High Stakes: A Dark Romance

by Roxy Sinclaire

  Ben had a plan, though. He always had a plan. He helped me set up most of my jobs, and I hadn’t been caught yet. He had a knack for seeking out rich people who had no problem throwing down some money to get what they wanted. He could look at someone, find their motivation for the things they do, and exploit it.

  I sometimes wondered if he did the same with me. He knew that I came from nothing and wanted to be able to afford the life I always wanted. I grew up in the same town as Ben, but I lost track of him when he moved away during high school. He knew more about me than anyone else in this city did. It wasn’t hard, though, when I was constantly pretending to be a British man.

  I was grateful that Ben hooked me up with a job, even though it was illegal work. It was fun, pretending to be someone else, entering the lives of the rich and glamorous. I partied with and fucked women who would have never given me a second glance if they knew where I really came from.

  Sometimes, I suspected that Ben withheld just enough money from me to keep me from leaving. I wasn’t great with money, but I knew that I should have more saved up than I did. I couldn’t leave Ben because I felt indebted to him for picking me up off the street and giving me work, and also because I just couldn’t afford to.

  With Amanda by my side, I could afford to start over. I could try going back to school, or maybe learn a trade. I could start a career without having to worry about where the next meal was coming from.

  When we got to the restaurant and sat down at our table, there were so many thoughts going through my head. From our seats, I saw a view of the city that I had never seen before. Sure, I had been to the casinos and the hotel pools, but from the top, I could see the extravagance that was never allotted to me. This wasn’t my city.

  The flashing lights and waterfalls were for the tourists. They could come and take everything that the city had to offer, but at the end of the week, they had the option of returning to their normal lives. They could wash the booze and drugs and sex off their bodies and go home. I couldn’t. I felt like I’d be trapped amid the filth forever.

  I also felt extremely touched by Amanda’s gesture to bring me to such a nice place. I wasn’t used to people being this kind to me. The crowd that I hung around with put their needs first. She could have easily taken me to a fast food restaurant or a casino buffet, or just ordered room service in a hotel room, but instead, she took me to the nicest restaurant in the city.

  “This is so nice,” I repeated when our food came to the table. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said, taking a bite of her first course. “You’ve been so kind to me this weekend, so it’s only right that I treat you to a good meal.”

  I pushed a scallop across my plate, almost feeling too guilty to eat.

  “Are your friends going to be home tomorrow?” she asked. “It’s so weird that I haven’t met them yet.”

  “Yeah, maybe we’ll meet up with them tomorrow night,” I said.

  “What are they like? Ben and Reese, right?”

  “Yeah. I met them through a mutual friend, and they’re nice enough to let me use their spare room. Ben is tall and lanky. He’s pretty serious, but still nice. Reese is a little shorter than me and has curly hair. He’s more of the artsy type and is really funny. Ben and I are the same age, but Reese is a few years younger.”

  “I can’t imagine living somewhere like this,” she said. “There are so many parties to go to and so much shopping. I’d spend so much money.”

  “I think I would get tired of it after a while,” I said, speaking from my own experience. “There’s only so much partying I can do before I just get bored of it all.”

  “I suppose you’re right. I’m not big into the party scene either. I prefer a nice, quiet night in.”

  “Then what are you doing in Vegas?” I chuckled.

  She smiled sheepishly. “I know, I know. I came here for Tanya. I stayed here for you. If I were alone, this wouldn’t be my first choice of destination.”

  As we talked, I kept forgetting that the point of this evening was to keep Amanda busy while my friends plotted her kidnapping. I doubted that I’d ever go on such an enjoyable date again. No, I’d probably have to go back to the strip club to look for mates.

  After dinner, we walked to the casino hand in hand. Without even asking, she walked to the ATM, took out a fat stack of bills, and handed them to me.

  “I can’t,” I said.

  “It’s not like I’m going to let you keep the winnings,” she joked. “Everything you win tonight, you’re going to use to buy me something nice.”

  “Deal,” I replied. I tucked the money into my back pocket.

  Amanda wanted to play blackjack, so we found a table and she sat down on the stool. I stood behind her, resting my hands on her shoulders.

  “Is this your lucky charm?” the dealer asked her.

  She looked back at me, then to the dealer. “Absolutely.”

  I got a phone call from Ben while she began to play. Usually, he just texted me, so I knew that it was important.

  “Sorry,” I said, gesturing at the phone. “I have to take this. I’ll be right back.”

  She nodded, and I found the nearest empty hallway to see what Ben wanted from me.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. “I had to leave Amanda at the blackjack table.”

  “Are you having a nice date?” he asked in a sickly-sweet voice.

  “Shut up,” I growled. “Get on with it.”

  “There’s been a change of plans. We were talking, and we think we should do it tonight.”

  “Tonight?” I said, feeling like the walls were closing in on me. “But we’re not ready yet.”

  “We’ve been at the house, working on this plan all day,” he said. “We stocked the bunker, and we have everything we need. Abi has tonight off, so it’s best if we do this now.”

  I thought about my plans for the rest of the evening. It was going to be my last fun night with Amanda before I destroyed her life. I didn’t want to give it up.

