Chapter 2
two
Ace
The soft clicking of the roulette wheels in this section of the casino is like music to my ears. Further than that, there's the constant shuffling of cards and chips being placed as bets are made.
This is our playground. Our oasis. Whatever we want to call it, it's our escape from the real world. Under the guise of working, we're having a hell of a time giving the other people here a run for their money.
Normally, we'd hang around one of the normal tables, but today, I've been feeling on edge. Wanting to play things more riskily than usual.
Cheating at games is easy. With Smoke, I can easily trick whatever poor bastards end up at the same table as us.
But the roulette tables? It feels like I'm taking a real risk here.
Sometimes, it's nice to play a game where I don't know the outcome.
Where I can feel a spike of adrenaline fill me because I won't know if I've lost everything, or won more, until the wheel stops spinning.
"How much longer are we going to hang out here?" My brother lets out a low groan, already bored of playing our fifth round. "I want to hit the bar."
After my last loss, I need to recoup. Drinking alcohol will only dull the senses. Just because he's ready to wrap things up doesn't mean I'm ready to join him.
I've got money to win. Instead of taking a high risk, it would be better to play it safe.
But when have I ever taken the safe route? Looking over the entire table, the weight of my chips feels like stones against my fingertips as I run the risks in my head.
Seeing me locking in, he sighs under his breath before turning around to take in the entirety of our playground. Smoke's always been the kind of guy who doesn't have a lot of patience, so I'm hardly surprised by his little huffs and puffs.
"This is going to be the one, I swear..." Mumbling to myself, I look between the numbers, hoping one of them will jump out at me. Call it a gambler's instinct.
While I place my chips down on six numbers, Smoke nudges me with his elbow.
"Got a waitress headed our way." He then groans softly under his breath and already starts looking around for an exit. "Fuck, it's Bunny."
"You deal with her. I'm busy." Waving him off and ignoring his sudden discomfort, I place the last of my chips down. "Alright, this is going to be the one. I can feel it in my bones."
On the other side, our very patient dealer, Francis, cocks a brow before giving me that shitty smile of his.
He's in his late forties, aged with gray hair and lines at the corners of his eyes.
That kind of experience comes with working at the casino for as long as he has.
It's that smile that makes me question everything because I know he's seen this wheel spin a thousand times over.
He'd know the outcome better than I would. "No more bets, then."
Making the call, he spins the wheel before I can start doubting myself.
Behind me, I hear a feminine voice matched with Smoke. Despite trying my damned hardest to focus on the white ball, I can't help but pick up on the few words the cocktail waitress is telling him.
A woman with a kid who needs Steelwood's help. With the two of us maintaining this place, there's no one we're going to be able to point Bunny toward. Meaning, this is going to be a us problem.
Meaning that if I lose this game, there won't be any more chances to recover.
"Come on..." Murmuring soft encouragement to the ball to hit one of my numbers, I watch as the ball finally stops, sinking in a slot.
"Black thirty-three." Francis' smile remains. "Tough luck, kid."
Just like I know Smoke like the back of my hand, he knows me. So, before I can hit the table with the undersides of my fists, he's grabbing me by the back of my cut before pulling me back, before I can damage anything.
When my anger flares up, it flares hot.
"One more game." I try to swat Smoke's grip away, but he doesn't budge. "Dude."
"We've got a lady to take care of." Just like that, I'm being tugged.
"I'm coming back to win my money back." Promising Francis and his stupid, smiling self, I'm forced to walk away under Smoke's forced guidance as he moves his hand from the collar of my jacket to my shoulder.
He fills me in along the way, but his details are lacking. I'm still cooling down from my loss when we reach the entrance of the casino. A soft cry reaches my ears, and it becomes pretty easy to find who we're looking for.
A woman our age is kneeling in front of the upset toddler. She's softly speaking to her, reassuring her that everything's going to be okay. At the sound of our boots approaching, she turns to look our way, and suddenly, everything tilts.
The world pauses, and I almost forget how to walk. The noise from the casino dims to a faint hum. Francis' smug face vanishes from my mind. Smoke's hold on my shoulder feels like a ghost's touch. All I can sense is the air rushing out of my lungs in a single sharp breath.
