If Caleb didn’t find me soon, I was going to hop over the table and strangle the Vinster. I gathered my chips. There was no way I could play at this table now.
As I turned to leave, Caleb’s strong hand pressed around my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To another table.”
“What happened last night?” He lightly brushed his finger against my bruised eye as he inspected it. “You had me totally freaked out. You can’t just tell me you’re in the trunk of someone’s car and then hang up.”
“You called at a lousy time and then they broke my phone.”
“Did Dagor give you the black eye?”
I nodded. “It doesn’t hurt any more. It’s just ugly.”
“How did you escape?”
“Remy and Greyson followed Dagor and rescued me.”
“Where’s my car?”
“The valet has it.” I weeded the ticket from my pocket and handed it to Caleb. “Sorry for borrowing your car.”
“You mean stealing it.”
The Vinster perked with the newest information.
“I didn’t steal it. Can we have this conversation elsewhere? The Vinster is already having fun with his other rumors about me.”
Caleb eyed Vinny. “What rumors are those?”
“He says you and I had a fling and then I proceeded to jump into Greyson’s and Dagor’s beds.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Which is why I’m moving to a different table.”
“I think I want to play a few rounds.” A smile brewed on Caleb’s face.
“You can have my chair. I’m leaving.”
“Stay. You won’t want to miss this. I’ll take a seat next to Vinny.”
Vinny fidgeted in his seat.
“How much is the buy in for this table?”
“Two hundred,” I said.
“Perfect.”
Caleb bought in without hesitation. It was chump change to him. “So, Vinny, are you ready to lose?”
Vinny cleared his throat. I slowly sank back into my seat. I eyed Caleb as he threw a few chips in the pot. The man on the other side of Caleb nudged him. Caleb looked down to see the man’s phone. The corners of Caleb’s mouth twitched. He flicked his eyes to me. A playful spark ignited in them.
“Should I congratulate you on such an amazing website?” Caleb asked as he drove me home. Caleb left the Vinster at the table with one chip and a wounded expression.
“You can congratulate Frankie. I’m going to kill him.”
“It sure catches your eye.”
I groaned. “Frankie said I’m receiving appearance requests. I’m just hoping they don’t expect me to jump out of a cake. That website is false advertising.”
“What are you doing tonight?”
“I have to work later.”
“Do you want to have dinner before work?”
I eyed him. “No. We’re better off far away from each other. But thank you for destroying Vinny at the table. That was fun to watch.”
“How are we better off away from each other?”
“You can’t plead ignorance. It’s way too obvious we weren’t meant to be together let alone in the same room.”
“We could start over.”
“I don’t think that works. And I’m sort of seeing Greyson.”
“What does ‘sort of seeing’ mean?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t know what I’m looking for yet. Even if I did, I’m not sure what he wants.”
“You know he doesn’t stay with women.”
“Neither do you. And I don’t want to date a poker player. If you’re any thing like me, you’ll drive me crazy within a week.”
“I would drive you crazy? Do you know how many times I was ready to pull my hair out because of you?”
“I’m guessing it was about a dozen which proves my point.”
“What about the weekend you owe me?”
“You’re still on that?”
“You owe me.”
“This isn’t about the wager anymore. This is about you wanting to have sex with me.”
“It doesn’t matter what it’s about. You lost.”
“You’re right, I do owe you. But my heart wouldn’t be in it.”
“It will be. You just need the right atmosphere.”
“I don’t think the atmosphere has anything to do with it.”
“You’d be surprised,” he said as he pulled into the chapel parking lot.
“Nothing surprises me anymore.”
“That’s a shame,” he said. His fingers brushed the bruise under my eye.
His arms wrapped around me bringing me close and placing a light kiss on the bruise. His lips moved to mine. I softened under his kiss. I knew it was wrong to give in so quickly. Where was my resolution of not wanting to get involved? I pushed back.
“Thanks for the ride home,” I said, hopping out of the car before he could stop me.
Damn, I wanted him.
Chapter 21
“Welcome to All Celebrities Chapel,” I said to a couple who wobbled through the door.
They were in their late twenties and were hanging onto each other for vertical support. Both had the same vacant expressions. They gawked at me and giggled. I peered down at my white uniform to see if I had a stain on me. I couldn’t see anything so I chalked it up to their being a bottle of vodka past sober.
Since neither one could hold a pen, I helped fill in the forms. They only had to sign the bottom and we were able to proceed. The woman touched her nose to the form.
“Why does this line keep moving? How am I suppose to sign my name when the line moves?”
I placed my hand on hers to steady the pen as she scribbled her name. The man wasn’t much better but was able to focus long enough to find the line.
“Harry Potter is the celebrity of the day. If you follow me he will join you both in matrimony and a magical new future.”
“Harry Potter? How did he get here from Hogwarts?” The woman asked.
“He used the transporter,” I said.
“Hey, isn’t the transporter on Star Trek?” The man asked.
Uh-oh. I mixed the two.
