Gemini: Book 4 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series)

by Rachel Medhurst

  Taurus came over to us. Standing between the two muscly men, I glanced down at my slim arms. I wasn’t unfit or completely skinny but I was pretty slim compared to them. At least I was taller than Taurus.

  ‘Are you still as disconnected from the game as you used to be?’ Leo’s question was a good one.

  I had promised them that as soon as I had an addiction, I would step down as a professional gambler. At twenty-two years old, I didn’t want to be tied down to anything. Especially not a job that became an obsession.

  ‘I’m good, thanks.’

  It was the only answer I had. It was rare for my brothers to even think about what I was doing, let alone be worried about it. If only they knew the extent of what I did.

  ‘Leave him alone, he knows what he’s doing.’ Taurus defending me was new. We rubbed along okay but we weren’t very sentimental compared to some of the others.

  They finished packing everything up and climbed back into the van. I waved as they pulled out of the busy seaside town. They were good people. My best friends, even if they were a hassle at times. At least life was exciting.

  ‘Hello!’

  I greeted my old friend. The one that had let me know that there was a game on that evening. He wandered down the promenade towards me, a woman hanging off his arm. His suit was neat and his hair slicked back. A bit like mine.

  ‘Gemini!’

  The woman stiffened. I hadn’t taken much notice of her, it was usual to see my gambling friends with pretty ladies on their arms. However, my attention was caught by her hand as it tightened on my friends sleeve. My gaze moved up her silk clad figure. I recognised those curves.

  ‘This is Athena,’ my friend, Gary, introduced his date. ‘I’m looking after her for a friend.’

  I knew exactly who the friend was. Liam. The man that I had lost all my money to. The man that had ruined me.

  I regretted staying in Brighton. I should have jumped in the van with the others and gone back to London.

  She wouldn’t meet my gaze. She was smiling at Gary, her arm casually draped through his.

  ‘Is he doing a good job?’ I asked, trying to get her attention.

  Her smile froze when she was forced to make eye contact. Gary watched her with an indulgent grin on his face. Was she hired out? He said he was ‘looking after’ her. Did that mean what I thought it did?

  ‘Yes. He’s been a complete gentleman.’

  I wasn’t aware that Gary had become friends with the big boys. Being so young, I hadn’t been socially accepted into the serious crowd yet. It was something I was working on, which was why I had been tempted to play the big stake game. I had far overestimated my skill.

  ‘Are you wanting to play big stakes tonight?’

  Gary was ignorant. He showed it in the way he stared down the top of Athena’s dress. What a name. If it was real, I would never scorn my own name again.

  ‘No, I’m after the little ones,’ I replied.

  Athena smirked as Gary nodded. She knew full well why I wasn’t going to play the game. I was using the very last of my money to try and make a profit as it was. Maybe I should give up poker altogether and stick to the races. I’d made a tidy profit from them a few weeks back. A starting out professional gambler didn’t stick to one game when he was learning the tricks of the trade.

  ‘Well, there’s a private meeting tonight. Liam is having it at home,’ Athena said.

  My hands sunk into the pockets of my suit. How could I back out of the game without losing face? The last thing I needed was to play another game of poker with the man I had lost a hell of a lot of money to.

  ‘That game is too big for Gemini, sweet cheeks. I know a good casino. I can’t believe you never come down here.’ He steered Athena in the opposite direction to the one I had come from. ‘Before we go anywhere, I’m starving. Let’s eat.’

  I followed the couple to a nearby restaurant. Brighton was heaving with people. Teenagers heading for a night out. Couples of all shapes and sizes relaxing on the beach. It was a good atmosphere.

  ‘Do you have any tips for me?’ I asked Gary as we sat down at the table.

  ‘Yeah, get out while you still can.’

  I flicked my gaze to Athena as she read the menu. She had been ignoring me brilliantly. ‘It’s a little too late for that,’ she said under her breath.

  We laughed at her but the sharp look she gave me didn’t go unnoticed.

  ‘I must visit the little boys’ room,’ Gary said, excusing himself.

