Call My Bluff: A Las Vegas Themed Anthology

by Elizabeth Knox

  “I stumbled upon it by accident when I was trying to ditch Keith one day years ago. Jed, the one who runs it, took pity on me and instead of kicking me out, he let me stay. After a while, I started setting up games and became a part of this world. I gave him more money than he knew what to do with and he gave me a place to hide out for hours, days or weeks at a time.” A sadness enters Kyanna’s voice.

  “You miss it don’t you?”

  “Sometimes,” Kyanna shrugs her slender shoulders. “But I’d rather have my dad and what he’s built.”

  “Why can’t you have both?”

  Kyanna turns and looks at me. Her clear blue eyes are staring right into my soul and all I want to do, in the shadows of this room, is kiss her. Her breath hitches in her throat and she licks her lips. “Because this is illegal. If I stayed here, I couldn’t take over my father’s business. It’s the way it works.”

  Kyanna turns away from me, looking out into the room. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her back to my chest. She releases a small sigh and relaxes against me, causing my cock to stir behind the zipper of my jeans. We watch the players place their bets, the dealers deal the cards. Money being shuffled around, men and women leaving when they’ve lost all their chips after a little while. Then a man steps out of a hidden backroom causing Kyanna’s body to stiffen under my arms.

  He’s as tall as me with slicked back blonde hair, a trimmed goatee surrounds his jaw. His cynical eyes settle on Kyanna and he heads in our direction. Kyanna doesn’t leave the safety of my arms, but I have the urge to push her behind me and protect her from his stare.

  “Jade, what a sight for sore eyes,” he smiles wide extending his hand and Kyanna takes it. He engulfs her in a hug and her body stiffens, returning the hug.

  “Jed, how’s it going?” She steps away from Jed and stands beside me, grabbing my hand. Jed’s eyes linger between the two of us and the smile fades from his face.

  “It’s going well. Keith giving you an issue again? You know I can keep you safe.” The underlying desire in his voice sets my teeth on edge.

  “I wanted to show Spencer a different view of Vegas,” Kyanna replies ignoring his question about Keith.

  Jed’s gaze lands on me and he smirks, “So you’re the up and coming MMA fighter that has everyone talking.”

  “You could say that,” I answer. “Spencer Bryant.” I extend my hand. If he’s someone important to Kyanna, I can play nice.

  “Jed Combs,” he grips my hand and tries to squeeze it hard, but I don’t flinch. I’ve dealt with men like him for years. We lock eyes until he releases my hand. I return my attention to the tables. There are two men left sitting in the center of the room. One looks familiar, but it’s hard to see them from this angle and their backs are to us.

  Jed follows my gaze and smirks, “The final two. The winner here takes home fifty K.”

  “What about the loser?” I ask.

  “He’ll owe his bookie close to one hundred K, if not more when all is said and done.” Jed shrugs his shoulders. He turns back to us, his eyes lingering on Kyanna. “It was good to see you again, Jade. Next time don’t wait so long.”

  Jed walks toward the two players left and greets them both. His eyes keep lingering toward Kyanna and it’s pissing me off. The way he’s looking at her is enough to send the hair on the back of my neck on edge. I crack my neck from side to side, trying to relieve some tension.

  “Come on, let’s go. It was a mistake to bring you here,” there’s something off in Kyanna’s voice. Like she’s afraid of something.

  “Take me wherever you want. It wasn’t a mistake coming here. This is a part of who you are,” I grip Kyanna’s shoulders and turn her toward me. I cup her cheek with the palm of my hand. Her eyes flutter closed before opening again. The darkness surrounding us is intimate and sends a longing straight to my heart. “I want to know everything about you.”

  “Do you mean it?” The vulnerability in her voice does something to my heart.

  “Every word. Kyanna, we’ve only just met, but there’s something about you that draws me in. That makes me want to never let you go.” My eyes drift to her lips when she licks them and it creates a stir in my jeans.

  “Come on,” she pulls me out of the darkness of the room and four heads turn our way. I stutter when I spot my trainer sitting at the table before regaining my footing and leave with her. What the hell is he doing here?

