by Мишель Роуэн
She grinned back at him, feeling completely stunned. What was she going to say to Angela? She was relieved but at the same time incredibly apprehensive. The most important thing was her sister's safety.
Period.
Barkley stopped walking and pointed into an intimate, richly decorated room roped off from the main casino floor.
Janie's heart lurched. There she was.
She touched her were-loom necklace. Angela still wore hers, as well, the turquoise stone standing out vividly blue-green against the rich red color of her hair and the alabaster of her skin.
The last time Janie remembered seeing her, she'd been eighteen years old wearing ripped jeans and an orange halter top, hair back in a ponytail. This Angela looked different.
She'd be twenty-three now, Janie thought, as she watched the beautiful woman lean over the roulette table to place her bet, a smile curling her full lips, as her eyes—the same ice blue as Janie's—caught the light with a mischievous twinkle. Wearing a low-cut black dress that showed off ample cleavage, she was the only woman playing, and the other six men surrounding the table watched her every move.
Janie frowned. That was strange. Her sister had always been flat-chested.
She shook her head slowly.
Unbelievable, she thought.The girl had time for a boob job, but not enough time to let me know she was okay .
But even with that thought, Janie couldn't suppress her own happiness at seeing that her sister was alive and well-endowed. It was as if a heavy weight on her heart had lifted.
But still. There would be words.
The roulette wheel spun, and Angela gave a big smile as it landed on her number. The other men cheered for her, despite their own losses. She added to the large pile of chips surrounding her.
"Very lucky,mademoiselle ," the dealer said. "Congratulations."
A man next to her, who wore an expensive-looking tailored tuxedo and had black hair, silver at the temples, leaned in and whispered something to Angela. She laughed lightly. He slid his fingers into her long red hair and pushed it off her neck so he could kiss her.
"Hey!" Barkley protested under his breath from over Janie's right shoulder. "That dude is kissingmy woman."
"Take it easy," Janie said. "You guys stay here, okay?"
"If you need us," Quinn whispered in her ear in a knee-weakening way that almost made her forget the redhead in the next room actually existed. "We won't be far."
"Thanks," she managed.
She entered the room and felt half the men's eyes shift to her.
Oh, right. The dress.
Worth every damn penny.
Angela didn't even look up from her paramour and her winnings.
There was a plush red seat vacant next to her, and Janie slid into it.
"Angela," she whispered.
Angela was kissing the older man now, rather passionately.
Janie tapped her on the shoulder. "Angela. Please, look at me."
Angela stopped kissing the man and turned a bit to look over her shoulder.
"Oh, my God." Janie couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face. "I am so happy to see you!"
"I'm sorry?" Angela crooked a well-defined eyebrow above her beautiful eyes rimmed in smoky black liner and gave her a blank look.
"Yeah, sorry would be a good start." Janie grabbed her wrist. "Come on. We have to get out of here right now."
Angela wrenched her hand away and glanced at the man before looking back at Janie. "I think you must have me confused with someone else. Who are you?"
Janie let out a nervous laugh. "I'm the Easter Bunny. Now move it."
She grabbed Angela's wrist again, but she twisted away.
The older man frowned deeply. "I think we may need security over here."
Janie shook her head. "This is my sister. She's been missing for five years. I don't know what she's trying to prove right now by pretending she doesn't know who I am, but it's not very funny."
"Is this true?" The older man's frown deepened and he stood up from his seat. "What is going on here?"
Angela shook her head, her expression one of confusion. "I don't know. This woman is obviously crazy.
Just sit down and don't make a scene."
The muscles in the man's jaw tensed. "A scene is exactly what Idon't want."
"Are you together?" Janie asked. Although she supposed that was fairly obvious. She just wanted it confirmed.
"We…" the man began and then closed his mouth and sighed before he turned toward the entrance. "I wanted this to be discreet. I wanted something simple. This isn't simple anymore, and it's not just this."
Angela stood and grabbed at his jacket. "Where are you going?"
He wrenched the material out of her grasp, but not before there was an audible ripping sound and a expression of disdain crossed his face. "I had a feeling there was something strange about you. I ignored it these last few months, but this is the final proof I needed that you're a liar. You won't even acknowledge your own sister?"
"Bernard! How can you say that?" Angela looked at Janie and then back at him. "This person walks in here and tells you that I'm not who you think I am and you believe her? Just like that?"
"Angela." Janie's frown deepened. "The necklace. Look at your necklace and then look at mine. They match. We bought them together. Don't you remember?"
Angela glanced down at the were-loom. "Obviously just a coincidence."
The man shook his head. "I expect my wife to lie to me, but not my mistress. I'm leaving."
Angela's cheeks flushed almost as red as her hair. "I haven't lied. And this… this is all it takes? Some stupid woman spouting crap about me? Where's the trust, Bernard? Where?"
He shrugged. "Let's just say it's the straw that broke the camel's back. Besides, I know you've been unfaithful."
"But you'remarried !"
"Except for my wife I've been completely faithful to you."
"You son of a bitch. Fine. Leave."
His lips thinned, and his gaze tracked down the length of Janie. He produced a card. "Perhapsyou should call me sometime. I'm in town through to the end of the week."