  “I don’t think I’m ready,” I said.

  “Too bad. You’re going to make an excuse to leave her at the casino. When Abi is in place, you’ll tell Amanda to go to the spot. Then we’ve got it covered from there. Just make your excuse and come home.”

  “What if she doesn’t stay there? Or what if she doesn’t go where I tell her to?”

  “If you’ve done your job, then she will. I’ll see you back at the house soon.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but he had already hung up on me. Rage boiled up inside me. It was so typical of them to mess with the plans without consulting me. I punched my fist into the wall, startling a guy passing through.

  “I guess he lost a lot of money tonight,” I heard him mutter to his friend.

  I composed myself, walking through the crowds of people to return to Amanda. On the way, I picked up a double vodka tonic for her. The alcohol would make this easier.

  “Bad news,” I said, looking apologetic. “Reese just called. His car broke down, and since I borrowed Ben’s car, I’m going to have to pick him up.”

  “Oh, no,” she said, taking a sip from her drink. “I suppose we should go now.”

  “No, no,” I said, stopping her before she stood up. “You can stay here and drink and have a good time. I’ll be quick. When I’m finished, I’ll come right back here and find you.”

  I took her phone and typed my number in the contacts list.

  “There,” I said. “I’ll let you know exactly where we are.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked, looking confused.

  “Yeah. Have fun,” I said, kissing her on the forehead. “Win lots of money.”

  “I will.”

  I walked briskly out of the room and into the cool night air. I was so mad at Ben for catching me off guard. I think I was most upset about not having my last night with Amanda. Once the liquor got flowing, I wanted to take her home and have another marathon sex session. There was no chan
ce of that now.

  Once I got into my car, my frustration became too much to handle. Not able to hold it back any longer, I screamed every profanity I knew into my steering wheel. When my voice was hoarse and I was out of breath, I turned the keys in the ignition and drove home.

  Chapter 10―Amanda

  I felt weird being at the casino alone. I certainly wasn’t the only single person there, but it just wasn’t as fun. I liked walking around with my arm in Josh’s. I loved it when he brought me a drink or rested his hand on my shoulder. I loved having a guy give me attention because he liked me, not just because he wanted in my pants.

  Not wanting his brief absence to spoil the perfect night, I carried on with my games, actually winning a few dollars. I was already feeling a little buzzed from the first drink that Josh bought me, so I decided to keep it going and order another drink.

  I wasn’t sure how long I had been at the casino without him. I took a mental tally of how many drinks I had since he’d left. I had consumed four drinks, so he must have been gone for over an hour. Feeling a little drunk at this point, I walked into the lobby and got out my phone.

  How’s it going? I’m missing you at the blackjack table.

  I hit Send on the text. A few seconds later, he called.

  “Hello?” I slurred.

  “Hey, sorry. I got held up. Is there any way you can meet me at the mechanic’s? The guy is asking for a thousand in cash for Reese’s car, and we don’t have that money on us. I promise he’ll pay you back the second he gets back to the house and can transfer money to his checking account.”

  “That’s awful,” I said. “It’s not a problem. Tell him that I’m in no hurry to have the money back. Where do I need to go?”

  He paused. I heard talking in the background. “If I text you an address, can you just get in a cab and give that to them?”

  “Is it in a good area?” I asked, suddenly feeling unsure of myself. I was drunk, and I wasn’t great at navigating directions in the first place.

  “Uh, I think it will be fine. Just have the driver drop you off in the front and then walk around the side of the building. When you get there, give me a call and I’ll come out.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sorry I’m asking for your help in the first place. I just didn’t know who else to call.”

  “No,” I backpedaled. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m happy to help. I’ll go find a cab now.”

  “Thank you. Honestly,” he said softly. “It means a lot to me. I’ll more than make up for this later.”

  “No problem. I’ll see you soon.”

  I stumbled out to the front of the casino and waved a taxi over. When I got the text from Josh, I showed it to the cab driver, and without a word, we were off into the night.

  I felt so bad for Josh, having to drive around a city that he wasn’t familiar with, just to help an acquaintance. I guess that was just the kind of guy he was, though. I was bummed that our night had become momentarily derailed, especially since I wasn’t sure how much longer I would stay. On the bright side, at least I would finally meet his mysterious friends.

  “Is this it?” I asked the driver when he slowed to a stop in front of a large garage. There were maybe two working street lights in the entire block, and no other businesses. I could see a few houses down the street, but they looked like someone hadn’t lived in them for years.

  “Yep,” he replied. “Is this where you wanted to go?”

  I checked my phone. I had a bad feeling about this. Before getting out of the cab, I called Josh again.

  “Are you sure you have the right address?” I asked. “I’m at a garage, but it doesn’t look like anyone is here.”

  “Yeah, it looks a little shady, but it’s pretty nice on the inside. Start walking toward the back of the building, and I’ll meet you halfway.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure,” he said reassuringly. “Don’t you trust me?”

  “Of course I do. See you in a minute.”

  I hung up and handed the cab driver the fare. I watched the cab drive down the street and turn back onto the main road as I walked toward the back of the building.

