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

by Colleen Helme

His eyes widened. “You have? In what way?”

  I stepped away from the table, and he came to my side, curious to know what I had to say. “You’re more observant than most. It’s almost like you’re looking for patterns. I mean… all of us look for other player’s ‘tells,’ but you seem to do it better. Does that make sense?”

  He tilted his head to the side and studied me. “It does when you know what I do.”

  He didn’t continue, so I asked. “And what’s that?”

  “I’m a physicist.” He watched me closely to see if giving me that information made his ability clearer.

  I widened my eyes. “Okay… but I’m afraid I don’t know how that would help you.”

  His shoulders fell. “That’s okay. I’m just someone who’s wired to look for probabilities and modeling. I usually do quite well at poker because it gives me a slight advantage.”

  I lifted my chin. “Oh. So you’re like a card shark.” I knew that was totally wrong, but I didn’t want to give too much away. “Well, it was lovely to meet you. I hope Sonny’s not too upset that you lost.”

  “Oh… he’s—” Sebastian froze. “Wait… how did you know about my connection to Sonny?”

  Oops, maybe I’d gone too far, but I didn’t see the harm, so I shrugged. “Just a feeling. Am I right?”

  His brow lifted. “Yes. You are.” He shook his head and glanced at his feet before catching my gaze again. “Would you like to share a drink sometime? I’d love to get to know you better.”

  My jaw dropped, but I turned it into a smile, hoping he hadn’t noticed. “Uh… maybe another time?” Ramos came to my side and glared at him.

  Sebastian glanced between us and flushed. “Oh. Of course.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well… good luck. I hope you win the tournament. It will make me feel better.”

  I chuckled. “Thanks. I’ll do my best.”

  He walked away, catching sight of Sonny and totally unconcerned about the scowl on the man’s face. Sonny wasn’t out a dime, since he was only going to pay Sebastian if he won, and Sebastian was sure Sonny had made the same deal with other players on the floor. He doubted that they’d have any better luck, especially pitted against me, and he could hardly wait to come back to watch the final match.

  I inhaled deeply, buoyed that he had such confidence in me. It would even be nice to talk to him sometime, just to see how his brain worked.

  “That must have been the physicist,” Ramos said.

  “Yes. He was actually pretty nice.”

  “I could see that.” He’d overheard the guy asking me to share a drink with him, and it surprised Ramos that I’d wanted to go.

  “I did not.” At his raised brows, I conceded that there was some truth to it. “Okay… maybe a little, but only because of his mind. His thought processes were fascinating.”

  Ramos shook his head, but refrained from rolling his eyes. “So what happened with that dealer?”

  I lowered my voice. “He was some sort of a card shark magician, and he was just waiting for the right moment to grab his special deck of cards from his sock. Sonny hired him to make sure Sebastian won, so I had to stop him before he made the switch.”

  Anger swept over Ramos, along with a raging desire for revenge against Sonny. He’d like to use the man as a punching bag before Manetto plugged him full of holes.

  “Uh… I get that, but let’s see how the tournament goes first, okay?” He raised a brow, so I continued. “So, what’s on the agenda? Is it time for dinner?” I hoped the mention of food would take Ramos’s mind off killing Sonny, even if it only worked for a few minutes.

  “Oh… yeah.” He offered his arm and I took it, noticing that only three tables still had contestants playing at them.

  “Are we going to eat at the buffet?”

  “Yes. Manetto thought it would be fine, since they can’t mess with your food there.”

  “That makes sense.”

  We found Uncle Joey talking with Terrence Chatwin just inside the dining room. This was the first time I’d seen Chatwin, and I picked up that he was enjoying himself. Even though his player had lost, he’d loved watching me play, thinking that I was in a league of my own.

  As we approached them, Uncle Joey excused himself and came toward us. “Nicely done, Shelby. Even Chatwin was singing your praises. I can’t wait to hear about the game, but let’s get some food first.”

