Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 77292 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77292 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Then she’s into some really dark shit.
I’m going to figure out her part in all of this.
And then I’m going to do everything in my power to stop her.
28
ALISSA
I squeeze Maddox’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
We’ve played a few rounds of Blackjack since Rouge’s proclamation. She’s moved on to somewhere else in the club, but Maddox has had a vacant look on his face since she first walked into the Diamonds section.
He blinks a few times. “Yes. Sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for.” I gesture to his cards. “But it’s your call.”
He swallows, glances at his cards. “I’ll stay.”
Shellby reveals his hand. A twenty to Maddox’s nineteen. I already busted.
“And that’s the house.” Shellby grins to Maddox. “Another hand, Mr. Hathaway?”
Maddox shakes his head. “I think I’ll call it there, Shellby. Thanks for a great game.” He gathers his chips, tips Shellby, and looks to me. “Let’s cash these in.”
We take them to the cashier station, which is manned by the Ace of Diamonds, a young man with sand-colored skin, thick eyebrows, and medium-length wavy hair. He silently processes our chips and hands a few hundred-dollar bills to Maddox.
Maddox counts them. “Four hundred even. Not a bad pull overall.”
“Not bad at all.” I turn my own chips in and receive a single hundred from the Ace. “I didn’t do nearly as well, but it was my first time.”
“You’ll get the hang of it.” Maddox places his bills in his wallet.
“Do you still want to check things out?” I ask.
He nods. “I do. But let’s step outside for a moment. I could use a breath of fresh air.”
Maddox seems rattled. Did Rouge startle him so much in the Diamonds section?
We know she’s capable of doing terrible things, but it’s not like she was going to off us right then and there, in front of hundreds of witnesses.
She doesn’t even know that we’re aware of what she may be doing.
At least, I hope she isn’t.
“Did you find it odd that she called us the King and Queen of Diamonds?” I ask. “Isn’t the King of Diamonds one of her muscles? I didn’t see him in the section.”
He buttons his tuxedo jacket. “They tend to do their best to blend in. Rouge’s little announcement, or whatever, was just a means to shake my game. She does that sort of thing now and then when people are on a hot streak. Tries to get in their heads so the house doesn’t lose as much money.”
I touch his arm. “Did it work?”
He frowns. “A little. I just was thinking about…” He shakes his head. “No. It’s not important. Let’s step outside so we can regroup, and then we’ll return to look for clues. Find this damned raven once and for all.”
“Of course.” I take his arm.
He leads us up the mirrored staircase and knocks three times.
Chet opens the door, his pink eyebrows raised. “Leaving so soon?”
Maddox shakes his head. “Just getting a breath of fresh air. We’ll head right back down.”
Chet nods. “It is important to breathe.”
Maddox rolls his eyes, and we head out into the alleyway.
The night has chilled over, and I can see my breath.
Neither of us brought a coat tonight, so I hope we’re not out here long.
Maddox’s shoulders seem tense, and he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. I wrap my arms around him, both to comfort him and also to feel the warmth of his body.
“Oh, Christ, Alissa, I’m sorry.” He breaks the embrace and takes off his jacket, wrapping it around my slender shoulders. “I’m not thinking straight. You must be freezing in that gown.”
Maddox’s coat is warm, and it smells like his cologne. I take a deep breath in. “I’m all right now. But are you? Rouge really seemed to freak you out back at the Blackjack table.”
He rubs his forehead. “I suppose there’s something I should tell you about—”
A strangled yelp—a male voice—breaks the silence. Maddox turns his head. “What the hell was that?”
A chill runs through me, and it’s not from the cold air. I grab Maddox’s arm. “I don’t know, but it didn’t sound good.”
“It sounded like it came from down the alley.” Maddox points. “That way. Go back inside to the Aces foyer. Wait for me there.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
He rubs at his forehead again. “Fine. I don’t have time to argue. Just stay behind me, and promise me this. If anything bad happens. Run. Run as fast as you fucking can, Alissa. Leave me behind if you have to. Find a public place where you can call the cops, but don’t stop running until you’re safe.”
I swallow, stepping behind him. “Okay.”
We walk down the alleyway for a few short blocks until we see two silhouetted figures, a large one holding a small one against the brick wall.
Maddox points to a large dumpster about ten feet away. We crouch behind it and peek over at what’s happening.