exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “Because we’re here. Because I’m literally going to start climbing the walls if I don’t get out and do something.” She raised her chin, and her eyes glinted. “And because I went to Riley’s room to see if he has any new information on Talon and St. George, and he had already left.”

I straightened quickly. “He’s gone? Where?”

“No idea. I tried asking Wes, but he just said Riley had ‘important things to do’—” she put air quotes around the phrase, rolling her eyes “—and wouldn’t tell me what. Of course, he left without telling us, or leaving any hint as to where he went or when he’ll be back. So much for trusting me, I guess.”

With a sniff, she hopped off the bed, grinning up at me. “So, come on, Garret. We’re in Vegas, the night is young and we have fake IDs. Even you must realize what we could do with those.”

“We aren’t supposed to leave the floor.”

She actually growled at me. “If you want to stay here and mope and be boring, I can’t force you to come,” she said. “But I am going downstairs. The hotel is safe enough. Riley said so himself. Talon and St. George don’t know where we are, and even if they see me, they’re not going to shoot me in the middle of a crowded casino with guards and cameras and people everywhere.” She bounced past me, heading toward the door. “I won’t be long. I just need a change of scenery before I go completely nuts. If you see Wes, tell him I’m looking for Riley.”

I grimaced. “Wait,” I said, and caught up to her in the doorway. This was not a good idea, and I knew this wasn’t a good idea, but I didn’t want Ember to be alone down there. If something went terribly wrong, at least I would be there to help.

She grinned as I exited the room, and I shook my head. “Just for the record,” I told her as the door clicked shut, “this is the exact opposite of the term ‘lying low.’” She shrugged, waving it off, and I followed her down the hall. “Doesn’t gambling cost money?” I asked as we neared the elevators. “How are you going to pay for anything?”