  After we loaded our plates, we found an empty table and sat down. Between bites, I told him all about the magician dealer. “Then there was the last guy. Sebastian’s a physicist, and Sonny hired him too. Did you know physicists’ brains are wired to look at probabilities and modeling behavior?”

  Uncle Joey raised his brows, so I told him all about it and how much it interested me. “There’s something else you both need to know.”

  I quickly explained everything I’d heard from Sonny about the tournament, including the other people he had playing for him. “Sonny thought about a few other things he could do, but he wasn’t real specific, so, besides the card shark, and Sebastian, I don’t know what they are.”

  Ramos nodded. “It was probably the guy upstairs by our room who tried to attack you.”

  “Oh yeah.” I glanced at Uncle Joey. “Did Ramos tell you about that?”

  “Yes he did.” Uncle Joey shook his head. “Sonny needs to go.” He wished he could take care of it himself, but not after what Ricky had found out.

  “What did Ricky find out?”

  Uncle Joey’s mind shuttered, and he caught my gaze, wishing that, just for once, I’d quit listening to him. “It’s not something you need to worry about right now. I’ll tell you later.”

  I nodded, but his worry squelched my appetite. What was so bad that he couldn’t tell me now? “But… don’t you think not telling me might be worse? What if it ruins my concentration?”

  “Shelby…” He shook his head. “If I had something concrete to tell you, I would. For now, I just need you to focus on the tournament and kick Sonny’s ass.” He hoped that would take care of the problem, so I should trust him to do what he did best and take care of business.

  “Oh… okay, you got it.”

  People had begun to leave, so we finished up our food. After a quick visit to the restroom, we hurried back to the poker tournament. Inside, the room had been rearranged. Instead of twelve poker tables, there were only two, with chairs placed around the tables for the spectators.

  Stepping further into the room, I noticed a table with refreshments set up in the back. An attendant approached me with a tall glass of Diet Coke and a lime. I reached for it, but Ramos grabbed it first.

  I opened my mouth to protest, but snapped it shut at his arched brow. The server’s mouth had dropped open as well, but, instead of protesting, he just asked me if I’d like another one. I picked up that this one was made just for me, so I shook my head. “No… that’s okay. I really shouldn’t drink the stuff.”

  After he left, I turned to Ramos. “He’s hoping you’ll drink it and get sick, because that was just rude.”

  Ramos chuckled. “I’ll bring you one during the next break.”

  “Promise?”

  His eyes narrowed, and he was thinking that I’d better be careful, or he’d stop being so nice.

  I laughed. “Hey… I’ve got to take advantage of it while I can.”

  He huffed out a breath. “I know. Waiting on you is ruining my reputation. I’m going to have to do something drastic to make up for it.”

  “Well, look on the bright side. Maybe someone will try to attack me again, and you can beat them up. That should do the trick.”

  He thought that would only work if it happened while everyone was watching, and I couldn’t help grinning. “I’d better find out what table I’m sitting at.”

  I glanced toward the tables and caught sight of a familiar figure. My eyes widened. The black dress she wore was totally different from her usual blue scrubs, but I’d know her anywhere. She was the only person I’d ever
met whose mind I couldn’t read.

  “Ella?” We stepped toward each other, meeting in the middle of the room.

  “Shelby? It is you. I wasn’t sure.”

  “Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?”

  “I’m with someone…” She glanced at a wildly handsome man who stood behind her, staring at us with shock. I picked up a wave of protectiveness from him, along with a liberal dose of worry. He thought that if Sonny found out that Ella knew me, they were both in a lot of trouble.

  “You’re with him?”

  “Uh… yeah, Creed. He’s playing in the tournament.”

  “I know…” I glanced from Creed to Dom, who stood beside him, and picked up that Creed wasn’t happy about something. “Is he playing for Sonny?”

  “Yes… he is. I guess you’re playing too? How did you get into this?”

  “Uh… I came with my Uncle… uh… Joe Manetto. He’s an associate of Sonny’s and bought into the game.” I lowered my voice. “Are you in trouble? I mean… that guy standing by your friend looks kind of nasty… if you know what I mean. And Sonny is probably worse.”