  More questions than answers plague my brain as we step out into the alleyway. Why is my trainer in there? Is he in trouble? What does that mean for me? Are my fights in jeopardy because of this?

  Questions I don’t have answers for run through my head when we hit the Strip. People around us are setting my teeth on edge. Kyanna must’ve sensed a change in my demeanor because she doesn’t say anything. She walks with me, my hand holding onto hers tight. We make our way down the Strip toward her hotel.

  “Can I ask you something?” I ask.

  We stop walking near her hotel and Kyanna turns toward me, “Anything, Spencer.”

  “What happens when someone doesn’t pay their bookie?”

  “Usually the bookie has a certain time for the debt to be paid. It depends on who it is. It could be two days, two weeks or two years. Some are more lenient than others. Certain bookies will make you pay with high interest and others will take it out in other ways. Those you want to stay clear of.” She stares at me with concern in her clear blue eyes. “Why? What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. Just something I was curious about.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise. I’ve never seen anything like that before and questions are running through my head.”

  Kyanna smiles at me and leads me around the back of her hotel. We step onto a swimming pool area and pass cabanas with women in bikinis, drinking and flirting with the men walking by. I look at her with a raised brow.

  “My way of sneaking back into my own home without alerting my bodyguards I’m here. Once they know, it’s game over for us and I’m not ready to end our day.” Kyanna steps behind a cabana and unlocks a hidden door.

  “Lead the way,” I gesture with my hand.

  She opens the door and takes me down a dark hallway then down a set of wooden stairs. The air is damp and sticking to my skin. Kyanna reaches for my hand and laces our fingers together once we reach the bottom. A tingle works its way up my arm and straight to my heart. We walk down another hallway and come to a service elevator. Industrial sized washing machines and dryers are through another door to the left. To the right is another room where workers are folding the sheets and towels.

  “Before we head up,” Kyanna turns toward me. “I’ve wanted to do something since I first saw you last night.”

  She steps into my space and tips her head up. My hands wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to me. Kyanna’s arms lock around my neck and she stares into my eyes. My heart is pounding hard against my chest as I gaze into her eyes. I lean down until our lips are a hair's breadth apart. Kyanna licks her plump lips and I can’t resist anymore. My mouth crashes onto hers in a heated frenzy. I draw her slender body closer until we’re chest to chest. A moan works its way up Kyanna’s throat and I swallow it up when she parts her lips. I plunge my tongue inside her hot wet mouth and savor her flavor. My dick is aching against the zipper of my jeans when Kyanna breaks our kiss, breathing heavily. Her chest rising and falling at a rapid pace.

  “I could use more of that,” she whispers.

  “Then more you’ll get,” I answer against her lips. Kyanna’s grin lights up the room.

  She turns around and pushes the button for the elevator. We step inside and once the doors are closed, Kyanna is on me in a flash. We’re all lips, tongue and teeth. It’s messy but passionate. I need to taste her from head to toe. To savor her sweet flavor. Kyanna hits a button and the elevator lunges to a stop. I almost lose my balance but manage to stay on my feet.

  “What are you doing?” I question, cupping her fa
ce and kissing her sweet lips.

  “Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.” She fumbles with the button on my jeans. Once she pops the button, her long slender fingers dive in and wrap around my hard cock. She strokes my shaft and it makes my eyes cross.

  “Holy fuck,” I breathe deep, steadying my racing heart. If I don’t keep it under control, this will be over as soon as it starts.

  Kyanna continues to pump her hand up and down my cock. She runs her palm over the crown of my cock and uses the pre-cum as lube. Damn, I’m not going to last long. I kiss Kyanna as she works my cock and pops the button of her jeans. Sliding the zipper down, I move my hand into her panties and skim my fingers over her clit. Kyanna moans and my fingers slide further down and find her wet. I tease her pussy with my fingers as I kiss her. I slide my tongue into her mouth at the same time my fingers slide into her pussy. The palm of my hand presses against her clit while she rides my hand. She squeezes my shaft and strokes my cock to the rhythm I set. I’m close to blowing my load when Kyanna tightens up around my fingers and she’s thrown over the edge of ecstasy. The sight is beautiful with her flushed cheeks, the moans escaping her throat, her heaving chest.

