by Peyton Banks
I was cautious as I stepped toward him.
“You’re real?” I asked and put my hand out to touch him.
He laughed. “Yeah. I’m real. So are you.”
I nodded. “This isn’t normal. For us, I mean. We don’t…”
“I guess you do now.” He stepped in closer and wrapped me in his arms. Everything was right in my world again. “So, I guess you are supposed to be training me or something. Do we normally blow shit up?”
I laughed. “I wasn’t supposed to do that.”
He nodded. “I understand now why they said I would be a good influence on you.”
We both laughed and I hugged him tighter. “I never want to let you go.”
“You don’t have to.” He placed a kiss on my forehead. “Come on, show me the ropes.”
“The ropes?” I arched a brow and bit my lower lip.
He winked. “Show me everything.”
* * *
I’m a guardian. I was ready to give up on the humans until I fell in love with one. I thought they were ridiculous and a waste of creation, until I lived as one. Now, I’m a better guardian. I don’t want to be human. I don’t hate them. I want more of them to be successful. To do the right thing, so I am nudging, I am warning, I am doing my best to make them see how amazing they can be if they just let a little love into their lives. Victor showed me that there is hope for humans. He reminds me of that every time I look at him. I will keep up the fight against hateful people. Will you?
About the Author
Cara North is an honorably discharged US Marine. She began writing for publication in 1996 and is the author of multiple genres and sub-genres of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. She lives in North Carolina and enjoys hearing from her readers.
Amazon Author Page
Queen of Hearts
E.S. MCMILLAN
Synopsis:
Hearts is the name of the game.
Carrington Sawyer lived the life most people only dream of. She had a great job and the heart of one of Allenville’s most dangerous men, Duke Markson.
When Chase Erickson places a bet at her Heart’s table, Carrington’s life is turned upside down.
In this game of hearts, who will win the queen’s?
1
Carrington
“Place your bets,” I called out to the men gathered in front of my table in the dark and smokey room. The smoke was extra heavy tonight and it was hard to breathe, but easy to get lost in the fog that settled over the already dimly lit room. Dealing my lucky deck of cards that was in my hand, I wished that I was anywhere but here. How did my life go so terribly wrong? One minute I was getting ready to register for my college courses, the next I was standing here dealing cards with a fake smile stretching across my overly made up face, too tight clothes on my body, and regret hanging over me like a veil. The only good thing was that they couldn’t see the real me. The one who was breaking inside because of the life that I was living. Taking a deep breath, I instantly knew the answer. Duke Markson, the man who stole my heart and my innocence with one look.
“All in!” an unfamiliar voice called out, breaking through the fog that clouded my head as he pushed a stack of chips in my direction.
Looking up, I saw the clearest and grayest eyes that I had ever seen. I saw a life in those eyes that I desperately wanted to be a part of. Watching him push a straggling chip towards the middle of the table, I couldn’t hold the gasp that escaped my throat. Standing in front of me was one of the handsomest men I have ever seen before. There was something familiar about him, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I probably knew him from a past life. He was wearing the kindest smile, and I felt bad that I was about to take all his money. The game was rigged, especially against newbies to Duke’s game. “Are you sure?” I timidly asked. I didn’t want anyone else to pick up on my warning.
A simple wink from the mysterious hottie was all I needed to let me know that there was no talking him out of his decision. He was all in and clearly ready to deal with the consequences of his actions. I felt bad and wished that there was more that I could do. I knew the outcome of this game. It was always the same. I just wished that for once, it didn’t have to be.
“Is everything okay, Carrington?” Duke’s deep voice whispered into my ear as his strong arm wrapped around my lower back. A cold shiver ran through me as I almost dropped the deck of cards that I was holding.
“Everything’s fine, baby. I was just about to deal a new game to the waiting gentlemen.” I knew that my voice was shaking and I didn’t even care anymore. There was something about Duke Markson that made my blood run cold. If I would have listened to that feeling when we first met, I wouldn’t be standing here right now. I would probably be falling into a healthy love with someone like the man with the clear gray eyes in front of me.
“Just making sure,” Duke said with a smile as he tightened his grip on me. “Can’t have anything wrong with my best girl.” The comment was directed to the men at the table. I hated being referred to as his girl. I wanted out of this casino and a part of me wanted out of Duke’s bed. The other part of me craved every bad bone of his body. What was wrong with me?
Shaking my head to get rid of the thoughts that were starting to run wild, I announced, “Hearts is the game that we’re playing tonight…” I started my usual spiel and dealt the cards to the men standing in front of me. Once I was done, I picked up my own cards that were laying in front of me. Fanning the cards out, I smiled to myself when I realized that I dealt the Queen of Hearts to one of the men trying their luck tonight.
“You better not screw this up,” Duke warned quietly as he loosened his grip and took a step back from me.
“Everything okay here, boss?” Max, Duke’s second in command, asked as he made his way up to my table.
