Gambling on the Artist

by Wynter Daniels

  Dear Reader,

  Cat’s Paw Cove is a magical town dreamed up by Wynter Daniels and Catherine Kean, a charming seaside paradise where cats are king, and anything is possible. We are so excited to bring you not only our own stories but also contributions from an incredibly talented group of Guest Authors. With paranormal and mystery romance, time travel, and more, there’s something for everyone.

  We hope you’ll enjoy reading the series as much as we enjoy writing it. For more information about the Cat’s Paw Cove series, please visit http://CatsPawCoveRomance.com.

  Happy reading!

  Wynter Daniels & Catherine Kean

  GAMBLING ON THE ARTIST

  A Cat’s Paw Cove Story

  Copyright © 2019 by Wynter Daniels

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, events, scenes, plots and associated elements remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Wynter Daniels, and CPC Publishing LLC and their affiliates or licensors.

  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author or CPC Publishing LLC.

  Published in the United States of America.

  Cover designed by Wicked Smart Designs

  Welcome to Cat’s Paw Cove, Florida—an enchanting seaside town and favorite tourist destination. But there’s something unusual about the locals, both human and feline. The popular Shipwreck Museum might just take you back in time, and the historic Sherwood House holds secrets, old and new.

  Adopt a furever friend at the Cove Cat Café and Rescue, treat yourself to a psychic reading at Eye of Newt metaphysical shop, pick up a special trinket from Black Cat Antiquities. And don’t be surprised if you find your heart in the magic of Cat’s Paw Cove.

  Artist Samantha Cartwright arrives in Cat’s Paw Cove for a visit with her great Aunt Emma, hoping to get clarity about Emma’s cryptic prediction. Instead, Sam finds out she must mind her aunt’s metaphysical shop while Emma is away on vacation. The temporary job proves impossible for Sam because unlike Emma, Sam possesses no magical powers. Lucky for her, tall, dark, and handsome help enters the shop just in the nick of time.

  Eli Kincaid managed to get on the bad side of a ruthless loan shark. Now his life depends upon his ability to con an innocent woman out of the only thing of value she owns—a precious jewel she inherited. If he can get close to Sam, maybe he can figure out where she’s keeping the gem. What he hadn’t counted on was falling for his mark. Can he escape the web of deception and protect Sam as sinister forces close in on both of them?

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  About Wynter Daniels

  Also by Wynter Daniels

  Prologue

  Pain exploded through Eli Kincaid’s left side. Another hard kick to his ribs and he was seeing stars. Two beefy arms lifted him to his feet then forced Eli into the back seat of a black Escalade behind the casino in Atlantic City. The blond giant—one of the men who’d just beaten the snot out of him—slid in next to Eli.

  Rodrigo Diaz jabbed a finger at him from the other side of the leather seat. “Were you trying to skip out on what you owe me?”

  “Nah,” Eli said. “I was just heading out for some saltwater taffy. I hear it’s pretty good.”

  Rodrigo smirked. “Smart asses don’t impress me, Mr. Kincaid.”

  “Darn it.” Eli shrugged. “How about sprinters? Do they impress you? Tell you what. You let me out, and I’ll show you what a great runner I am.”

  The other thug, a huge dark-haired dude with a pink scar across his cheek—who was almost as big as the blond—got into the driver’s seat of the SUV and pulled away from the hotel.

  “Not likely,” Rodrigo replied.

  Eli’s heartbeat thudded in his ears. Were they taking him somewhere to kill him? The sharp stabbing in his side was so intense that he could barely breathe. He probably had at least two broken ribs, maybe more. “Seriously, though, I was just going out for some breakfast. I had every intention of paying you what I owe you, Mr. Diaz, I swear.” The words sounded cheap as tin, even to him.

  The blond dude let out a snicker. “So you always take your suitcase and laptop with you to breakfast? I seen you put them in the trunk of your car.”

  Damn, he should have figured that Rodrigo had been having him watched. “I never leave home without them. Not that the hotel is home, but you know what I mean.”

  The blond grabbed a fistful of Eli’s shirt and snarled at him. “One more smart crack and I’ll give you another black eye to match the one you already got.”

  Eli gulped. “Got it.”

  “You’ll have to forgive my associates,” Rodrigo told Eli. “Sven and Manny aren’t usually so inclined to violence.”

  Yeah, right. The brutes had seemed pretty inclined to hurt him.

  “Sven’s been watching you since last night,” Rodrigo continued. “I was hoping you wouldn’t disappear before we could settle our business, but it appears that was exactly what you were trying to do.”

  He wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. How could he have known when Rodrigo had invited him into a private game of Texas Holdem that the diminutive senior citizen was actually a shark? Not that Eli had planned to stiff the guy—not then, at least. Running had been a last resort, one he’d hoped would preserve his life, not shorten it.

  Hell, he hadn’t counted on losing. He’d been down five grand, a position in which he’d been dozens of times, but he’d always come back from there to win or at least break even. With the open cards on the table and Eli’s hole cards, he’d had a straight flush to the queen, only beatable by a royal flush. The only way Diaz could have won was if his hole cards were the king and ace of diamonds. Odds of that were about one in half a million.

