Fiala smiled. “It’s still early, or do you really think it’ll slow down that much?”
“It will, if not before the final table, then during the final table. Everyone there will be trying to be in the final four spots.”
“We’ll have to see,” Fiala murmured, “but I’ll do as you say. If it starts to get late, I’ll retire and wait for you to wake me.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have eighteen players remaining,” Lia announced. “Please, find your seats. The dealers can point you to which one is yours. Everyone else, we remind you to not crowd the tables— you will be thrown out if you do. We’ll be starting back up in one minute.”
Doc went to his seat beside Jasmine, making a mental note of how the expansion should be laid out. Lost in thought over what he wanted the Lily to look like, Doc didn’t pay much attention to who else was at the table with him.
“Doc— ah, someone already told you,” Jasmine said when Doc sat beside her.
“Huh?” Doc asked, blinking.
“Never mind. You picked the correct seat,” Jasmine said with a sardonic smirk.
“Sorry about that, Jasmine. How’re you holding up?”
“Well. Lia giving us breaks every half hour has made it much better. While you all can come and go, we have to be here until we’re tapped out.”
“It’s why I suggested it to her,” Doc said. “Keeping the dealers sharp is important.”
“I still dislike the blinds going up every break,” someone said.
“Makes the people with fewer chips gamble or just bust out on blinds,” Doc said offhandedly. “It’s an important part of tournament play.”
“Dealers, resume play,” Lia announced.
Jasmine smiled as she spread the cards face up in front of everyone, showing them the deck had all the cards it should. “Blinds are now four dollars and eight dollars.”
“At least they don’t keep doubling,” the person sighed as they pushed the eight dollar big blind into the middle of the table.
“That would be interesting,” Raymond said, pushing his four dollar blind in.
“I’ve been in tournaments where they do,” Doc said. “A static increase works fine here. For the yearly tournament, they might be doubles.”
“Doubt I’ll be in that tournament unless I can win this one, or at least second place.”
“Most people are in that boat,” Doc said as Jasmine finished shuffling. “Good luck.”
Doc waited for his two cards to come around, and upon checking them, shook his head. When his bet came around, he just slid the cards back to Jasmine.
~*~*~
Doc folded another hand and sighed. Another hour had almost passed and he’d had nothing of note to bet on. His chips had wavered slightly up and down during that time. Only four people had been eliminated during the hour, as well, meaning it would be another one or two before they had the final table set. The sudden raising of voices from the other table got Doc’s attention in a hurry.
“Say that again, you fucking coward,” Kiddum said with menace as he stood up from his seat.
The man Kiddum was focused on stood up. “I said you’re cheating.”
Kiddum’s lips pulled back into a feral smile, his scar making it an unholy sight. “I challenge you to a duel, then. Outside, right now.” The room had gone dead quiet, as everyone here knew about Robert Kiddum.
The man who’d been challenged just laughed as he motioned to the door. “You first. I don’t trust you at my back.”
Doc wondered why the deputies shifted uneasily, but didn’t interrupt. Kiddum started for the door and everyone got out of his way. The other man turned to follow him and made it two steps before his hand touched the pistol on his hip. Doc, seeing the man reach for his gun, lunged and knocked Jasmine out of her seat.
Kiddum spun when he heard the indrawn breaths behind him. His long barrel revolver came clear of the holster in a blink, and the hammer fell twice in quick succession. The large gun had glowing green markings on it as each round went off. The man he’d challenged gurgled, his pistol falling from his nerveless hand, having barely cleared the holster.
The sound of gunfire above him and a cry of pain from nearby had Doc breathing fast. Jasmine stared up at him with large eyes, her tongue flickering from her mouth, and Doc dimly noted that it was forked.
“Stop!” one of the deputies growled.
Kiddum looked at the deputy with a smirk and holstered the revolver as quickly as he’d drawn it. “He reached first, Deputy.”
“Someone get the doc!” another voice yelled. “Raymond’s been shot!”
Kiddum looked to the person who yelled and shrugged. “Sorry about that. Accidents happen when you’re packing what I do.”
“Kiddum,” Lia said with anger, “we do not condone shooting inside these walls.” She glanced at Dillon. “Go get Whittaker.”
Dillon took off running out the door.
The person who’d yelled for the doctor shook his head. “No point… he’s gone now.”
One of the deputies went over to Kiddum. “You coming quietly?”
Kiddum raised a single brow. “For what?”
“Involuntary manslaughter.”
Kiddum laughed. “No. Get Grange, you damned mutt. I’m not being arrested.”
The deputy growled softly, but left the building quickly.
The sound of Lia’s fan snapping open brought eyes to her. “Mr. Kiddum, you will curtail your insults in my establishment. I do not fault you for defending yourself against him, but you should know better than to use a cannon such as that in a crowded room.”