  Athena put her menu down and watched him until he was out of sight.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she hissed.

  I leant back in my seat and crossed my legs. ‘Whatever do you mean?’

  She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and flicked her smooth hair over her shoulder. ‘You know exactly what I mean. If Liam sees you gambling without having paid your debt, he will…’

  I raised my eyebrows as she kept her gaze on the surface of the table. Her fake eyelashes grazed her cheeks.

  ‘What will he do, Athena?’

  Her name sounded good as it came out of my mouth. She swallowed as she looked up at me. Only her eyes moved when her gaze pierced me.

  ‘You’re playing with fire.’ Her words were quiet.

  I glanced down. Her hands ripped a paper napkin to shreds. It was the first sign of nerves I’d seen.

  ‘You’re playing with wind.’

  Her forehead creased. ‘What do you mean?’

  I wasn’t about to explain to her that I could control wind. I couldn’t tell her that with a click of my fingers I could cause a breeze to tickle the hairs on her arms. I wanted to, though. For the first time ever, I wanted to tell a woman what I could do. Just to impress her.

  ‘Why are you with him?’ I leant forward, resting my elbows on the table.

  Our faces were inches apart. She froze, releasing the remains of the tissue in her hands.

  ‘He protects me,’ she whispered.

  I held her gaze, not able to look away. Who was she? What was she so afraid of?

  Her brown eyes were almost liquid. The top of her lips bowed but the bottom lip was full. Her nose was perfectly straight with a slight tilt up at the end.

  ‘Why do I get the impression you’re analysing every part of my face?’ she said.

  I smiled slowly as she pulled back and ran her hands down her waist. The gesture was meant to be in defence but it only drew my eyes to her even more.

  ‘We have to go. Sorry, Gemini, I’ve spoken to’

  ‘It was nice to meet you,’ Athena interrupted, getting up from her seat.

  Not moving my head, I looked up at her with a smile on my face. Did I make her nervous? Or, was it her man?

  ‘Good to see you, fella, catch up soon? Sorry to run but when the boss calls…you know.’

  I shook hands with Gary as Athena walked out of the restaurant. ‘Give me the address of the big game. Just in case.’

  Gary grinned as he tapped it out on his phone and sent it to me. ‘Good luck tonight.’

  Feeling lonely as I waited for my beer to arrive, I contemplated jumping on a train back to London. The evening was not going to plan so far. Athena’s face came into my mind. I fantasised about stealing her from under my enemy’s nose. Liam. I didn’t want to say that he was her pimp but my gut told me it may well be the case.

  ‘Would you like to order?’ the waitress asked.

  My stomach growled but I ignored it. Shaking my head, I downed my pint and threw a note on the table. I had to see if Athena was being fairly treated. I couldn’t see a woman like her trapped with a monster.

  Leaving the restaurant, I dug my phone out of my jacket pocket. Typing the postcode into my maps app, I saved the road where the game was being held. It wasn’t too far away. The night was still young. The game wouldn’t start for an hour or so.

  It wasn’t my plan to lose more money. In fact, I wasn’t even going to play. Going back to my phone, I googled casinos in Brighton. I
would waste an hour trying to win some cash.

  When I found what I wanted, I headed towards the first place that showed on the map. It was only a few hundred yards away. The bouncer smiled when I greeted him, letting me go straight in.

  The tables were busy but I managed to find a spot pretty quickly. The sweet spot wasn’t only the stool at the table. My luck was in. I threw a few games on the roulette and found that my winning streak had begun.

  ‘You’re pretty lucky,’ a woman said, leaning over to place her chip on the black.

  The corner of my lip moved involuntary when her boobs pressed against my side. The low cut dress didn’t leave much to the imagination.

  ‘You have the cutest dimples,’ she whispered as she pulled back.

  They were my weapon. Many women had fallen for the dimples. ‘Thank you. You have the cutest…’ I left my sentence unfinished as my eyes trailed downwards.

  Her cheeks didn’t warm under my inspection. It made a nice change. A woman that was completely comfortable in her own skin.

  ‘You seem older than your age.’

