by Winters, KB
Something dark flashed in Mace’s eyes, but he covered it quickly and replaced it with a wide smile. “No shit? You’re the new card girl taking Fiona’s place?”
I nodded. “Is that so unbelievable?” Fiona? I guessed that was why there was an opening. Fiona must have quit her job. I’d done just as Kat had advised, gotten all dolled up in a sky blue silky spaghetti strap dress that did wonders for my eyes and skimmed mid-thigh, then paired it with comfortable but sexy nude stilettos. Classy, if I did say so myself, but not provocative. Or inviting.
Mace’s brown eyes gave my body a slow perusal, ignoring Jasper’s push or growl of warning. “Not unbelievable at all, Nessa. Just can’t believe I get such a pretty view for the whole night.”
Though he was big and an even bigger flirt, I didn’t feel threatened by Mace. “Wow, you are quite the charmer aren’t you, Mace?”
“I’ve been known to charm a lady or two,” he said with a suddenly shy smile. “Come on in, Nessa. I’ll introduce you to the guys.”
“The guys?”
“Yep,” Jasper said, coming up on my other side with a slightly friendlier look on his face. “Mace is one of our security guys, and he’s the one who handles the money, so you’ll see him close up most of the night. The rest are inside.”
When Jasper relaxed, if that was what he was doing, he wasn’t quite so intimidating and was kind of handsome.
“Oh,” I sighed. “Okay.” For some reason I thought this would be a more informal operation with a few guys in white button down shirts and batons. But this was the Ashby family. I should have known better. “The guys. Sure.”
“Don’t be nervous, none of us bite. Jasper won’t let us,” Mace said as he opened a metal door that led to another metal door that only opened when the door behind us was closed, leaving me sandwiched between two big intimidating guys with muscles that went on for days. “These doors are to protect us as well as the players, but someone will be at the front door at nine sharp on game nights.”
A loud click echoed in the small space, and Mace pulled the door open before motioning me through, Jasper so close behind me I could feel the heat of his body. “Uh, where to?”
He put a hand to the small of my back, the move so gentle and protective I thought maybe I was wrong about him. Maybe the tough guy thing was due to the nature of his work. I knew better than most that often the biggest, baddest guys around were also the gentlest.
“Right this way,” he said.
I looked around like a poor relative coming to stay at the palace. The carpet was a deep shade of red that complemented the dark leather and chrome look of two large tables set up about fifteen feet apart. The chairs were pure luxury with high backs and plush seats. Kat had told me they were meant to keep the players at the table for as long as possible. There was a long, fully stocked bar at the far end of the room and a good looking man with a bald head stood behind it with his arms folded, looking intimidating as hell.
“That’s Hulu,” Mace said and pointed at the bald guy with cool gray eyes that sized me up the closer we got to the bar. “This is Nessa, the new card girl.”
“Nice to meet you,” I told him, suddenly my shy self again. I stuck my hand out awkwardly and his much bigger hand covered it easily, his grip strong.
“You too, Nessa. Just call out if anyone gets out of line. They won’t because I’m very intimidating,” he said with a playful grin, “but still.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
“Welcome to the fam.” He winked and again, it was only mildly flirtatious. I felt at ease.
“Oh, thank you, Hulu.”
“Next,” Jasper said, his voice an annoyed growl as he pulled open a small door that revealed a surveillance room with half a dozen screens. “This is Evan. Evan this is Nessa.”
Evan looked up with a blank expression that made his golden eyes appear even more eerie, despite the floppy brown curls that made him seem almost…normal. “Nice to meetcha, Nessa.”
“You too, Evan.” He was, apparently, a man of a few words. Either that or he’d already decided he didn’t like me.
“Normally Provo is in here, but he’s running late,” Mace added as he guided me out of the tiny room.
“I know Provo. He and Lance served together.” They were friends for a long time, and Lance’s death hit him almost as hard as it had me.
