by Brenda Novak
“Off,” Blane said, coughing at the dust in his mouth and nose. His little brother had shielded him from harm. Why didn’t Blane just hand over his fucking man card. It should be the other way around—Blane protecting Kade, though it sounded like Kade needed more protection from himself than anything else.
“Nice work,” Kade complimented Terrance as they all got to their feet. “And fast.”
Terrance shrugged. “Just following orders.”
Blane looked at Kade. “When did you…”
Kade stared innocently back. “When did I what?”
Blane held up a hand. “You know what? Never mind. Forget it. I don’t want to know. Let’s just get out of here.”
They left out the front doors, one of which was hanging slightly askew from the blast. If the explosion had been overheard, there wasn’t a way to tell. No one was running to help and no sirens sounded in the distance.
“Hey! Guys!”
Mannie was calling to them. He and Liz were standing by a cab. In a moment, Blane, Kade, and Terrance had approached.
“Did you see that?” Mannie gushed. “There was like this huge explosion and I thought for sure you guys were goners, but then out you come through the doors like you’re fucking Bruce Willis or some shit like that. Cool!”
“Mannie, I thought you were going to get Liz to the hospital?” Kade asked. “You just been standing out here?”
Mannie looked hurt. “I didn’t just wanna leave you guys, you know? Not without making sure you were okay.”
Kade rolled his eyes. “Please. Was there any doubt?”
All three men turned to look at him.
Kade cleared his throat. “Okay, so anyway, I can take her to the hospital.”
“No,” Liz said, tightening her grip on Mannie’s arm and sliding closer to him. “I want him to take me.” She looked down at him, her face softening. “He saved me.”
“He saved you?” Kade said, sounding insulted. “I was the one who—”
“Let’s get you guys a cab,” Blane interrupted. Liz was looking at Mannie as though he were a seven foot tall knight in shining armor. It was kind of sweet.
Terrance flagged down a passing taxi and Mannie and Liz got inside. She was clinging to him like a vine and Mannie didn’t seem to mind one little bit. Terrance slammed the door shut, but just as the cab was about to pull away, Mannie leaned out the window.
“I haven’t forgotten about that audition, Kade!” he yelled. “You owe me!” Then they were gone, speeding down the road.
Terrance looked at Kade. “What audition?”
“Don’t ask.”
Terrance shrugged. “Whatever.” He held out a hand to Kade. “Nice working with you, man.”
“Ditto,” Kade said. “If you’re in the market, I might be in touch.”
“Sounds good.” He turned to Blane. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Flagging down another cab, Terrance climbed in. A moment later, Blane and Kade were left alone in the lot.
“Now what?” Blane asked.
Kade sighed. “Now we’re done. Girls are safe, Péng is dead and so is Raymond. There’s no one left to connect me to the device, so all’s well that ends well.” He gave Blane a crooked smile.
“I don’t know if I’d say this ended well,” Blane replied dryly. “And we still don’t know where that thing is. Are you sure you can’t think of where you would have hidden it?”
“No clue.”
The warm evening breeze brushed over them and Blane tipped his head back to look at the stars, except very few could be seen. The lights of the city were just too bright.
“I’m starving and I want a shower,” he said.
“Sounds like a plan.”
A few minutes later they were ensconced in a cab heading back to the MGM. Traffic was heavy and Kade had leaned his head back against the seat, his eyes shut. Blane thought he might be sleeping. That sounded good. He was exhausted. But they both couldn’t sleep at the same time without either of them being awake and aware, so he stayed alert, watching the people and scenery go by.
They were nearly back at the hotel when the driver slammed on the brakes and cursed.
“What’s the problem?” Blane asked as Kade jerked awake at the sudden stop. He rubbed his eyes and looked around.
“Damn geese,” the driver groused. “They’re fucking everywhere and get in the way. The city needs to do something. They’re a nuisance and a menace, chasing people and wanting food. They’ll eat anything.” He stepped on the gas and the car shot forward.
Blane was wide awake now and he looked at Kade, who was already looking at him. They were thinking the exact same thing.
“The goose,” Kade said.
They hit the doors of the MGM at a pretty good clip and had made it nearly to the elevators before they were stopped.
“Blane Kirk? Kade Dennon?” A large man in a suit blocked their path. He face looked like it had been in one too many brawls, the nose slightly crooked. An earpiece was in his ear, the cord disappearing underneath his collar.
Security.
“Yes?” Blane answered.
“Please come with me.”
Shit. They’d found out Kade had gamed the system last night. Not that it had sounded as though Kade had tried real hard to hide it, not judging by the size of that stack of poker chips they’d left in their room.
“What’s this about?” Blane asked, stalling and stepping slightly in front of Kade.
“I think you know what this is about,” the man said. “It would be in your best interest to come along quietly.”
Kade touched Blane’s shoulder and he glanced around. Kade gave him a slight nod. Blane’s lips pressed together, but he said, “Fine. Lead the way.”
They followed the guards into the bowels of the casino, the walls and floors stripped of color or decoration. It was an antiseptic as a hospital, completely lacking in welcome or warmth. And someplace Blane would have been content to have never seen.
They hadn’t searched them for weapons yet, that happened as soon as they entered the room. On the small side, it held one table and three chairs. The two guards took all the weapons Blane and Kade were carrying and left the room, leaving them alone with the head guard.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Kade said, “Mac! Man, it’s good to see you.”
To Blane’s amazement, the guard gave Kade a handshake and a hearty slap on the back. “Dennon, why am I not surprised you’re the one causing shit?” He was grinning as he said it though.
“You two know each other?” Blane asked, glancing from one to the other in bewilderment.
“This guy helped me out of a bind a while back,” Mac said. “I said I owed him one, so now I’m here to deliver.”