  Before she could answer, Sonny spoke into the microphone. “Players, take your places. It’s time for round two to begin. If you’re not seated within the next two minutes, you will forfeit your spot.” He looked straight at me, hoping I’d take my time so he could disqualify me.

  “I’d better go. Let’s talk after this round, okay?”

  “Sure.”

  I hurried to the tables, picking up from the monitor exactly where I was supposed to sit, which frustrated Sonny. His gaze flicked over my head, and I turned to see Ramos talking to Ella. This infuriated Sonny even more, and he sent a nod to Dom, who strode to Sonny’s side.

  As they whispered, I watched Ella rushing to Creed’s side, her face softening. Other than that, I didn’t know how she felt about him, but Creed definitely had feelings for her. Before I could pick up more from Creed’s mind, Sonny spoke into the microphone. “Players, take your seats, or you will forfeit your spot.”

  Sonny’s loud voice startled the couple, but they didn’t break apart. Ella whispered something to Creed, and he squeezed her hands before leaning down for a quick kiss. He took his place at the table and glanced at Sonny, his face a mask of stone, but his heart filled with rage. Sonny’s glare toward Creed was hot enough to burn him alive.

  I watched Dom grab Ella’s wrist and drag her to a chair. They argued, and I picked up that Dom was asking Ella how she knew me. Ella pulled her wrist out of his grasp and folded her arms so he couldn’t drag her out of the room, causing my heart to pound with fury.

  What was going on? If Creed was playing for Sonny, why was Sonny so upset? Was Creed playing for Sonny against his will? Whatever was going on, Ella was right in the middle of it. I didn’t have time to figure it out now, but if Ella was in trouble, I’d do everything I could to help her out.

  The dealers for both tables took their places, along with the game monitors, and Sonny gave the order to begin play. While the dealer shuffled the deck, I put Ella’s troubles from my mind, knowing that if I was going to help her, I had to get through the tournament first.

  I studied each player at my table, easily picking up that they’d heard rumors about my premonitions. There was also a fair amount of swearing from their thoughts, cursing the fates that they had to play against me.

  I tried not to smile, but it did my heart good to know all of these men cowered in fear. One of them was hoping that his sponsor would realize that sitting at my table wasn’t his fault. Hearing that little tidbit made me smile, and even bolstered my confidence.

  At least there were only five other players at the table this time, making it much easier to keep their cards straight in my head. I decided to use Sebastian’s idea of alphabetizing them and settled into my chair for the first game.

  As the play progressed, I lost track of time, counting down the players as they left the table in defeat. My head began to ache, but I pushed the pain aside and kept going. More time passed, with only one break, before it finally came down to me and player C. He’d managed to hold his own, but in the last two games, his chips began to dwindle.

  After losing for the third time in a row, his concentration fled, and he knew he’d have to do something drastic. He barely had enough chips for another game, and sweat began to roll down his face. The cards came out, and I could hardly believe my luck.

  With my head pounding to beat the devil, I knew that, even with a lousy hand, my cards were still better than his. Now was my chance to end the round, so I bid him up, knowing that, if he folded, he didn’t have enough chips to play another round. At the river, he went all in and stared at me, hostility smoldering in his dark eyes.

  I knew he was about to accuse me of cheating, but I turned my cards over anyway and waited for the explosion. The dealer realized I’d just won and loudly proclaimed that I was now qualified to play in the final round.

  At this, my opponent sputtered and stood. He threw down his cards and swore, his face turning red with anger. He pointed a finger my way and shouted. “You’re cheating.” He glanced at the dealer. “She should be disqualified. She’s been cheating this whole time.”

  Ramos stepped to the man’s side, his face a mask of granite and his tone a quiet snarl. “You need to stop. Right now. Before you regret it.”

  The man jerked back and dropped his hands to his sides, but he didn’t back down. He pointed at the monitor. “You.” His upper lip rose in a sneer. “You need to check the cards. And I insist you do a sweep under the table for anything hidden there, like a mirror or extra cards.”