“I only use my guns, and neither is friendly to a room. I tried to take it outside, as a man should, but he wanted to shoot me in the back. If he’d just gone outside, that poor sucker would still be alive.”
“Kiddum?” Grange growled from the doorway, the one deputy behind him.
“Sheriff. Self-defense, but sadly, someone caught the round. Your mu… deputy,” Kiddum broke off the insult with a look at Lia, “wants to cuff me for involuntary manslaughter.”
Grange looked to Lia. “Self-defense?”
“The man drew when Kiddum’s back was turned.”
“Clear cut, then,” Grange shrugged. “I’ll send for the undertaker.” He looked over his shoulder. “Go on.”
Lia watched Grange with narrowed eyes as the deputy took off running again. “What of Raymond Hutchin?”
“Sad that it happened, but I’m sure that Kiddum will handle it.”
Doc felt a spike of anger that Kiddum was being given the all-clear so easily when Grange grilled him every time. Keeping it off his face, he stayed where he was.
“Doc, can you please get off?” Jasmine asked softly.
Doc blinked, realizing he was still on top of her. “Sorry.”
Grange glanced at Doc and Jasmine, then past them. “Kiddum, it was your bullet that killed the bystander, even if that bystander should’ve been someone else. Settle with his family or I’ll have to haul you in later.”
Kiddum nodded. “Sure thing, Sheriff. Am I good with finishing the tournament?”
“Self-defense,” Grange shrugged. “Whether you can finish or not is her call.” He motioned with his chin to Lia. “Good luck.”
Kiddum turned back to Lia. “Well?”
“No more gunplay,” Lia said grimly, then looked over the entire room. “That goes for all of you.”
Doc felt a chill travel down his spine when she looked over him, as if she would back up her words. By the time the chill passed, a man was in the doorway. Tall, gaunt, and dressed in black, he paused on the threshold with the deputy standing behind him.
“Madam Lia, I have come for the corpses,” the undertaker said in a flat, dead voice.
“Two. Make sure that Raymond Hutchin is buried well. Send me the bill, and let his family know,” Lia said. “And that title died last night. Feel free to bury it, too.”
The undertaker croaked what could’ve been
a laugh as he entered the building. “A day for deaths, it appears.”
“Due to the circumstances, we’ll be taking a two-hour break,” Lia told the room. “Get some food, relax, and be prepared to play once we resume.”
Doc got to his feet, offering Jasmine a hand after he did. “You okay?”
“No... If you hadn’t knocked me down…”
“Luck was with us,” Doc said softly as he helped her up. “Lia, Jasmine could use some of your help,” he called over to the bar.
Lia, seeing Jasmine’s stricken expression, nodded. “Take her to the private dining room, please?”
“Sure. Come on, let’s go take a seat.”
“Lotus, secure the table and remove Raymond’s chips, please,” Lia said.
“Yes, Lia,” Lotus said, going to do as she was told.
Chapter Five
Doc escorted Jasmine to the private dining room and discovered that Fiala was already there. “Fiala, are you okay?”
She exhaled deeply. “I thought you or Jasmine had been shot. I came back here once Lia told you to.” Moving around the table, she grabbed both of them and pulled them into a hug.
“Doc saved me. I’m fine,” Jasmine said, her voice shaking.
“Going into shock, actually,” Doc said gently.
“Doc, here,” Posy said, bolting into the room with a bottle in her hand.
Doc slipped out of the hug to see Posy offering him the Moondew. “Thank you, Posy.” Pulling the cork out, he took a sip, then handed it to Jasmine. “Take a single sip. It’s powerful.”
Jasmine’s hands shook, and Doc made sure she held onto it. Once she took a drink, Doc took the bottle from her unresisting hand. He watched her color return and her breathing even out. Nodding, he passed it to Fiala, who was also a little shaken. Fiala took a sip before handing it back to him.
“What is that?” Fiala asked.
“Lia’s private stock,” Doc replied as he looked at Jasmine. “Do you feel okay, or do you need another?”
Jasmine shook her head. “The worst of it is fading. What’s that made of?”
“That’s a secret of my tribe,” Lia answered as she walked into the room. “Posy, four for dinner.”
“Yes, Lia,” Posy said, rushing off.
Lia gave the child a smile before closing the doors. “Sit, please.”
Fiala took the seat to Doc’s right, and Jasmine sat on her right. Lia ended up across from them.
“Jasmine, are you feeling better?”
“Yes, Lia. Poor Raymond…”
“He’s been a valued customer for years,” Lia sighed. “Damn Kiddum and his idiotic habit of using those monstrous guns.” Lia took a deep breath before continuing, “Doc, you have my deepest thanks for saving Jasmine.”