“Uh, he sometimes uses futuristic muggle technology. It makes him remember his roots.”
“Yeah, he had a hard life.”
I smiled and showed them the way to the chapel. Drunk people were the easiest clients by far.
Harry Potter smiled at them at the end of the aisle. I pushed the play button for the music. The theme of the Harry Potter movies drifted through the speakers. Talk about an odd melody to march down the aisle to. The couple didn’t mind. They drifted and bumbled to the music until they reached the end.
“Can you turn me into a toad?” The man asked Harry Potter.
“Of course,” Frankie said. “But it would ruin the honeymoon.”
The man weighed the benefits of the honeymoon versus being changed into a toad and then nodded.
I was about to lock the chapel for the night when a dark face appeared in the glass door. I nearly screeched from shock until I realized it was Remy. I opened the door to let him in.
“Where have you been?” Remy barked as he entered.
“I’ve been working all day.”
“You were suppose to meet at Greyson’s.”
“How would I know? No one told me.”
“He left you a note on the couch near Gus. He’s been worried that Dagor nabbed you again. The police didn’t arrest Dagor and he’s been seen around town. David’s gone to Dagor’s house and storage facilities to search for you.”
The blood drained out of my head and straight into my go-go boots.
“Gus was chewing on a scrap of paper this morning. I threw it away.”
Remy shook his head. “Let’s get out of here. We don’t want Dagor to find you.”
“Let me change and then I’ll bring Gus down.”
“We don’t have time. Have Gus stay with Frankie.”
&nb
sp; Frankie heard his name and peeked into the front entrance. He was half out of his costume.
“Frankie, can you bring Gus down to your apartment tonight?”
“How am I suppose to pry his butt off the couch and down to my apartment?”
“Bait him with a hotdog.”
Frankie revolted at the idea of hotdogs. “I don’t keep hotdogs in my refrigerator.”
“I have a package in my refrigerator.”
“I think I might have some disposable gloves I can use to pick up the hotdog.”
“Make sure to lock your door tonight. Call the police if you hear any noises.”
“I can do that. I like a man in a uniform. Maybe I’ll make a pre-emergency call just to make sure they have some decent looking men on duty to rescue me.”
Remy opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
“I hope you snag a few good ones,” I said, opening the front door and shoving Remy out.
“Is Frankie for real or does he enjoy messing with people’s heads?” Remy asked as we both jumped into Greyson’s Ferrari.
“I wonder that myself sometimes.”
Remy shook his head and jammed his foot on the pedal. With the weight of Remy’s foot, we made it to Greyson’s house in record time. Remy dropped me off at the front door.
As I neared the door to knock, it flung open and I was yanked inside.
“Where the hell have you been?” Greyson growled. “I’ve been going mad trying to find you.”
“I didn’t know I was supposed to come here.”
“Didn’t you read my note?”
“No. I think Gus ate it. He was chewing on a scrap of paper. There was only a little bit left by the time I threw it away.”
Greyson scowled. “What about your cell phone?”
“Dagor’s ogres smashed it last night.”
“You should have checked in with me today. Dagor is out on the streets, and David is looking for you.”
“I didn’t know. I woke up to a deserted house without any messages. I assumed you went to work. I needed to work so I can pay for my car repair.”
“Where did you go? You weren’t at the casino today.”
“I thought you needed space. I played at a casino down the strip.”
His brows arched in surprise. “Why would I need space? What I need is to keep you under house arrest until Dagor is off the hunt.”
“I don’t know that much about you or your attention span.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, I know you have a short attention span when it comes to women, but I didn’t know how short. Does it require getting into their pants first? Technically, you’ve been in mine, but you haven’t been on the receiving end. I didn’t know if that counted or not.”
His hand shot to his forehead most likely to fend off a growing headache.
“I would never leave a woman in my house without letting her know where I was or what my plans were.”
“How was I suppose to know?”
He paced the floor and abruptly stopped. “I guess you wouldn’t know. But next time, please give me the benefit of the doubt as to my intentions. I’m not a bad guy. I will always be honest with you.”
“Sure. I wasn’t trying to avoid you. I just needed to work, and I figured you needed to work too.”
He touched my hand with his and kissed me on the forehead. “I need to call David off the hunt before he causes trouble.”
“Don’t bother,” David said from the doorway. “Remy filled me in. I had already gone through the entire house and was on my way back when he called.” David ruffled my hair and gave me a hug. “You had us all worried.”
Greyson glared at David for hugging me too long. David released me with a smirk aimed directly at Greyson. I’d have ask Mya how she managed when she was stuck in the middle of these two. At least with David I didn’t have to worry about his intentions.
David slipped a phone out of his pocket. “Here’s a temporary phone. Do you want me to tuck it in your pocket?”
“My uniform doesn’t have pockets.”
“I know. Neither did your red dress. You managed, however, to find a warm cozy place for it.” He winked.
I slid a peek to Greyson who was gripping his last thread of patience.
David chuckled. “This shit never gets old.” He slapped Greyson’s back and dropped into the couch.
