quiet, we get what we need to, and we find Roy Williams. That’s the job. Okay?”
Knox put his hands up in surrender. “Fine, fine.”
“Eddie?” she said.
“You’re the boss. Are we done?”
“Keep the line open on your tab. You have your glasses?”
He pulled a pair of thin-rimmed spectacles out of his pocket and slipped them on. She brought up her tab and connected to the speaker hidden in the spectacles’ earpiece.
“Can you hear me?” she said into the tab.
“Loud and clear, Freckles.”
He leaned over her, slipped a chip into the slot machine, and pulled the lever. Three Gypsy Gates spun into place. The machine chirped delightedly. Chips poured into the cash tray.
“If I kill you, do I absorb your luck?” she said. “Is that how it works?”
He grinned, took one chip out of the tray, and left the rest. “Don’t get into too much trouble without me.”
He strolled away towards the elevator, pocketing the chip as he walked.
Knox cleared his throat. “So, if he doesn’t want all these…” He gestured to the chips. “…can I have them?”
“Touch them and I break your neck,” Dom said.
He looked mournfully at the chips. “At least buy me a drink, then.”
She sighed and shoved the chips into her pockets.
11
Eddie stopped in front of the goons wasting oxygen next to the elevator and gave them a good look at his teeth.
“Good evening, sir,” the one on the left said. Eddie got the feeling he’d only just started using words like “sir” and hadn’t quite got used to it. “Do you have your token?”
Eddie flicked the silver casino chip at him. The man caught it with both hands and examined it. Satisfied, he slipped it into a thin slot above the elevator call button. The doors hummed open and the slot spat the coin back out.
“Will you have any company joining you tonight, sir?” the man said as he handed Eddie back the chip.
“Not tonight,” he said, stepping into the elevator. “A man’s got to have some alone time. And what the wife doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” He winked at the guard.
The man just nodded. “Yes, sir. Enjoy your evening.”
The doors slid closed and the elevator began to move.
Eddie whistled to himself, checked his reflection in the mirror, and slicked back his hair. Then the door opened and he stepped out into a room of classical music and the smell of vanilla.
Something warm and young pressed itself against his arm.
“Good evening, sir.”
A pretty girl all of about sixteen smiled up at him with perfect teeth and blue eyes so big you’d need a nav console and a grav drive just to get from one corner to the other. Her red gown plunged so precipitously at both the front and back he wondered why she didn’t just go topless and be done with it.
“Evening,” he said. She remained attached to his arm. “Am I under arrest?”
She giggled a giggle that was as annoying as it was vapid. No wonder she was pressing her breasts against him so tight—they seemed to be the only thing she had going for her. “I’m Brittany. Would you care for an escort this evening?”
Escort? He glanced behind her and finally noticed the small crowd of beautifully boring men and women in red outfits waiting to ambush lonely high rollers. He guessed they must be playing the odds, shoving this schoolgirl at him instead of one of the well-muscled men.
“Is this your first time with us, sir?” Brittany said. She wrapped her fingers around his hand and gently pulled. “Come, let’s get you a drink. What’s your name, handsome?”
Handsome? Bloody hell.
“Mr Black,” he said.
“Lovely. Follow me, Mr Black.”
She practically skipped through the tiled entrance hall. Wide arches opened up into rooms on either side of him, each revealing gaming tables thick with black suits and cigar smoke. A cheer erupted from a blackjack table, the dealer smiling along with the winners.
Three more red-gowned pretties passed them. Each had a businessman or woman on
Knox put his hands up in surrender. “Fine, fine.”
“Eddie?” she said.
“You’re the boss. Are we done?”
“Keep the line open on your tab. You have your glasses?”
He pulled a pair of thin-rimmed spectacles out of his pocket and slipped them on. She brought up her tab and connected to the speaker hidden in the spectacles’ earpiece.
“Can you hear me?” she said into the tab.
“Loud and clear, Freckles.”
He leaned over her, slipped a chip into the slot machine, and pulled the lever. Three Gypsy Gates spun into place. The machine chirped delightedly. Chips poured into the cash tray.
“If I kill you, do I absorb your luck?” she said. “Is that how it works?”
He grinned, took one chip out of the tray, and left the rest. “Don’t get into too much trouble without me.”
He strolled away towards the elevator, pocketing the chip as he walked.
Knox cleared his throat. “So, if he doesn’t want all these…” He gestured to the chips. “…can I have them?”
“Touch them and I break your neck,” Dom said.
He looked mournfully at the chips. “At least buy me a drink, then.”
She sighed and shoved the chips into her pockets.
11
Eddie stopped in front of the goons wasting oxygen next to the elevator and gave them a good look at his teeth.
“Good evening, sir,” the one on the left said. Eddie got the feeling he’d only just started using words like “sir” and hadn’t quite got used to it. “Do you have your token?”
Eddie flicked the silver casino chip at him. The man caught it with both hands and examined it. Satisfied, he slipped it into a thin slot above the elevator call button. The doors hummed open and the slot spat the coin back out.
“Will you have any company joining you tonight, sir?” the man said as he handed Eddie back the chip.
“Not tonight,” he said, stepping into the elevator. “A man’s got to have some alone time. And what the wife doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” He winked at the guard.
The man just nodded. “Yes, sir. Enjoy your evening.”
The doors slid closed and the elevator began to move.
Eddie whistled to himself, checked his reflection in the mirror, and slicked back his hair. Then the door opened and he stepped out into a room of classical music and the smell of vanilla.
Something warm and young pressed itself against his arm.
“Good evening, sir.”
A pretty girl all of about sixteen smiled up at him with perfect teeth and blue eyes so big you’d need a nav console and a grav drive just to get from one corner to the other. Her red gown plunged so precipitously at both the front and back he wondered why she didn’t just go topless and be done with it.
“Evening,” he said. She remained attached to his arm. “Am I under arrest?”
She giggled a giggle that was as annoying as it was vapid. No wonder she was pressing her breasts against him so tight—they seemed to be the only thing she had going for her. “I’m Brittany. Would you care for an escort this evening?”
Escort? He glanced behind her and finally noticed the small crowd of beautifully boring men and women in red outfits waiting to ambush lonely high rollers. He guessed they must be playing the odds, shoving this schoolgirl at him instead of one of the well-muscled men.
“Is this your first time with us, sir?” Brittany said. She wrapped her fingers around his hand and gently pulled. “Come, let’s get you a drink. What’s your name, handsome?”
Handsome? Bloody hell.
“Mr Black,” he said.
“Lovely. Follow me, Mr Black.”
She practically skipped through the tiled entrance hall. Wide arches opened up into rooms on either side of him, each revealing gaming tables thick with black suits and cigar smoke. A cheer erupted from a blackjack table, the dealer smiling along with the winners.
Three more red-gowned pretties passed them. Each had a businessman or woman on
Similar Books
