by Sage Nyx
“Yes that, and other things.”
“Are you any good?”
“I believe so,” she says. “I play at a professional level. The men are easy to distract at the poker table. For two years, I traveled across Europe playing card games.”
“By yourself?”
A shadow darkens her beautiful features. Her blue eyes grow troubled.
“No, not by myself. They never allowed me to be alone. Ever.”
Her serious tone sends a chill through me. “Were you being held against your will?” I ask. “Who were you with?”
“Bad men,” she simply answers.
“Did the man who visited you at the orphanage adopt you? Is that legal? How old were you?”
“Adopt is perhaps not the correct word,” she replies. “Yes, he took me from the orphanage two years later when I was fifteen. In Russia, rich men can do anything they want. Laws and rules do not apply to them.”
“Who was he?”
“A powerful man by the name of Dimitri. It is better that you don’t know everything.”
“Does he know where you are now?”
“I’m alive, aren’t I?” she replies with a small laugh. “That is proof enough that he doesn’t know. Enough talk about men. Tonight is about us.” She picks up a can of hairspray from the counter and shakes it furiously. “Don’t breathe,” she warns before coating my head with a cloud of toxic chemicals.
“Thanks for the warning,” I croak, choking on the chemical smell when I accidentally breathe in the mist. “Hairspray is poisonous.”
“You are perfect,” she says, beaming at me. “Now for the dresses.”
She hands me a white, sleeveless bodycon dress to put on first. I check to make sure the male strippers have left the dressing room before slipping out of my jeans and sweatshirt.
I slide the white dress over my head and stretch the clingy fabric down my body until it barely covers my ass.
“I can’t go out in public in this dress,” I say. “My boobs are falling out of the top and my ass is hanging out from the bottom.”
“It is a good dress for a party on Christmas Eve,” she says. “You will mix with the crowd.”
“I hope you’re right,” I say, tugging on the clingy fabric. “With any luck, no one will ever see me in this dress.”
She then hands me a flowing red dress with long sleeves to slip on over the bodycon. The red fabric covers the white bodycon completely.
If we run into trouble, our plan is to strip off the outer dresses and change wigs before we hit the next casino. That would be a worst-case scenario and not something we expect to happen.
I stand up and move closer to the mirror.
“I’m much more comfortable in this one,” I say, turning to view the dress from all sides. “This is my favorite. I hope it can stay on.”
“I prefer the white one on you,” she says. “What do you think of mine?”
Natasha is wearing a black cocktail gown, hiding a tight, blue dress underneath. Her blonde hair is tucked underneath a long, dark wig.
“You’re stunning. With you around, I never have to worry about drawing attention. All eyes will be on you.”
“For tonight, that is the plan,” she replies. “I will watch your back and you will play. Are you still sad about Sugar?”
“I’m sad that it could never work out between us. I lied to him. He wouldn’t be able to get past that if he knew. It’s over.”
“I’m sorry.” She pats my hand. “Will you be okay?”
“Yes, because I don’t have a choice. It’s not as if I can go back and change things.”
“Shall we go then?” she asks.
I take a deep breath. “Let’s do it.”
Jade
Thirty minutes later, we’re riding in the back seat of Eva’s SUV while King drives us to the Vegas strip. He’d dropped off Eva earlier at the Imperial.
King glances back at me in the rearview mirror. “Are you ladies prepared to do this?” he asks.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves.
Natasha pulls a cigarette out of her purse and flicks on a lighter.
“I need one last cigarette,” she tells King firmly.
“Hell no!” he yells back at her in a panic. “Not in Eva’s car, you don’t. Put those cigarettes away. If you must smoke, do it after I let you out. Eva can smell smoke a mile away; then we’ll both be in trouble.”
She lets out a long sigh and crams the pack of cigarettes back into her handbag.
“Why don’t you quit smoking?” I ask her.
“I will…tomorrow.”
“We can do this.” I lean over to touch her arm. “Don’t worry.”
“I’ve waited a long time for tonight,” she says. “This is important.”
For the first time, I realize Natasha hasn’t been truthful with me. She’d said it was all about the money.
It’s not.
Pulling off this scam with the Peggy Penguin slot machine code is personal to her.
She’s doing this to send Dimitri and her life back in Russia a big ‘fuck you’.
I’m happy to help her do it.
“Putting our plan into action will be easy,” I reassure her. “The plan is simple, yet perfect. You and Eva have thought of everything. The holiday crowds are huge tonight. It won’t be hard to blend in.”
Since the night of our failed test run at the Bora Bora, we’ve discussed every detail and possible problem that might arise. We’ve worked nonstop and planned for every contingency.
Instead of setting up in the basement of Platinum again, we decided our headquarters should be in my hotel room at the Imperial. Eva will be positioned there with my laptop. She’ll make sure the camera is transmitting the video correctly.
Kim will be in the security control room at the hotel, keeping her eyes and ears open for any chatter from the other casino security teams in town.
Natasha and I will work together on foot in the casinos. I’ll be playing the slot machines and sending video footage to my laptop while she watches my back.