I eyed the two brothers and determined they could use a time out. “I’ll call Frankie and see if he was able to herd Gus to his apartment.”
Greyson nodded and sank into the chair opposite of David. He glowered at him while I made my call.
“Hey Frankie, were you able to bait Gus with the hotdog?”
“Uh, I’m a little tied up at the moment.”
“What about Gus?”
“Nadia, I’m literally tied up. A burly dude tied me to your chair and is shoving the phone in my ear. Dude doesn’t know anything about tying knots. The Navy would weep. I’d be happy to show him my personal style knots but he’s not my type.”
I heard a grunting sound in the background.
“Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on,” Frankie said to the man. “I’m suppose to tell you to meet Dagor at his house in thirty minutes or you’ll miss a loved one,” Frankie said. “Hey, big guy, I hope you’re not meaning me. I’m not a loved one; I’m her manager. She hates me.”
The line went dead.
“Dagor has some one. I have to be at his house in thirty minutes.”
I tried to tuck the phone into my cleavage, but my hands were shaking.
David and Greyson both jumped out of their seats.
“Do you know who Dagor has?” David asked
I shook my head no.
“Call every one you can think of in Las Vegas that might be a target. I’ll have Remy station himself in the area,” Greyson said. “We only have ten minutes before you need to hit the road.”
“If she hits the road,” David said. “I don’t like this. There isn’t an easy way of rescuing her once she’s inside his house. I was there when the house was empty. It’s a labyrinth of rooms. I wouldn’t be able to reach her if Dagor’s men were there.”
“Don’t think for a moment I want to send Nadia in there.”
I ignored the boys and dialed Roy. He was the first Dagor had threatened. Roy answered and said he was at home. I tried a few acquaintances I suspected Dagor might know. They were all safe.
Could he have nabbed Caleb? I wouldn’t consider him a loved one but Dagor wouldn’t know. I dialed Caleb’s number. I heard a woman giggling in the background as he answered. I hung up without talking to him. The bastard obviously was okay. My stomach tightened . . . oh-no! I dialed and waited.
“Bingo,” Dagor said. “You better get here soon.”
“I’m on my way. If you hurt her you’ll regret it. I promise you will regret it.” I hung up.
Greyson and David stopped arguing and turned to me with expectant eyes.
“Give me your car keys,” I said to Greyson. “I need to go now.”
“Who does he have?”
My voice hitched. “Mya.”
Chapter 22
I drove to Dagor’s house with the possessed air of a demon. Nothing was going to stand in my way of making sure Mya was safe. Neither Greyson nor David tried to stop me from going. They reassured me they’d be watching and coming up with a plan. I had to find Mya and stall. They would text the word “clothes” to my cell phone if they were able to find Mya before me and then I could make my own escape.
My heart beat wildly. I was barely able to concentrate on the road. Blinding anger surged through me as I reached Dagor’s home. I pressed the gas pedal to the floor, crashing through Dagor’s gate. I slammed on the brakes inches from the front door. The door flung open with Dagor filling the door frame. His eyes were as wild as my actions.
“Are you out of your fucking mind? You ran down my gate.”
“You gave me thirty minutes.” I jumped out of t
he car and slammed the door. “Where is she?”
“Some place safe.”
“I’m here. Let her go!”
“Not until we’ve reached an agreement.”
It took every ounce of control not to launch myself at him. “What kind of agreement?”
“I don’t know how you escaped from the warehouse, but you won’t have that luxury any more. I don’t want to play games. Make the decision to be with me now.”
“Why the hell would you want me?”
“I said you were mine. You will be mine!”
“What if I don’t want to be with you?”
“Then I’ll kill you and take Mya. She seems like a sweet innocent girl. It might be fun showing her how cruel the world can be. You, on the other hand, already know. You and I could become partners.”
I glared at him. My nails bit into my palm to keep me from ripping his head off. “Business partners?”
“Partners in all sense of the word.”
“I don’t see that happening. You wouldn’t give up any control.”
“It’s a give and take.”
“I do all the giving, and you do all the taking.”
“For now. In time you would earn your reward.”
I could see right through his lies. He didn’t want me as a business partner. He wanted me dead, but he wanted his fun first.
“The only thing I want right now is to make sure Mya is safe.”
“Saying things like that only gives me more power to make you do exactly as I wish,” he sneered.
Dammit! What do I do now?
“We can work out the details inside,” he said. “Think of this as a contract.”
I smothered the voice in my head screaming for me to run and followed him inside where he locked the door behind us. I followed him through his vast entrance and foyer and into a study with a large mahogany desk and a leather executive chair. He led me over to a leather couch which was placed in front of a fireplace. Good thing there wasn’t a fire lit. It would be too tempting to push him in.
“Sit here. We can discuss the arrangements.”
I positioned myself at the edge of the couch furthest from Dagor.
“I don’t understand. You know I won’t make any of this easy on you.”
The Big Blind (Nadia Wolf) Page 21
