Beneath These Shadows

by Meghan March

  No. I was going to the main event. I had a purpose.

  Men in tuxes and women in evening gowns were scattered around the giant room in stark contrast to the little blue-haired ladies and people in jeans. I caught sight of Con and his brother, Lord, at a table on the opposite side of the slot machines, but didn’t head in their direction.

  I hadn’t texted Bishop yet to tell him my decision, even though I knew it was a shitty thing to do. The last thing I wanted was for him to send his friends to find me and babysit me. I’d had enough babysitting to last a lifetime. Guilt rode me as I walked toward the tables, because I knew Bishop had to be wondering what I’d decided to do. Unless he was so into the tattoo he was finishing he hadn’t noticed the time . . .

  That was a cop-out and I knew it. I stopped next to a machine and unzipped my purse to find my phone.

  “I remember you.”

  The deep, smooth voice came from beside me, startling me so much that everything tumbled out of my purse. I jerked my eyes up to see a familiar man in a tux beside me, and we both crouched to collect my lipstick, loose change, ID, the little cash I brought, keys, and other flotsam and jetsam.

  “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  I loaded my purse back up. “No worries. You just surprised me is all.”

  “My wife will never let me live down scaring people by just saying hello if you mention it. Actually, she’ll probably say something that will have me carrying her out of here clawing and kicking. So, feel free to mention away.”

  “Umm . . . okay.”

  “Lucas Titan. We met at Dirty Dog and again at Valentina’s party before Mardi Gras.”

  “I remember. It’s good to see you again.” It was one of those polite throwaway lines, and I immediately wondered if he’d been on the lookout for me at Bishop’s request.

  At least, until he spoke again.

  “Is Bishop here with you?”

  Any budding concern I might have had about him being sent to babysit me fell away with his question. “No, he’s working, but I wanted to . . . show my support and probably lose the entire fifty dollars I’m planning on gambling.”

  “What’s your game?”

  “It’s about to be blackjack. After I watch a few hands and get the hang of it.”

  Titan studied me closely. “You’ve never played?”

  “Nope. Never. But tonight I’m going to.”

  “You want a rundown on how it works? I’m due to lose some money, otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it from those two.”

  He jerked his head toward Con and Lord, who were ordering cocktails from a circulating server.

  “Are you sure you don’t have something better to do?”

  He glanced back toward the group. “My wife shooed me away so she could spend time with her girls, so I don’t think I’ll be missed quite yet.”

  “Okay, then I appreciate it.”

  Lucas Titan led the way to a blackjack table, and I scanned the felt to see what the minimum bet was. I got the feeling his idea of gambling and mine were worlds apart. His tux looked like it cost more than a nice used car.

  Five-dollar minimum bet.

  I could handle that. I had said I only planned to gamble fifty, so maybe he was being polite.

  “I’ll play a few hands and talk you through them. You can jump in whenever you’re ready.” He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a money clip. He peeled off a hundred and slid it across the table to the dealer.

  “Changing one hundred,” the dealer said aloud, and a man stepped up behind him and nodded.

  The pit boss? My guess was solely fueled by the knowledge of casinos imparted to me by Hollywood.

  The dealer sat out stacks of chips and spread out one stack on the table before pushing them toward Titan. Then he began to deal.

  The two other players at the table received their cards first, and Titan kept a running commentary of what he was doing and why as I stood behind him.

  I wondered if the dealer would get annoyed, or perhaps the pit boss, but neither said a word. Titan’s stack of chips grew and then diminished before growing again. After about fifteen minutes, I felt like I was getting the hang of it. My hands were sweating where I gripped my wristlet, and equal parts of anticipation and anxiety spread through me.

  What if I lost it all in five minutes? I guessed that didn’t really matter, as long as I got to try.

  A piece of bumper-sticker philosophy floated into my head. It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how you play the game.

  Well, I couldn’t win if I didn’t play at all, and this was what I had come to do.