We’ve also practiced switching out positions, so we can fill in for each other. Eva insisted on Natasha learning my role at the slot machines. Everything from how to transmit the video to exactly when to hit the button after receiving the signal.
The key is for us to work fast, moving from casino to casino before we draw attention. To hit as many slot machines made by the sloppy Australian manufacturer as possible.
We must be careful to keep our wins under twelve hundred dollars per machine. The last thing we need is for a big win to lock up the slot machine. If that happens, someone from the casino will rush over to congratulate us, then hand us a tax form to fill out.
We’ll begin at the Bora Bora and finish the night at the far end of the strip at the Imperial.
“Here we are, ladies!” King says. He pulls over into a parking lot a block from the Bora Bora Casino to let us out. “Shake a leg! Call me if you need me. I’ll be waiting on standby.”
“Don’t turn off your cell phone,” Natasha tells him.
“I won’t.”
Natasha and I step out of the SUV and pause for a moment on the crowded sidewalk.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” she asks me. “Don’t answer. You are ready.”
“Yes, I am,” I say confidently. “Let’s go.”
She tucks her arm through mine, and we stroll up to the entrance of the casino.
“Showtime baby!” I say to her with a grin. “It’s time to hear Miss Peggy Penguin sing.”
Sugar
“Merry Christmas, Sugar!”
I whirl around toward the sound of the shrill female voice coming from the far side of the room.
“Thank you! Merry Christmas to you too!” I call out to the fan who has spotted me stepping into the elevator.
I wave back at her and smile until the elevator doors close in front of me, shutting me off from her view.
“Thank God we have Christmas day off tomorrow,” I say to Leroy when the elevator starts to move. “I need a break. The holiday show schedule is killing me.”
He’s leaning back against the interior of the elevator with his eyes closed. “Me too,” he says without opening his eyes. “I’m worn out. If we had to work tomorrow, I’d have to put my foot down. There’s something about working on Christmas that isn’t right. Everyone needs one day off a year to rest and be with their families. That’s all we ask for. One measly day.”
His eyes fly open when I don’t answer.
“Shit,” he says. “I’m sorry. I forgot about Saul there for a minute and stuck my big foot in my mouth. Are you going out to the prison to see him tomorrow? I can drive you in the afternoon.”
“No, that’s okay. I wouldn’t want to bother you.”
“My family’s Christmas meal will be over by three,” he says. “Why don’t you come over for lunch and then we can road trip to the prison? Momma told me to invite you. I could use a good excuse to split. By that time, my nieces and nephews will be running around, and getting on my last nerve. The house will be nothing but a giant pile of wrapping paper to clean up.”
“I’m not sure what to do,” I say. “Dad told me not to come out to the prison tomorrow. He said that being in the visitor’s room and seeing all the little kids visiting their fathers on Christmas depressed him.” I let out a long breath. “It’s a lie. He’s trying to protect me. Last year, we were both sure that he would be out by now. I can’t believe he’s still stuck in that fucking hellhole.”
Leroy nods in understanding. “Saul’s a good father. You’re lucky. He’s always trying to watch out for you, even from in there. He’d probably feel worse if you went. If I had a son, I’d want him to be enjoying Christmas. Not driving eight hours to visit me for thirty minutes across a metal desk.”
“I can’t help feeling guilty for not being there,” I say. “It’s awful to see him in prison. He’s my dad.”
“Saul wouldn’t want you beating yourself up,” Leroy says. “You need to respect his wishes. If he says don’t go, then don’t go. Let the man keep his dignity. That’s what he’s asking for. Maybe it’s easier for him to pretend Christmas is just another day to get through.”
“You might be right,” I say. “I thought about chartering a plane and making a day trip to Orlando instead.”
“Why?” He gives me a puzzled look. “Have you developed a sudden hankering for Florida sunshine and orange juice?”
“Of course not. Remember? That’s where Jade lives with her mom and brother. Your guy confirmed her address. Turns out, she was telling me the truth about her life there. I was considering flying to Orlando and paying her a surprise visit. Maybe show up on her doorstep with an armful of presents. Who can resist presents?”
Leroy cocks his eyebrows at me. “On Christmas Day? That’s not a good idea. You don’t show up for a surprise visit and pretend to be Santa Claus. Especially if you’re not sure if she wants to see you. Since you haven’t heard a word from her, I would say the answer to that is a big, fat, ‘hell fucking no’. Don’t bug the lady on Christmas.”
“Thanks for the encouragement, buddy,” I say sarcastically. “I appreciate your support.”
“I’m trying to keep you from making a fool out of yourself,” Leroy says. “That’s all. Why don’t you call her instead? That would be faster and cheaper than chartering a plane. Plus, the embarrassment of being rejected on her doorstep.”
“I’ve tried calling her. She never picks up the phone and I’m tired of leaving messages.”
“I can’t believe you’re considering doing such a dumbass thing,” he says, shaking his head. “You’re not yourself lately. Where the hell did Sugar go and when is he coming back? This new you is depressing me.” He snaps his fingers at me. “Oh damn! I forgot to tell you something funny that I saw today.”
Leroy shoves away from the wall when we reach my floor and exits behind me out of the elevator. We walk toward my room at the end of the hallway.
