Time to make my move. I kept my eyes cold and impassive. “I can’t give you that. But I can give you a way out.”
I opened my purse and took out my pocketknife. Its blade glinted under the casino lights as I brought it close to his stomach. We were so packed in at the bar that no one there could probably see what I was doing. But that didn’t mean other people in the casino couldn’t see and that’s what I wanted. Most people wouldn’t be paying attention, but the men who were paying attention, they’d see right away.
He sucked in his stomach to move it out of the knife’s way. I kept my hand as steady as possible.
“I’m going to stab you right here,” I told him. “Leave you to bleed.”
He raised his brows and gave me an anxious grin. It faltered slightly, which meant he was buying it. He was worried, just a little, and it was enough. “I suppose I’d deserve it,” he said carefully, his eyes darting between mine and the knife. “As if you taking Jose and the money wasn’t enough.”
“It wasn’t enough,” I answered truthfully.
He licked his lips. “Still so much spite, I see.”
I edged the knife forward so it pricked the fabric of his shirt and whispered, “You see nothing.”
That extra movement was all it took. Suddenly Raul and Alex were beside us, ready to protect their man. I didn’t bother looking their way. We’d never gotten along.
Javier jerked his head at them. “If you’re planning on killing me, you know they won’t let you.”
I smiled broadly at him. “Oh, I’m not planning on killing you.”
With one quick motion, I put the knife back in my purse, then screamed “Help!” and whirled around to face the bartender who was just about to pour a drink. ”Help me!” I yelled at him. ”These men are trying to rob my winnings!”
Javier, Raul, and Alex barely had any time to act. They were surprised, caught off guard, and after the bartender pressed a button underneath the bar and made a few hand gestures to people hidden across the casino, they had nowhere to run. Four big security guys in dark suits and Bluetooths suddenly grabbed them just as they were getting ready to leave.
Javier’s eyes could have burned right through me. I felt nothing. I looked at the security guys, aware that everyone in the casino was gasping or watching with interest. “They were trying to rob me, they said they had guns.” Raul and Alex objected as the security started patting them down. I knew they’d find guns on them, but I was not sticking around to find out.
I grabbed the closest guard to me. “I need an escort, now!”
The guy nodded and took my arm, leading me away from the scene. That was the great thing about Vegas, you could ask for an escort at any time and you got it just like that. Otherwise, Vegas would be even more of a crime hotspot than it already was.
“Where do you want me to take you, ma’am?” the big-knuckled bruiser of a guard asked. “You might need to file a police report.”
“Just take me to the lobby, I want to put my cash away, I feel too vulnerable,” I said as we hurried along. Once we reached the lobby we heard a cry from behind us in the casino. It sounded like a fight was breaking out.
I nodded at it. “I’ll be fine now, you should go help your buddies.”
The escort nodded and ran off as the cries intensified. Yeah, that was turning into an all-out brawl. Javier didn’t take custody very well.
I walked as quickly as possible through the lobby to the front doors, bringing out my phone and texting Camden frantically.
Where are you???
I stepped out into the cold night, eyeing the valet guy, hoping Camden wasn’t up in the room still. We didn’t have time to spare. Knowing Javier, they’d find a way to come after me. The man was impossible to contain.
“Excuse me,” I asked the valet who was half-asleep at his post. “Did a man…”
The roar of Jose’s engine cut me off. The car came careening around the circular driveway, Camden at the wheel. He pulled up to us with a screech of brakes, leaning forward to push open the passenger door.
“Your pumpkin awaits,” he barked at me.
I jumped inside the car and was barely able to shut the door before we were roaring out of the Aria and onto the Vegas Strip.
“Are you all right?” Camden asked me.
I nodded, trying to locate my nerves. “Just get us out of here and fast.”
The Strip wasn’t as congested at this time of night, but it wasn’t empty either. Slow moving taxis and limos with people hanging out of them were filling up most of the lanes. Camden zigged and zagged between them, trying to get to the exit for the highway. He handled the wheel with supreme control, looking every bit like an intellectual 007.
“Where are we going?” I asked, keeping my eyes focused on the side mirrors, scanning for cars and anything unusual.
“I thought we’d head to Gualala. It’s always been the goal anyway.”
It’s funny how his goal and my goal were suddenly one and the same.