“Everything is just fine. Just checking on my best girl,” Duke said as he started walking away from the table and towards his office. Stopping and turning to look back at me, he added, “Come see me when this game is through. I would like to spend some time with my Queen.” The smile on Duke’s face told me that I was in trouble. I didn’t know what I had done wrong this time, but I knew the punishment would be the same. It was always the same. Duke was a creature of habit and I clearly hadn’t learned my lesson in all the time that we had been together.
Taking a deep breath and resigning myself to my fate, I felt the familiar fear creep up into me. “I can’t wait to celebrate my win with you.” Watching Duke walk away with Max, I tried to focus on the task at hand. Winning the almost million dollars on the table was my current task and I couldn’t afford to screw up. The last time I lost a game like this I spent two weeks recovering from Duke’s wrath.
Looking down at my cards again, I took another deep breath as I waited for the first card to be played. I had played this game more times than I could count, but something about this particular game felt different. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I just knew that nothing would ever be the same for me again.
“Two of clubs,” the unfamiliar voice called out as he laid the card on the velvet covered table. Looking up at him, I couldn’t shake the desire for this stranger that poured out of me. I knew that I was in trouble and didn’t care. This stranger was going to be my undoing.
2
Chase
Walking out of Duke’s casino five thousand dollars poorer should have ruined my night, but it didn’t. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as the Hearts dealer’s face floated through my head. Carrington Sawyer’s jacket told me everything that I needed to know about Duke’s favorite Hearts dealer and lady, but it did not tell me how beautiful she was. The brown skinned pixie with the silky brown hair and the voice of an angel captured my attention the moment I laid eyes on her. There was a sadness in her chocolate brown eyes, and I couldn’t fight my need to take it away from her.
“Earth to Chase!” my partner called out into the cool night air as he snapped his fingers in front of my face. �
�My dude! You have it bad for a certain little hustler.”
“Don’t call her that!” I huffed, knowing that I was snapping at my partner.
Holding up both hands in surrender, Calvin said, “Whoa! I didn’t mean any harm,” as he moved to open up the passenger side door of my undercover vehicle and slid into the seat.
Walking to the driver’s side door, I took a deep breath trying to calm the rage that was building up. I knew in my head that Calvin didn’t mean any harm by his comments, but I wasn’t in the mood to hear him crack jokes about the woman who had stolen more than my attention. Opening up my door and sliding into the waiting seat, I said, “We need to get her out before we take down Duke.”
“That’s not part of the plan—” Calvin started.
“The plan has changed!” I cut him off. Leaning into the smooth leather of the seat, I let my eyes fall closed as I remember the way that Carrington stared at me as I pretended to lose all my money. I threw the game for her.
“So, what’s the new plan?” Calvin timidly asked as he clicked his seatbelt into place.
“I need to make sure that Carrington is safe before we make our move.”
“You know that the Captain is not going to go for that. Carrington’s name is on the warrant too. She is an integral part of Duke’s whole operation. She is his lady. His ‘Queen of Hearts.’ There is no way that she is going to walk away untouched,” Calvin reasoned. I knew that every word out of his mouth was the plan that was originally set in place, but everything changed the moment that I laid eyes on her.
“Plans change,” I said as I started up the vehicle, pulled out of the parking spot, and headed back to the station.
“Hey, can we stop by the diner and grab something to eat? Something about losing thousands of dollars makes me hungry,” Calvin said as he watched the trees pass by.
“Sure, if you’re buying. I’m tapped out,” I said with a smirk.
“What can I get for you two?” Darla, the waitress from the local diner, asked as we slid into the last free booth.
“Can I have a cheeseburger platter and a cola float,” Calvin requested as he looked the waitress up and down with a smile.
“What about you?” she asked me with a smile as she finished writing down Calvin’s order.
“Can I just have an order of fries and an orange soda with lots of ice?” I asked, not bothering to look up at the woman standing next to the table.
“I will go put those orders in and be right back with your drinks,” she informed us, as she turned from the table and started to make her way to the kitchen.
When she was out of earshot, Calvin hissed at me, “Yo! What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What did I do?” I asked as I looked up from the placemat that was laying on the table.
“What did you do? You just totally gave Darla the cold shoulder.” Staring at me with an annoyed look on his face, I knew that my partner was becoming fed up with my current mood.
“I’ll apologize when she comes back and leave a really nice tip,” I said as I turned my attention to the window that I was sitting next to. “How do you think today went?”
“I think it went fine until you went and caught feelings for a certain bad girl,” Calvin said with a smirk.
Turning away from the window, I said, “There’s something about her. She’s in trouble and I have to do something.” Calvin’s face displayed his annoyance.
“Chase, whatever you think you are feeling for Carrington Sawyer, you need to shake those feelings right now. That girl is nothing but trouble and you are going to get yourself seriously hurt over her.” Leaning in closer to me, he added, “Do you really think that Duke is going to let you shut down his business and steal his girl?”
