10. Seven
TEN
SEVEN
“Thanks for all the help!” Georgie says to me as I put away the last of the costuming supplies.
Della Mortay is in the room too, wearing an altered version of her usual costume, but without the wig or makeup.
I give her a quick hug, but my attention is already focused on the game in my pocket. My daily free plays have almost reset, and by the time I get out of here, I should be able to use them.
“You okay, Seven?” she asks, half-pulling back but not quite letting me go. “You look tired.”
I smile at her. “I’m fine. Just late nights.”
“With one of your men,” she teases me. “I’d take some late nights with them, too.”
Laughing, I nudge her and step away. “You caught me.”
No one has caught me with the game, not yet, but I know it’s only a matter of time before they notice that I’m doing something I know I’m not supposed to do.
Guilty conscience, she used to say.
I leave the backstage area, deciding to go to the restaurant that affords the best view of the blackjack tables. I don’t know why I torture myself like this, especially when I have the game to occupy my time, but the game isn’t as good as the real thing.
I order my food from the American pub, waiting for the server to walk away before I pull my phone out. There are games where you can earn actual money, but they require ID and a social security number.
I’ve been resisting getting the former because I know it would probably have my real name on it, but I don’t have the latter. I don’t doubt that Caleb could get it for me, but he’d want to know why.
I sigh. I’m not spending too much real money, only when I run out of free plays.
It’s nothing compared to what I used to spend at the tables, at any rate.
I’ve been responsible enough to only play a couple hundred dollars a day.
Between what I’m paid by the casino and what Caleb puts into my account, it feels like nothing at all.
Someone approaches, and I jump, feeling guilty even though I know it’s probably the server returning with my food.
Except it isn’t the server.
The woman slides into the chair next to mine, and even that first glimpse of her perfectly manicured, dark red nails makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge.
With dread, I look at her.
It’s that familiar straight, chin-length short black hair and the pointed nose. Her makeup is subtle, so unlike what many of the staff here wear. The blouse is stylish but conservative. I’m sure her skirt and shoes match everything.
Emily.
Her eyes meet mine and she purses her lips in an imitation of her displeased expression.
“I think you’ve had enough fun,” she says. “Don’t you?”
Nausea crashes into me, and I’m sure I’m going to be sick. I’m torn between utter shock and horror that she’d actually show up here , of all places, where I’m supposed to be safe.
“Fun,” I repeat, my voice little more than a whisper. “I didn’t… I don’t… I’m not…”
I can’t even get the words out.
“You’ve run us all on this little wild goose chase, but it’s over now. Mom is willing to go easy on you if you come home with me now,” Emily says. She pulls her phone out of her purse and taps on it, her nails clacking loudly against the screen. “I’ll text her now.”
My hand shoots out, and I grab her wrist without thinking about it.
“No!” I say. “You can’t.” I try to gather all of the courage I’ve learned all this time, try to figure out how to deter her from doing any of this.
My hand is trembling, though, and it would be easy enough for her to shake my hand off. “I’m not going back.”
Emily’s eyes widen. “Let go right now, Rory, or you’ll regret it,” she hisses.
I do, but I’m not backing down this easily. Not here, not now, when I’m somewhere I’m supposed to be safe. “You’d have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming,” I tell her hoarsely. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
She scoffs and runs a hand through her hair. “Are you kidding me? You’d rather be trapped with the Spades than be with your family?”
“I’d rather be trapped anywhere than with my family ,” I say, and the savagery in my voice surprises me as much as it seems to take her aback. “Don’t pretend you care, Emily.”
“I care because Mom and Dad miss you,” Emily says. “And Mom’s been on a rampage since you left her. You’re her favorite, you know that.”
“Me?” The words startle a laugh out of me. “You think I’m her favorite? After what she… after what all of you did to me? She hates me.”
No one who loves me could do what she did.
I’ve learned that much from Caleb, Havoc, and Vortex. They don’t even love me, and they care more than she ever did about my well-being.
The thought makes me pause, but it isn’t time to analyze that, to analyze how they feel about me or how I feel about them. All that matters is that if they knew Emily was here…
“You need to leave before they figure out you’re here,” I tell her.
“Oh, please.” Emily rolls her eyes. “I’m not afraid of the Spades, especially not after their patriarch got killed.
” She chuckles to herself. “It’s been funny monitoring the news about that.