  “I’m ready,” I said as I slid into the seat next to Titan.

  He gave me an encouraging nod, and I pulled the fifty from my purse. I had an extra twenty stashed to make sure I could get home, but otherwise I was spending everything I had.

  I slid the bill across the table, and the dealer repeated the process he’d done with Titan and pushed chips toward me.

  The other two players stood and collected their chips. Apparently they didn’t want to play at a table with a complete newbie.

  Titan watched them leave and must have read the embarrassment on my face. “You’ve got as much right to play at this table as anyone. Don’t worry about it.”

  I nodded and placed a five-dollar chip on the circle in front of my seat, and the dealer began to flip the cards in front of us. Titan talked me through the first four hands, and I lost two and won two.

  “Not bad for a beginner. You’re doing fine.”

  Two more hands went by, and I was down to thirty dollars in chips and getting a little nervous. I’d taken my chances splitting aces and lost both.

  “You’ll either come back or you won’t. The thing you’re doing that’s smart is not betting more than you’re willing to lose.”

  “And now you’re a blackjack coach?”

  A woman’s voice came from behind us, and we both turned.

  “Yve, the love of my life, you remember Eden?”

  “Of course I do. I see you’re not wearing one of my dresses.” Her tone sounded playfully disapproving.

  “I wasn’t sure what would be considered appropriate for tonight so I fell back on the little-black-dress rule.” I hoped she wasn’t offended, but the smile that spread across her face told me she wasn’t.

  Her dress was some kind of vintage couture that hugged and flattered her every curve, and I was immediately envious.

  “It was a good choice. Next time, I’ll have to find you something like this. I’ll keep an eye out.”

  The next hand was dealt, and I lost another five dollars while Titan won a stack of chips.

  “Oh good, you’re winning. Can I borrow you to go bid on a piece that Valentina donated to the silent auction? It matches the other pieces of hers we bought, and there’s no way I’m letting someone else get it.”

  Titan stood. “Of course. But you know you can bid on whatever you want.”

  “If I’m going to bid enough to buy a car, I kind of need you there to do it for me. I think I’d puke otherwise.”

  “All right. I’m coming. Eden, would you like to join us?”

  I looked at the dwindling pile of chips in front of me. “I think I’m going to finish this out and probably head home.”

  “I think you’ll be playing a lot longer than you think. Good luck. We’ll be around if you need anything.”

  The couple, gorgeous in their evening wear, moved in the direction of the silent auction, and I played one more hand before the red card popped out of the deck.

  “New dealer,” the current one said as he stepped back to make room for another man. Another player sat down at the table and shot a glance at me with a nod. Not wanting to seem rude, I smiled back at him.

  The deck was reshuffled and play continued, but with one very important difference.

  I started winning. Every time. It was crazy. I started to bet ten dollars on each hand, and my pile grew and
grew. I’d lose once and think my streak was over, but then I’d win the next six in a row. The stacks of chips seemed to multiply, and a heady feeling swept over me.

  This was fun.

  I finished wrapping up the tattoo, locked up the shop, and checked my phone. It was almost one and I hadn’t heard from Eden. I’d lost track of time as I’d put the finishing touches on the piece, so it hadn’t even occurred to me until I was done.

  I texted her.

  BISHOP: Did you decide to stay in?

  I hoped she hadn’t. Tonight was the best night for her to check blackjack off her list. I just hoped she didn’t get bit by the bug and want to go more often. It wasn’t something I could do with her because showing my face in a casino was the fastest way to bring my past crashing down on me.

  Now that I had something to lose, I wasn’t taking any chances.

  My phone buzzed with a text as I wiped down my station. It wasn’t from Eden.

  CON: Your girl is playing deep at the tables. She a card shark?

  BISHOP: Never played before in her life.

  CON: Something seems off. Pit boss is watching her close, but it’s not my place to step in.

  An uneasy feeling twisted in my gut. Fuck. What the hell was going on?

