High Stakes Crime: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 15)

by Colleen Helme

  “No… it’s too risky for now. When we have more time we will.”

  I nodded, and we stepped toward the restroom. Catching Ramos’s arm, I glanced around to make sure we weren’t overheard. “So you know that guy sitting at my table with the geeky glasses and wearing a striped, blue shirt?” Ramos nodded. “He’s a physicist.”

  “So?”

  “It means he’s got mad skills at playing poker. Sonny hired him to beat me.”

  Ramos’s brows rose. “How’s that going for him?”

  I shrugged. “Not too well, but it’s great for me. I’m learning a lot about modeling the other players’ behaviors to determine if they have a good hand or not.”

  His eyes narrowed. “But don’t you already know whether they have a good hand?”

  “Well… yeah, but… it’s still pretty interesting.”

  He smiled, happy I was enjoying myself. We reached the restroom, and he planted his feet by the door.

  Keeping a straight face, I caught his gaze. “Sure you don’t want to come in?”

  His soft growl and narrowed eyes surprised me, but that didn’t stop me from snickering as I hurried inside. It wasn’t as crowded as I would have thought, and I returned to his side only a few minutes later.

  We started back toward the table, and I took his arm again. “How much time have we got left? I need a Diet Coke.” The words had barely left my mouth when a server appeared by my side with a tray of drinks. Diet Coke wasn’t one of them, but the server left, promising to come back with one.

  Ramos’s brows drew together. “Maybe you should just take a bottle of water that hasn’t been opened.”

  “Oh man… really?”

  He grinned. “Yes. Really. It’s better for you anyway.” At my widened eyes, he continued. “I’ll get you a Coke on your next break.”

  I sighed. “Fine.”

  Ramos escorted me all the way back to my table, and I caught a few stray thoughts that he must be my bodyguard or something, especially after he came back with a cold bottle of water, which he opened before handing it to me.

  I inclined my head as regally as I could. “Thank you.”

  He gave me a slight bow, and I heard milady from his mind. It was such a surprise that I nearly burst out laughing. Shaking my head, I took a few sips of water, realizing that it was just what I needed. I bent to set it on the floor, but the man beside me motioned to a cup-holder near my chips, and I thanked him.

  The dealers rotated, and a new dealer sat beside me. She waited until everyone was seated before she began the next round, telling us that the big blind had now doubled. That meant that the games would move much faster, and I concentrated even harder to keep everyone’s hands straight in my head.

  A commotion came from the other end of the room. Everyone glanced up to watch the first losing player stalk from the room. I heard all kinds of swearing coming from his mind, and I knew I should get used to it. As soon as the doors shut behind him, the playing resumed.

  The man whom Sebastian had dubbed “C” was the first to lose all his chips at our table, followed closely by “D.” A few more players at the other tables followed suit, trimming the competitors down by a third. One more player left our table before the second break was called, and I gladly pushed back my chair.

  I’d slipped my shoes off my feet, at some point, and leaned over to put them back on. As I stood, Ramos came to my side, holding a glass filled with sparkling diet soda. “Thanks.” I took a few swallows before allowing him to lead me away. “Where are we going?”

  “They’re giving us half an hour this time, so I’m taking you up to our room.”

  “That sounds heavenly.” I couldn’t wait to lie down and put my feet up, even if it was only for a few minutes. “I wish I didn’t have to wear these stupid heels and a dress. I think I should get hazard pay.”

  He chuckled. “You’ll have to take it up with Manetto, but since you’ve already spent fifty grand of it, I don’t think you’ll get too far.”

  I sighed. “Maybe not.”

  Ramos used the key card and opened the door to our rooms. I stepped inside and hurried straight to the couch, kicking off my shoes and propping my feet up on the arm rest. “Where’s Uncle Joey?”

  “He’s with Ricky. I’m not sure, but that guy he told us about… the ‘Debt Collector’… might be watching the tournament. At least that’s what Ricky overheard. Manetto decided to stay there and observe in case they figured out who he was.”

