The pads of my fingers were sweaty, as this was the largest I’d bet in the high roller room. I was putting 1,000 on the line. Downstairs, this would have drawn a lot of people to the table, but up here it was the norm.
The couple next to me smiled, and the male nodded at my bet with a grin. “Good luck.”
“Thank you, you too.” He and his lady put down a bet of half my size at 500.
The wheel spun and the little ran around the numbers.
I won only one of them. I tried to place my bet after the game finished. The dealer put up his hand.
The Texan tried the same tactic as me. As he had a larger stage presence than me, the dealer seemed to watch him a little more.
I slipped my chips forward an inch to the winning number. The couple were busy and into one another. The handsome man was more interested in impressing his lady for the night.
My payout was great, another 3,000. I weighed things up in a split second and decided to go with the option of leaving the table.
Never overstay your welcome, Jaz.
I moved to the blackjack table on the far left. As I turned to go, I felt my back burning. I figured it was the Texan who didn’t enjoy me breaking up his little party and winning a few hands. I shook my head at his enormous ego as I settled into the next table.
I wouldn’t cheat on this one. I was simply going to watch the cards and play a straight game in the first round. My incredible streak was still following me and I won another two thousand dollars on the table. My endorphins were flying high. This was probably the best I’d done in a long time, overall. I put more chips on the line. But I had to end the winning streak before it ended me. I went and cashed my chips in.
No more, Jaz. Go home.
I moved to the special elevator and took it down to the ground floor. The comforting sound of the slot machines soothed me as I strolled on through and out into the air. I found myself looking around the floor for Ink and I found no one. I was about to tap one guy on the shoulder as I saw his tattoos. I felt frustrated about growing attached to a person who was trying to sabotage me. I walked out the back parking lot entrance. I thought it to be safer than going out the front. The parking lot seemed barren and all I could hear was the rush of the water as I stood for a minute to feast my eyes on the stars.
That split second was the one that cost me.
As I smiled up at the stars, a dark energy came to stand beside me. “Real pretty this time at night. Back in Texas where I’m from, you can see the stars like this twinkling.” Dark pupils were staring back at me in the night, attached to the large man from the high roller room.
The little scream I wanted to let out in my throat stayed stuck in there. “They are.”
He studied my face in the night. “What’s a pretty young thing doing standing out here all alone at night?” he asked in a leering voice.
“I’m fine. I’m just waiting for someone.” I stepped back from the man. I knew what my purse contained. I fished out my phone and worked on an Uber to get out of here. It would be a short trip for the driver, but at least I would be safe.
“I think the person you’re waiting on is me,” the Texan stated.
Alarm ran through me as I looked around for security and saw one was pacing towards my left. I took solace in that fact, though it didn’t help me as the guard answered a phone call. “Why do you think that?” I asked.
“You know who I am?” the Texan asked in a low voice as he checked out the security guard to my left.
“You can’t answer a question with a question. I asked you first.” I flipped my head to the lone security guard, wishing he would get off his phone.
The man seemed to be getting more and more upset. “Ha-ha. I’m Tyrone and I’m in the oil business.” He rubbed his knuckles together.
I paid attention to all his movements. I was a few feet away from him, but he had enough room to lunge at me. I shrugged at him with a snarl, but dryness hit my throat. I rubbed the base of it. “That’s nice, Tyrone. I am not interested in anything you have to say, and you are being downright creepy. Leave me alone.” Frank and to the point is the way I chose to play this one.
Tyrone hitched up his pants and his belly jiggled in response. “See, in the oil business you have to be on the lookout. I was on the lookout as soon as you came to the table. I know you cheated. Now you’re going to hand over the little money you won. Reach on in there and give Papa the money and we can call it a night. It’s only fair.”
I looked over at the security guard and he was still on the phone. What is it with this guy? Didn’t he know he had a job to do?
I was no stranger to fights after dark, but this wasn’t one I wanted to deal with. “No way am I giving you my money. It’s mine.” I stuck my tongue out at him and moved further away.
In a fit of rage, the large man lunged towards me.
I narrowly sidestepped him.
Ink came out of the background to the rescue and stepped between me and the Texan.