The Nymph's Curse: The Collection

by Danica Winters

Walking away from a debt owed wasn’t that simple. Yeah, it would have been great to forget about the money owed, but if the word spread Chance had been involved in taking Nate and Vice down all hell would break loose. Some players would love that he took down a cheater, but they would never forget he had worked with the authorities. Even if they thanked him to his face, the other big name players would be calling him a narc behind his back.

  Kodie faced out toward the strip. “Blackwater is an idiot if he thinks he is going to get away with this. There is no way his plan is going to work.”

  Chance couldn’t disagree — Blackwater’s plan was never going to work, but the man was far from being an idiot. What Blackwater wanted from them was outside of the realm of acceptability, but they only had one choice — they had to play the gaming commissioner’s game or they would have to get out of Vegas — permanently.

  If he was going to continue being one of the best poker players in the world, he couldn’t do it anywhere but in Vegas. Yet, the more he thought, the more he couldn’t discount the idea of leaving Vegas forever — a part of him was growing weary of this way of life. Yes, he loved to travel. To play poker. To win. However, there was another part of him that seemed to come alive when he was around Harper. He loved being with her. Listening to her talk. She hated the idea of his drifter ways, but did he love her enough to give it all up?

  He faced a difficult choice — continue on the road he’d been traveling for so long and do what the commissioner asked, or give up on this reclusive life and put his heart on the line.

  “What are we gonna do, Chance?” Kodie leaned his head against the plate glass window. “We’re damned if we do and we’re more than damned if we don’t.”

  “Kodie, we’re going to play the game … but we may just have to play by our own rules.”

  Chance’s phone buzzed in his breast pocket, pulling his attention away from the mess. Grabbing the phone, he stared down at the most beautiful named he’d ever read — Harper.

  “Hi,” he answered, pressing the phone to his ear. “How’d it go?”

  “I think we got somewhere with Dr. McDougal. He’s going to meet us in two hours. He said he would bring all the information he could get his hands on.” There was an edge of excitement in Harper’s voice, but beneath the thin layer there was something else.

  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  “I got a call.”

  “From?”

  Kodie turned from the window and took a few steps toward him, as if he wanted to hear what Harper was saying.

  “Ariadne Papadakis, the leader of the sisterhood of Epione. She said she has a man tailing Starling and me.”

  “What? Why would the sisterhood have someone tailing you?”

  “They think we could be in danger. Jenna’s house was broken into right after we left.”

  “Did they take anything?”

  There was a pause on the other end of the phone. “Ariadne said they only saw a woman.”

  “Do they know who the woman was?”

  “No. Ariadne just said it was a mousy woman. They seem to think she is connected somehow to Carey’s death — and now, whoever she is, she may be targeting us.”

  “Why?”

  “I have a feeling it has something to do with Carey’s ability to have a child … ” She paused for a long moment, making him wonder if she had wanted a baby.

  “You don’t want a child, do you?”

  “No,” Harper said, but there was sadness in her voice. “But I never thought I had a choice. Until after you and I made love. I thought maybe with Carey getting pregnant, I could too.”

  “And you were excited?”

  “I guess. But I never really thought about having a child before. I think I was more excited to have the option. But it was stupid to even think about. If Ariadne is right and the drugs are the reason Carey got pregnant, than there is no way I could be.” Harper paused on the other end of the phone line. “So don’t worry, you won’t be having any more children.”

  He hadn’t even thought of the possibility of a pregnancy. “I’m sorry, Harper.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I could have had a child a hundred years ago, but it didn’t fit in my life.”

  That was one sentiment Chance could understand. Only a week ago, he had felt the same way. But since adding Starling to his life there was no way he would go back to the way things had been. If anything he looked forward to the future more than he ever had before.

  “What about now?” Chance paused. “Do you think you’d want a child around now? Maybe a child like Starling?”

  “What do you mean, Chance?”

  What did he mean? Harper couldn’t be in his life. She had her own in Seattle. “Nothing. Never mind. What else did Ariadne tell you?”

  “Ariadne seemed concerned with the drugs getting in the wrong hands. If Starling, her drug, or the formula ends up in the wrong hands, she thinks we may have more incidents like what the ranchers tried to do with Jenna. And who knows what else supernaturals would do if they had a way to guarantee a pregnancy — she couldn’t guarantee that Starling would be safe.”

  He had a hard time understanding her words. It was as if they were coming through water. He just couldn’t believe someone out there wanted to hurt his daughter just so they could have the chance to have a child of their own.

  Harper continued, unaware of how her words swam into his overworked mind. “So many types of supernaturals can’t get pregnant — they are desperate. And may the gods help us if we have a population boom of someone or something that has no business breeding.”

  “If I find out who did this … Who killed Carey … Who wants to hurt Starling … Or you … ” Anger seeped through him like a liquid flame. “Getting pregnant will be the last thing they’ll have to worry about. They won’t live long enough.”

  “There’s something else.”