  I closed my eyes. “If I wasn’t playing in the tournament, I could probably pick him out, but I’m already starting to get a headache.”

  “You want something for it?”

  “Yes. I’ve got some pain reliever in my make-up bag in the bathroom.”

  Ramos hurried away, coming back with a couple of pills and another bottle of water since my soda was gone.

  “Thanks.” I took the pills and swallowed them down, sending him a saucy smile. “I kind of like having you wait on me.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t get used to it.”

  I relaxed back onto the couch and closed my eyes. Ramos disappeared into his bedroom and emerged several minutes later. “There’s about fifteen minutes left.”

  “Dang. I’d better use the bathroom while I’m here.” In the bathroom, I saturated a washcloth with some cool water and held it to the back of my neck. Feeling slightly better, I freshened up my lipstick before joining Ramos.

  As we stepped into the hallway, Ramos tensed. I glanced up to see a tall, beefy guy loitering near the elevator. “What’s he thinking?” Ramos asked.

  I listened closely and picked up that he’d been waiting for us. He didn’t like having to face my bodyguard, but he thought he could sneak in a quick punch to my face before Ramos knew what was happening, then he planned to run like hell to the staircase.

  I slowed my steps. “He’s planning to punch me in the face and hopes to get away before you kill him.”

  Hot anger poured over Ramos. “When he makes his move, get behind me.”

  Swallowing, I nodded. The man kept his face averted as we neared him, trying to act like he hadn’t noticed us. We came to a stop beside him, and he stepped closer to the doors and turned sideways so he had a better shot at me.

  As the doors slid open, he stepped my way and struck out. Anticipating him, I’d already moved, and Ramos used the opening to hit him with a one-two punch in his stomach. As the man doubled over, Ramos sent an upper cut to his jaw, and the guy went down.

  The elevator doors began to close, and Ramos stuck his arm inside, forcing them apart. Smiling at me, he inclined his head. “After you.”

  I chuckled nervously and stepped inside. After a cursory glance at the man, and finding him out cold, Ramos stepped over his legs and joined me.

  “How’s your hand?” I asked him.

  He held it up. “Fine.” He thought about how much he enjoyed his job. He loved the advantage my mind-reading skills gave him, and how satisfying it was to hit someone bent on hurting me. “Between the two of us, these guys don’t stand a chance.”

  “Don’t get cocky. They might try and sneak up on us.”

  He shook his head. “But you’ll know, right?”

  “I should.”

  The doors opened, and Ramos paused to glance my way. “Anything out there to get us?”

  I listened real close, but didn’t pick up a threat, and shook my head. Taking Ramos’s arm, we stepped into the hotel lobby and through the crowd to the poker room with five minutes to spare. Ramos escorted me to my chair, and I sat down, ready to play. My headache was gone, and I had to admit that seeing Ramos punch that guy had given me a thrill.

  I was wide awake and ready to go. I caught sight of Uncle Joey, and my euphoria vanished. Something was wrong, but he shut off his thoughts before I could figure out what it was.

  CHAPTER 8

  I took my seat at the table and settled in, pushing away my anxiety over Uncle Joey’s worries. There wasn’t a thi
ng I could do about it now, so I focused on the game. The dealer took his place, but waited for Sonny to give the order to start the next game.

  I glanced Sonny’s way and found him talking earnestly to a tall man with dark hair and eyes that I’d noticed talking to him a few times before. Sonny was upset about something, and I picked up that the man, Dom, was trying to calm him down, telling Sonny that he had everything under control. Sonny finally nodded, and Dom straightened.

  Sonny announced the beginning of the next round and Dom stayed close to his side, thinking he needed to keep Sonny from doing anything stupid. I lost track of him after that, since I had to focus on my game. At least we were down to seven players, so that made it easier for me to keep track of the cards.

  After the flop, I had the winning hand, so I doubled the bet. Five of the players called to stay in with the other two folding. The turn revealed a card that wasn’t the best, but I still had the winning hand so far, so I doubled the bet again.

