Page 4 of Betting Blind

The group mutters their acceptance, and they all begin to stand. The youngest shifts in his seat again, unsure about where to go as the men shake hands and start breaking from the group. Diego watches him closely from the corner of his eye, a small frown on his lips. “You,” he snaps, and the young man jumps to his feet so quickly that the chair nearly topples over behind him. “What’s your name, kid?”

“It’s, uh, Hector,” he answers and shoves his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie. Standing, he nearly matches Diego in height, but he’s scrawny. “Sir,” he adds quickly and removes his hood, revealing a mop of greasy, short blond hair and dark tattoos that cascade from his hairline and down his neck before they disappear underneath his clothes.

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Diego lets out a soft chuckle as Hector toes the carpet with his boot. “The rest of you can proceed. My head of security, Emerson, will show you where to go from here to finish up. He’s just through the double doors to the left.” Diego jerks his head to a set of dark burgundy doors that match the walls on the far side of the room before turning back to Hector. “How old are you, Hector?”

“I’m nineteen, sir,” he answers smoothly and tilts his chin higher, a little more confident now that there are less people in the room watching.

“This is no place for children,” Diego says calmly and looks pointedly in my direction. I haven’t moved an inch. My legs are still swinging underneath me and I’m chewing the end of the straw, just watching. My keen eyes picking up every little detail, absorbing everything.

“I don’t really have anywhere else to go, sir.” Hector also steals a glance in my direction but quickly looks away when he sees me staring back. “I’ll do anything you want. I can cook. I know my way around guns. I can drive a stick. I can be anything that you need me to be.”

I hop down from my perch and slowly stalk forward, my eyes never leaving Hector’s form as I circle him like a tigress. “I like him,” I state matter-of-factly after silently circling around him. Hector doesn’t flinch whenever I move out of sight, but his eyes are trained on me as I circle around him again. He follows my every movement when I’m in his direct field of vision.

“No one asked your opinion, Little Phoenix,” Diego says softly before ruffling my bangs, and sending the strands down into my eyes. I glare back up at him and fold my arms across my chest, every bit the sight of a pouty teenage girl. “Head on through the doors, Hector, I’m sure we can find a use for you somewhere.”

Hector nods slowly, his mouth set in a grim line, but his eyes betray his relief and excitement. “Thank you, Sir.” His fingers rake through his hair before he looks at me again. “See you around, Little Bird,” he says softly and then disappears through the doors. So eager to throw his life away.

“You are a menace, Emelia Pendleton, and your father is going to kill me when he finds out that you were here instead of at your study group, and I don’t even want to think about what your mother will do.” Diego pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a long sigh, but he smiles anyway.

“It’s not him that you have to worry about,” I wink and take the deck of cards still in his hands. “One of these days I might just kill you myself so I can run this show.” I give the cards a flourishing shuffle.

“You are truly an evil goddaughter, did you know that?” He laughs and drapes an arm over my shoulder but the words don’t match the pride that glows in his dark blue eyes.

*****

My eyes narrow as I look at Hector from across the room. His arms are folded over his broad chest and his face reminds me of a dark thundercloud. The king of broody over there is listening intently to the meeting happening in the small conference room around us. It’s a small, intimate room, perfect for these kinds of meetings. The close proximity is meant to intimidate. The walls of the room are the standard beige office color with an accent wall that is floor to ceiling glass windows. They let in enough natural light during the day that fluorescent lights aren’t even needed. The floor is black and white checkered tile with a shine that only floor wax can produce.

Hector’s eyes make a thorough sweep of the room before settling on me. I give him a wink and he responds with an eye roll. I fight the urge to stick my tongue out at him and try to focus back on the meeting at hand, but these men are just droning on and on and on about their lost product, their failing business venture, and their unfaithful employees. It makes the whole room reek of desperation.