  The monitor stepped to the man’s side. “I’ve seen no evidence of any cheating going on by the lady or anyone else.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything. I insist you check the cards. Check the cards, damn you!”

  Dom stepped to our table and held his hands out in a placating gesture. “Sir. May I remind you that you agreed to the terms of play long before the games began? Let me be clear. If you won’t abide by them, you will lose any chance of ever playing in a poker tournament in this casino again. Do I make myself clear?”

  Hearing that, the man clamped his lips together, barely holding in another outburst. A security guard came to his side and escorted him out of the room. The man was thinking that his outburst had all been a show for Sonny, and he hoped Sonny was satisfied.

  What the freak? My blood boiled, sending a sharp pain twisting into my head. Gasping, I ducked my head and massaged my temples, knowing I needed to calm down, or I was headed for a migraine.

  “Shelby?” Ramos’s low voice penetrated the pain. “Hang on. I’ll get you out of here.”

  Seconds later, he helped me stand, and I leaned against him. As we left the room, I slammed down my shields and felt a small amount of relief. It wasn’t until we got into the elevator that the silence began to soothe me, and I could let go of my control.

  “You okay?”

  I heaved out a breath. “I will be. I don’t know what happened in there. It sort of hit me all at once, but I think I’ll be fine after some pain reliever and some peace and quiet.” That wasn’t quite true, since it felt like a hammer was pounding my brain into tiny little pieces, but I didn’t want him to worry.

  As the doors opened, his arm tightened around me. Luckily, no one was lurking in the hall, and he led me down to our rooms.

  Inside, he took me straight to the bedroom and helped me lie down. I relaxed onto the mattress and closed my eyes with a soft groan. Ramos pulled off my shoes and disappeared, coming back a minute later to lay a cold washcloth on my forehead.

  He disappeared again but returned with a glass of water and some pills. I sat up and gulped them down, giving him a shaky smile. “Thanks. That should do the trick. I just need a few minutes of quiet, but I’m worried. Do you think Sonny—”

  “I’ll take care of it. You just rest.”

  “But—”

  Ramos cupped my cheek wi
th his hand, running his thumb over my lips. “Shhh. We’ve got time. The other game is still in progress, and I’m sure there will be a break after that. I’ll go down and check. You just relax and get some rest. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  I let out a breath and lay back down, closing my eyes against the pain. A bare second later, the door clicked shut behind Ramos, leaving me in a blanket of silence that nearly brought tears to my eyes. The pounding in my head began to subside, and I finally relaxed, hoping I could recover before the next round.

  Otherwise, I was in big trouble.

  CHAPTER 9

  “Shelby?”

  My eyes blinked open to find Ramos sitting on the bed beside me, gently nudging my shoulder. “Did I fall asleep?”

  He nodded. “Looks like it. How are you feeling?”

  “Better. My head’s not pounding anymore.”

  “Do you think you can play?”

  My eyes widened. “Of course. How much time do we have?”

  “The final round starts in fifteen minutes. You were asleep for half an hour.”

  “Wow… it must have been just what I needed. I’m going to freshen up and maybe change my dress.”

  “Need some help?” He was partly serious, but he hoped I’d say no since it would test his resolve to be the good guy I thought he was… and for the record… he wasn’t a good guy.

  I sent him a grin. “Thanks, but I can manage.”

  He shrugged. “Okay. But I’ll be on the other side of the door if you change your mind.”

  His lips turned up into that sexy half-grin that always sent my heart racing. I shook my head and hurried into the bathroom. Turning on the hot water, I pulled off my dress before wringing out a hot washcloth. After a quick underarm scrub, I put on some deodorant and touched up my makeup.

  Back in the bedroom, I slipped on the royal blue dress I’d packed and found my shoes beside the bed. I could hardly believe that my head wasn’t hurting, and I sure hoped it would stay that way. The key would be to remember not to get upset or angry… since high blood pressure must have brought it on. I wasn’t sure that was possible, but I’d do my best.