Page 37 of Crow

Soon, a man in a suit comes and pays Crow in bonus chips, clearly hoping he’ll stick around and play them, but they also give him a large plastic bucket. Crow gathers everything up. I do the same, picking up my meagre piles and following him to the cashier’s cage at the back.

He seems to intrinsically know his way around this place. Has he been here specifically, or does he just know how casinos are generally laid out?

It takes a minute for all the cash to be counted, and someone has to come and sign off on such a large sum, I guess.

My knees nearly give out at the total. It’s just shy of seventeen thousand dollars. After starting out with five hundred. Who the hell knew that five dollars and ten dollars could turn into something like that?

Crow knew.

He masterfully executed his plan exactly as he said he would.

“Are you okay to come back up to the rooms and put this in the safe?” he asks after.

I can’t even speak. I just nod.

Now that I’m standing, I feel the effects of the vodka far more clearly than I did at the table. From the outside, maybe I still look normal, because Crow doesn’t seem to notice. He finally slips off the sunglasses when we get into the elevator. He’s so quiet. I have no idea what he’s thinking. If he’s excited or triumphant, he’s tunneled back into that part of himself that he doesn’t share with the rest of the world.

I stand in the doorway as he tucks the wad of cash into the safe and shuts it. My passport is locked in an identical one in my room. There’s no way I’m carrying that on me here.

We head back down, me on shaky legs with a swimming head. Crow leads the way outside, a walking freaking GPS that doesn’t get the least bit confused in the massive building.

I gulp in the night air gratefully. It’s tinged with the scents of the city and is more noxious and warm than fresh, but it still feels good.

All the excitement of being here, finally leaving my parents’ house, of a future that I’m in charge of, Crow winning all that money, just Crowhimself, bubbles up.

This place is fucking magic.

It could also be the vodka.

“It’s so absolutely wondrous here! I want the whole Vegas experience, right now.”

“A salt pretzel and a giant caramel apple?” he suggests with a slight tilt of his lips. They’re nice, masculine lips. I know I’m staring at them too long, but I can’t look away.

Until I can. I spread my arms out at the sides and twirl around like people do in rainstorms outdoors. “I want to… to dye my hair! No! Shave half my head! I want to get a tattoo. On my shaved head. I want to get my nipples pieced. I want to see strippers!”

Crow is suddenly right at my side. He tilts my face up, pinching my chin lightly between his strong index finger and thumb. His eyes crash into mine, searching and assessing. “Have you—” he pauses as he assesses me closely. “Were you drinking back there?”

“Cranberry juice.”

“And what else?”

“Maybe vodka.”

“Fuck. How many of those did you drink?”

“Two.”

His eyes narrow dangerously. Ominously. He’s so close. I could just arch up and into him and I’d be able to taste the words right off his lips before he says them. “Tarynn.”

Holy fuck, my name on his tongue sounds delicious. “Five.”

“Do you know how strong those drinks are? They give them free to get people drunk because then they’re sloppy and free with their cash.”

“I- are you mad? They were just really good, and I was thirsty. I liked the way it felt to get warm and tingly. I know that you’re here to keep me safe. I’ll just have some water and something to eat and I’m sure that the buzz will go away in no time.”

“If you’re just buzzed, it hasn’t truly hit yet. I think we should go back to the room. We can order some food there.”

Seriously? No. That’s not going to happen. I’m not going to be treated like I’m a naughty child. I know that Crow feels responsible for me, but there’s just zero way that I’m going to miss out on this glorious night.

---