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Authors: j.a. kazimer
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again to torture him. “So what’s the plan?” she asked. I could always count on her. Even when she hated my guts she was willing to do whatever I asked. That thought sent visions of sweaty limbs and exchanged bodily fluids through my head.
Tearing my eyes from the droplet of water slipping between the silk fabric of her kimono and down the valley of her breasts, I said, “I’m going to head down to the casino…check out the action.” I paused, trying hard to keep my breathing normal. “Drink your coffee, eat something, and meet me on the floor in fifteen minutes.”
“Attire?”
“Nothing fancy. We’re going to play it straight. Get in, get out, and we’re on the road by two.” She nodded, and I slipped the .38 in the holster. My jacket concealed it well enough. I gave her a warning look. “Don’t take unnecessary risks and watch your back.”
“Fifteen minutes,” she said.
I nodded and left t he suite with a sinking feeling.
******
I peeked at my watch and scanned the casino. No sign of Frankie. She was twenty minutes late, and I started to get concerned. I called the suite ten minutes ago, and no one answered. Where the fuck were they?
“Sir, the bet ’s four hundred to you,” the acne-scarred dealer said.
“Call.” I didn’t bother to look at my cards as I tossed the money in the pot. Instead I stared at the lizard like eyes of my opponent. He was a cardsharp’s favorite mark. Too much money and too little common sense. A used car salesman from Dallas, Lizard Man believed he had a foolproof system. Aggressively he bluffed by pitching thousands of dollars into the pot. The corners of his mouth tightened when he had anything big. I was up five grand, and figured it would take another half an hour before I had the full ten.
Where was Frankie?
Lizard Man flung in another five hundred. Reaching for my stack of chips, I raised three. He hurled his cards down. My face remained impassive as I collected in the chips. An urgent hand tapped my shoulder. I turned in my seat, coming face-to-face with Frankie’s c-cups. She stood next to me, anxiety lining her features.
“We should go,” she said, glancing around the casino floor.
Two security guards approached us. Fuck. Now would definitely be a good time. I rose, scooping my pile of chips up and grabbed Frankie’s arm. We pushed past the afternoon crowd, ducking and weaved through sunburned tourist and drunken dentists. The guards were closing in, faces grim.
I dragged Frankie in my wake, knocking over a potted palm at the end of a row of slot machines. Soil spilled across the floor. Without stopping the guards leapt over the dirt pile and fallen tree. “What did you do?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“Nothing.”
“So why are we fleeing?”
She shrugged . “There might have been a small scene. Not my fault.”
“No one died I take it?”
“Not yet,” she joked.
Through the plate gl ass of the casino door, I saw Drew’s car idling at the curb. We were about a hundred feet away and the guards were closing fast. Fuck. We’d never reach it. I had a choice to make. “Go,” I said, pushing her ahead of me. I stopped and opened my jacket, the .38 visible in my shoulder holster. The guards slowed, now moving with caution.
“ Ian, no.” She tugged at my arm.
“Go. Now.” My tone was hard, leaving no room for argument.
She nodded, running for the exit. I smiled as the rumble of the Mustang faded down the street. Thirty seconds later, a muscle-bound security guard put his hand on my shoulder. “Sir, keep your hands where we can see them….”
Chapter 15
Freed from casino security a few hours later, I made my way from the Plaza to the underground parking garage. It took a promise to never to enter the Plaza again and a five thousand dollar bribe before the guards had let me go. They would’ve done so sooner if I hadn’t broken one of their noses after he called Frankie my whore.
In the guard’s defense, Frankie
Tearing my eyes from the droplet of water slipping between the silk fabric of her kimono and down the valley of her breasts, I said, “I’m going to head down to the casino…check out the action.” I paused, trying hard to keep my breathing normal. “Drink your coffee, eat something, and meet me on the floor in fifteen minutes.”
“Attire?”
“Nothing fancy. We’re going to play it straight. Get in, get out, and we’re on the road by two.” She nodded, and I slipped the .38 in the holster. My jacket concealed it well enough. I gave her a warning look. “Don’t take unnecessary risks and watch your back.”
“Fifteen minutes,” she said.
I nodded and left t he suite with a sinking feeling.
******
I peeked at my watch and scanned the casino. No sign of Frankie. She was twenty minutes late, and I started to get concerned. I called the suite ten minutes ago, and no one answered. Where the fuck were they?
“Sir, the bet ’s four hundred to you,” the acne-scarred dealer said.
“Call.” I didn’t bother to look at my cards as I tossed the money in the pot. Instead I stared at the lizard like eyes of my opponent. He was a cardsharp’s favorite mark. Too much money and too little common sense. A used car salesman from Dallas, Lizard Man believed he had a foolproof system. Aggressively he bluffed by pitching thousands of dollars into the pot. The corners of his mouth tightened when he had anything big. I was up five grand, and figured it would take another half an hour before I had the full ten.
Where was Frankie?
Lizard Man flung in another five hundred. Reaching for my stack of chips, I raised three. He hurled his cards down. My face remained impassive as I collected in the chips. An urgent hand tapped my shoulder. I turned in my seat, coming face-to-face with Frankie’s c-cups. She stood next to me, anxiety lining her features.
“We should go,” she said, glancing around the casino floor.
Two security guards approached us. Fuck. Now would definitely be a good time. I rose, scooping my pile of chips up and grabbed Frankie’s arm. We pushed past the afternoon crowd, ducking and weaved through sunburned tourist and drunken dentists. The guards were closing in, faces grim.
I dragged Frankie in my wake, knocking over a potted palm at the end of a row of slot machines. Soil spilled across the floor. Without stopping the guards leapt over the dirt pile and fallen tree. “What did you do?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“Nothing.”
“So why are we fleeing?”
She shrugged . “There might have been a small scene. Not my fault.”
“No one died I take it?”
“Not yet,” she joked.
Through the plate gl ass of the casino door, I saw Drew’s car idling at the curb. We were about a hundred feet away and the guards were closing fast. Fuck. We’d never reach it. I had a choice to make. “Go,” I said, pushing her ahead of me. I stopped and opened my jacket, the .38 visible in my shoulder holster. The guards slowed, now moving with caution.
“ Ian, no.” She tugged at my arm.
“Go. Now.” My tone was hard, leaving no room for argument.
She nodded, running for the exit. I smiled as the rumble of the Mustang faded down the street. Thirty seconds later, a muscle-bound security guard put his hand on my shoulder. “Sir, keep your hands where we can see them….”
Chapter 15
Freed from casino security a few hours later, I made my way from the Plaza to the underground parking garage. It took a promise to never to enter the Plaza again and a five thousand dollar bribe before the guards had let me go. They would’ve done so sooner if I hadn’t broken one of their noses after he called Frankie my whore.
In the guard’s defense, Frankie
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