  What could possibly be worse than hearing there were people out there who would be trying to hurt the only two women in the world he cared about? “Are you kidding me?”

  “Ariadne told me Jenna had been using the drugs as well. She’d gotten pregnant. And then … well, she lost the baby.”

  The anger, that had only seconds before overwhelmed him, suddenly turned to a sickening mix of rage, confusion, and sadness. “Oh my God, Harper. I’m so sorry.”

  There was a siren somewhere in the background on Harper’s end of the line. “It’s okay.”

  She needed his help. She needed him to protect her. She couldn’t be alone. Not now. Not when she was so exposed. So vulnerable. “Harper, come back to the penthouse. Please.”

  “I just wish I would have known. I missed so much. If only I could have been there for Jenna.”

  “Honey, you didn’t do anything wrong. Your sister died because of her choices and the people she ran with. You couldn’t have changed things for her.” He tried to comfort her, but even as he spoke, he knew what he was saying wasn’t really the truth. Maybe if Harper had been more involved in Jenna’s life she could have made a difference — just as he could have made a difference in Carey’s. Maybe he could have stopped her from dying — from getting wrapped up in a drug trade and conspiracy in which she had no business being involved.

  “Maybe you’re right, maybe I couldn’t have changed anything, but I could have tried.”

  “You’re right, but there’s no use in going over things that we can’t change. We did the best we could. And now the best thing we can do is keep you and Starling safe and get the hell out of Las Vegas. Maybe we just need to run away and find a place where we can all be safe.”

  “No more running.” She paused. “Just today I told Starling there are times when we need to walk away and times when we need to fight. I think this is one of those times we need to fight. Starling needs the medication an
d you have a tournament to win.”

  He tried to hold back the snort, but the sound escaped. “Right. Win the tournament.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing,” he lied. There was a tournament, yes, but he was only a pawn and not a player. “Just come back. I need to know you are okay. I need you in my arms.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Maybe if Harper just went back to Seattle she could put this all behind her, but she’d made a promise she intended to keep. There was no way to turn back now and leave Starling without the help she needed; and she couldn’t leave Chance … not when he needed her the most.

  “Chance, what time do you have to sign in at the game?” Harper asked, trying to make the worried expression on his face disappear.

  He looked up at her. “Hmm. What did you say?”

  “What time do you need to go down to Bobby’s Room for the tournament?”

  “Not for another two hours. Then the gaming commissioner will go over the table stakes and the rules of the game.”

  Kodie and Starling huddled together at the table. “Why don’t Starling and I run downstairs, and get everything in order? I don’t think the commissioner will mind if I sign you in for the game. I would venture a guess he is willing to make a few allowances for you today.”

  “I can do it, really,” Chance said, his voice tired.

  “Let me just take care of it,” Kodie repeated.

  Getting up, Chance walked over to his rucksack and pulled out his checkbook. Opening up the little leather book, he lifted a pen and wrote out a check. “Here’s my buy-in. Please make sure it gets into the right hands.”

  “Got it, boss,” Kodie said, taking the check and stuffing it into his pocket.

  “I’m hungry,” Starling said, interrupting the conversation.

  “And I’ll get the little miss something to eat.” Kodie nodded as he looked to Starling. “Can’t have you starving on us. We’re gonna need you to cheer for your old man tonight,” he said, giving Starling’s hand a light pat. “He’s gonna need a lot of support.”

  Harper couldn’t make sense of what the men eluded to. What had the gaming commissioner and Chance talked about? Ever since she and Starling had returned to the room on the thirty-fifth floor, there had been a stillness that somehow reminded Harper of Jenna’s funeral. It was like she was standing at the head of the casket, waiting for people to pass by and leave her with hollow condolences. Chance couldn’t even look her in the eyes. It didn’t matter whether it was out of fear or shame, Harper couldn’t go through another day where the people she knew and cared about couldn’t stand to face her.

  Kodie and Starling walked to the door, but Kodie turned back. “Why don’t you get some rest, Chance? You know what I always say: If your mind’s a mess so is your game.”

  “I’m going to go too. I have to meet Dr. McDougal.” Harper glanced down at her watch. She had plenty of time, but she couldn’t stand being in the room any longer. “You should take a nap.”

  “Do you need me to go with you, Harper?” Kodie asked as he and Starling moved toward the door.

  “No. I got this. It may be better if it is just me who goes to see him. I don’t want to draw any attention.”

  Harper stood up to follow Kodie and Starling.

  “Wait,” Chance said, sticking out his hand for her to take it. “Don’t go. Not yet. Please.”

  The way he pleaded made Harper stop and sit back down into the golden chair at Chance’s side. How had Chance become a broken man in just a matter of hours?

  From the first time Harper had seen him sitting behind the poker table in Worley, he had been happy, easy-going, and filled with a passion Harper now realized she secretly envied. It was his passion that had first infuriated her — a love for travel and poker she hadn’t fully understood — but now, seeing how it affected him, it was easy to see it was his calling. Playing the game was like breathing — it was necessary.