“Right,” Jasper said in a low tone. “And this is where you’ll do all the money changes, but don’t worry because Mace will always be at your side when that happens.”
“Okay. Is there a limit or something I need to know about?” I didn’t want to make any mistakes because it just wasn’t my style, but also because I didn’t know how harsh the penalties were for mistakes with this organization.
“Mace will handle all of that. Your main job is to keep the players entertained. Keep the drinks coming, laugh and joke with them, flirt with them but not too much. The players are rich and used to getting what they want, so be careful.”
His green gaze was serious as hell and I nodded, taking in every word.
“Okay. Got it. So this is kind of a hostess gig? I can do that.”
I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince them or myself, but I pushed my shoulders back and stood a little taller. “You can count on me, Jasper.”
“I know.” His words came so easily, so sincerely that it took me off guard. “If you need anything, Mace is your man. See you later.” Jasper turned and walked away with nothing but a look that spoke about a thousand words to Mace before he did.
“Don’t worry about, Jasper. His bark is way worse than his bite, but he only bites when necessary. He’s just kind of gruff.”
Mace’s words helped me relax, and later when twenty players showed up, I had my game face on.
Ready to entertain.
The night went off without a hitch, at least I thought it did. Provo arrived and gave me a quick nod, but nothing more to show we were friends outside the card room.
The players mostly ignored me after a quick introduction, other than to ask me for another drink. It was an uneventful first night, and I was grateful. And nervous.
The amount of money at the tables was staggering. In addition to big ass piles of Ashby chips, plenty of the players had side bets going with stacks of cash on the table. All of that money made me nervous but the truth was, I didn’t know shit about nerves until the night was over.
And it was time to cash everyone out.
“That’s our cue, sweetheart.” We made our way back to the cash out station that eased my nerves a little. Despite the big money players, the Ashbys hadn’t skimped on security, with a two-inch thick bulletproof glass between us and them. That and the fact that the security guys wore long guns made me feel safe.
“Just take the chips and hand them to me, same with the cash. I’ll do the rest and hand it back to you. Got it?”
“Yep. How are you so calm?”
Mace shrugged. “It’s just money, darlin’. The machine does all the work and these guys know better than to start shit. Just be cool. Everyone loves hot chicks handing them cash.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Even the other hot chicks?”
“Damn straight. Women like beautiful things. And cash. You’re giving them both. What’s not to be happy about?”
I let out a laugh and shook my head. “You make a good point, Mace. Thanks for making my first night a lot less nerve-wracking.”
“My pleasure. Now let’s get to it. I have a date later.”
“Tonight?” I shook my head. It was well past midnight. Who went on a date this time of night? “Sounds like a booty call.”
His good-natured laugh assured me I hadn’t offended him as I took my seat behind the glass. “It’s Vegas, baby! Well, Vegas adjacent and plenty of people work odd hours, so we date when we can.”
“That makes sense. Have a good time.”
He blinked in surprise. “Thank you, Nessa.”
The cashing out part of the
evening went off without a hitch, even though my heart raced like it had the first time Lance missed a check-in phone call on his first overseas mission. But just like then, my heart slowed eventually, and I got used to handling what I learned was hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time. “That makes me wish I smoked.”
“You’re officially off the clock, so there’s no harm in having Hulu pour you a stiff drink.”
That sounded wonderful. “I still have to drive home where I have a bottle of Gentleman Jack waiting for me, and I really don’t want a DUI.”
“One of us will be happy to drive you home, Nessa. We take care of our own.”
“That’s sweet, but I need to unwind, over analyze, and prepare to do it all again tomorrow night. At the end of the night tomorrow, I’d like to have a drink and learn about your name and those gorgeous tattoos.” I realized how that sounded and quickly added, “And your date.”
Mace wagged a thick finger at me and grinned innocently. “A gentleman never tells.”
“Oh, please. I spent most of my life with military men; they always tell.”