  Once she comes down, she drops to her knees and pulls my rock-hard cock into her mouth. She hollows out her cheeks, sliding further onto me. I’m a big guy and make inexperienced girls choke on the first stroke, but Kyanna deep throats me like a champ. I feel the head of my cock bumping the back of her throat. Kyanna sucks hard and I’m done for. I grip her head with my hand and move my hips to her rhythm, fucking those plump lips. Tingles work their way from my feet and travel up my spine into my cock.

  “Oh fuck. Ky, I’m coming,” I grunt through clenched teeth. I look down at the same time, she’s looking up through her lashes and she keeps on sucking hard moving her lips up and down my shaft, coating it with her spit. The sight before me sets me off and my cock swells. I throw my head back; a deep guttural groan escapes my throat and I release everything I have into her greedy mouth. Kyanna sucks every last drop I give her. Once my cock softens, she licks again cleaning me up.

  Kyanna rises from her knees and presses her body against mine, breathing hard. Speechless, I hold her against me. My legs are jelly but I hold us both up. Kyanna looks up at me and grins.

  “That was spectacular,” she kisses me softly before I tuck my cock back into my jeans. She fixes her jeans. “Your room or mine?”

  “Mine,” I answer right away. Kyanna hits the button to start the elevator up and my stomach growls loudly. “That worked up an appetite.”

  “Then feed you, I must.” Kyanna pats my stomach. “I know a great place to eat. How about we meet up in a few hours?”

  “I thought you were coming back to my room?”

  “I think it’s best if we meet up. I have some business to handle.” She looks away and doesn’t make eye contact.

  “Kyanna what’s going on?” I turn her face toward me. Tears are in her clear blue eyes making them a sapphire color. “You’re pushing me away suddenly. Why?”

  “I’m not.” She shakes her head. “I have business to handle. Look, Spencer, I don’t want to make this weirder than what it is. I have some work to get done and you have to train. With as much as I want to spend this day with you, I can’t. My phone has been blowing up in my pocket for the past hour.” She pulls out her phone and there are several missed texts and calls from her father. “What if he took a turn for the worst and I was enjoying myself?”

  “I get it,” I answer gruffly.

  “You do?” She raises an eyebrow. “If something happened to him, I’d never forgive myself.”

  “I understand.” I cup Kyanna’s face and kiss her gently, tasting myself on her lips. “I’ll go to the gym and you go see what he wants. Just next time, lead with that. Don’t push me away and make me feel used because you’re harboring guilt for enjoying yourself. Deal?”

  “Deal,” she smiles and it makes my heart stutter in my chest. “Give me your number and I’ll call you in a few hours.”

  I rattle off my number and she saves it in her phone. My phone vibrates in my pocket. “There, now you have mine too.” The elevator dings and the doors slide open.

  I step out and turn back around, “I’ll miss you. Think of me while you handle business.”

  “Trust me, you’re never leaving my head.” I kiss her quickly and step back. The elevator doors slide closed and a feeling settles deep in my bones. Something is off but I can’t figure out what it is. I walk to my suite and slide the card. Once the light turns green, I step inside.

  “It’s about time you got back,” Jeff’s voice is coming from somewhere in the shadows of my room. I flip on a light and he squints while throwing back a shot of whiskey. “Was wondering if you forgot why you were here while banging the hotel owner.” There’s an edge of annoyance in his voice.

  “I didn’t forget why I was here,” I respond. I step into the room and throw my wallet, phone and key card on the little table. “Did you forget or is gambling so much more important than making sure I made it on time?”

  “I called, asshole. If I felt that you were in danger, I would’ve been here.” Jeff sets his glass on the table and stands up. “Listen, these next few fights will be tough. These fighters you’re going against want these wins just as bad, if not more than you do. So, you need to focus and win. If you lose, you’re done.”

