Devils: Cutthroat 99 MC

by Evelyn Glass

  He nodded. “I guess I can see that. I assumed a doctor, once they were out of school, had people waiting in line to hire them.”

  “It would be nice, but it doesn’t work that way. At least not for DVMs.”

  “DVMs? Oh, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, right?”

  “Right.”

  “What made you decide to become a vet?” he asked as his burger arrived.

  She shrugged. “Don’t know. Just have always been interested in animals.” She smiled at the memories. “I was always bringing home some stray dog or cat. My parents are saints. I remember this three-legged dog I brought home. Tripod, Dad called him. Always knocking stuff over but he was such a good dog.”

  “Was?”

  “Yeah. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge about three years ago.”

  He didn’t know what the meant, exactly, but he could assume from the melancholy in her voice he’d died. “Are you going to stick around Las Vegas?” he asked to change the subject.

  “I don’t know. If I can land a position, yeah, probably. If not, I’ll go where the work takes me. I want to open my own clinic someday, but I have to work and build up a client base first. And, of course, save up enough money to actually do it. Ideally, I would like to take over someone else’s practice. The client base is already there and that makes it easier.”

  “You have this all figured out, don’t you?”

  Shayna grinned. “I have a plan, yeah. We’ll see if I can make it work. What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Any plans? What are you going to do with your life if you win?”

  “Don’t know. Unlike you, I’m not going to be some rich doctor.”

  Shayna spluttered. “Despite what you may think, there isn’t a lot of money in being a vet. Fifty to sixty to start. About ninety on average. But if you win, you’ll be set for life. Then you can go find what you’re looking for.”

  “You remember me saying that?”

  “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t know you were listening.”

  Shayna placed her fork in her empty plate. “I was listening. I thought it was interesting that you were risking everything to try to find what was missing from your life. I’ve always known what I wanted to do, so I have a hard time understanding how someone doesn’t know what they want.”

  He shrugged as he chewed. “I wish I knew what it was that I was looking for. That would make things a lot easier.” He looked at her a moment. She had such lovely eyes behind those oh-so-stylish lenses. “I guess I never had the chance to figure out what I wanted to do.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “My dad was killed about five years ago. I took over the club at twenty-two. I was too young and wasn’t ready, but the job was kind of forced onto me.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly. If her parents were to die unexpectedly and young like that, she didn’t know what she’d do. “What about your mom?”

  “Don’t know her. She ran off when I was young. Haven’t seen her in, let’s see, almost twenty years now. She didn’t even come back for Dad’s funeral.”

  “That’s terrible!”

  Beast shrugged. “It is what it is. They were never married, and I’m past it now. My dad and I were tight, though. I was kind of raised in the club.” He smiled at the memories of the older members doting on him as a kid. “I have more aunts and uncles than you would believe and I was going to take over the club when he retired.” He smiled sadly. “I just didn’t know it would be so soon. So I finished what he started, and now I’m looking to do something for me. Whatever that is.”

  “I hope you find it,” she said sincerely. Listening to his story, hearing the sadness in his voice as he talked about his father, humanized him for her.

  He grinned, throwing off the darkening mood. “Me, too. Which is why I need some luck. Skill can take you only so far. The cards have to break your way, too, and that takes a bit of luck.”

  “Then I hope you have some.”

  “Thanks,” he said as he wiped his mouth. “And thanks for having lunch with me. It doesn’t replace the dinner I’m going to take you on, though.”

  “Oh, you are, are you?” she teased. She was softening up toward him, but he was still too presumptuous by half, and she wasn’t going to be at his beck and call, no matter how delicious he might look.

  “Yes. Sooner or later, I’m going to wear you down and you’ll have dinner with me.”

  “I will? What makes you so sure?”

  He pressed his lips together as if thinking as he bobbed his head slightly. “Call it a feeling. There’s more to you than meets the eye, and I would like to get to know you better. I admire the fact that you have such a clear vision of your future. I’m fascinated that you’re an incredibly beautiful woman, and yet you’re also obviously incredibly smart. But you know what I find the most intriguing about you?”

  “What?” she asked. He’s a smooth bastard, I’ll give him that!

  “I am intrigued that you’re your own woman and you don’t need anyone to validate you.”

  Despite herself, Shayna could feel his pull. She was expecting some trite come on, but he’d seen past the way she looked and saw her as a person. She was so tired of people, men especially, thinking that because of the way she looked she was either always horny, stupid, or both.

  “Thank you, Beast. Maybe I will let you take me out to dinner some time.”

