Call My Bluff

by Elizabeth Knox

  Now that she was out of the zone her thoughts flew to Joker. Her gaze tracked the ornate wire basket holding her phone captive knowing it was off limits, but craving it just the same.

  Vinnie discreetly herded Daisy off to the side of the room where another spectacular view of the Strip unfolded. The night was so clear she could see the digital clock counting down a jackpot at one of the casinos across the street.

  “Is all going as planned?” Vinnie asked.

  A ridiculous question, because although Vinnie stayed apart from the game, he observed every subtle expression and sound of every player. Who was winning and who was losing. The question was a courtesy and a way to get her to open up about any problems.

  “As you would expect.” Meaning she’d done some fancy dealing letting the winning and losing seem organic and natural. Her standard answer from the old days when they were both coming up the ranks. Him running games in smoky clubs while she cruised the patrons out front relieving them of a plethora of watches and wallets. He’d only let her deal the weekday games then, reserving the weekend slots for the more experienced mechanics.

  Ahhhh, the good old days.

  Chapter Eight

  Joker paced the hallway in front of the penthouse elevator banks. The security guard already gave him the once over, but Joker was used to that. He would’ve thought the guy wasn’t doing his job if he hadn’t given him the fisheye a few times. A six-foot-four guy with a scar cutting through the scruff on his jaw, tats circling his neck, shaggy hair, and his general fuck you attitude usually had store managers, cops and security guards on high alert.

  Joker gripped his phone with one hand while he raked his fingers through his hair with the other. Now that he had a plan of action, he wanted to do the fuckin’ action part. He swiped his phone, glanced at the time, then huffed out a frustrated breath. Three minutes past the meet time, three minutes more than he wanted Daisy with that bastard.

  “You are fuckin’ unbelievable,” Tobias said as he approached the elevator bank.

  “He’s pissed ‘cause for the first time in weeks he thought he was gonna get laid.” Seth shoulder bumped Tobias.

  Sheena rolled her eyes, as Tobias flashed the keycard. “You’re welcome.”

  Sheena backed away from them, and Joker asked, “Aren’t you coming?”

  “Oh no.” Sheena threw her hands up in a dramatic way. “I don’t want Daisy to think I was any part of this nonsense.”

  “Chicken.” Seth grinned.

  “Abso-fucking-lutely,” She admitted. “You do realize how pissed she’s gonna be?”

  “I’ll deal with it,” Joker muttered.

  Joker turned and the three men approached the private penthouse elevator.

  “HmmHmm. You sure will.” Sheena called after them.

  Tobias waved the card at the guard as they boarded the elevator. He didn’t look happy, but he couldn’t deny the card was legit.

  When the doors closed Seth laughed. “That’ll teach him to be so judgy in the future.”

  “Aren’t you even gonna ask how I got this precious piece of plastic?” Tobias slid the card in the slot on the elevator panel.

  “Don’t matter.” Joker shrugged.

  “Just so you know, Helena at the VIP registration desk expects two front row tickets to Jennifer Lopez.”

  “You hit up Helena?” Seth chuckled, then turned to Joker. “She is one demanding woman.”

  “If this goes the way I want, I’ll get her four,” Joker said.

  “What exactly is the plan?” Seth asked.

  “I’ll take care of everything,” Joker assured them, although he didn’t have a fuckin’ clue how this would go down.

  “Now, I’m worried.” Tobias and Seth shared a look, and less than a minute later the doors whooshed open onto the marble foyer of the penthouse.

  Soft music played in the background, and muffled voices could be heard coming from the living area.

  Joker expected some muscle, a guard or a bouncer, then realized that wasn’t necessary. No one could get up here without the keycard. Tobias had definitely done him good.

  The foyer emptied into a room with a large table and chairs probably used for business meetings. Beyond that was the living area. Every room faced the floor-to-ceiling windows and the black night lit by a million LED lights.

  Joker replayed Seth’s question in the elevator. The plan was simple. Locate Daisy, tell her he didn’t want her doing this, and leave with her at his side. Simple. Easy. Two words that never worked out for him, especially where Daisy was concerned.

