CHAPTER 25
DIMPLES
It’s just Storm and me riding to the lodge where we’ll hold Casino Night tomorrow.
The Graces’ poker run was three weeks ago, and Storm’s been lost in her own world since.
I haven’t had the heart to push her about Frost’s bullshit because she’s happier than I’ve seen her in a long time.
She’s been talking to Shadow a lot, keeping it on the down low, but I know her too well not to have figured it out.
I take in the earthy scent of the damp soil and pine needles. It’s one reason I love riding; being in a car isn’t the same, even with the windows down. We ride through a heavily forested stretch and hit a cool pocket of air and then speed up, wanting to escape the cold dampness.
Once we get to an open area, the sun warms us. The view of the mountain peaks engulfed by clouds reminds me why there’s nowhere else I’d want to live. Sometimes I question it in the depths of winter, but every spring, why I love this area becomes clear again.
We’re in no hurry to get to the Velvet Rose Lodge. That’s what we named the abandoned hunting lodge we converted into our gaming house. Aces bought it for a song fifteen years ago. Most of the labor, getting it into shape came from the Thorns.
We come to the fork where Route 30 heads north, but we continue east on Highway 3.
The Velvet Rose is fifteen minutes from our clubhouse, which is near enough in case of an emergency but far enough to keep our clubhouse hidden from the gamblers.
Plus, it’s closer to Lake Placid, where the bulk of our players come from. We never invite locals, only tourists.
In the early days, before my time, they held casino nights at the clubhouse, but letting gamblers into the Thorns’ sanctuary nearly destroyed it.
One of the players developed an unhealthy obsession with one of the girls and started stalking her.
We taught him that no means no, but it still shook the club.
It’s why Aces moved all the Thorns’ businesses offsite.
I wanted Storm to enjoy the ride, so I didn’t tell her about the talk swirling in the club. She’ll be pissed when I spring it on her in front of Halo and Nails, but she’ll get over it. They need to know, too, so we can intervene before the rumors become folklore.
Despite riding slow, it ends too soon. We turn down the well-hidden path to the lodge.
Wanting to keep people from being curious and exploring the lane, we’ve kept it primitive with only enough gravel to keep the mud from making passage impossible.
Most of the girls don’t ride their bikes here for that reason, but Storm and I are stubborn, so we bump over the uneven ground.
My tires skid underneath me, but I keep it steady.
I’ve dropped my bike in the mud before, and I don’t recommend it.
Finally, we make it to the end of the quarter-mile lane, which empties into a small, paved parking lot. We’ve considered making improvements to the landscaping, but the gamblers say it adds to the ambiance. Leave it to the ultra-rich to think muddy lanes and overgrown trees create atmosphere.
Several cars and the Thorns’ moving van are sprinkled in the lot.
During the winter, we store the gaming tables, furnishings, and decorations in case snowmobilers discover the lodge.
While the lodge is private property, it doesn’t mean the winter thrill seekers stay on the cured paths, and we don’t need them tearing up the place.
This past week, the crew has worked on getting the Velvet Rose ready, but now that it’s coming down to the wire, it’s all hands on deck. We pull up near the front of the lot and kill our engines.
A flagstone path leads to the entrance. Despite the interior renovations, the outside of the lodge maintains its original rustic charm. We take two steps up onto the grand porch before we pull open the large wooden door.
A blast of warm air hits us as we enter.
“The fuck, they’re gonna blow up the generators,” Storm says. Being so far from civilization, there’s no electricity.
I shake my head. “It’s the fireplace. Didn’t you see the smoke when we rode up?”
“Hey,” Nails calls when she sees us. She’s stripped down to only her cut without a shirt underneath. “You’ll wanna take off your jackets.”
I glance around the room. More than a dozen patch sisters are cleaning the space. The warm wood ceiling, walls, and floor have been polished to a shine.
“What do you think?” Halo says as she walks up. She spreads her arms wide. “We’re about to bring everything in.”
“I can’t believe how many members you got to come clean,” Storm says. “Impressive.”
Halo and Nails exchange a glance.
“Uh, we want to talk to you about that,” Halo says. She motions to the staircase that leads to a small loft.