  He chuckled. “Is it something I said? Look, I’ll be straight with you if you think you can stand to hear it.”

  “Hit me,” she said as she leaned forward a bit.

  “Okay. I don’t have trouble picking up women, but I don’t want to just pick you up. After talking with you yesterday, and now, I think you’re someone I would like to get to know, someone who’s worth knowing more about.” He shrugged, then grinned. “I think it’s because you kept kicking me in the nuts when I was trying to find out something, anything, about you.”

  Shayna giggled. “Well, then consider this another kick. I have to go. I have work to do that’s more important than sitting here while you flatter me.”

  He quickly pulled his hands from the table and reached out of sight, obviously grabbing his crotch as he hunched over and made a comically painful face. “Ooohhh…right in the plums! I got this,” he smiled, placing his hand on her check as she started to rise.

  “You don’t have to do that. I get an employee discount.”

  “I insist.”

  “You realize it changes nothing, right?”

  “I would be so disappointed if it did.”

  She watched him a moment, searching his eyes. “Then, thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. See you at four.”

  ***

  Beast stopped at the hostess station on his way out. “Do you know Shayna?” he asked Angela.

  “Yes, why?”

  “Know where she lives?”

  “Yes,” she said more slowly, her eyes narrowing slightly. If he thinks I’m going to give him her address, he better think again.

  “Can you do me a favor?” he asked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his money clip. “At your next break, will you please go the florist and have a bouquet of something she likes sent to her house?” He tossed a hundred dollars onto the podium, then another twenty off to the side. “That’s for your trouble. I would like the card to read, ‘For luck.’ Can you do that for me?”

  Angela stared at the money a moment then gathered it up. Why can’t a stranger send me flowers? “I can do that for you.”

  Beast gave her his best smile. “What’s your name?”

  “Angela. Why?”

  “Because, Angela, I’m going to mention to management how helpful you’ve been.” He gave her a wink then moved off. It was almost time for the tournament to start and he needed to get his head in the game so he’d still be there when lady luck arrived.

  ***

  Shayna snuggled into the most com
fortable chair in the lounge and propped her feet up in a chair she’d dragged from the table. She opened her internal medicine text to the heart murmur section she’d been reading before Beast had interrupted. She had a hard time getting focused, thinking about her parents dying. She and Beast must be about the same age, and she couldn’t imagine living, even now, without her parents in her life.

  She shook her head again, her brow wrinkling as she tried to shove the unpleasant thoughts away. She pushed her glasses up with a practiced touch at the left temple, and forced her attention back to her text. Beast intruded into her thoughts several more times, but slowly she lost herself in text.

  ***

  The three players in the game laid their cards down on the table. “Flush, Queen high, Straight, Queen high, and three Eights, Flush wins,” the dealer said.

  Beast smiled as he raked in the pot, not letting the other players see him sweat. He’d won the pot, his luck improving after lunch, but it appeared all the fish were gone. These guys played for keeps and his ability to win with impunity was gone. He began to stack his chips as the bell sounded, announcing the closing of another round. There were only four players left at his table, which meant it would be either be closed when he returned and the players distributed to other tables to bring them to full strength, or they would seat four more players at his table. The rule seemed to be that five or more players still at a table kept it open, three or fewer closed it, and four could go either way.

  “This table will be closed, gentlemen,” an organizer said as he stepped to the table. “Please collect your chips.”

  Beast grimaced. He was sure it was all psychological, but he didn’t like moving to a new table, much preferring if new players were seated at his. It always seemed like players being added to the table were at a disadvantage, probably because they had to learn the playing style of everyone, where those who remained already knew the playing style of those at the table. Beast nodded as he continued to count. He was still up for the day, but nothing like he’d been the first day.

  “You made it, I see,” Shayna said as she stepped up behind him.

  He didn’t stop counting, but smiled at her voice. “Yeah. I told you would still be here,” he said after he had his chips counted. He decided not to bank any. The blinds, and raises, were getting bigger and it slowed down play to have to keep calling on his bank for more chips.

  “Are you up, down, or even?”

  “I’m up, but I’m not at the kiddie table anymore. These guys play tough. We’ll see what happens after I return from the break.”

  She smiled at him. “I guess we will,” she replied before she moved off to circulate and take care of her guests.

  As he exited the room, Beast pulled the man supervising the room for the network aside. “You see that hostess, the redhead?” he asked.

  “Yes sir.”

  “My table was closed. When I return I would like to sit in her section, please.”

  “May I ask why?”

  Beast smiled. “Let’s just say I played better yesterday when she was in the room.”

