CHAPTER 32
JAZMIN
An hour before Casino Night is scheduled to start, Nadine and I drive down the lane toward the Velvet Rose Lodge. Since Nadine’s decked out in a cocktail dress, we’re in her car. She’s been bitching about her outfit most of the drive.
“Jesus, let it go,” I say. “You ain’t putting my bod into a dress like that. No way, no how. You were the only choice.”
She snorts. “I can be badass.”
“I never said you couldn’t.” I didn’t say she could, either, but I’m not gonna piss her off any worse.
It’s deep woods dark. Creepy as shit, so I’m glad when we arrive at the parking lot. It ain’t well lit, but at least I can see.
“Kitchen crew?” Nadine says as we pull up next to the only vehicle in the lot—the Thorns’ van.
“I’m thinking. They’re getting the food ready.”
Nadine pulls on the bottom of her dress. “I suppose serving is better than doing that.”
It’s the most positive thing she’s said, so I’ll take it. When she kills the engine, I pull out my phone. “I better check with Nails before we go inside.”
“She didn’t tell you why they were gonna be late?”
I shake my head. “Nope. Just said they’d get here in time.”
“I still think it’s weird.”
I think so, too, but I keep it to myself. “Maybe a meeting ran long. After all, it’s the officers.”
“Except Frost.”
And Jinx. But since I’m texting Nails that we’re here, I have a reason not to respond, and I take it.
“Let’s go check things out,” Nadine says.
I finish my text and drop my phone on the seat. Rule is––no cellphones.
When we enter the main area, it’s all ready for the players, but nobody’s there.
“Jesus, it’s freezing.” Nadine pulls on her short skirt and wraps her coat around herself.
“It’ll warm up quick once the room fills up.”
“My nipples are hard.”
“Better tips,” I say, knowing it’ll stir her up.
“Fuck you, Slick.”
I glare at her. She’d stopped calling me Slick. “Okay, Nipples.”
She laughs. “You are such an asshole.”
I grin. “Should we see what’s happening in the kitchen?”
“If we have to.”
Not surprisingly, the food prep girls put us to work. None of ’em know what they’re doin’ since all the regulars bailed. My time doing KP duty comes in handy, while Nadine finds every reason to slip away.
Nadine had made herself scarce when a patch asks me to haul the boxes of snacks to the bar.
I find Nadine sitting on a stool, sipping on a cocktail with her cellphone in her hand.
“What the hell are you doing?” I say, causing her to jump.
She looks up wide-eyed and shoves her phone into her coat pocket. “Shh, don’t make a scene.”
“But you shouldn’t have your phone in here.”
She blinks hard. “I know. But you can’t tell anyone.”
“Then take it to your car.”
Her face falls. “It’s my grandma. She had a heart attack this afternoon.”
“Then what the fuck you doin’ here?”
She bites her lip. “Storm asked me.”
My jaw tightens. “She knows about your grandma?”
Nadine shakes her head. “No, I didn’t tell her. They’ve been stressed enough with all the girls skipping out. They need me.”
“So does your family.”
Nadine waves her phone. “She’s stabilized. And I’ll leave as soon as we’re done. Maybe you can ride back with Nails.”
I can’t fault her loyalty. It just shows how bad she wants into the club. “Sure, of course.”
“Then you won’t tell anyone?” Nadine says in a pleading voice. “Please.”
“You need to be with your family.”
Nadine looks down. “This is my family.”
That hits me right in the chest. “I won’t say anything.”
She leaps up from the barstool and wraps me in a hug. “Thank you.”
I’m finishing putting the pretzels and peanuts out when the front door opens. From all the laughter, it sounds like a party. I relax a little. I’d not told Nadine I was worried, but it isn’t like Nails or the others to arrive late.
My mind goes blank when I see Dimples. I knew she was hot, but damn. I mutter a thanks to God that I volunteered. Despite the cold, I sweat like an idiot. I need to play it cool, but it’s hard when she walks across the floor in her thigh-high boots.
When she sees me staring, she grins, and it goes right to my heart. She has to know what she’s doin’ to me. I forget to blink as she approaches.
“Hey, Prospect,” she says. “How’s it going?”
I’m so tongue-tied, I’m not sure I can speak.
She smiles again, and there’s a twinkle in her eyes. This time, I’m sure she knows what she’s doing to me.
“Twilight’s sick, so we had to recruit another server,” Dimples says and motions behind her.
Finally, I take my eyes off Dimples, and my gaze lands on Shadow.
Shadow waves from across the room. She’s dressed in a tight black dress. She has curves for days. I give her a quick wave and look away, not wanting Storm or Dimples to think I’m checking Shadow out. I ain’t since the only person I wanna look at is Dimples.