  BISHOP: Beginner’s luck?

  CON: More like card-counter’s luck.

  My stomach twisted and fell to my feet. Eden wasn’t a fucking card counter. No fucking way. I grabbed the keys to my bike off the counter and headed out the back.

  When I parked my bike in the lot closest to the casino, I hurried up the stairs. My phone had two more texts from Con. The last one was from two minutes ago.

  CON: I’m going over there. I think the pit boss is about to call security.

  I flashed my ID for the guy at the door and rushed past him. If he ran my ID, there was a good chance it would pop up in the system.

  “Hey, I need to see that closer.” He stood to follow me, but I wasn’t stopping for anything.

  I scanned the tables, looking for Eden. I’d get her and get the hell out before security caught up with me.

  I returned a text to Con.

  BISHOP: I’m here.

  But before I could find Eden, I saw two men in suits closing in on a blackjack table. Con’s blond head stood out above the crowd as they stopped.

  Fuck.

  “She’s done. She’s leaving. It’s a simple case of beginner’s luck,” Con told the men as he stood between them and Eden. Lord, Titan, and Simon were headed over as well.

  “I didn’t do anything. Mr. Titan showed me the ropes and I started playing. This dealer just gave me good cards.”

  “We need you to come with us, miss. We just have a few questions for you and your associate, and we’ll need your ID.”

  “Associate? I don’t have an associate.”

  One of the security guys had a man in a white shirt and brown pants by the arm. “We’ve been watching both of you. You’re clearly working together. You both need to come with us.”

  I stepped up to the other side of Eden. “Not fucking happening. She’s leaving with me.”

  Her head whipped around and shock flashed over her face at my appearance. I didn’t fucking care if she was pissed because there was no fucking way I was letting casino security take my girl any goddamned place.

  “Gentlemen, I think you’re getting worked up over nothing. She’d never played before we sat down tonight. She also doesn’t know this man.” This came from Titan. “To assume anything else is simply ludicrous.”

  The pit boss recognized Titan. “Mr. Titan, we appreciate you vouching for her, but we need to handle this internally.” To the dealer, he said, “Take her chips.”

  The dealer reached for them.

  “Seriously? You’re gonna go there?” Con interjected.

  “I won those myself,” Eden said, protesting as the dealer pulled them away.

  Another man in a suit joined the group. “Do we have an issue here? All we ask is for your cooperation. Please come with us.”

  “Fine, but I didn’t do anything wrong.” Eden stepped toward them in a move that seemed like she planned to follow them.

  I grabbed her arm. “No way. She’s leaving. Keep the fucking chips. We’re done here.”

  “Sir, that’s not your call.”

  Eden whipped around to look at me. “It’s fine. I’ll explain, and they’ll understand this is all a big misunderstanding.”

  Did she seriously think I was going to let her go? I kept a firm hold on her arm and pulled her behind me. “You gonna back me up here, guys?”

  Titan, Lord, Con, and Simon formed a wall between me and Eden and the casino security personnel.

  “It would be in your best interest for you to let them leave,” Titan said, his tone daring them to try to do anything else.

  “Mr. Titan, we’re not looking for trouble.”

  “Then you should get back to work. There’s a fundraiser happening tonight, and you’re attracting the wrong kind of attention from your patrons.”

  A crowd was gathering around us, including Yve, Vanessa, Charlie, and Elle. The entire place felt like a powder keg about to blow if the security crew took one wrong step.

  I took advantage of the moment of stillness and turned to hustle Eden out the nearest fire exit. The alarm blared, but I didn’t give a shit.

  “What the hell are you doing? Stop. They’re not going to do anything to me.”

  “You don’t know a goddamned thing about what happens in the back rooms and basements of casinos, cupcake, and you’re not going to fucking find out while I’m breathing.”

  She struggled against my hold, so I lifted her up and tossed her over my shoulder. Her scream barely roused any strange looks, not that I cared about that or how she beat against my back with her hand and small purse. When I reached my bike, I lowered her to her feet, and an enraged Eden, the likes of which I’d never seen before, greeted me.