It’s a pretty decent sob story that these men have cooked up and tried to serve with a silver spoon, but Em is no green boy. The three men lounge easily in the conference room chairs as they chat with Em. “So you see, Emerson, sir, if we could just get a few more men. Men that will actually get the job done. We can move the money faster and more efficiently.” Theleader of the three stooges leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. Rodriguez is his name. “I know we can do better. We just need the resources.” His dark eyes flash briefly to me as I shift in my seat at my desk before settling back on Em.

My small note-taking desk is in the corner directly across from Hector and Em and against the wall of windows. Looking down at the people milling about the sidewalk below used to make me dizzy, but eventually, you get used to being on the forty-second floor. I do have to admit that the sunsets are killer from my office on the forty-eighth floor, but who’s bragging?

Rodriguez isn’t wrong. They have great potential. Their business plan is nearly flawless, but they just don’t have the headcount to move the kind of money that we need moved at this time. It’s not their fault that their guys are stupid and couldn’t handle the job and got themselves killed. Everyone has to start somewhere I suppose. My eyes cut to Hector again, and I raise my right hand to itch underneath my nose.

“We have a few men that just came in, sir. This will be a good learning experience for them,” Hector says from his place against the wall right behind Em. “I can give you their information and have them set up a meeting at the warehouse on 17th Street.” Rodriguez smiles brightly at him, my presence already forgotten. It always makes the men nervous when I sit in on these meetings. It’s like they’ve never seen a secretary taking meeting notes before.

“Thank you, Hector,” Em replies smoothly with a smile, his white teeth flashing against his dark, olive skin. “Is there anything else, gentlemen, or can we wrap this up?”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Emerson, sir.” The three stand, their chairs scraping against the tile floor in their haste, and they all shake hands vigorously with Em. “You will not regretthis. We’ll be the best you’ve had so far; I can promise you that. Thank you,” Rodriguez stutters as he backs out of the room. He nearly collides with Hector’s chest because he was so focused on Em.

“Hector, please show these men out and give them that information.” Em waves his hand dismissively and Hector disappears through the doorway behind the men with a nod. “I am going to regret this,” he mutters and brushes his hands over his face.

He looks exhausted. His short dark hair is starting to show a little gray, as does the beard on his strong chin. There are laugh lines that crease the corners of his eyes and worry lines etched permanently along his forehead. I’m probably responsible for eighty-five percent of those gray hairs and worry lines. This man has been keeping me out of trouble for years now, and there is no one I would trust my life with more. Other than Hector. Those two are the most important people to me. My true ride or dies.

I stand from my small desk in the corner and close the door. The frosted glass provides us privacy for the next order of business. The heels of my black stilettos clack against the white tile floor as I pace back and forth in front of the small round table. “I don’t think they’ll be an issue. They’re green, yes, but Rodriguez has a good grasp on the job details. I think with a little more muscle and brains, he can get the job done. Who knows, he might just meet our expectations. Then we can bring him on for real.”

“I hate these games,” he mutters under his breath and comes around to sit on the edge of the table in front of me. “You always play them better than I do.”

My eyes narrow slightly, and I stop my pacing to give him a hug. My small arms wrap around his middle and squeeze softly. “You do an amazing job. We wouldn’t be where we are today without you being the face of this operation. I appreciate you more than you could ever know.”

His chuckle rumbles through his chest as he hugs me back. “Diego would be so proud of you.” His words pluck at my heartstrings.

“I know, but my mother would not be. I can just hear her now. ‘I cannot believe my only daughter is running around with these mobster wannabes. I raised you better than this. You should have more respect for yourself.’ I know she would not approve of my life, but I can’t find it in me to actually care.” The smile that splits my face is a touch feral when I look back up at Em. I know the wild is evident in my green eyes. The wound on my lip opens slightly and blood oozes onto my tongue.

He rolls his eyes. “You always did have a flair for the dramatics, but that does sound exactly like her. High-pitched, disapproving voice and all.” Emerson lets me go and walks back around the table to sit in the high-backed office chair that he occupied during the meeting. “You have become a strong and capable woman, and despite your red ledger, she would be proud of what you have become, Emelia.”

“Thank you, Tobias, it really means a lot. I appreciate you always watching my back.” I gather my laptop and documents from my desk and head for the door.

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