“Can’t have friends die,” Doc replied. “Jasmine and I might not have talked a lot, but she likes my music.”
Jasmine let out a sad laugh. “I do, and I almost lost the chance to dance to it again.”
“But he made sure you could,” Fiala told her gently.
“Lia,” Doc started, wanting to change the topic, “when you told everyone that there’d be no more shootings, no one gainsaid you. It felt as if the hand of death was hovering over me.”
Lia sighed. “I let my old self shine through. I was upset and didn’t think.”
“Is that the reason Grange respects you?”
“Yes. He only respects strength.”
“Ah, a long story?”
“Yes, but I’ll tell you the condensed version: I’m one of the very last of my tribe. I used to be called Death Flower, which translates to ‘flower of death’ in human.” Doc understood her when she spoke in Elvish, but didn’t want to interrupt her. “Once the valley started to be settled by humanity, I put my guns down and had this place built.”
“And you’ve held it this entire time?”
“Almost lost it, if not for… a friend,” Lia said the last two words with warmth.
“I’ll be one as long as you let me be,” Doc replied.
“We all care for you, Lia,” Fiala added, and Jasmine nodded.
“I know you do,” Lia smiled at them. “I hope I did okay taking care of you, my precious flowers. I always wanted to give you a better life than what we had, but it was the only real choice before. Doc has given us a much better option.”
“We thrived with you to shelter us,” Fiala said. “Now, we’ll return the favor by making sure the Lily thrives.”
“We’ve talked, us girls,” Jasmine said softly. “We want to help more, Lia, but we don’t know how.”
“I’ve got an idea about that,” Doc said. “It’ll have to wait for the Lily to grow, since it’ll require more room, which brings me to the renovations we need to discuss, Lia. Otto suggested the Beavertons.”
“They would be the best. Expensive, but they do quality woodwork. Did you want to completely remodel the old saloon next door?”
“I haven’t walked through it,” Doc said. “It’s a story shorter, but that can probably be fixed without too much trouble. I have an idea of what the final floor plan should look like, though. I can sketch it out after dinner.”
A knock on the door announced Posy and Daf with a small cart. The two of them quickly served the room, which included a bottle of wine, before leaving them to eat. An unspoken agreement to shelve the conversation came when bellies growled at the aroma of the food.
~*~*~
Doc sighed contentedly when he finished off his plate of mashed potatoes, gravy, cornbread muffins, and T-bone steak. “Daf sure knows how to cook.”
“I was very fortunate to be able to hire her,” Lia said before taking her last bite. “I know she feels like she owes me for hiring her and giving her and Posy a place to stay, but I know I have the best cook in town.”
“I can’t argue with that last part,” Doc said.
“She’s mellowed in the last few weeks, too,” Jasmine said. “She used to be a lot grumpier.”
“Doc’s healing helped a lot, I think,” Fiala said.
“Constant pain makes people short-tempered,” Doc said. “Add in her worry for Posy being left without her, and it’s not surprising.”
“Posy has been pushing for more lessons, too,” Lia said. “Something about making her mother more proud of her.”
Doc’s lips twitched into a smile. “She’s a good kid.”
“Now that we’re both done, why don’t we take a quick walk over to the other building and you can explain to me what you’re envisioning for it?” Lia suggested.
“Sounds good. Fiala, would you like to come with?”
Fiala looked at Lia, who smiled at her. “Yes.”
“I’ll go reclaim the table,” Jasmine said.
“No, Jasmine. Have Lotus take the table over for you. You can switch to serving drinks for the rest of tonight.”
“If that’s what you want. I feel fine now, though.”
Lia met Jasmine’s eyes for a moment before she smiled. “Very well. You’re made of stern mettle. Take your table back over after you finish your meal.”
Jasmine nodded, then went back to working on her food.
Doc got to his feet. “Is there another way out besides the front door?”
“The kitchen,” Lia said. “Why?”
“No reason to announce that we aren’t here,” Doc chuckled.
“That’s true.”
Daf gave them a questioning glance when they entered the kitchen, but Lia put a finger to her lips as they moved to the door at the back of the room. Daf nodded and went back to cooking.
Slipping into the alley, Doc glanced both ways, not seeing anyone around. It was a short walk over to the abandoned saloon that the Lily stood beside. The front had been boarded up, but Doc had the key to the back door. Getting it open, he followed the women inside.
Closing the door behind him, Doc snorted. “I forgot to bring a lantern, Fiala. I’m sorry.”
“Why? I can see in here just fine. The wind
ows give me enough light. You might need one, though.”
“One of the reasons I asked you to come is so that I can tell you something I should’ve told you a bit ago,” Doc said. “I told Lia earlier today. I’m not human— I’m half-elf and half-dwarf.”
Cashing In (Luck's Voice Book 2) Page 4