Fuck me.
She's beautiful. No—that word's too small. Too ordinary. Beautiful is for sunsets on a long ride and vintage bikes. This woman? Perfection.
My boots scuff against the floor, and I don't even care that I stumble. If I fall, at least I'd be closer to her.
Unlike my current state, this woman looks more like a doe caught in headlights. Wide hazel eyes stare back at us.
She's a young mother, has to be in her early twenties. Those round cheeks of hers carry a pink that my fingers are itching to graze.
I've never seen this woman in my life, and that's the problem.
I've been with plenty of beautiful women in my time, but none of them compares. One look, and my chest is screaming that I've been looking for her forever. That every woman before her was just a pitstop, but she’s the final destination.
I’m talking about wife material here.
Now for the important question. Who is she?
Smoke's saying something beside me. Words. English probably. I can't hear a single one. The toddler's still sniffling, but even that sound is miles away.
Freeing myself from his grip and stumbling over to her, I try to prepare my words.
I’m the talker, Smoke’s the listener. Together, we always work to solve whatever problem.
Can’t do that if I leave my tongue tied in a knot.
Clearing my throat, I take the last few steps before she's only a couple of feet away.
Close enough that I could brush one of those escaping brown strands behind her ear if I wanted to. Fuck, do I want to.
As she stands back up, I take in her shorter height. If I stepped a little closer, I bet I could measure the top of her head to my chin. Unfortunately, she sits back down next to her daughter before I can take in any mental measurements.
"Got a name, sweetheart?" Nudging closer, I offer a hand, hoping to see if she's as soft as she looks. She doesn't take it. "I'm Ace."
Unlike my desperation to learn something about her, she gives us both a quick look over before I can see a wall being built up.
She's still scared, even of us. From the way she hesitates, I consider making a bet on whether she'll try to think of some silly alias or not, but then she stumbles with her voice. "Um, Penny."
Is it just Penny, or is that short for Penelope? I don't ask, but my desire to know more only grows the longer I attempt to ignore it.
"What a pretty name for a pretty woman." Giving her a grin, even in her discomfort, I don't miss the way her cheeks tease me with a hint of a blush.
Even more when I crash down next to her to get comfortable.
My arms extend, my hand clamping down on the back of the bench so I don't cave and touch her. "So, Penny. What can we do for you?"
If someone's bothering her, then I'm feeling in a pretty charitable mood. Hell, I'll offer to take care of whatever the threat is, no matter the danger level.
Just as she's about to answer, I hear a sniffle—not from her, but from the kid. The child has similar brown hair to her mother's, but watery green eyes, and both cheeks and nose are pink from crying.
The little girl looks at us with big, wide eyes, and I'm starting to wonder if we actually look scary.
"I'm sorry, we've been traveling for most of today. She's hitting her limit, I think." Turning away from me, she swipes at her daughter's wet cheeks before wiping at her own eyes with a soft sigh.
She's too distracted by her daughter. I won't be able to get her full attention unless we can reassure her that everything's fine.
Nodding toward the upset kid, Smoke understands and swoops down and picks up the little girl without warning. His hands easily swallow up her middle before suddenly releasing her.
Penny panics and lets out a soft gasp. "Wait, she's a little grumpy from—"
The little girl explodes with a laugh as she's launched into the air. Smoke has no issue catching her, and I'm even a little surprised by the shift on my brother's face. A slight smile appears on his grumpy face.
"Smoke's got a weak spot for kids. Trust me, he's great with them.
" Shifting forward, I catch her gaze. Reaching out to brush Penny's knee, there's something about the look on her face that does something far more twisted to this thing in my chest. I've never been conscious of how my heart is beating until now.
The sound of her daughter's laugh has left her eyes misty. I can see the exhaustion rolling off of her, like she's reaching her limit, too.
"Penny..." Catching her attention, my mouth curves.
Keeping my voice soft, I can't pull my fingers from her knee.
She's radiating a warmth I want to suck up through my fingertips.
"You're safe now. No one is going to chase after you here.
Just tell me what you're running from, and we'll see what we can do. "