“What’s the scoop?” Kade asked.
Mac sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, your winnings aren’t going to be confiscated, so that’s the good news. But Alfonso is pissed as all hell.”
“Who’s Alfonso?” Blane asked.
“Alfonso Riveria,” Kade replied. “He’s like the second-in-command at the MGM.”
“Yeah, he should be here any minute,” Mac said. “I was supposed to rough you up a bit, so look hurt.”
Kade snorted at that just as there was a perfunctory knock on the door before it opened.
Another man walked in, flanked by six security personnel. By the time everyone was inside, the room was a bit crowded.
It wasn’t that much of a stretch to realize this was Alfonso. Clad in a suit that easily cost well into four figures, gold links at his cuffs, and shoes shined to a gleaming sheen, he oozed Vegas casino magnate.
Blane’s body was stiff with tension. He didn’t like not having his Glock, he didn’t like that Kade was in here, and he really didn’t like being surrounded.
“Mr. Kirk. Mr. Dennon,” Alfonso began, “I would say welcome to our casino and hotel, but I see you’ve already made yourselves at home. Congratulation
s on your…winnings.”
“I always did have a lucky streak,” Kade smarted off. Blane wanted to duct tape his mouth shut.
“Why are we being held here?” Blane asked. “Is it against the law to win money in a casino?”
“Of course not,” Alfonso replied with a casual wave of his hand. “Though perhaps some might say luck had little to do with it.”
Best not to reply to that. Kade must have thought the same thing because for once he kept his damn mouth shut.
“What do you think, Mr. Dennon?” Alfonso asked. “Are you telling me you were just extremely…lucky last night?”
“Well, I didn’t get laid, so no, I wouldn’t say I was lucky.”
Fucking shit.
“Kade won that money at the slots,” Blane cut in. “How could it possibly have been anything other than luck?” He raised an eyebrow. “Unless you’re suggesting there’s some way to compromise a slot machine?”
Alfonso’s smile was tight. “Everyone knows that’s impossible,” he said.
“Exactly.”
They were locked in a staring contest, Alfonso apparently trying to judge whether or not Blane was hiding something. Too bad Blane was an expert at bluffing. Lawyers couldn’t afford to be anything less.
“Your pet has been euthanized, I’m sorry to inform you,” Alfonso said, abruptly changing the subject.
“My pet?”
“The goose,” Kade interrupted, knocking his elbow into Blane’s side. “You know…we named him Duck Duck.” He turned back to Alfonso. “Duck duck goose. Get it?”
Blane shot Kade a look. Are you fucking kidding me?
Kade gave a tiny shrug. First thing that came to me.
“Though why you’d bring a pet goose—” Alfonso continued, ignoring Kade.
“Duck Duck,” Kade inserted.
“—to Las Vegas is beyond my comprehension,” Alfonso finished. “If you’d care to collect the carcass, we can have that arranged.” His expression was one of distaste.
“Nah, no way could I handle seeing Duck Duck like that,” Kade said with a sad shake of his head. “They can do whatever they do…?”
“They’ll incinerate it,” Alfonso answered Kade unfinished question.
Perfect.
“You’re personal belongings have been collected and are waiting for you in transportation we’ve arranged to the airport,” he continued.
“How thoughtful,” Kade said dryly. Alfonso ignored him.
“Here are your winnings.” Alfonso handed a thick envelope over to Kade. “And in case you are wondering,” he continued, “let me spell it out for you.
“You are hereby banned from the MGM Grand. Your names and photos are on record. Should you show your faces here again, you will be escorted from the premises, in a very unpleasant way.”
No problem.
***
Blane leaned his head back in the cab. God, he was tired. And he smelled. And he was hungry. He opened his mouth—
“Don’t start,” Kade warned, cutting him off before he’d even said a word.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to.”
They sat in stiff silence for a minute. Then Blane gave a soft chuckle. He glanced at Kade, whose lips twitched. That prompted a full out laugh and before long they were both wheezing from laughing so hard.
“Shit,” Blane said when he could catch his breath. “I can’t even believe all that happened.”
“We’re banned from the MGM,” Kade said. “Do you even know how badass that is?” He high-fived Blane.
“So what’re you going to do with the money?” Blane asked.
Kade shrugged. “I dunno. Guess I could use it to get Mannie that audition.”
“So you do know a guy?”
“I could find a guy.”
Yeah, Blane didn’t want to know. But he wasn’t surprised that Kade would keep his word to Mannie. Hard-as-nails as he could be, Kade had a core of honor and integrity that couldn’t stay hidden, no matter how much he tried to pretend otherwise.
“Don’t be offended, but this is probably the last vacation I ever take with you,” Blane said, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes as he leaned back in the seat. “And I didn’t even get a fucking T-shirt.”
“I hear it can get pretty wild in Miami,” Kade said. “And I really need to work on my tan.”
Blane cracked an eye and looked at Kade, who was grinning shamelessly at him. He sighed.
Shit.
The End.
About Tiffany Snow
Tiffany attended the University of Missouri – Columbia, attaining two degrees in History and Social Studies Education. After working many years as an instructor and consultant in the Information Technology field, Tiffany now writes full-time.
Tiffany loves to read and has been reading romance novels since she was way too young to read such things. She has an unhealthy obsession for all things Doctor Who, prefers Pepsi to Coke and Absolut to both, thinks men who drink girly cocktails are wusses, has learned to never stop believing in her beloved St. Louis Cardinals, and can recite the entire scripts of When Harry Met Sally and Apollo 13. George Washington is cool, Bon Jovi still rocks the house, and Bruce Willis is the ultimate alpha-male hero.
Married with two wonderful daughters, Tiffany and her family make their home in Kansas City, Missouri, not far from where she was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.
Find Tiffany here:
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