  When the betting had reached ten thousand, Eli had been positive that Rodrigo was bluffing, just waiting for Eli to fold. The moment Rodrigo had laid down his cards, Eli had been sure that some unseen force had sucked all the oxygen out of the room. Diaz had let him leave the suite, telling him that he had until morning to pay up. How could Eli have known that the guy was so shady, or that he was such an early riser?

  Rodrigo lit a cigarette and blew smoke directly at Eli. “Were you trying to stiff me? Tell me the truth. You have the fifteen large or not?”

  Eli’s throat closed up. He coughed. “Who can think with all this toxic smoke in the air?”

  Sven opened a panel on the back side of the front seat, revealing a small bar. He grabbed a plastic water bottle from the well and twisted off the cap before handing it to Eli.

  Rodrigo shrugged. “We have lots of ways to get you to answer.”

  After several sips, Eli’s stomach threatened to send the water back up. He drew a deep breath. “Is this a multiple choice test, or fill in the blank?”

  “You’re not as amusing as you think.” Rodrigo raised a thick eyebrow. “And I’m not as patient as you seem to think.”

  Eli shuddered at Rodrigo’s menacing scowl. “Can we work something out? I need some time, a month, maybe two, tops.”

  The four other men in the SUV laughed—not chuckles but big, hearty guffaws.

  Eli’s shoul
ders and neck knotted. “Okay, a few weeks then.”

  Rodrigo wiped ash off of his lapel. “How do you plan to raise the cash?”

  No clue. After Eli’s recent losing streak, he was too tapped out to even get himself into any card games. “I can contact some friends and relatives, see what I can come up with.” In truth, he knew that no one would help him. Those wells had dried up long ago.

  The backseat henchman’s smirk told Eli he’d better come up with a more concrete idea and fast. Before Eli could think of anything, Rodrigo spoke. “Because this is my first dealing with you, and because I like you, I’m going to cut you a break.”

  The guy wasn’t going to merely forgive such a big debt. Deafening silence settled in the SUV.

  Finally, Rodrigo spoke. “Manny, give me the box.”

  The man in the front passenger seat handed Diaz a leather case the size of a hardcover book. Could be a small caliber pistol inside.

  Eli set his hands on his knees to keep them from shaking.

  The driver turned onto a deserted street lined with warehouses in every shade of gray. Several blocks down he parked the Escalade in a gloomy, desolate lot.

  Eli’s hope evaporated. What did they have planned? This would be a great spot to kill someone. Hot fear washed through him.

  Rodrigo opened the leather case to reveal a very old-looking gold brooch with pins extending out from the left and right. The rounded square centerpiece was inlaid with emeralds and rubies. “Know what this is?”

  Eli was just thankful that it wasn’t a firearm. Meeting the older man’s stare, he shook his head. Whatever the piece was, the fact that Rodrigo had chosen to show it to him wasn’t good.

  “This is a cloak pin that dates back to medieval times,” Rodrigo explained. “It’s part of my collection of antique amulets, and it belonged to a wealthy Scottish lord who lived hundreds of years ago. He had a matching one made for his wife. That one was a little different, though. It had a sapphire in the center—a very special sapphire, with a certain…power. That one was lost a long time ago.” He snapped the box shut. “Since I’m in a good mood today, I’m not going to cut off your hand, which is what I would usually do when somebody attempts to stiff me. I subscribe to the biblical eye-for-an-eye method of justice.”

  Justice, huh? Eli gulped. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

  “Instead you’re going to do me a favor,” Rodrigo continued. “You understand? Today’s your lucky day.”

  He didn’t feel particularly lucky. Pulse racing, Eli nodded mutely. Thank God they weren’t going to kill him, at least not right at the moment.

  Rodrigo ran a finger along the top of the leather case, a lot like someone might touch a lover’s face. “I recently learned that the matching brooch surfaced at a gem show out west a few years ago. Unfortunately, a gemologist named Len Cartwright snapped it up and refused to consider my generous offers for it. He kicked off a couple months back and left it to his daughter. Apparently, she doesn’t want to sell it either, so I have to resort to other means. Which is where you come in, my friend.”

  Eli didn’t like the sound of this, but most anything would be better than a bullet to the head.

  Sven handed Eli a flash drive.

  “That’s all the information we have on the young lady. You get that sapphire brooch from her and turn it over to me. And in return, I let you keep both your hands.” Rodrigo gave him a smile that made Eli’s blood run cold.

  Head pounding, Eli shoved the flash drive in his pocket. “But if she’s already refused to sell it…”

  “Then you’ll have to either convince her to part with it, or you’ll steal it.” He patted Eli’s left hand. “Righty or lefty?”

  The other men laughed.

  “And don’t take too long. Capiche?” Diaz snuffed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

  Sven opened his door and climbed out.

  “Your sister is very pretty, Mr. Kincaid.” Rodrigo shook his head. “Such a shame about her illness.”

  The words sent a chill down Eli’s spine. His panic immediately morphed into anger. He fisted his hands. “Don’t you dare go near her.”