Angela threw three red chips at him. They hit his back and fell to the floor.
"There's the money for my new boobs, you bastard. The onesyou wanted me to get. Don't say I don't repay my debts."
Bernard kept walking.
The room had gone completely silent.
"Place your bets," the dealer said after another moment.
Angela's face was almost as red as her hair, and she leaned forward to place a small pile of chips in the middle of the table on seventeen.
"Well," Janie said, slightly stunned. "At least he didn't say that you'll always haveParis ."
Her face was tight. "I don't know who you are, but I think I hate you. No, scratch that. I definitely hate you. Do you have any idea who that was?"
"Should I?"
"Only if you watch the news and are not completely ignorant of politics."
"Then I definitely don't know. Nor do I care. Listen—" She took a step toward her sister.
Angela backed away a step and held up her hand. "Go away or I'm going to call security."
The wheel spun.
"Black seventeen!" the dealer announced. "The lady wins again."
"Whoop-dee-shit." Angela said, decidedly not thrilled by the whole situation as she gathered together her large pile of chips in front of her. "I'm out of here."
Janie stomach churned. "Youseriously don't remember me?"
"Why should I?"
"Oh I don't know. Because I'mJanie . Yoursister . You disappeared five years ago and I've been searching for you. I thought something terrible had happened to you."
"I'm sure if I had a sister and she was you it's not something I'd just forget. Now get the hell away from me.Capiche ?"
Janie's mind was reeling, and she took everything in. It was all making sense. Angela didn't remember her. Of course, that's why she hadn't bee
n in contact for years. Her sister had amnesia!
This piece of news was actually an odd relief, all things considered, but it didn't keep lift the heavy ache of disappointment she felt at how poorly the reunion was going so far.
Janie grabbed her wrist again. "Listen, I know this is strange to you, but you have to come with me.
You're in terrible danger."
"You'rein terrible danger if you don't let go of me."
Janie looked to her left toward the entrance to the VIP room but couldn't spot Barkley or Quinn. Just then, a large man wearing an earpiece and a casino vest entered the room and headed straight toward them.
"Is there a problem here?" he asked.
"I'll say there's a problem," Angela hissed. "This woman is harassing me. I thought the high-stakes rooms here were better supervised."
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, madam, but I wasn't speaking to you." He nodded at the dealer. "Is there a problem?"
The dealer's expression was sour. "I'm not sure. This… this young lady has been at my table for over an hour now and has won every round."
"I'm having a lucky night," Angela said.
"Every round for an entire hour?" The dealer shook his head. "I would rather not outwardly accuse you of cheating to the casino manager, but—"
"Cheating?" Angela blustered. She started scooping the chips off the table in a hasty and rather nervous motion. "Of all the nerve! I've never been so insulted in my life!"
The man nodded for security, and two evenlarger men in tuxedos and matching earpieces came to join them. All the men who had been ogling Angela and Janie moved out of the way, their gazes now firmly fixed on the patterned carpeting or the ornate gilded ceiling instead of the ample displays of female cleavage in the room.
Before Angela could grab any more of her winnings, one of the security guards grabbed her firmly by her upper arm.
"I think I'm going to be very fair about this whole situation," the casino manager said. "I will not call the police. I will simply ask you two ladies to leave the premises and not return. If you step foot inside this casino again, you will be dealt with much more harshly. Do you understand?"
Janie frowned. Did he saytwo ladies?
The other security guy's hand clamped around her arm. Her first thought was to fight him off, possibly by breaking his arm and shattering his kneecap, but she decided that might be a bit excessive.
She craned her neck searching the area. Didn't Quinn say he'd be nearby? Where the hell was he?
They were thrown out of the casino and onto the cold sidewalk outside. In the nicest, most civilized way possible.
Janie brushed off the front of her dress. TheEiffelTower loomed tall above them. A couple of tourists sidestepped to get past her to reach the entrance.
"And I usually do the bouncing," she said. "That was a new experience."
Angela glared at her. Then she turned around and started walking away on her very highFerragamo heels. Across the street, the Bellagio fountains danced and sprayed around. The stars were out in the night sky, but the Vegas strip blazed bright as day.
"Hey!" Janie called after her. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Why are you still talking to me? Shut up!"
Quinn and Barkley ran up beside her. "What happened?"
"Where were you? I could have used your help in there."
Quinn gritted his teeth and gave Barkley a dirty look. "Wolf-boy got us kicked out. Saw a leg he couldn't help but get… friendly with."
"It's a compulsion." Barkley looked away. "I'm so ashamed."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there," Quinn continued. "Is everything okay?"
Janie waved in Angela's direction. Her throat felt thick. "I think she's got amnesia. She doesn't remember me at all."
Angela turned around. "I don't have amnesia." She looked at Quinn, her heavily made-up eyes widening slightly and then taking their time to take him in completely from head to foot. A smile spread across her features as she approached him. "Well, hello there. And what's your name?"
He glanced at Janie, then back at Angela. "Uh… you can call me Quinn."
