Rolling my eyes, I took his arm and we set off to get chips. When he asked for ten thousand dollars worth, I almost fell to the floor. “Holy crap,” I whispered, holding his arm tight. “Are you going to spend all of that?”
Chuckling, he patted my hand. “You’ve got to spend big to win big. But don’t worry, I expect to double up. All we have to do now is get in the door.”
I looked around the casino and so far no one of importance had popped up. “Where are we going first?”
“Poker tables, baby. That’s where the money is.”
We set off toward the tables and he sat down while I stood back, watching. My father had taught me how to play poker, especially Texas Hold’em. It was my favorite game as a kid. A part of me wanted to join in on the fun, but I had a part to play. Jason glanced back at me and I pointed to the tables off to the side; he nodded and winked.
As soon as I sat down, one of the waitresses came over. She had short black hair and a face for magazines. “Would you like something to drink?”
“A raspberry martini would be great, please.”
“Of course. Anything else?”
“No, that will be all. But say, it seems kind of dead in here. Is it always this slow?”
She shook her head. “The high rollers usually show up around ten o’clock. I have to be on my game when they do. They tip the best.”
“I can imagine.” As soon as she sauntered off, I checked the time on my phone. It was nine-thirty. I needed to be on the lookout if what she said was true. The waitress came back with my martini so I sipped on it lightly while I watched Jason’s game from afar.
It wasn’t long before a man walked in, surrounded by two men and a woman on his arm. I could feel the power rolling off him in waves. He wasn’t one of the suspects on our list, but I had no doubt he could lead us to them. He was middle-aged and so was the woman. From the wedding band on her finger, I assumed she wasn’t a prostitute.
The next time Jason looked back at me, I nodded toward the group. Keeping my eyes on the target, I watched them as they walked through the casino, speaking to people in passing.
“What’s going on?” Jason asked, brushing up against me.
I jumped, not expecting him to be done so fast. “What the . . . why did you leave the table?”
He shrugged. “This is more important. I only lost two hundred anyway.”
“Thank goodness it wasn’t the ten grand. You might need it.”
Jason followed my gaze. “I wonder who that is.”
“I don’t know, but we need to find out. I say we test the waters a bit.”
A mischievous gleam twinkled in his eyes. “And it looks like they need more players. Come on,” he said, taking my hand. We walked casually toward the table and there were still two spots left. “Wish me luck.” He placed a kiss on my cheek, his stubble brushing against my skin.
“Good luck,” I stuttered as he walked off, taking a seat at the table. So far so good.
“Isn’t he just sex on a stick?” a voice called out from behind.
More like a pain in the ass. I turned to see the woman who walked in with the men. Her blonde hair was pulled high into an elegant updo and being the age she was, she looked amazingly fit in her tight green dress and tan skin.
“Are you two married?” she asked, looking down at my hand.
Putting on a fake smile, I shook my head. “No, we’re not.”
“Engaged?”
I chuckled. “No, nothing like that.”
Her eyes went wide. “Oh, I think I get it now. I apologize. You’d think I’d be used to it by now. These men are always looking for a good time. You’re not one of Chatfield’s girls are you?”
I shook my head. “I’m on my own. She doesn’t seem to be taking on any new talent at the moment.”
She pursed her lips. “I think it’s because some of her girls went missing. I’m not sure what’s going on though because I still see some of them around William’s friends. All I can say is it’s a dangerous job. You never know what kind of bloke you’re going to end up with.”