  “I’m not losing. I didn’t work this hard and make it this far to have it ripped away from me.” I clench my fists at my sides and narrow my eyes.

  “Good, remember that fire, that passion and put it toward training. Not on a sultry brunette who can damage your career with a snap of her dainty fingers.” Jeff heads toward the door. “Remember she can ruin you before you get started.” He walks out the door and that feeling when I left Kyanna in the elevator settles deep in my stomach again. Something isn’t adding up. But Jeff has always had my back since the first day I stepped into the ring as a gangly teenager who didn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. So, I have to trust what he says and push all thoughts of Kyanna out of my head.

  Chapter Five

  Kyanna

  The elevator doors slide closed, leaving me alone. I lean against the wall and release a deep breath. Spencer has my head all in knots. I hate leaving him, but it needed to be done. There are other issues at hand and I have to put my company first.

  I scroll through my phone and read the million text messages. Some are from my dad, some from Keith and there is one I don’t recognize. I click on it and my heart drops to my stomach. It’s from a bookie I knew years ago. Back when I was young and dumb and thought I knew everything.

  I read his message and I feel like I’m going to be sick. Spencer is in trouble and he doesn’t even see it coming. I need to warn him. My finger hovers over the call button under his name. Before I can click it, the elevator dings and the doors slide open. Keith is standing in front of me with fire in his eyes.

  “Where the fuck have you been?” he growls.

  I tuck my phone in my pocket and square my shoulders, ready for a fight. “I was out. Not that it’s any of your business.” I push past Keith and he grabs my upper arm in a tight hold. “Let go of me now.”

  “You need to stop these fucking games and act your age, not a horny teenager looking to get fucked.” He squeezes my upper arm hard enough, it will bruise. I hold back a scream and toughen my stance. I yank my arm out of his hold. The dark and deadly look in his eyes is enough to make my skin crawl. He’s lost his mind right now.

  With as much as I want to tell Keith off, he’s completely off his rocker and I zip my lips shut. I know if I instigate a fight, he will come at me with both fists swinging. I can’t let him do that again. I step further away from him and closer to my room. I need to get away from him before he does something stupid. He moves with me. The crazed look in his eyes is scaring me but I refuse to back down from him. We’ve done this song and dance before. Keith doesn’t say a
word. His jaw is set tight, he’s breathing heavily through his nose, making his chest rise and fall at a rapid pace. I have to tread carefully before Keith becomes completely unhinged and I end up hurt because of it.

  “Keith, my dad has called several times. I need to call him back and see what he needs,” I turn on the sweet syrupy voice I’ve perfected with him over the years. “He might need something and I have some work to do before the MMA fights. Making sure everything is set up for tomorrow night. Can you check with your security team about the rules and restrictions for the fighters? Make sure they all know what’s expected of each fighter.” I slowly inch toward my door. Keith remains by the elevator and I move further away. “Then I need to call Abby and make sure we can use her girls for the ring girls. There is too much to be done and you’re right.” I pause waiting for him to come back toward reality and get his anger under control.

  “Right about what?” He growls, raising an eyebrow.

  “There’s too much to be done in order to make this a success. I should’ve been here instead of out. Forgive me for not thinking.” With as painful as it was to say, I knew it needed to be said. Keith needs his ego stroked before he flies off the handle and hurts me.

  He narrows his eyes but his body is relaxing more. “I’m supposed to protect you, Jade. I can’t do that when you’re out fucking a fighter.” Keith only calls me Jade when his mind is so warped that he thinks I belong to him. I don’t. I never have and never will. This tells me where I need to take my next words.

  “I didn’t fuck him.” Not in the way he thinks. Not yet anyway. “We went for a walk down the Strip and got some coffee. That’s it. I swear.” My hand rests on the doorknob. I’m so close to getting out of his path. One wrong move and I’m in trouble but I think I’ve got this. “Besides, like I said you’re right. I need to be here doing business and not with him. I won’t see him again for as long as he’s here.” The lie rolls off my tongue, but it worked.