“I hear you loud and clear, but I’m telling you that something isn’t right with her.”
“Umm, how about the fact that she is Kingpin’s girl? Of course, there’s something not right with her,” Calvin said as he pounded his fist on the table.
“It’s more than that.”
“Just don’t do anything to get yourself killed,” Calvin said as Darla arrived back at our table with drinks in hand.
“Orange soda with lots of ice,” she said with a smile as she placed the soda in front of me. Turning her attention over to Calvin, she said, “Cola float and my number. I clock out of here at ten.” She added a wink as she placed a napkin and his drink down in front of him.
“Thank you,” Calvin said as he grabbed the napkin, folded it up, and carefully slipped it into his pants pocket.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes with your food,” Darla said as she spun to head back to the kitchen.
Turning to make sure that she was out of earshot, Calvin asked, “So what’s next?”
Taking a deep breath and leaning my head back against the booth wall, I sighed. “I guess we head back to the casino tomorrow. We need to get on Duke’s radar.”
“Do you really think that is a good idea?” Calvin asked, genuine concern lacing his voice.
“It’s the job that we signed up for,” I said sitting up straight.
Ring! The bell over the door to the diner jingled as a small group walked into the restaurant.
“Table for three,” a familiar voice said. Feeling the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand up in attention, I turned around in my seat and locked eyes with Carrington Sawyer.
“Fuck me sideways,” Calvin mumbled as he followed my head and saw the beauty standing with a group of other employees from the casino. “Don’t do anything stupid!”
3
Carrington
“Earth to Carri!” my friend Janelle said as she snapped a finger in front of my face.
“What?” I asked, turning my head to the side and breaking my gaze on the man that I swore was at my card table earlier in the day.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Janelle said as she linked her arm with mine and led me towards our table.
“My name is Darla and I will be your waitress tonight. Can I get you ladies started with some drinks?” the waitress asked as we took our seats in the booth that she showed us to.
“Do you have any adult beverages?” Janelle asked.
“Sorry, this is a family restaurant,” the waitress said. She seemed annoyed by Janelle’s question and I couldn’t blame her. I swear Janelle didn’t know how to act in public.
“Can I have a cherry cola?” I asked, trying to get the waitress’s attention off of my friend.
“Of course,” she said as she scribbled my order down on her pad of paper. “What can I get for the rest of you ladies?
“Can I have what Carri is having?” Monica, one of the new girls, asked as she stared at the menu in front of her.
“Make it three,” Janelle added.
“I’ll give you a few minutes to look over the menu while I put your drink orders in,” Darla said as she turned and went towards the kitchen.
“Carri, do you know that guy over there?” Monica asked as she motioned to the table across the restaurant. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off you since we walked in here.”
“You better not let Duke know that another man has been looking at his woman,” Janelle teased as she picked up the menu that was laying in front of her.
Turning my head to get a glance at the man that Monica was talking about, I said, “I think he was at the casino today.”
“Are you talking about the hottie and his friend by the window?” Janelle asked a little too loudly for my liking. “Yeah, they were in the casino. Lousy Hearts players.”
“Why do you say that?” Monica innocently asked.
“Because they lost a lot of money,” Janelle replied as she threw her head back and laughed.
Turning my attention to Monica, I said, “Don’t pay her any mind. She likes to keep track of the players who lose money so she doesn’t make the mistake of hooking up with them.”
“Oh,” Monica said as she turned a bright shade of pink.
&n
bsp; “So, what are your plans for your day off tomorrow?” Janelle asked as she focused her attention back on me.
Taking a moment to let the question hang in the air, I stated thoughtfully, “I think I am going to sleep. I haven’t had a day off in like three weeks.”
“Boo! I was hoping that you wanted to hit the new store that just opened up in the mall and spend some of Duke’s money.”
“Maybe next time,” I said with a wink.
“Here are your drinks, ladies. Are you ready to order?” Darla asked as she placed the drinks in front of us.
“Can I have a cheeseburger platter and a side of onion rings?” I asked as I closed the menu and slid it to the corner of the table.
“Oh, that sounds really good,” Monica said excitedly. “Can I have the same thing?”
“Oh hell, make it three.” Janelle rolled her eyes as she grabbed the remaining menus and placed them on top of mine.
“I’ll be right back with your order,” Darla said as she scooped up our menus and made her way back to the kitchen.
“Why do you have to be such a bitch?” I asked as I kicked Janelle underneath the table.
“What the hell was that for?”
“You don’t have to be so rude!” I hissed at her.
“Well, we all didn’t have the luxury of going to private school or being the boss’s favorite.” Rolling her eyes at me, Janelle slid down in her seat and started messing with the jukebox that was attached to the table. “Moni, do you have a quarter?” she asked as she flipped through the song choices.
Monica grabbed her pocketbook and looked in it. “I think so.”
Sliding out of the booth, I stood up and looked around the restaurant quickly. Locating the restroom, I grabbed my bag. “I’ll be right back,” I said.