  Two more players folded, leaving me with Sebastian and players D and B. Sebastian watched me closely for a ‘tell’ so he could decide whether to stay or fold. If I was bluffing, he’d stay, but I was just too darn good to read, and his frustration rose.

  The dealer played the river, giving me two pair aces high. Out of the remaining players, it was the winning hand, but I couldn’t seem too eager with Sebastian watching my every twitch. I twisted my lips slightly before returning to my poker face and catching his gaze.

  He saw the lip twist and decided I was bluffing. Working hard to keep my expression neutral, I not only called him, but doubled the bet. One of the players dropped out, but both Sebastian and the other man called. They both thought I was bluffing.

  I flipped over my cards and waited. With frustration oozing out of them, they both threw their cards down, giving me the pot. With that game, I’d significantly reduced their chips, leaving me with more than enough to outlast everyone else.

  Sebastian’s nostrils flared, and he wondered if I was cheating. How could I be so consistent? It was like I knew what the cards were before they’d even been played. Was it really due to my psychic abilities? That was hard to believe, but he was losing to me. He never thought I could outwit him, but I was clearly the better player.

  I did my best to keep my expression composed, but it was hard not to smile. The time passed quickly, and soon it came down to just me, Sebastian, and player B left at the table. My head was beginning to pound, and I could hardly wait for round one to be over. With Sebastian and B’s chips getting low, I hoped it wouldn’t take long.

  As the dealer shuffled the cards for the next round, the announcer called for another break. A sigh escaped me, and I got to my feet. I spoke to Ramos and we visited the restroom. On my way back to the table, Ramos handed me a bottle of water.

  “You’ve got this,” he said, sending me an encouraging smile.

  “Thanks.” He ushered me to my seat and, after I sat down, he massaged my shoulders. I closed my eyes and couldn’t help the sigh that escaped my lips. I picked up his thoughts that this was like a boxing match, and I was the million-dollar-baby. I chuckled.

  Finishing up, he patted my shoulder, and I glanced up at him. “Thanks coach.”

  He leaned close to my ear and whispered. “Knock ‘em dead.”

  Smiling, I took a few swallows of water, refreshed and ready to finish this.

  A new dealer sat down, and the back of my neck prickled. He may have been dressed like the other dealers, but something about him was off. Besides being more nervous than he should be, his gaze kept flitting around the room, and I picked up that he hoped no one recognized him from his magic show.

  I leaned forward and stared at him until he darted a glance my way. The skin around his eyes tightened slightly, and sweat broke out over his upper lip. Did I know who he was? Sonny had promised him that no one paid any attention to the dealers, so why was I staring?

  With nimble fingers, he made a show of opening a fresh deck of cards and shuffled them several times. He deftly dealt them out with a nonchalance he didn’t feel.

  Why was he so nervous? I listened closely and picked up that, after the next round, he planned to switch the cards with the marked deck in his sock.

  Since he’d know what every card was before he dealt it, he could easily make sure that Sebastian ended up with the best hand. With his skills, he’d also make sure to deal good cards to me and the other player, so we’d have good enough hands to bid, but not good enough to win. That way he could guarantee that Sebastian would come out on top, just how Sonny wanted.

  What the freak? I had to make sure he never got that deck out of his sock. I played the round, dividing my attention between the dealer and the players. My hand was too good not to bet on, so I kept raising the bid. Both Sebastian and the other player folded, easily reading my aggression, so I didn’t win many chips.

  With the attention on me and my win, he decided to make his move. I quickly jumped to my feet and glared at him. “This dealer needs to be thrown out. He has a deck of marked cards hidden in his sock.”

  Everyone froze, staring at me with shock. Finally, both monitors converged on the guy. His mouth dropped open in protest, and he sputtered that I was lying and out to get him. Sonny motioned to Dom, who still stood beside him, to intervene. Dom rushed to my table and ordered the dealer to stand with his hands away from his sides.

  Frisking him, Dom reached down to the dealer’s socks, trying to decide if he should come up empty-handed so the dealer could stay. He felt the cards in the sock, but brushed over them. “I don’t feel anything.” He straightened to glare at me. “Are you sure?”

