Clutches and Curses
Page 26
Nearby, just steps away, was the casino. Rows and rows of brightly colored slot and video machines glowing in the dim light, their pinging and ponging a siren song that lured in thousands.
Mike Ivan stepped in front of me. Yikes, where had he come from?
He leaned closer and said, “I won’t forget what you did,” then walked away.
Oh my God. What did that mean? Was it a good thing, or a bad thing?
Jeez, I really hope I haven’t been cursed again.
I turned to the casino once more. I hadn’t gambled at all since I’d been here. Marcie had advised against it, and I’d gone along with her advice.
Madam CeeCee had told me I must perform a selfless act to break the curse. I hadn’t done that, yet I’d won that awesome Judith Leiber handbag. Of course, I’d given it away, so I didn’t know if that constituted good or bad luck—
Hang on a minute. I’d given my raffle prize to Maya. That was selfless, wasn’t it?
Only one way to find out.
I was leaving Vegas now, and how would I possibly know if the curse had been lifted unless I tried my luck?
Ty was still on his cell phone, so I ventured into the casino. The sights, the sounds, drew me in. I eyed the machines, waiting to feel a connection.
“Trying your luck?” Jack asked as he appeared beside me.
“Where’s Maya?” I asked.
“Working,” he said.
“Did she sell the bag?”
“Didn’t you hear the screaming?” Jack asked. “I’m heading home.”
“Me, too,” I said, and turned my attention to a bank of slot machines. I eyed them. The Lucky Star machine called to me—I swear. A giant, neon yellow star shot out of the top.
I dug into my pocket and came up with a five dollar bill. Okay, so I wasn’t exactly a high roller.
I settled onto the stool in front of the Lucky Star. A tiny old lady sat next to me wearing a ball cap covered with gold sequins, her cane propped against the machine she was using.
“I’ve got the Beemer,” Jack said, easing a little closer.
I fed the five into the slot machine.
“The blue convertible?” I asked. “Cool ride.”
“Want to ride with me?” he asked.
I tapped the max bet button on the machine, then hit the spin button. It chimed, the three reels spun, stopping on a star, then a moon, then a comet. The readout announced I’d won a quarter.
Hmm, not exactly the kind of luck I’d hoped for.
“Haley?” Ty walked up and gave Jack a sharp look.
I hit the spin button again.
“The car is waiting,” Ty said.
The reels spun. The first one stopped on a star.
“You can drive,” Jack told me.
The second reel stopped on a star.
“The corporate jet is waiting,” Ty said.
The third reel stopped on a star.
An alarm went off. Bells clanged. A whistle blew.
“Heaven above!” the lady next to me screamed. “You won the big jackpot!”
“What?” I eyed the machine, not really understanding what was happening.
“Look! There!” She pointed to a display at the top of the machine, hopping up and down in her chair. “You won almost fifty thousand dollars!”
“Fifty thousand dollars?” I screamed.
“Yes!” she cheered.
Oh my God. I’d won that much money? I couldn’t believe my luck.
I whirled to Ty and shouted, “I won!”
But he didn’t look happy. His shoulders sagged and he looked absolutely defeated.
“Oh, crap,” I heard him mumble.
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2011 by Dorothy Howell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2011922118
ISBN: 978-0-7582-5330-9