  Joker stood in the doorway and observed. Seven suits milled around an extensive buffet and freestanding bar while hostesses in skimpy Greek costumes served with fake smiles. Joker hoped they were tipped well.

  Suddenly the room shrunk to a pinpoint as his heart tried to punch its way out of his chest. He clenched and unclenched his fists as Vinnie leaned into Daisy’s ear with his hand firmly planted just above her ass. Oh, no fuckin’ way.

  “That fucker thinks he’s getting away with putting his hands on my girl?”

  This shit ended now. Daisy turned slightly and when Vinnie’s palm moved to her waist he stormed into the room.

  “Joker wait—” Tobias reached for him, but he pulled out of his grasp.

  Seth said something behind him but the roaring in his ears and the growl in his throat made hearing anything else impossible. He and Daisy hadn’t come this far for him to lose her to some slimy Vegas fixer.

  In four large steps, Joker closed the distance between them, and lunged. He grabbed Vinnie’s shoulder and spun him around. His shocked expression was priceless along with the crunch of his jaw under Joker’s balled up fist. The blow sent Vinnie reeling backwards into the other room, but he stayed on his feet.

  Daisy grabbed Joker’s arm, but he shook her off. He sensed the others in the room pressing in closer, but his main focus zeroed in on Vinnie. Joker slammed another solid shot into his face which laid him out. The blood gushing from Vinnie’s nose filled Joker with satisfaction, but he stayed alert. Years of underground fighting taught him to never give up until your opponent went limp or tapped out. He pulled his fist again, and two large hands pulled at his shoulders heaving him away from Vinnie.

  Seth jumped between them, as Tobias held Joker firmly from behind.

  “Back the fuck up!” Seth shouted in Joker’s face.

  Joker struggled against Tobias, but their size and strength was equal, his hold on him tight and unyielding.

  Joker’s vision cleared and the bright light of the room sharpened every point. Men in expensive suits, Vinnie struggling to his feet, and a hostess offering him a napkin for his bloodied nose. Then Daisy. Her expression flat and devoid of emotion. The silent storm behind her eyes the only giveaway.

  Vinnie dabbed at his nose as the other men jostled closer. No threats there. Most of these guys looked like they couldn’t fight off a mosquito.

  “Shall I call security?” One of the hostesses asked.

  The room fell silent, everyone waiting for the next move.

  “No, I’ll handle this myself.” Vinnie turned to the other men. “I apologize for this disturbance, but it seems our evening will have to come to an end.”

  “Ladies,” Vinnie glanced at the four hostesses. “Please help the gentlemen collect their things.” Vinnie’s gaze burned into Joker, while Daisy stood stock still.

  Her years of running cons made reading her expression and emotions impossible, but the tiny tic in her jaw told him she wasn’t pleased and it was probably going to be a long fuckin’ night.

  Vinnie followed the men to the elevator, mumbling his apologies.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Tobias said between clenched teeth.

  Another man touching his woman, that’s what was wrong with him. What the hell did they expect him to do, ask that fucker nicely if he’d remove his goddamn hands?

  Vinnie returned a few seconds later with a fresh napkin. Joker’
s lips tipped at the red welts popping up on Vinnie’s cheek bone. His nose stopped bleeding, and Joker could tell it wasn’t even broken. Fuck, he’d done worse damage at club parties when things would get heated.

  “For a man who needs a favor, you’re acting very undeserving.” Vinnie dabbed at his swollen lip with the napkin.

  Joker hated the bullshit way Vinnie talked. He would’ve rather the guy take a shot at him. That he understood.

  Daisy stepped forward. “This is an unfortunate misunderstanding.”

  “No fuckin’ misunderstanding.” It pissed him off she was apologizing for him to this asshole. “He had his hands on you.” Saying the words sent a bolt of heat up his spine.

  “It wasn’t—”

  “I don’t wanna hear it.” Joker pointed at Vinnie. “He knows what he did and what he’s been trying to do since we got here.”