  Without pulling my gaze from his, I nodded. “Yes. But since you can’t find them, I’ll ask my bodyguard to take a closer look. Ramos?”

  Ramos stood, but before he made it to my side, Dom held up his hand. “That’s not necessary. If you object to the dealer, we’ll bring in someone else.” He glanced at the dealer and motioned him out of the room.

  As the dealer rushed out, Dom spoke in hushed tones to the monitor. Satisfied, he waved another attendant over, telling him to find another dealer. The attendant quickly left the room and came back a moment later with someone new. The monitor gave the new dealer a fresh deck of cards, and he sat down, ready to begin the next round.

  I listened closely to this dealer and released a breath, grateful he had nothing up his sleeve. With that disaster averted, I turned my attention back to the game. Another couple of rounds passed and player B finally lost his chips, leaving me and Sebastian to duke it out.

  My stack of chips easily doubled his, although he had a fair amount of his own. I won the next two games, and he got a little reckless on the third, but I understood because his cards were great. I folded after the flop, knowing I couldn’t beat him, and his confidence returned.

  During the next round, Sebastian noticed that I’d begun to chew on my bottom lip. Since I hadn’t done that before, it had to be a sign of some sort. I didn’t bluff much, but, with the end in sight, and the stakes so high, it made sense that I’d want to end it now. Bluffing would get me there if he fell for it.

  He kept a close eye on me and bid me up. My first cards were equal to his, so I called his bet and waited to see what the flop held.

  It didn’t do either one of us any good, so I called him again. The turn was better for me, but I took my time to consider the bet, hoping to throw him off. I barely chewed on my bottom lip and doubled the bet, waiting to see if he’d call.

  Watching my lips, he called to stay in the game, thinking he had a good enough hand to win, even without the river. My hand was better, but, depending on the river, it could still go either way. The dealer turned the final card, and I tried not to respond. It was just the card I needed to win the game, but if Sebastian saw it in my face, I knew he’d fold.

  The play went to me to fold or bet, and I had to pretend that I wasn’t sure I could win. Sebastian glanced my way, but I kept my gaze down an
d only slightly moved my lips. I glanced at him one more time before doubling the bet. If he called the bet, he’d have to go all in, and I wasn’t sure if I’d fooled him or not.

  He studied me, and I swallowed, hoping he’d fall for it. He glanced at his cards and was just about to pass, so I briefly chewed on my bottom lip. He caught the movement and let out a breath. It was just the sign he needed. His eyes brimmed with cold calculation, and he slid all of his chips into the pot.

  “All in.”

  The crowd gasped, so I took a moment to savor the tension. With a tiny smile, I turned my cards over. A jolt of shock came from Sebastian, while the crowd began to clap. Amid the calls of congratulations, I heard Sebastian swearing in his mind. I’d outwitted him. How was it possible? He studied my face, thinking I was an anomaly. A glitch in the law of physics, and he’d never seen anything like it.

  Once the shock subsided, he stood in awe and leaned across the table to offer me his hand. I swiftly stood and accepted his handshake. He didn’t even think about Sonny being upset with him. More than anything, he wanted to ask me how I’d done it. He wanted to know everything there was to know about my psychic ability, because I’d made a believer out of him.

  His questions rattled through his mind, running the gamut from quizzing me about when my abilities started, to asking how they manifested. Did I have a gut feeling, or had I seen it in a vision before it happened?

  Broadening his mind with more possibilities, he wondered if I’d used my gift to change my future… or did my ability also help change another’s future? How far and wide did my influence spread? To those I loved, or anyone within my vicinity?

  I pulled my hand away, hoping to jar him back to the present. He blinked, realizing he’d been holding my hand way too long. “Uh… congratulations. I’ve never played anyone like you. It’s a… phenomenon I never thought I’d see.”

  I smiled. “Thanks so much. You’re a wonderful player yourself. I’ve learned a lot from you.”