4 .
Randy would have preferred it was Lucy losing her shirt in poker instead of him, but as it stood, he was in this mess now out of his desire to see her with less clothing.
As of now, he was an hour into this party, thousands of dollars in debt, and it looked like he was no closer to seeing Lucy naked than before.
Not to mention that Lisa was still running around the house somewhere.
I should have been happy just watching Lucy on the beach in her little bikinis.
Randy thought as he stared at the dismal cards in his hand, as if willing them to turn into a pair of aces.
As much as he stared though, the poor hand he had been dealt looked back at him, confirming their cold reality.
He had kept his suit jacket on to hide that his dress shirt underneath was soaked with sweat, but he could feel beads of sweat rolling down his brow, and knew his fellow poker players could see it too.
Truth was, Randy had started sweating the moment Ms. Domina lead Lisa away while Lucy and Andreas dragged him off to another room.
Normally he would have killed to get quality time with Lucy, but with Lisa out of his sight, who knew what she was saying or doing.
She could be running as far as she could from the house, or telling Domina to call the police, that she had been kidnapped.
She’s not going to call the police, she’s a wanted criminal.
Besides, you are the police. He told himself, but every worst case scenario ran through his head.
Images of the feds coming to take him away, asking why official records showed that Lisa was shipped to a women’s detention facility that had no record of her…
These images of doom were temporarily put out of his mind when Andreas and Lucy lead him into the basement where a large poker table had been set up, complete with a dealer, and lots of men in very expensive looking suits greeting him.
Some of them Randy knew, they were very important people to the town of Carter’s Cove, while others he didn’t recognize but nonetheless they seemed even more important.
When Andreas invited him to have a seat, Randy couldn’t resist.
After all, if he was going to establish his own empire in Carter’s Cove, it would help to get to know those in power.
“Gentleman, let’s add a wildcard to the mix.” Lucy smiled and gestured to Randy. The way she smiled at him made him forget about Lisa, if she escaped, she escaped. Lucy made him feel like the center of the universe with the way she looked at him.
Wildcard… He liked that…
Then Randy took a seat and realized that they were playing with real money…
A lot of money…
He tried to get out of it with the excuse that he didn’t have cash, but his hosts wouldn’t have it.
“Nonsense, I’ll stake you.” Andreas bellowed, heading around the table towards Randy.
“Oh no, I’ll just watch,” Randy smiled and stood. “Plus I should get back to my wife.”
“Please, sit,” Andreas clamped his giant hands on Randy’s shoulders and pushed him down into his chair. “Domina is taking good care of Lisa.”
Randy’s shoulders about crumbled under Andreas’ grip, and all he could do was sit and meet the gazes of the very rich people at the table.
“You can pay me back for covering you this game.” Andreas laughed and took his seat across from Randy.
Randy smiled and nodded. There was no harm in playing a few hands, and once he got up, he would cash out and give what he owed back to Andreas, plus the winnings as gesture of good faith.
And it seemed like it would work out that way at first, Randy won a few hands and was up a few hundred. The way Lucy looked at him when he won, the way she got excited made his heart flutter.
“That’s my wildcard!” She would shout as she watched from a nearby bar. Every now and then she would pace around the table, stopping to brush Randy’s shoulder with her hand, prompting a glare from Andreas as she did.
Randy didn’t care about Andreas’ glares anymore, after all, right now Lucy’s husband was losing, badly, in poker.
Then, like a switch was flipped, Randy’s luck changed, and all of the money he had won was gone, and the hands he was being dealt got worse and worse.
“Be the wildcard, you got this!” Lucy cheered him on, but it did no good, Randy continued to lose.
A few times it looked like he was almost out, but Andreas gave him more money to stay in.
“Just add it to what you owe.” He smiled a toothy grin at the sweating sheriff.
Now, it seemed as if Randy was going to be in debt to Andreas for a very, very, long time. Maybe Lisa going to the police wouldn’t be a bad thing, at least that would get him out of his obligations to the big man.
“You’re still in this, you’re the wildcard!” Lucy rubbed Randy’s shoulders before he took another loan from Andreas.
Now, here he was, down to his last bit of borrowed money from the host of the party, and another terrible hand. The fact that Andreas had left was another cause for concern, but at least that meant that Randy didn’t have to worry about taking another loan from the large, bearded man.