Angela took his hand in hers and turned it over. "You know, Quinn, I can tell a lot about a man by his hands." She ran a French-manicured fingernail along his palm. "Your lifeline is very long."
"Well, I am currently immortal."
She laughed.
Janie couldn't believe it. Her sister was flirting with Quinn.
And he didn't seem to be stopping her.
"So youwere cheating in there," Janie said. "And not just with that guy."
"I wasn't cheating." Angela's pleasant expression soured.
Barkley stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Matthew Barkley, at your service, Angela. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Finallymeet me?"
"I've been having visions about you. And, may I say, you are a vision tonight. Of loveliness, that is."
Janie wrapped her arms around herself to keep the desert chill away. "We don't have time for this."
Angela's expression brightened. "You've been having visions about me? You're psychic, too?"
Barkley nodded enthusiastically. "I think I'm in love with you. Am I moving too fast?"
"Hold on, Romeo," Janie said. "One thing at a time. Angela, listen to me and listen to me carefully. You have amnesia. You are my sister. You are in danger. You have to leaveLas Vegas immediately. Like,
now . There's no time to waste."
Angela turned her back on Janie to look Quinn. "Can I ask a favor?"
Quinn nodded. "Of course."
"Will you see me back to my hotel? I'm staying right next door at the Aladdin. Like the genie in the lamp?" She moved close enough to him to run a hand down his arm. "And you do know what happens when you rub the lamp properly, right?"
Quinn actually laughed but managed not to show off his fangs. Janie shot him a look.
He nodded. "They say that you get a wish."
"That's right." Her hand moved to his chest. "Any wish you want."
"Believe it or not, that's already my goal tonight." Quinn grabbed Angela's hand and removed it from his person. "Unfortunately, I already have my wish in mind. And… it's not what you're thinking."
She pouted. "Well, damn."
"You're leaving Vegas tonight," Janie said, louder this time. Was she being ignored on purpose? "There is somebody who wants to hurt you, Angela. He will kill you if you're not out of this town as soon as possible."
Angela raised an eyebrow. "Are you actually serious?"
"Deadly serious. Now, if you'd like to ignore what I'm telling you and pretend it's all just a big joke, then be my guest. However, if you'd like to keep yourself from being eviscerated—which, FYI, is the same as disembowelment—while you're still alive, I strongly suggest leaving."
Angela's mouth now gaped wide open in horror. "Who would want to do that to me?"
"Other than your boyfriend's wife?" Janie said dryly. Her sense of humor had gone from nil to nonexistent in record time. "A very bad man who does very bad things to anybody he pleases."
She nodded slowly. "I think I may leave town tonight. I'm sick of Vegas, anyhow."
"An excellent idea." Janie glanced at her wristwatch. "It's getting late. The Boss is going to be looking for me.Dammit . I don't want to leave you alone. How am I supposed to know you'll be safe?"
Angela frowned. "Who are you again?"
"I'm your sister!" She let out a groan of frustration.
"You have totally screwed up my night."
"I'll go," Barkley said firmly. "It would be my honor to protect you, Angela. With my very life. I will guard your beautiful body."
Angela eyed him briefly and then looked at Quinn. "I'd ratheryou guard my body."
"Uh…" Quinn glanced at Janie.
Janie bit her bottom lip. "Barkley it is. Congratulations, Barkley. You're my sister's bodyguard. Go to her hotel, get her packed, and go anywhere but here."
"Yes, sir!" Barkley hooked his arm around Angela's waist.
"Be careful," she told her sister.
"Go to hell," Angela called back and kept walking.
Janie nodded. "I think I hate her."
She turned around and couldn't believe that Quinn was smiling.
"I hate you, too," she informed him.
"You're just saying that."
"She was totally hitting on you. Even with amnesia."
"Hey, when you got it, you got it." His smile grew.
A long limousine drove past behind him, and Janie felt a chill go down her spine as if somebody just walked over her grave. Was that the Boss? Did he just get into town?
Angela and Barkley were moving with the rest of the constant Vegas crowd. Everyone else was heading to a club, to a casino or a show. At least Angela was heading somewhere safe. She felt relieved. Not much, but enough for the time being.
She shook her head and turned for a last look at the casino and forced herself to relax as much as she could. "I wonder how long she's been doing the psychic gambling thing?"
Quinn glanced up at the replicaArc deTriomphe to the right. "Probably not very long. She doesn't seem very good at keeping it quiet." He turned his gaze to meet hers. "So now what?"
"A deal's a deal." She chewed her bottom lip for a moment. If that really was the Boss, then that meant things got even trickier now. "We go back to the hotel and you make your wish. I'll give the used Eye to the Boss and cross my fingers that he takes a faulty magical artifact in stride. Soon this will all be over,
one way or the other."
His throat worked as he swallowed. "With any luck you'll be rid of me by tomorrow."
She looked at him for a long moment before turning away.
But what if I don't want to be rid of you? she thought, feeling those now annoying familiar tears prick at the backs of her eyes.
She focused on putting one foot in front of the other to get back across the street to El Diablo. "Then let's get this over with."
After he made his wish to be human again, it would be over between them. He had what he wanted. She had what she wanted.
Everybody would be happy.