  “I think your imagination is working overtime,” Vinnie said. “This little outburst cost me money tonight, but since Daisy’s done quite a few favors for me in the past, I’ll let it go.”

  “What the fuck is ‘done favors for you in the past’ supposed to mean?” Joker shifted but couldn’t break away from Tobias.

  “We’ll go ahead with our original plan, and you can still use my studio in the desert.” Vinnie’s beady eyes shifted to Daisy. “Although I do question your choices.”

  “Is this guy fuckin’ kidding me right now.” Joker struggled against Tobias’ hold.

  Seth locked in on Joker. “Let. It. Go.”

  Joker didn’t want to let it go. Vinnie screwed with him since the minute they met and him making Daisy come here tonight was the final fuck you. Joker wasn’t used to feeling strung out and it fuckin’ sucked.

  “No harm done,” Seth said.

  Daisy mumbled something to Vinnie but Tobias already had Joker out in the foyer. The guy was like a brick building. Joker remembered Tobias’ strength from Miami when he’d passed himself off as a DEA agent.

  “Are you fuckin’ crazy?” Tobias whispered between clenched teeth. “You don’t screw with this guy.”

  “He don’t scare me.” Joker squared his shoulders.

  “Maybe he should,” Seth said.

  Chapter Nine

  “I guess that could’ve gone worse,” Seth said from the back of the elevator.

  “Yeah, dumbass,” Tobias quipped. “Maybe if the whole room lit on fire.”

  “I’m just sayin’,” Seth said.

  Tobias’ evil glare shut Seth up and they rode the rest of the way in silence.

  Joker expected Daisy to blow up the minute they entered the suite, but she remained mysteriously quiet.

  He made a beeline to the bar and poured himself a healthy glass of Jack while she headed straight for the bedroom. Any other night he would’ve been right behind her, but he liked his dick exactly where it was and wasn’t looking to remove any body parts.

  He occupied himself with the whiskey burning down his throat and the view of flashing lights along the Strip. If she didn’t come out by the time he was finished with his drink he’d venture in. Fuckin’ crazy. He outweighed her by about a hundred pounds, yet right now she was scaring the piss out of him.

  “I thought you were all about changing, being a better person.”

  He turned to face her, but she still wore a blank expression.

  “I’m a little rusty at being a good guy. I haven’t had a lot of practice.” He decided to go with flip. Probably not the best angle.

  “So you pop off like a thug.”

  “I shouldn’t have let you get involved in my shit. I should’ve handled it myself from the start.”

  “What exactly did you think was going to happen there?” She moved further into the room. “We were playing cards, that’s it.”

  “That’s not it.” He struggled to keep his voice in check. “You were bottom dealing, stacking the cards, playing those guys and doing the exact shit you said you wanted to get away from.”

  “And I was doing it for you so Vinnie would cooperate.”

  “Exactly. Because of me you were thrown back into that mess.”

  “I wasn’t thrown, I went willingly. I wanted to help you. I thought that was clear.”

  He mumbled under his breath, and she moved closer to him. “I’m not Desiree.” He glared at her but she pushed on. “I’m not some naive teenager you need to protect. I thought I proved that to you in Miami. If I remember correctly you said you thought of us as equals.”

  He scrubbed his hand over his jaw. “Maybe I was wrong.”

  “About us being equals?”

  “About a lot of things.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I saw the way he was looking at you.” And yeah, he sounded like a dick but he couldn’t seem to control his mouth. “I saw how close the two of you were standing. Heads together.”

  “You’re lucky he’s still letting us use his studio, and that he didn’t press charges.”

  “Let him,” Joker growled.

  “Vinnie’s connections out here are much better than mine,” Daisy said.

  “Meaning he’s got a few cops on his payroll,” Joker scoffed.

  “More like he’s got dirt and ways to blackmail half of the cops on the Metro force.” She shook her head. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “You know that’s like the third fuckin’ time you’ve asked me that since we’ve been here.”

  “Tell me what’s really bothering you.”

  “I just did.” He stalked to the bar. “I don’t like that fucker and I don’t trust him.”