A booming laugh erupted out of Mace, startling me for a moment. “Okay, fine, a gentleman never tells a lady.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, then you can just tell me whether or not you like her and want to see her again. Or him,” I rushed to add.
“I like the ladies, and they love me,” he added with a laugh to show he wasn’t offended.
“Glad to hear it.” I grabbed my little clutch that held keys, lip balm, my ID and cash, and made my way toward the exit. “Have a good night guys. See you tomorrow.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Evan’s deep voice bellowed across the game room, scaring the crap out of me, and I stopped in my tracks.
“You deaf, new girl?”
What in the hell was this guy’s problem? I turned slowly until my gaze connected with angry golden eyes I didn’t understand.
“Did I forget something?” I hated the way my voice wobbled and my eyes stung with tears I refused to shed. “What?” I looked around at the four sets of eyes watching me like I’d walked out with a stack of chips.
“Don’t be an asshole, Evan.”
Hulu glared at him and shook his head.
I looked to Provo, who I figured would be a friendly face since he’d eaten dinner at my table at least a hundred times over the years. “Well?”
Mace made his way toward me, a sympathetic grin stretched tight across his face. “Don’t leave without having one of us walk you to your car.”
The guys passed a look around between them, like it was some sort of secret code.
“Look, I can take care of myself…”
But before I could finish my sentence, Mace interrupted me with a fierceness that made me back against the door.
“It’s a safety issue,” he said, his smile melting away, “and we take it pretty seriously around here.”
“Oh,” I blinked rapidly willing tears not to fall because I didn’t want to seem weak, a leftover response from growing up in an ultra-conservative, super-controlling household where every loud yell, every bellow meant trouble. And tears.
“I didn’t know.” This wasn’t personal. They were serious. “No one said…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Provo said in a soft tone. “Evan’s just an asshole.”
“Had a thing for Fiona,” Hulu added quietly, but not so quiet that I didn’t hear, which only fueled my curiosity about why anyone would leave such an easy and lucrative job with no notice at all.
“Shut the fuck up,” Evan growled and against my will, I jumped in fear. Again.
“Okay well, can you walk me to my car, Mace?”
“Sure thing, Nessa. Let’s go.”
“Good night,” I practically whispered and waited as close to the door as possible. I heard that bottle of Gentleman Jack calling my name more than ever.
It was one hell of a first day, and like I told Mace, I needed time to regroup.
And get ready to do it all again tomorrow night.
Mace waved goodbye as I buckled up and started the ignition. I pulled away but when I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw a black Tesla turn and drive out through the other exit.
Was that Emmett? Couldn’t be. There were hundreds of black cars in the casino’s parking lot.
Chapter Seven
Emmett
Vanessa was a card girl for the underground games, and even though I had no right to have an opinion on the matter, I hated it. I really fucking hated it. For the last three hours I’d been pacing the floor of my apartment trying to figure out a way to put a stop to it. After all the time she’d spent with Kat and Maisie the last few months, I figured she might take a job at one of the casinos, maybe even doing books at a whorehouse, but no, after what had happened with Fiona, here she was, a fucking card girl.
Sweet and shy Vanessa would be mixing and mingling with the rich and reckless, putting smiles on their faces and probably—almost certainly—being a good luck charm for a player or two.
And I was jealous as fuck. She’d stuck in my mind, my gut since that night driving home from Kat’s.
And that wasn’t the worst part of it. Nope, the worst part of all was what had happened to Fiona. She was dead. Raped, mutilated and murdered, right in front of our eyes. Even though we didn’t know exactly why yet, there was no question that her connection to the Ashbys was the reason. I’d never be able to unsee that horrible sight, and I’d never forget it.
A quick look at the clock told me Vanessa was probably an hour into her shift, and I couldn’t help but wonder how she was doing. Mace would keep his eye on her, and she already knew Provo. Hulu was a jokester and could put anyone at ease, but Evan was a gruff son of a bitch whose relationship with Fiona was an open secret.
