Roulette

by C. D. Bradley

  HE HEARD HER voice before he even opened his eyes. “Dominic. Oh my God! What happened to you?” Smelly Melly exclaimed through tears.

  Dominic opened his eyes to see his beautiful sister at his bedside. “Hey, beautiful. I’m okay. Barely nicked me.” He was so happy to see that incredible red hair and those green eyes even if they were filled with tears at the moment.

  “You just had surgery. It was bad enough,” she scolded. “I’m just glad you’re okay now.” She held his hand and leaned against his shoulder. He messed her hair and just held her for a few minutes. He loved his sister beyond words. The thought made his heart ache for Olivia. She and Grace were both in the ICU. Even though Grace turned out to be a fucking evil bitch he knew that Olivia loved her.

  “So, are you going to tell me what happened or are the details top secret FBI stuff?” Melly asked still tucked in his arm.

  “This will probably be all over the news at some point so I’ll tell you what I can. You met both women at SaSS in Norfolk,” he explained. Mel sat up like a shot.

  “I did? Wow! Okay tell me everything you can.” Mel pulled out her leather-bound notebook, tattered and worn on the edges.

  “Hey, is that the one I got you?” he asked and smiled.

  “Yup. The one you gave me after that first signing you went to and bought me all those books. You have always been the sweetest kid. Okay so get cracking before you forget any details,” she said and got her pen ready.

  Dominic leaned back in the hospital bed and began to tell her the whole sordid tale. “It started while the girls were still in college. Olivia had gone to Yale and Grace went to Brown.”

  “You went to Brown. I remember you talking about Grace. Oh.” She paused and tears filled her eyes again. “This is that Grace. The one who died . . . The girl on your chest . . . That’s where we got Grace Parker. That Grace?”

  “That’s the one. Only she didn’t die and though I didn’t know it at the time she had an identical twin named Olivia.”

  “I remember her from SaSS. She is beautiful. How did you not recognize her?” Mel asked narrowing her eyes.

  “I did, immediately. I had to be with her. I couldn’t think of anything but her. I never knew Grace had a sister. And ten years later when I met Olivia she said she was an only child. The night I slept with her I knew she wasn’t Grace. But the connection . . . the electricity between us I had felt before. When I kissed Grace that last time in the elevator in Vegas.” He closed his eyes and remembered the way she felt in his arms.

  “That’s the night you got arrested, right? Man, that has fucking haunted you with every stinking background check you have had since.” Mel shook her head in aggravation.

  “It also saved my life,” he said with a sly smile and explained Grace’s original plan and how his reaction to kissing Olivia set off a chain of events that ruined the whole thing.

  “So where’s the money? Olivia left with the chips, right?” she asked and leaned in intrigued.

  “No one knows. That’s why Grace and Piper set up this whole elaborate scheme ten years later to lure Olivia and me to try to recreate that night as much as possible in hope to trigger her to remember what happened in the timeframe from when their bags got switched to when she showed up to the cliffs where they tried to kill her.” He finished and reached for a drink of water. It was still so unbelievable. “Once they had the money they could finally kill Olivia and frame me as they had tried to do ten years ago. The thing is Olivia still can’t remember. She’s blocked most of the events of that time in her life out of her memory. Twenty-four million dollars is out there somewhere.”

  “How is she, Olivia I mean,” Mel asked. “I can see it in your face how much you care about her.”

  “She’s hanging in there. It’s going to be a long road but I’m going to be there for every minute of it.” He paused and looked at his sister. “I love her. I’ve never been able to care about anyone else since that first time I saw her in the elevator in Vegas. Now that I know her, she is so much more than I ever dreamed.”

  “You know I’m going to have to write this story. It’s too amazing not to.” She smiled and tapped her pen against her notebook. “Hmm what to call it . . .”

  “I know.” Dominic reached into the bedside stand and pulled out the single poker chip and placed it in his sister’s hand. “Call it Roulette.”

  GRACE SAT IMPATIENTLY tapping her fingers on the metal desk. The only thing worse than those awful hospital gowns was this pathetic jumpsuit. Her lawyer had better hurry the fuck up. She didn’t want to spend another minute in this hell hole. She picked at some of the layers of peeling paint that covered the surface. All shades of the same drab green. She was not going to be here long enough to see it get a new one.

  The large metal door opened allowing fresh air into the windowless room. In walked the most handsome man Grace had ever seen. He was tall with hair black as night. His chiseled features were strong and unforgiving. His eyes were dark as the soul they restrained.

  He met her gaze and his eyes widened in surprise but then an appreciative smile spread across his face. “Wow, they said you look just like her but . . . I’ve seen twins before, but you two are like looking at the same exact person.” He cleared his throat. “Forgive me, let me introduce myself. My name Is Vincent Trudeau, I’ve been hired to be your lawyer.”

  I would like to thank all of the wonderful Sassy people that I met at SASS 2016. Lisa Sproat and Amy Murray really know how to throw together one hell of a shindig.

  Eric Battershell and Johnny Kane thank you for your wonderful pictures and inspiration.

  Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs thank you for your amazing artistry and talent and for being willing to work last minute to help put this together.

  Marla thank you for all your hard work and wonderful ideas and for working with me last-minute under a deadline.

  Angie and Melissa, my ride or die girls, you inspire me every day.

  As always my husband and children for your patience and support throughout the creative process.

  And finally the Sassy people of SASS 2017 I hope you’re feeling lucky. I can’t wait to spend time speaking with you passing around ideas. Who knows you just might find yourself in next year’s book!