  The slow blink of her eyes was the only reaction when the croupier called her win.

  ‘I am,’ I replied, scooping up my winnings.

  She laughed, her big mouth opening wide as she did.

  ‘What are you? Nineteen? Twenty?’

  I calculated her own age as nearing forty. I had seen it all in my line of work. Money seekers in every man and woman. They enjoyed fine wine as much as I did. I gestured towards her empty glass. She nodded as she crossed her legs, being careful to rub my leg with one of hers as she did.

  ‘Twenty-two.’ My answer was honest for once. My age would go in my favour in the position I found myself in.

  ‘So, you’re old enough to play.’

  She fiddled with her dangly earring as she eyed the cut of my suit. My skin prickled at the attention. My elder colleagues had said that I reminded them of a young Tom Cruise when he was in some film where a rich older woman became his cougar. I had never seen the film but I enjoyed the appreciation.

  ‘I can play anything I want.’

  I turned from her to place a bet. The tables were in my favour tonight. Roulette was a game of intuition for me. I couldn’t ignore that.

  ‘Would you be interested in a game with much higher stakes?’ She pressed against me again as she placed her chip directly on top of mine.

  Her teasing made me start to sweat. The warmth of the casino was getting under my jacket already. Having a hot older bird all over me made it worse. I instantly knew what game she was talking about. Would it be wise to go along with her or should I check it out myself from the outside? ‘If you’re talking about Liam’s game, I already know about it.’

  She raised her eyebrows as the croupier called a loss. Our chips were swiped away from the table. I took it as a sign.

  ‘And are you going?’ Her shoulders came back.

  Maybe she could tell that I wasn’t actually that interested in her. I would have taken her to bed but as soon as she’d mentioned Liam, an image of Athena had come into my mind. ‘I hadn’t decided.’

  It was true. I was still debating whether to use her for access. She did have nice-

  ‘Come! I would love some company. You can be my lucky charm.’ Her hand landed on my arm.

  I nodded slowly. A smile spread over her face as she pulled me from my seat and linked her arm through mine.

  ‘Don’t we make a handsome couple?’ She laughed.

  She was going to play Liam. Was Athena right in saying that he would kill me if he saw me? Maybe not if he saw that I was only there for…

  ‘What is your name?’ How rude was I?

  ‘You don’t need to know that.’

  Her cryptic answer made me even more intrigued. She might not be the prettiest woman in the casino but she was certainly the most bold. A woman of mystery was always attractive.

  She led me outside into the night. The darkness had descended. I let her pull me along the streets. She knew where we were going more than I did. I was her arm candy. It made a nice change to be appreciated for my appearance. Not that I wasn’t usually but this woman made me feel even better about myself.

  ‘You’re about to enter the house of big boys. I want you to be quiet and not say a word.’

  Looking down at her, I pretended to zip my lips. She chuckled lightly as she guided me to a dark door in a back street.

  They let her in as soon as they saw her waiting. Not one of them addressed her with a name. The suspense was killing me. What would Liam do? I had a feeling I had picked the right person to come with.

  ‘Ah! How are you, gorgeous?’ Liam shouted as we entered a small front room. It was almost empty, with a bar and a table in the middle. A few wooden chairs littered the corners of the room but otherwise it was bare.

  ‘And who do we have here, then?’

  Glancing, I nodded at Gary who was already at the table. Athena was seated in the far corner of the room, tucked away. Liam kissed my date on both cheeks. He turned to me, took my hand and shook it, squeezing my fingers tight.

  ‘Good to see you again.’

  The clench of his jaw told me otherwise. It seemed the woman I was with held some influence. Liam’s throat moved when I smiled at him cheerfully.

  ‘Good to see you again, too!’ I pulled him in for a hug and patted his rigid back.

  ‘I didn’t know you were friends! How lovely.’ My date took my hand and pointed to a chair by the door. I ignored her. As Liam escorted her to the table, I went to sit by Athena. She cleared her throat as I crossed my legs and leant back in my seat.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she hissed when Liam’s attention was taken by a newcomer.