I take a deep breath, trying to pull my shit together.
“Pour us a shot,” Dimples says.
“Liquid courage?” I ask.
“I just need one,” she responds.
Without thinking, my gaze goes straight to her hands.
She chuckles and holds out a steady hand. “I’m good.”
“Then you may be better than me.”
Her eyes narrow. “What’s the matter?”
“You! How can I concentrate with you walking around looking like that?”
Storm strolls over to the bar with Shadow on her arm. They look so natural together. I’m happy for Storm but envious, too.
“You might have to help me out. It’s been a while since I’ve tended bar,” Storm says. She motions between Dimples and Shadow. “I offered to help these two instead, but they say they don’t want me.”
Shadow straightens Storm’s bow tie and gives her a mischievous grin. “I never said I didn’t want you.”
As the night goes on, the air is thick with a combination of warm bodies, sweat from nervous gamblers, wood smoke, and the sharp smell of cash on the tables.
The lighting is low, nothing like the bright lights of a Vegas casino, but it sets the mood. Shadows fall across the players’ faces as they study their opponents. Tension ratchets up as cash changes hands, and the winners and losers’ moods go in opposite directions.
Two blackjack tables dominate one side of the room. Rouge, in her crisp white shirt, still wearing her signature red bandanna, is dealing at one table, snapping cards against the felt like she’s done this all her life. Across the room, Halo stands at one of the two poker tables.
There’s no music, only the muffled shuffle of cards and muted voices. Occasionally, a gambler will groan or pound the table in frustration, but that’s about it.
Dimples, Shadow, and Nadine circulate among the tables, delivering drinks and hors d’oeuvres. All night, I’ve been fighting not to stare at Dimples. Storm hasn’t done as well since she’s barely taken her eyes off Shadow. The trio has attracted plenty of attention.
Early on, Nails had to intervene when Storm jumped the bar and rushed to Shadow’s side after a gambler behaved too familiar.
Shadow, in the kindest way, asked Storm to back off, telling her she’d handled bigger creeps on her own.
That didn’t seem to reassure Storm, but it worked since she’d stayed behind the bar.
Though I could tell she was itching to throttle someone.
With about an hour left, I’m leaning against the bar next to Nails. Storm pops three beers open; she slides a beer across the bar to Nails and me.
“We did it.” Storm holds up her bottle. “Pulled this shit off with an inexperienced crew. Good work.”
We clink our bottles together.
“What do you think, Prospect?” Storm asks. “Are you up for doing this again?”
“Yes, President. Anything the club needs from me.”
Storm shakes her head. “No, give it to me straight. If you weren’t a prospect, would you sign up again?”
I pretend to consider it, but with the money I’m making tonight and the bonus of watching Dimples, the answer is easy. “I would. It’s been fun.”
Nails slaps me on the back. “Good. Because we’re gonna need you.
” She motions toward where Dimples, Shadow, and Nadine are standing talking.
With time winding down, the gamblers have become more absorbed in their games and less interested in food or drinks.
“I’m hoping we get our regular servers back. ”
“And our dealers,” Storm says. “Rouge and Halo deserve kudos.”
Nails chuckles. “I think Halo’s enjoying it. She might’ve found her calling.”
“It wouldn’t be the worst thing to squeeze out the cowards who bailed,” Storm says. “Have them begging to come back.”
“True. The money is gonna be good tonight.” Nails winces. “But we gotta get our kitchen help back. Some of those appetizers looked rough.”
“Gamblers didn’t seem to notice or care,” Storm says.
“Let’s just hope nobody gets botulism,” Nails says.
As we’re laughing, the front door of the lodge bangs open. Nails and I both reach for our pieces. While they assured me there’s never trouble and the law leaves us alone, as cursed as this game’s been, who knows.
Storm vaults over the bar and lands between me and Nails. I don’t know if she’s packing, so I instinctively step in front of her, and Nails does the same.
“Are we late for the game?” Frost says as she enters with Jinx, three patch sisters, and her two out-of-town friends, the ones Dimples has been calling Tank and Shortstack. Though that ain’t their names.
The room grows quiet. The games stop. All eyes land on Frost.
“The fuck.” Storm pushes between me and Nails and races toward the door.
Frost spreads her arms out wide. “Look, ladies, it’s the welcome wagon.”
Storm gets to Frost first and grabs her by the jacket collar. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Storms says under her breath.
The gamblers crane their necks to see what’s happening. Dimples, Nadine, and Shadow edge closer to the entrance, but they stop about ten yards from the action.
Smart. They shouldn’t be in the middle of what’s about to go down. Nails and I go right to it and flank Storm. Nails meets my gaze and nods toward the patch sisters. Then she taps her chest and glances at Frost’s out-of-town friends.