“You might get a kick out of this,” he continues. “Earlier this evening, I saw someone that looked like your girl.”
“What girl?” I stop walking and whirl back around in the hallway.
“Your girl, Jade. The one you were just talking about.”
“You saw someone who looked like Jade and you forgot to mention it to me? What the fuck, Leroy? You could’ve told me this five minutes ago.”
“Nah, it wasn’t her,” he says, brushing the idea off with a wave. “It was only a girl that reminded me of her. The woman I saw had red hair that was about shoulder length and she wasn’t wearing glasses. She was about the same size though. I can’t explain it. There was something familiar about the way she walked that caught my attention. Almost like she was afraid of falling on her ass in her fancy shoes.”
My heart starts racing. Leroy can be a goofball, but his intuition is rarely wrong.
“Where did you see her? Here at the Imperial?”
“No, I saw her when I was driving into work this evening. There were two women walking down the strip together. A redhead that resembled your girl and another tall woman with long, black hair. I couldn’t help noticing them. They were dressed up for a party and both were carrying big, old lady purses like something my grandma would drag around. The redhead had on sunglasses. I thought that was strange since it was almost dark.”
“Where did you see them?”
“In front of the Bora Bora.”
My gut clenches. My heart suspects the truth before my brain can wrap around the details.
What if Jade never left town?
Fuck!
What if she’s been here this whole time hiding from me? No wonder she didn’t return my phone calls.
What the hell is she up to? I’ve spent the past weeks asking myself the same stupid question over and over.
Leroy’s phone buzzes in his hand. “Well, I’ll be damned!” he says after quickly scanning the text message.
“What is it?”
“An official casino security alert,” he answers. “I’ve never gotten one of these before. It says to be on the alert for a group targeting slot machines. They’ve slammed six casinos so far tonight on the strip. They’re hitting them fast, one right after the other. Boom! Boom! Boom!”
He turns his phone for me to see the message.
“This is cool,” he says, impressed by the text. “I didn’t realize the casinos had a shared security alert system.”
“They sent out an email about it a few months ago,” I explain. “I signed you up for the alerts. I depend on you to protect me.”
“Good thinking,” he says, nodding his head. “I need to stay informed.”
“Did they give a description of the group?” I ask. “How the hell do you run a scam on slot machines? It must be an overreaction by casino security. There’s nothing special about pushing a button or pulling a lever.”
“Beats me,” he says with a shrug. “If I was cheating in the casinos, I’d count cards. Did you know I’m a savant?”
He continues scrolling through his phone to read the pinging messages popping up on his screen.
“Are they texting more info on them?” I ask when his eyes stay glued to the screen.
“Yeah, they sent a blurry black-and-white photo from a security camera at one of the other casinos. It didn’t show much. Only two women.”
Two women?
“I’m reading messages from my girlfriends now,” he continues. “They all say the same thing. Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! I don’t have time to fool with women tonight. It’s Christmas Eve. I need to play Santa for my nieces and nephews at the house. The ladies will have to wait until after tomorrow if they want some hot Leroy action.”
“Can I see the photo?”
“Sure.”
He hands the phone to me and points to a photo. It’s a selfie of a woman making a kissing face toward the camera with nothing on
except a big red bow tied around her waist.
“Dammit, I didn’t mean these photos. I don’t need to see tits and ass. I meant the photo of the women hitting the slot machines.”
“Why do you care about something dumb when you can gaze at triple D boobs? I mean, take a peek at these tits and tell me they ain’t something special!”
“I just do, okay?”
He takes the phone back with a loud sigh. “It’s still here somewhere.” He fumbles around, trying to find the message again. “Found it!”
He hands it to me. I expand the blurry security camera photo of the two women. Both are turned away from the camera, showing only their side profile. I can’t make out their facial features clearly enough to identify if one is Jade. It’s possible. Their hair matches the description Leroy gave me.
I turn the cellphone toward Leroy. “By any chance is this the two women you saw in front of the Bora Bora this evening?” I point to the woman with shorter hair. “Is this the girl that resembled Jade?”
He stares closely at the photo then his face splits into a broad grin.
“Hell yeah!” he says, slapping me hard on the back. “Sure does! How did you do that? I swear, you’re getting better at these tricks of yours every day. How did you set me up this time?”
“This isn’t one of my tricks,” I say. “I need to head these girls off before they show up at the Imperial Casino. If this is Jade, she might be tangled up in something bad.”
“No way,” he says, letting out a loud chuckle. “That’s not Jade. She doesn’t have red hair. Your imagination is running away with you. You’ve been watching too many movies. You’re tired and need rest. And I sure as hell do, too. I hate to leave you on Christmas Eve, but I’ve got to go.”
“Hang on a second before you leave,” I say. “Is there any way you can get into the casino security room and find out what they know about these two women?”
“Now why would they let me in there?” He shakes his head. “Those security guys got no respect for me. They think they’re better because they wear a fancy badge. They won’t tell me a damn thing.”
“Never mind then. Go home and give your mom a big hug for me. Tell her I appreciate the invitation for tomorrow, but that I already have other plans.”