The Agent
“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Gabriel asked, casting a glance over the casino we’d walked into.
The Velvet Jack wasn’t what we expected. The game tables were occupied, but not filled to the brim. A lot of the slot machines were left empty. Even the patrons sitting at the bar were scarce compared to other casinos we’d passed on the way here.
After my late-night scare, I bugged Gabriel into letting me talk to his uncle who used to be involved in the crime underworld.
Now an owner of a popular bar, he kept himself out of the drama.
But, lots of his old buddies - and some new players - hung around the place, giving him an ear to the streets.
As expected, he was reluctant to talk to us. The last thing he wanted was the feds snooping around his establishment - even if it was only his nephew. When we explained it wasn’t exactly a work inquiry, but a personal one, his guard lowered a few inches.
“Everyone’s got a target on their backs,” he’d told us after we asked for people who may have a hit on them. “You’ve got to be more specific.”
“This isn’t an ordinary target,” I explained. “This would be someone high profile. Someone a cartel or gang wouldn’t want to take the fall or recognition for killing. Someone los fantasmas del diablo would go after.”
His brow rose at the name. “Those aren’t the type of people you want to go after. My advice: you drop whatever case you’re building now before you end up on their radar.”
“I’m already on it.”
“Then, may God bless you,” he said, turning his back on us.
“Tío,” Gabriel pleaded, reaching over the counter for his uncle’s arm. Squeezing it, he added, “Help us. Por favor.”
His uncle’s eyes went from his tight grip on his arm to the desperate expression on his face. Sighing, he finally agreed.
He told us about some casino-based kingpin who’d crossed one too many people in his dirty gambling business.
Apparently, being a backstabbing asshole was a staple of his personality and plenty of people wanted him dead.
But, he’d conned the wrong person and now all his tricks were about to bite him in the ass.
“His death is going to be a statement,” he’d told us. “That’s all I know.”
With more research and conversations with other informants, we tracked down the casino where his infamous poker games took place.
Gabriel was reluctant to take the trip down here, worried it’d be a waste of time and money.
I had to remind him that a weekend in Vegas - whether we found anything or not - would be worth it.
We’d spent the day lounging in the hotel and exploring the sights on the main strip.
Personal case aside, we had a great time.
And even if my “secret admirer” wasn’t here, we could still enjoy some drinks and play some slots.
But, the clench of my stomach let me know he was lurking around somewhere.
“I’m pretty sure,” I replied to Gabriel’s initial question. “The only way to find out is to split up.”
His brows raced up his forehead. “What? I am not leaving you alone in this shady ass place.”
“If he is here, he isn’t going to approach me with you hovering over my shoulder. And technically I’m not alone; there’s other people in here.”
“And you think he won’t harm you in public?”
“If he wants to keep appearances, he won’t. If he’s here, he’s on a mission just like us. He’d be an idiot to blow it.”
Gabriel frowned, still weary of my plan.
“I’ll be fine,” I promised. “I took care of myself before, and I can do it now.”
“Alright,” he sighed. “But if you need help: don’t hesitate to make a scene.”
Nodding, I left his side and made a beeline for the bar. My admirer seemed to have a thing for a faux sense of privacy, so I sat near the end of the bar near one of the quiet, dark hallways.
I ordered my usual drink and sipped on it while I waited. If he was here, I knew he’d come over eventually. It’s not in his nature to see his prey sitting out in the open and not pounce. I was curious to see what his plan of attack was this time.
“What’s your poison?” His voice slithered into my ear after a few minutes. The chair beside me scratched the floor as he pulled it out and took a seat.
I glanced to the side, catching a pair of hands folding on the counter. It was the first time I’d seen his skin. In our past run-ins, he’d worn gloves. I didn’t know a rich, umber brown complexion lay underneath them. “Margarita,” I answered. “Yours?”
He waved the bartender over and asked for an old fashioned.
I grimaced at the order. “What are you, sixty?”
He chuckled. “If I was, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with you.”
The bartender slid him his drink.
From the corner of my eye, I watched him take a sip. He’d cloaked himself in the tiny corner of darkness at the end of the bar, so I couldn’t make out much of his face. Just the outline of his lips as they slipped around the edge of the glass. “I didn’t take you for a gambler.”
“You either.” He set the drink back down on the counter. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, you know, I figured I could use a little weekend getaway.”
“To Vegas?” He asked, a grimace in his voice. “Why? Are you and pretty boy over there going to elope?”
“If we were, you probably would’ve known already. Since you like to be all up in my business and shit.”
“Oh, hush. You know you like it. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
I scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself. I did not miss you.”
“Then why travel all this way to check on me?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but I couldn’t think of a lie good enough to stand on its own.
Chuckling, his hand crept underneath my chair and yanked mine closer to his. My body tensed as his lips brushed against my ear.
“You were hoping to see me sweat, weren’t you?” He whispered, his deep voice sending trickles down my spine. “You wanted to see me squirm. Watch me spiral into a panic, wondering ‘how the hell did she find me’.”
“You’re not?”
It was his turn to scoff. “You wish.”
I turned my head to meet his gaze. He’d pulled me into the darkness with him, hiding us both away from the motions of the casino. Although I couldn’t see, I could feel his gaze piercing through me, searching for the smallest hint of fear. Something I refused to give him.
“Then, what do I get for coming out here? Seems a bit rude to know what a girl wants and leave her hanging.”
“Oh, I’d never leave a woman unsatisfied.” His hand clasped around my wrist, tugging me out of my seat. “You came here to play games - and I have the perfect one in mind.”