  It was a passion she had never had in her life — not even in her work. Yes, she’d been dedicated and selfless in getting the next drug out to consumers, getting the next safe and effective drug developed, or the next drug from concept to application — but her work wasn’t driven by passion. No. It was driven by the need to run and hide from her mistakes and the loneliness of her life.

  If being around Chance, Kodie, and Starling had taught her anything, it was that going back to her old way of life was going to be hard. Unfortunately, it was something she was going to have to do. The level of passion that Chance held for the game was something he would never be able to replicate. More to the point, he would never be able to love her as much as he loved the game. And standing second to a deck of cards and the click of poker chips was not something Harper was willing to accept — no matter how much she cared about the disheveled cowboy.

  “We’ll see you guys at tonight’s game,” Kodie said, almost as if it was more of a command than a hope or request. The door clicked shut.

  “Are you really thinking about not going to tonight’s game?”

  Chance’s fingers dug into the finely sewn edges of the chair. “I have to go. You heard Kodie.”

  “What did the gaming commissioner want?”

  His finger’s drove deeper into the fabric, so deep Harper wondered how much the chair could withstand, how much it could endure before it would tear under the pressure.

  Chance slid from the chair, down to his knees in front of her. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. I just need a break.” He took her hands and interlaced his fingers with hers. “Like I told you on the phone, I just want you in my arms. I need to feel you again.”

  She didn’t know how to react. He wanted her, but did she want this? She peered down at the rounded edges of his nails and the tanned skin on the back of his hand. His hands were just like him — tender and strong, giving and needing.

  If they did this, if she let herself be swept away into his arms, it would have to be the last time. She couldn’t risk everything that would be at stake — her heart, his future, and his life. And even if they found a way around the curse, she couldn’t ask him to give up poker, and if she fell for this man, someone was going to have to compromise for things to work out. Either she would have to give up her job and the comfort of her routine in Seattle, or he would have to give up his drifter lifestyle.

  Both she and Chance were so defined by their careers. It was hard for her to imagine a life without her job. For a fleeting moment, her mind wandered to the thoughts of what life would be like following Chance around the country, from one dive bar to the next while he banked on the fact that his hereditary advantage would keep him playing for at least one more night. There was just too much risk.

  “Chance, we can’t do this … We can’t be together like this … ”

  “Why can’t we have this moment?” He looked up at her and there was a deep rolling sadness in his gaze. He must have known just as well as she that there was nothing beyond this last night together. As soon as she got the formula from Dr. McDougal, and as soon as Chance finished the tournament and they returned to Idaho, they would have to go their separate ways. The only time they might ever see each other again would be when and if she could make a drug that could help Starling — and that was a long shot.

  “We made a promise … We agreed the other night was going to be the only time. It’s too dangerous. And you know it, Chance.”

  He dropped his hands down to her knees. The heat of his touch sank into her skin, making some of the delicate snowflakes of her resolve melt away.

  “Why do you always have to look at the negative? Why can’t you just live for the moment? Live for this second. Right here. Right now.”

  “That’s what Jenna did. And look where she ended up. I can’t handle losing another person in my life. It’s better to walk a
way now than to let anything happen.” She tried to be angry, she tried to force her body to stand up and run away from his wanting touch, but her body refused.

  “You don’t have to be afraid to love.”

  “Yes, I do, Chance.” She looked down to their entwined fingers. “There’s nothing I fear more.”

  “Then tell yourself you don’t love me.”

  “What about the curse Chance? Even if there is the possibility of you getting hurt it can’t be worth loving me. You have a daughter to think about.”

  “I love Starling. She’s a nymph. I’m in danger, but I’m not going to stop loving her — or you. We are going to just deal with the future one day at a time. We aren’t immortal and death may come to me, but at least we can love each other until that day. And if I’m taken, I will love you from the heavens.”

  It was too late to keep from loving him, but he still couldn’t know how badly she wanted to give him her heart.

  He wrapped his hands around hers and pressed them together over his heart. “If you really don’t care about me, tell me … Tell me that and I will walk away. I will go downstairs, go to my game, and never look back. I won’t bother you again. Or you can give me this moment, you can make love to me and let go of everything that is holding you back. We can make this work. We can escape, at least for a moment, into each other. Please. Let me love — ”

  “Stop. Chance. Just stop.” Her heart ached. She wanted to fall down to her knees, feel the moist pleasure of his kiss, but it just couldn’t be. They were too different. Too far apart. It was too far into the unknown, too dangerous.

  “If that’s the way you feel, just tell me … Tell me you don’t care … that you don’t love me … Let me put a stop to the confusing mess I’m feeling. I’ll just take Starling and she and I can go back to my old life. Starling will be okay.”

  It would be so much easier for everyone involved. Harper couldn’t risk everyone’s safety and the security and comfort of the known to take a chance on something that would probably never work … He was a broken man and the only way she could fix things for him was to leave. “Chance.” She trembled as she rose to her feet. “I don’t love you.”