  Sven yanked him out of the vehicle by his collar. “Watch your manners. Mr. Diaz is being exceedingly kind to you.”

  How had they found out about Lizzy? She didn’t even share his last name.

  “We’ll be in touch.” Rodrigo nodded to Sven, who then gave Eli a hard shove, reminding him of how badly his ribs hurt. Sven climbed back inside and shut the door.

  The Escalade sped away.

  Coughing through the cloud of dust, Eli reached into his pocket for the flash drive and closed his fingers around it.

  He had no choice but to do what Diaz had asked. Hell, if he didn’t, he’d lose an important body part. Worse, they could hurt Lizzy. A chill rolled over his skin. He couldn’t let anything happen to her. She’d already suffered so much. He’d do whatever it took to protect her.

  Chapter One

  Samantha Cartwright parked on Whiskers Lane, across the street from the quaint alcove that led to Eye of Newt Metaphysical Shop. She offered up a silent wish that this would be the fresh start she’d been hoping for. The old Impala sputtered and shuddered as she shut it off. Opening the car door, she inhaled the thick, salt-scented humidity. Even at nine-fifteen in the morning, the September heat had already reached unbearable. She’d missed it here—the beach, the boardwalk, the adorable cat-themed town. Home.

  Excitement bubbled up inside her as she strode into Calico Court, the alleyway between two buildings, although being there was always bittersweet. The town was truly magical—a large proportion of the locals possessed some kind of supernatural gift. Since nearly all of Sam’s female relatives were magically inclined, it stood to reason that Sam should also have some otherworldly power. Only she didn’t. Being home reminded her of that deficit.

  She heard the familiar, calming sound of the fountain in the center of the space before she saw it. The three wrought iron bistro tables outside Medici restaurant held vases of orange and yellow blooms. She glanced into the window of The Zen Den, where a young woman Sam didn’t recognize was teaching a yoga class to a small group. Next door, the red and white closed sign with a clock face set to ten o’clock hung in the window of her great-aunt’s store, the same sign Aunt Emma had been using for as far back as Sam could remember.

  Sam’s mood clunked a little. She’d traveled a long way after her aunt’s cryptic phone message, and now she had no choice but to wait a bit more until Emma opened.

  But she took solace in the smell of coffee and fresh-baked pastries coming from the Cove Cat Café next door, so she headed over for one of the best lattes in town. After two days of driving, a cup of strong coffee and one of Luna’s homemade cinnamon buns would hit the spot.

  Digging into the pocket of her peasant dress, Sam pulled out a couple crinkled bills. Maybe she should get her sketchpad and pencils out of her car, but Luna might not want Sam to draw café customers for cash without prior permission. Better to just settle for coffee and skip the sweet. Aunt Emma always kept a stash of sugary snacks. As soon as her aunt arrived and opened the store, Sam would pilfer one of her favorite treats—a Moon Pie.

  Walking around a purple bicycle parked outside the café, she pulled open the door and inhaled the aromas of cinnamon, chocolate, and maple. Sam’s stomach growled in anticipation of an indulgence it wasn’t destined to receive.

  No sooner had she cleared the front door of the café when she spotted Luna’s distinctive long, teal-colored braids. Luna slipped a still-steaming pie onto the upper shelf of the glass display next to the register.

  Sam hung her bag over the back of a chair and went up to the counter, taking her place in line behind a grey-haired woman in a purple uniform. Sam realized the lady in front of her was none other than the town’s cat officer—the person responsible for the care and feeding of the cats that resided on and around the grounds of the historic Sherwood house.

 
Little had changed at the café—the neon cat in the window, the colorful dreamcatchers hanging by the windows, the whirr of the cappuccino machine. Sam loved this place—part café, part cat rescue. Although Cove Cat Café had only been around for seven or eight years, it had been an almost overnight sensation, and now it was as much a part of the town as the clocktower in the middle of Wilshire Park and the historic Sherwood House with its formal gardens and free-roaming cats. She glanced through the large window that separated the cat rescue from the café. A pretty blonde wearing a black T-shirt with the café’s logo was playing with the cats. Sam didn’t recognize her, though.

  “Be right with you,” Luna said without looking at Sam.

  “Take your time.”

  Luna stilled for a second before whipping her head around and fixing Sam with a wide-eyed stare. “Holy cow! You’re here.” She hurriedly closed the case and wiped her hands on the front of her black apron. Then she rounded the counter and pulled Sam into her arms, letting out an excited cheer. After a few seconds, she backed away to give Sam the once-over. “You look exhausted. What’d you sleep in your car or something?”

  Sam rolled her eyes. “Sort of.” Actually, she’d spent part of the night camped out at a state park off the interstate in Georgia, but when the mosquitos had started biting, she’d packed up and hit the road again.

  “What can I get you?” Luna gestured toward the menu board on the wall.

  “A latte and…” She’d figure out a way to earn some money. She always did. “How much are the cinnamon buns?”

  “Four-twenty-five,” Luna supplied.

  Sam swallowed hard. “Um, okay.” Aunt Emma had said in her message that the brooch Sam had recently inherited from her dad was the key to her future. Surely that future would include a better financial outlook.