  I saw a shadow approach me. It looked smaller than Josh, but then again, I was a little drunk.

  “Josh?” I called out.

  The figure walked closer, and then I could tell that it was a girl around my age.

  “Do you know Josh? I asked.

  Instead of responding, she lunged at me, ripping my purse from my hand. She sprinted back toward the front of the building.

  “Hey,” I yelled, hoping Josh would hear me and see what was going on. I chased the girl back toward the front. I didn’t know what I’d do without my purse. All of my money was in there, along with my phone and identification. Basically, my whole life was in there. I had to get it back.

  When I turned the corner, she was gone. I was exhausted from running, and feeling a bit sick, so I sat down on the edge of the curb. Not even thinking about the fact that I was in the middle of nowhere, I buried my hands in my face and began to cry. I had come all this way just to bring Josh the money, and now, I didn’t even have it. I was letting him down.

  When I caught my breath, I walked back toward the back entrance, wondering where Josh was. He said he was leaving when I got out of the cab, so he should have found me by now. When I got to the door, I noticed that the light was off.

  I pounded on the door for a few minutes, but no one answered. I walked all the way around the building, but there wasn’t a single soul in that garage. Somehow, I had gone to the wrong garage. I bet that Josh was trying to call me at that moment, but of course, I didn’t have a phone.

  With no phone, no money, and no people in sight, I decided that I had no choice but to walk in the direction I came from. Unfortunately, I was a little disoriented, so I just picked a direction and walked.

  I knew that I would eventually find someone who would help me, and then I could just have my parents wire some money to me. Honestly, I could probably convince them to charter a plane or a helicopter or something to come pick me up.

  Maybe Tanya was right all along. I wasn’t the type to go out on my own and be adventurous. I needed someone next to me, telling me what to do. Left to my own devices, I made stupid decisions and got lost. If I would have just gone home with Tanya when she told me to, I would have never gotten myself into this predicament.

  Instead, I was walking down a long, rough stretch of road alone and in the dark. I was tired, tipsy, and my feet hurt in my stilettos. I wished I would have just worn flats, then maybe I’d be able to walk a little faster.

  I had made it about a block and a half when a big SUV drove in my direction. If it were a windowless van, I would have kept walking, but since it was such a nice car, I knew that there had to be nice people inside. The car came to a halt at the stop sign a few feet in front of me, so I ran to catch them before they took off again.

  I frantically tapped on the passenger window. When the window rolled down, a thick cloud of vapor leaked from the void. I could hardly see the man sitting in the seat. He was wearing a black hat and sunglasses, even though it was already dark.

  “We’re not looking for any prostitutes,” the man said, taking a drag from an electronic cigarette.

  “I’m not a prostitute. I was mugged, and I need help.”

  “We can take you back to the strip,” he said. “We’re on our way there ourselves.”

  “Really?” I asked. If I could make it back into civilization, I could call my parents. Maybe I’d even be able to find Josh.

  “Sure. Hop in.”

  I opened the door to the middle row of seats and slid across the black leather.

  “Thank you so much,” I panted. “This is really—”

  A bag was stuffed onto my head. I let out an ear shattering scream, but a hand clamped over my mouth to stop the noise.

  “No one’s going to hear you anyway,” the voice of the dri
ver said, sounding annoyed. “You might as well just save your voice.”

  “What’s going on?” I screamed. I couldn’t quite process what was happening, and the total darkness didn’t help. “Who are you?”

  “If you listen to us,” the male voice said, “you’ll be just fine. We don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Then what do you want?”

  “We understand that your family has money. It doesn’t seem right that they have all this dough and nothing to do with it. I’m sure their riches mean nothing to them. You could say we’re giving their money value again.”

  “What?” I squeaked. I was having a hard time following their conversation.

  “You’re just going to hang out with us until your parents give us the amount we want. Once we’re happy, you can go home. If everyone cooperates, then this doesn’t have to drag on for too long.”

  “I have money,” I said. “Just take whatever I have and let me go. Give me a phone, and I can get someone to wire money to you right this minute.”

  “You don’t have anything on you,” he said. With all the excitement, I forgot that I didn’t have my purse. I started feeling panicky, and the bag was making it hard to breathe. I tried to pull it off my head, but the hands behind me were stronger.

  “Stop fighting, or we’ll have to tie you up.”

  “I can’t breathe,” I cried. I started sobbing, to which the voice behind me gently shushed.

  “Hey, man, look in the paper sack,” the passenger said to the man behind me. I didn’t know what was in the sack. I started squirming more, which made the strong hands wrap around my body, putting me into a bear hug. He moved up a row, so he could restrain me better. I didn’t know what he was going to do to me.

  “Don’t roll your eyes at me,” the guy in the front said. “She packed them.”

  I heard a jangle and a click and felt something soft squeeze my wrists.

  “Are these fuzzy handcuffs?” I asked, feeling like this was some sort of prank.

  The bag was yanked from my head, and before my eyes could adjust to the dim light from the car, a scarf was tied around my eyes. I was in the dark again, but this time, I could breathe a little easier.