  “And I call bullshit, because he’s just a means to an end.”

  “Call it anything you want.” He splashed more Jack into his glass. “He wants to get in your pants,” Joker shouted.

  “Tell me why you’re acting like a jealous jerk?”

  “Jealous? Of that douche? I don’t think so.”

  The way he’d been feeling sucked the life out of him, pissed off and— Shit, could he be jealous?

  “You never answered me earlier.” Her voice jarred him out of that terrifying realization.

  “About what?”

  “Our future.”

  Fuckin’ scary question.

  “Is that what’s bothering you?” Daisy asked. “Not knowing what you want to do.”

  “Maybe before when you were in that private penthouse with Vinnie at your side you got thinking what it might’ve been like if you stayed in Vegas. Fancy cars, celebrity restaurants.”

  “If I wanted that I could’ve stayed in Miami working for Rico.”

  “Right, but instead you got me. A thug, with no job and—”

  “Stop,” she shouted.

  “Is that what all those fuckin’ questions were about before? Wondering about your future? Trying to figure out how to get rid of me? You got all the connections out here.” He spread his arms wide. “Maybe you don’t need me at all.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “When we met up with Vinnie in the casino he asked you who I was and you couldn’t answer him,” Joker said.

  “And that’s what’s bothering you?” She threw her hands up in the air. “You know you’re acting crazy, right?”

  “So, what are we?” Her silence surrounded him. “That’s what I thought.” He smirked. “I’m out.”

  He bolted for the door and slammed it behind him. He stood in the hallway for a few seconds, then stomped his way to the end of the hall. He banged his fist against Tobias’ door until it opened.

  “Daisy throw your ass out?” Tobias smirked.

  “No, I left.” Joker barged past him into the room.

  Tobias looked a little rough, shirtless with his jeans pulled on and not buttoned.

  “What are you doing, baby?” A naked blonde entered the room, and wrapped herself around Tobias, her huge tits on full display.

  “Joker, this is Helena.”

  As pissed as Joker was about Daisy, he couldn’t conta
in the smirk. “I guess I should be thanking you for getting that keycard.”

  She gave him the once over, and smiled. “A threesome would be a great way to say thank you.”

  Joker took a step toward the door. “Sorry.”

  “No man, stay.” Tobias turned to Helena. “We’re gonna have to cut this short.”

  “I don’t mind waiting.” She flicked a look at Joker. “Especially if it means getting with both of you.”

  “Nah, babe. You gotta go.” When she pouted Tobias added. “We’ll pick this up another night.”

  She ran her fingers over his bare chest. “I’m very disappointed and I’ll expect you to make it up to me.”

  Tobias swatted her ass. “Now put your clothes on and get gone so I can talk to Joker.”

  She flounced her naked body into the bedroom and returned a few minutes later in a tiny scrap of material masquerading as a dress. She kissed Tobias full on the mouth, then stopped at Joker’s side and squeezed his bicep before leaving.

  The minute the door slammed behind her Joker barked out a laugh. “I’m sorry, man, really.”

  Tobias attacked the mini bar. “You did me a favor. You can’t satisfy that woman. She would’ve kept me up all night.”

  Joker slumped onto the couch. “I fucked up, man.”

  “Shit, Daisy must’ve really got up your ass.”

  “I should’ve trusted her.” Joker shrugged. “Going up to that penthouse was a mistake.”

  “I think I might’ve mentioned that in the elevator.” Tobias pulled an extra pillow and blanket out of the closet and threw them onto the couch. “I’m going to bed. Big day tomorrow.”

  Joker toed off his boots, pulled his T-shirt off then arranged the pillow behind his head and stretched out on the couch. Daisy definitely pushed some of his buttons before, and all these twisty feelings were new to him. He wasn’t a fan.

  Okay, he was measuring himself against another guy, wondering what Daisy was doing when she wasn’t with him, tracking her every move when she was with him. Fuckin’ crazy realization, but true. For the first time in his life he experienced jealousy. He’d acted like a fuckin’ asshole when all she was trying to do was help him.