We follow Halo and Nails up the stairs and slip into the tiny office that’s barely big enough for the four of us. She motions Storm and me toward the chairs beside the desk and then sits behind it. Nails perches on the corner of the desk.
They both have serious expressions on their faces, so I brace for the worst.
“We were shocked by all the cleaning volunteers, too,” Nails says. “We shoulda known something was up.”
A crease lines Storm’s forehead. “What am I missing?”
“Everyone’s volunteering to clean because they don’t want to work the event,” Halo says. She taps on the spreadsheet lying on the desk. “To do it right, we need fifteen, but we can skate by with ten.” She holds up the sheet. “We have five.”
Storm takes the spreadsheet and studies it while Nails speaks.
“Normally, we have so many volunteers we have to turn them away. Tips are crazy good, so the girls take in some hefty bank,” Nails says. “This year, they want no part of it.”
I wave my hand. “I might have some insight.”
Storm drops the paper to her lap and looks at me with a furrowed brow. She’s not going to be happy I didn’t share this sooner, so I look at Nails when I speak. “Word is that the games are dangerous.”
“Dangerous? Are you fucking kidding me?” Nails says. “Where’s that trash coming from?”
“I’m wondering the same thing.” Storm’s voice has an edge to it. I’m sure some of it’s directed at me.
I’ll smooth her ruffled feathers later. Now they need to know what we’re up against. “Somebody’s been saying that the gamblers pack heat and that several girls have gone missing.”
“The fuck?” Storm says. “Who’s saying something so stupid?”
With Halo and Nails here, I won’t say Frost without any proof.
Turns out, I don’t have to because Nails says, “Probably fucking Frost. I don’t know what her problem is.”
I glance at Storm. She’s been keeping her thoughts under wraps, not wanting to create drama in the club, even though Frost is. As much as I’ve wanted her to talk to the other officers about it, she’s stayed mum. With Nails opening the door, will Storm walk through it?
Storm sits up straight. Her jaw is tight, and the vein in her neck throbs. I can see in her eyes that she’s wrestling with her response. Finally, she says, “Nothing we can prove. I was hoping you guys had something concrete.”
Halo shakes her head. “She’s just not the same Frost I used to know. I shouldn’t say anything, but ever since you became president, she’s changed.”
“She’s bitter,” Nails says. “I tried talking to her a couple times, but I gave up.”
“But this ain’t about Frost. We can’t have the girls bailing on the business.” Storm puts her hand against her chest. “I love this club, and I don’t want all this disharmony or the girls thinking things ain’t safe.”
I hate hearing the sadness in Storm’s voice. “I don’t get why any of them would believe it.”
“Urban legend,” Nails says. “It’s easy to spread bullshit but harder to get people to believe the truth.”
Halo picks up a file folder off her desk. “Plus, as the businesses grew, we’ve brought in a lot of new girls in the last few years.” She flips open the file. “We’ve increased our revenue tenfold. And we needed bodies to do it.”
“Meaning we didn’t vet well?” There’s an edge to Storm’s voice.
“It’s not just vetting,” Halo says. “Some only knew Aces for a couple years before she got sick, so they don’t have the same loyalty.”
“So we’re ripe for a coup,” I say, not caring that I should keep my mouth shut.
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Nails says. “Best way to start a takeover is instilling fear and—”
“And screwing with our bottom line,” Halo says as she waves the folder. “The first night of the season is big. If the gamblers don’t have an extraordinary experience, then word gets around, and it could impact the rest of the season.”
“What are we going to do?” Nails asks.
“Recruit,” Storm says. She turns to me. “Plus, it looks like the two of us are going to be working it.”
“I’m in.” I frown. “But isn’t Shadow coming tomorrow to pick up her bike?”
“I’m picking her up in the morning,” Storm says. “I was gonna ride back to her house with her to make sure it’s fixed and doesn’t overheat.”
Nails grins. “Sorry we’re blocking you, Storm.”
Storm glares at her. “It’s not like that. I’m just making sure she gets home okay.”
We all laugh, except for Storm.
“Whatever you say,” Halo says.
Storm tosses the spreadsheet back onto the desk. “Can we just focus on recruits for tomorrow night?”