  I brought my hand to my mouth and chewed on my thumbnail. It was going to be a long night. Why had I agreed to come? Poker was boring to watch.

  ‘I wanted to please my date.’

  Her scoff made me glance at her. Her legs were crossed tightly at the knees. She sat completely straight, her face clear of any expression.

  ‘Gemini, don’t slouch!’ My date called. ‘It doesn’t show off your incredible physique.’

  It dawned on me that Athena and I were the same. We allowed others with power to use us for their pleasure. It didn’t occur to me that I was also using my date. I was the one that was the pretty escort.

  I ignored her request at first but slowly scooted up in my chair. Athena giggled beside me. I fought the urge to turn to her and see the smile on her face. I had never seen anything but misery in her expression.

  ‘Are we ready to begin?’ Liam spoke to the others at the table.

  ‘Er, Liam…we have a problem,’ a man said, coming in from the hallway.

  The tall thug glanced at Athena before he gestured for the man to go on.

  ‘That order of drinks didn’t arrive. We have-’

  Liam put his hand in the air. Turning to Athena, he clicked his finger. ‘Take him.’ He snarled at me. ‘And get some drink. You know what I like.’

  She shot to her feet and went to him. I glanced at my date, who waved me away. Why was I allowing them to order me around? It wasn’t something I ever did.

  Liam handed Athena a roll of money. She tucked it into her bra before walking away from him. Grabbing her arm, he tugged her to him and kissed her hard.

  ‘Gemini, get me some vodka, please,’ Gary asked, handing me a twenty.

  Liam released Athena and scowled at Gary. ‘No need, my friend. I provide the drinks at this game.’

  I handed the money back to Gary and followed Athena out of the house.

  ‘If I were you, I would run back home to mummy,’ she said as we crossed the road.

  The night was busy. Clubbers were on their way to dance. Others were on their way to watch live music.

  ‘I’m sorry to disappoint but I don’t live at home with my mother. What’s your problem, anyway?’ I took hold of her hand and pulled gently. She shrugged me off before glancing
over her shoulder. Her high heels clipped against the pavement as she tried to walk faster.

  ‘You think you’re brave enough to play with the big boys but this isn’t just about a game of poker. These people are-’

  I placed my hand on her shoulder and spun her towards me. Her words were rushed. She panted as we stopped in the middle of the street. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me into an alley.

  ‘Trust me. I don’t know you but you’re already in deep. Owing ten grand to Liam is a debt you’ll wish you’d never got into. He will have you under his thumb-’

  ‘No, he won’t. I’ll get his money, I-’

  She punched my shoulder. I stopped talking. She was still breathing heavy. The shadows engulfed us. I could only just make out her eyes. I reached up and cupped her face. My suspicions were confirmed. Her cheek was wet.

  ‘What does he do to you?’ I uttered.

  ‘He owns me.’

  I closed my eyes briefly. It was as I had imagined. How did such a woman become a slave? ‘Does he own your body or your heart?’ I held my breath, willing her to answer me. I didn’t want to scare her away. She needed help. I could rescue her.

  ‘It used to be both but not anymore.’ She leant her cheek into my hand.

  I wanted to pull away. Not because of her confession but because I didn’t want to jeopardise her trust in me. The urge to hold her was overwhelming. ‘You do know that I can’t leave you with him?’

  She slapped my hand away and rushed from the alley. I ran to catch up to her.

  ‘You don’t even know me! Why are you being so weird?’

  It was a good question. I had no idea why I wanted to save her. She was standoffish and unwelcoming. Maybe she was as bad as Liam. Maybe they were good together.

  ‘Forget I said anything.’

  We went into the shop to buy the alcohol. I followed her around like a puppy dog, holding the drinks she handed me.

  ‘Is Athena your real name?’

  She glanced sideways at me. ‘Yes.’

  I put the bottles on the counter and helped her bag them up. When she handed over the money, she cringed when the cashier’s fingers brushed her own. I glanced at him. He was a normal young man, nothing too cringe worthy about him.

  ‘Does he beat you?’