Everybody refused to talk to us because of him, but now that he’s gone, several of the other families have reached out to us independently.
The Spades are like headless chickens now. ”
I did it , I want to tell her. I killed him, and I could kill you too .
“You’re underestimating them,” I tell her as steadily as I can manage.
I don’t know if I believe it or if I only want to or what, but I need her to believe it.
“I think everybody else is underestimating us , actually.” Emily smiles at me, the muted red lipstick so reminiscent of her . “It’s the usual misogyny. We’re just women! We can’t possibly be savvy businesspeople.”
“Savvy businesspeople?” I ask, my voice wobbling now because I don’t understand how she can consider this business . “They hurt me. You let them hurt me. Caleb doesn’t let anyone hurt me.”
Not unless I want it.
Emily gives me a condescending look. “He’s got you convinced you matter, does he? I know the type. After the honeymoon period, he’s going to treat you exactly what you’re worth.”
“Obviously I’m worth something, or you wouldn’t be trying to get me back,” I mumble, and the worst part is that I want to believe it. I want to think that I am worth something even though my heart has fallen into my stomach because…
What if she’s right about Caleb?
“You know how Mom gets,” Emily says with a sigh. “She’s set in her ways. If she wants you back, she’s...” Emily trails off, and I follow her gaze.
Trent approaches us with a big smile.
“Hey, Seven! You’re done with stuff for today? That’s great. I actually need you to run to the dealer’s pit, Nat has a situation and I’m in the middle of something,” he says.
I don’t know what Trent could be in the middle of when he’s standing right here, and I don’t know why he’d need me to help with anything in the dealer’s pit.
Emily barks out a laugh. “Who are you, then? One of Rory’s new clients?”
Trent makes a disgusted expression. “Wow, no thanks. Uh, no offense, Seven. But you’re a bit young for me.” He gives Emily a smarmy grin. “I’m Trent Contreras. The general manager of the Roi de Pique. And I believe you, Ms. Lockwood, might be trespassing.”
My heart skips a beat. He knows who she is.
“Trespassing? It’s a casino, isn’t it? I’m here to have a good time.” Emily flashes him an equally fake smile. “But it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Contreras. I actually wanted to talk to you about a business opportunity.”
I know what kind of business opportunity she has in mind, but for some strange reason, I don’t think he’s going to take her up on it. I get up from the table, staying as far from Emily as I can get.
“I’ll go to the dealer’s pit,” I tell Trent even though I have no intention of going anywhere near there. Not when Emily will know where I am.
My heart is beating wildly, and I can only think of finding Caleb or Havoc or Vortex or all three of them.
I need them, even if it’s only a honeymoon period.
Even if they’ll treat me like what I’m worth when it’s all over with.
Even if I want to believe it’s more.
I flee without another word, without another glance backward, and I’m barely out of the restaurant when I run right into Vortex’s broad chest. His arms come up around me, and I’m breathing in his scent even as he rumbles, “Let’s get you out of here.”
“Where is she?” Havoc demands.
I shake my head, not even looking at him. “Just… I want to go somewhere else. Trent’s dealing with her.”
“I am going to murder her,” Havoc says, but he stops short of entering the restaurant. “Unless you don’t want me to.”
His jaw clenches on that last sentence, like it hurt him to say that.
“Then you’d end up in jail,” I mumble, reaching out for him now, too, even though we’re stopping the flow of traffic in and out of the restaurant. “I don’t want that. Please, I just want to go upstairs.”
“How did she even get past security?” Havoc asks, turning his attention to Vortex. “I thought you guys set up a ban list for all of the Lo… all of them.”
I shiver.
“It’s not foolproof. And as soon as security spotted her, they called me,” Vortex admits, taking me by the arm and leading me gently away from the restaurant. “But we’ll double down. I didn’t honestly think they’d get that bold. I?—”
He glances at Havoc, and the two of them exchange a look that feels like I’m being left out of something bigger. Resentment should be gnawing at me, but I’m too grateful to see them to really care that much.
“Let’s go where it’s safe,” Vortex says.
It means more time locked up in Caleb’s penthouse, more walls closing in on me, but it’s better than being in the same place as my sister.
Before we can get anywhere, Trent and Emily walk out of the restaurant.
Emily huffs loudly. “Always getting in the way, aren’t you, Rory?”
Stop calling me that! I want to scream.
Instead, I start to scurry to the side, only to be stopped by Vortex’s strong arm around me.