Randy and Lucy had left once during the game but returned a few minutes later, but after the last hand someone who looked like security had stepped into the room and whispered something into Andreas’ ear.
The big man apologized to his guests, saying that there was a matter that required his attention, and stood up.
“Anything I can do to help.” Randy stood too, playing the helpful Sheriff but also trying to escape the poker table.
“No sit, enjoy the game. Just a private matter.”
“I’m happy to help with-” Randy started.
“Sit.” Andreas didn’t yell, but there was something authoritative in his voice, like a strict teacher or parent that children were scared of.
Randy sat obediently, breaking out in a fresh round of cold sweat. Andreas smiled in apology to his guests and left, Lucy by his side.
Randy’s mind raced after that. He didn’t even pay attention to his cards as every doomsday scenario flashed through his mind.
It was Lisa, it had to be Lisa. She had told Domina the truth, and Domina called her bosses, no doubt not wanting to ruin the party by calling the police. Any minute now Andreas, Lucy, and Domina would walk in with Lisa close behind and ask Randy to step out of the room with them.
Randy couldn’t be sure how long the Percys had been gone, it might have been a few minutes, but it felt like hours.
Each agonizing minute passed, and with them, each hand got worse and worse.
He considered running, telling his fellow players he had to use the restroom, and then getting in his car and driving as far as he could to start a new life.
Maybe he could return to Marston’s Pointe and beg forgiveness from Ace, if Ace was still in control there. A life of crime might be his only option if Lisa had squealed on him.
But he didn’t run, he just sat there, cursing his luck, cursing Lisa, and cursing ever setting eyes on Lucy. He should have been happy with Lisa, his buxom prisoner, but instead he set his eyes on the hot blond on the beach, which was his undoing.
It came time to show their hands and Randy revealed his, yet another loser, and he looked down at his pitiful pile of chips and decided it was time to go, Lisa or no Lisa.
Maybe she owes the Percys a favor for this. He would just cut his losses and head home.
“Ready for another loan, Sheriff?” Andreas bellowed just as Randy was getting up.
“I… uh…” Randy stammered as Andreas took his seat across from the indebted sheriff. Lucy slunk up behind her husband and rubbed his broad shoulders.
“Apologies for that, how’s the game going?” She smiled and surveyed the poker table.
Wildcard my ass! Randy stared glumly at the few chips he had remaining. Before he could say any more, the dealer began giving out another hand. Andreas never took his eyes off of Randy.
“I think I’ve had enough poker for the day.” Randy stood up again. It took all of his willpower to summon the words, but this disaster couldn’t go on any longer.
“Oh Randy, you can’t quit now.” Lucy rushed to his side as Andreas also stood.
“Thank you both for a wonderful night,” Randy tried to maintain an air of manners as Lucy flashed him those pouty eyes of hers. “But I think I’ve lost enough of your husband’s money.”
“Oh nonsense,” Andreas bellowed. “Have a seat, I’ll increase your credit so you have a chance of winning your money back and then some.”
Once again, Randy felt himself to obey Andreas. The man was just so intimidating, the voice, his musculature, and those eyes, the eyes of a predator, and Randy was the prey. Andreas had been toying with him all night before the kill.
“I just…” Randy summoned all of his courage. “I will find a way to pay you back, but I’ve lost enough.”
Randy exhaled, standing up to Andreas took the last ounce of strength he had.
Come on, you’re the Sheriff, act like it!
“I do think we should discuss the terms of your debt to me. I staked you for quite a bit of money.” Andreas stepped forward, closing in for the kill on Randy.
“With the right hands you could pay him back.” Lucy implored Randy.
Randy looked down at her in her see through dress, at her cute breasts in the bra, the thong…
Then he shook his head. They were playing him, good cop/bad cop! He had to get out.
“I think I need to find my wife, thank you for a wonderful time.” He addressed both of the Percys. If he found Lisa, he could at least salvage part of this night.
“Oh I’ll have her brought in.” Percy snapped his fingers towards the back of the room.
“What?” Randy stammered.
“It will be just a moment.” Lucy smiled and joined her husband. Something about the way they were looking at him sent a chill down his spine.
A door opened, and two men came into the room dragging a bound figure between them.
“Ummmm hmmmph!” Lisa grunted, struggling as he captors carried her towards the poker table.
Usually the sight of Lisa bound, gagged, and half naked would fill Randy with arousal, but now it just made him want to dissolve into a pile of jelly on the floor.