  The man nodded. He was used to all kinds of weird superstitions from these guys, from the guy who wore no socks, to the woman who wore an Army cap pulled low over her eyes, to the man who insisted he had to have peanut M&Ms at his table, but always left the brown ones behind. Placing a competitor at one of twenty-five tables was a piece of cake.

  “Of course, sir. We’ll try to accommodate you.”

  “Thanks,” Beast smiled. I have a feeling my luck is about to change.

  “Beast! How’s it going? Are you splashed out yet?” Hightower asked in way of greeting.

  “Not bad. Today’s a much tougher day, but I hope my luck is about to change,” Beast said into his phone. “How’re our guests?”

  “Milk run, just as expected. They go in, talk to Boeing, and they come out. Nothing to it. We’re nothing but babysitters on this job.”

  “Just the way I like it. Did you get the thing with the Sons set up?”

  “Yes, we’re set. McKinnon agreed to let Palmetto tag along, but he will have to leave in the evenings and go back into town. He’s putting him up at his house. Did you know those bastards are building a motel?”

  “No. We should look into what they hell they’re doing. Sounds like they’re printing money and we need to get in on some of that.”

  “Maybe you and I need to run through the experience? See what the big deal is.”

  Beast smiled. “Maybe. In any event, we need to send them a bonus for working with us on this, and bill it to the Argentine government.”

  Hightower chuckled. “Agreed. He seems to like the mutts.” Hightower had lived in the United States for more than fifteen years as a resident alien, but he still hadn’t lost his accent or his slang.

  “We heard anything on the Dubai deal?” Beast asked. He was running out of time and needed to wrap this up.

  “Nothing yet. Let me worry about DRS, you worry about poker.”

  Beast smiled. The club would be in good hands with Hightower. “Okay. Thanks, brother, for picking up my slack.”

  “You’ve done enough,” Hightower said after a short pause. “It’s time for us to step up and do something for you.”

  Beast’s lips tugged into a smile. “Thanks, man.”

  “Water with a lemon twist,” Shayna said as she sat the glass in the holder.

  Beast was at his place, organizing his chips before the game started. “Knock for luck?” Beast asked.

  Shayna kept her hands at her sides as she waited for approval from the dealer to touch the table. “What’s that?” the dealer asked after picking up that Beast and Shayna were waiting on her.

  “I’m asking her to tap the table for luck,” Beast replied. “It’s only once, after each break. It won’t interfere once play starts,” he added when the dealer hesitated.

  The woman didn’t roll her eyes. She had a master’s degree in mathematics and knew poker was a game of statistics and probability. She didn’t understand all the superstitious mumbo jumbo that so many players seemed to subscribe to. Still, he was guest and she couldn’t see how having Shayna knock on the table could influence the game, so she gave Shayna a curt nod.

  Shayna smiled and tapped the table in front of Beast before stepping back. She wanted to stay and watch, to see if his luck changed, but she had a job to do. With a smile at the table, she turned and began to slowly circulate, making sure her guests were well taken care of.

  ***

  It was Beast’s last hand of the night. Both bells had already sounded, but Beast and another man where still going at it, raising each other over and over. Several players were clustered around the two men, and as much as she wanted to see, she held back.

  Beast didn’t look at his cards, playing it calm. The man was nervous. Hell, he was nervous. With almost a half-million dollars in the pot, who wouldn’t be? If he lost this hand he was probably finished. He still has about thirty thousand in his bank, but at his level of play, that wasn’t enough compete. He could easily lose that much in one hand.

  The man glanced at his cards again. “Call,” he said, tossing in another twenty-five thousand in chips.

  The men turned their cards and the crowd murmured in excitement. “Four Aces and a Straight Flush, Five high. Flush wins.”

  The man banged his hand down on the table and shoved his chair back, his jaw muscles working. Beast didn’t want to gloat, but he couldn’t keep his smile off his face as several people slapped him on the back. He’d suspected the man was sitting on four Aces, but he’d dropped his bluff tell, giving every indication he was trying to buy the pot. That false tell was useless now, but it had served him well to this point.

  Beast began to count his chips, preparing to bank them for the evening. He didn’t know if it was because after eating lunch he began to feel better and his play improved, if the cards just favored him, or it was Shayna’s tap of good luck, but whatever it was, he’d gotten through
another day.

  He set aside a single chip then counted the rest into his bank and signed the slip. He rose and Shayna was there, a glass of water in her hand.

  “I thought you might need this,” she said as he smiled.

  “Thanks. This is for you,” he said as he extended the chip.