  “You fucking caveman! What the hell is your problem?”

  I grabbed the helmet off the back and strapped it onto her head, avoiding her slapping hands. “Get on the bike, and we’ll talk about this at your place.”

  Three men in suits were running toward us down the sidewalk as I started the bike.

  “Oh my God, are they coming after us?”

  “And the cops are probably next.”

  One man had a phone to his ear, and when Eden finally regained some of her common sense and hopped on, I tore out into the street.

  No one would catch up to us on a bike, but I still took turn after turn just in case someone was trying to follow us. When I finally pulled up in front of Harriet’s house, Eden flew off the bike and ran toward the gate to unlock it. I pushed the front tire up over the curb and followed her through with my bike, hoping like hell the passageway was wide enough. It was, but barely.

  When I dropped the kickstand and stood it up on the cement pad, Eden ran back and slammed the gate shut.

  “What the hell just happened?”

  My entire body buzzed with the rush of adrenaline, and I stalked in circles around the courtyard.

  “Go upstairs. Inside. I’ll be up when I’ve cooled the fuck down so I don’t say anything I’m going to regret.”

  Eden’s face paled in the moonlight, but her mouth flattened into a thin line. She didn’t say anything before she stalked up the spiral stairs and unlocked the apartment door.

  I would have bet money on the fact that Eden wanted to slam it, but was too worried about waking Harriet to do it.

  My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my pocket as I paced.

  CON: That was fucking crazy. They ran out of here after her. Asked for both your names. I didn’t give them.

  BISHOP: Thanks, man. I’m at her place. I appreciate you coming to her rescue. I don’t know what the fuck happened tonight, but it’s not fucking happening again.

  CON: I think it’s safe to say that neither of you should be coming back anytime soon.
/>   BISHOP: Not a fucking problem. Sorry to interrupt your fundraiser.

  I shoved my phone back in my pocket and sucked in a few deep breaths.

  Visions of what could have happened to Eden had flashed through my head the entire way to the casino and all the way home. I knew better than to think they’d give her the benefit of the doubt because she was a woman.

  Guilt and pain from everything I’d fucked up before battered me. I hadn’t been able to stop them when they had dragged my cousin Abby into a back room along with me. There was no fucking way I’d ever let that happen to Eden, regardless of her need for independence.

  I SHUT THE DOOR AND paced back and forth across my tiny living area. A whirlpool of emotions spun in dizzying circles inside me. Anger. Guilt. Annoyance. Frustration. Helplessness.

  Bishop finally came upstairs and let himself inside. I stared at him for long moments while neither of us spoke. Whatever he was feeling was bubbling close to the surface.

  “What the fuck did you think you were doing?” Apparently he hadn’t cooled down.

  “What the hell were you doing?” I shot back. “You were the one who didn’t want to step foot inside a casino and then bam, there you are. I was fine. You didn’t need to come to my rescue again.”

  His green gaze seemed to shoot fire as it locked onto mine, and everything but the rise and fall of his chest stilled. “You think you were fine? They thought you were a fucking card counter, Eden, working with a partner. Do you know what casinos do with card counters? Do you think they really just wanted to take you into some little back office to chat? They could’ve killed you.”

  “This isn’t a freaking movie. No one was going to do anything to me.” To myself, I added, especially once I dropped my father’s name. Only someone with a death wish would dare touch me.

  “Yeah, you’re right. No one was going to do a goddamned thing to you because I wouldn’t let them.”

  Frustration overwhelmed the other emotions fighting for precedence. “I don’t need you to save me every time, Bishop! How the hell am I ever supposed to learn to stand on my own two feet and save myself if you’re always going to rush to the rescue? I don’t need a babysitter. I need to learn to be self-sufficient, and if no one in my entire freaking life will give me the chance, then how am I ever going to get there?”