They would keep Vanessa as safe as they could, but Fiona probably thought the same thing and she was getting buried Sunday morning.
I have to go to her and keep her safe. That was my first instinct as the clock struck eleven, but I knew it wasn’t possible. Spectators weren’t allowed at the games, not since some idiot had gotten it into his thick skull to rob the game and the players—which meant robbing the Ashbys—and met a quick and brutal end. And since the whole fiasco with Ravager went down, which I felt responsible for, I was in no position to ask for a favor like entry into the high stakes game room.
Or the game. I made real good money working for the Ashbys, but not the kind of money that would allow me entry into the six-figure buy-ins. Though I could touch the money I’d made on Ravager’s fight, which I felt guilty about having and hadn’t touched since it was deposited into my account. It was enough to secure a buy-in so I could keep an eye on Vanessa, but that was only if I could get Jasper to approve, which he wouldn’t. Besides all that, the banks were closed, which left me firmly out of fucking options.
Still, I couldn’t help but think about poor Fiona, who was just a bubbly girl with a toothy grin and a wicked sense of humor. And now she was dead. It made me feel bad for not telling Vanessa the truth when she rang me up to tell me all about her new job.
She needed to know the truth. I knew the one person who could help, but whether he would or not was another story. Still, I had to try, so I picked up the phone and dialed.
“What’s up, bro?” From the lack of background noise, I knew I’d caught Terry at home. He sounded happy and relaxed, something that had everything to do with his newfound love with Kat, I was sure.
“Hey man, I need to ask a favor.” I hated asking anyone for favors, especially Terry since he’d done so much by bringing me along with him to Ashby Manor that first time, but this wasn’t for me.
Not really.
“Must be serious if you’re asking for help.”
“It is. Can you spot me the buy-in for the game tonight or tomorrow night?”
The line went silent for a long time, nearly a full minute, and I thought maybe he’d just ended he call. But that wa
sn’t Terry’s style. He came across as joking and carefree, but it just helped conceal his thoughtful, ruthless nature.
“Spot you? Does that mean you can actually pay me back?”
“I can,” I answered vaguely. He didn’t need to know about the Ravager bet if Jasper or Sadie hadn’t told him, since it was impossible they didn’t know.
“So, can you?”
“That depends on why you’re suddenly so eager to play again. Wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain card girl, would it?”
His laughter sounded down the line and I rolled my eyes but kept my frustration to myself.
“Maybe. Does it matter?”
“Sure it does. You two have been spending a lot of time together. Call it fraternal curiosity.”
“Bullshit,” I spat at his teasing. “Will you help me, or won’t you?”
I knew, as soon as the words were out, my tone had been a mistake. Terry was no fool. He’d sniff my motives out in no time.
The background went silent, and I knew he’d been sitting with Kat and had moved to another room for privacy.
“What’s going on Emmett? And don’t lie to me.”
I thought about lying or giving him a vague version of the truth, but in the end, I went with the truth. “I need to talk to Vanessa. Let her know.”
“Know what, exactly?” The steel in Terry’s tone told me we were headed for an argument, which I didn’t want.
“Don’t act stupid, Terry. You know exactly what. Fiona! She needs to know.”
The urgency in my voice wouldn’t do me any favors, but the more I thought about it, the more worried I became for Vanessa.
“No, Emmett, don’t be stupid. What good will it do Vanessa to know the girl who had her job before her was killed? We don’t know who killed her yet, or why.”
I scoffed and shook my head, scraping a hand down my scruff in annoyance. By now I’d paced a hole in the floor of my living room.
“We know it wasn’t a random crime or a robbery gone wrong.”
If the act of cutting out her tongue wasn’t a dead giveaway that her death was Ashby-related, sending the video of the murder to the head of the family certainly was. Until Terry and the others had more information, I knew in my heart that Vanessa wasn’t safe.
