Page 18 of Mechanic

Suing the airline’s parent company, I became even wealthier and ended up the new owner of a small airline. Retaining possession of one plane, I sold off the rest of the company. The pilot is employed by me, undergoes regular drug testing, and, as far as I know, is content to fly me where I want to go at a moment’s notice. No doubt his hefty salary helps with that.

With all of the money in my bank account, plus investments, I don’t need to work. It gets boring after a while, though. Aymond, Brody, and I had gotten together for dinner when Aymond got called away for something in the casino, causing us to poke fun at him for it. Me and my big mouth teased that running a casino was nowhere near as difficult as he was making it out to be.

Obviously, Aymond is laughing now.

He is right, though. I need an assistant. Maybe Sheriff Galloway knows of someone who could help me out.

With that idea in my mind, I shake out of my pity party, rising to my feet.

Opening my office door, I hide my surprise when finding the number of people waiting to see me has doubled.

Who needs sleep?

My alarm blares from the nightstand, causing me to roll over, pulling a pillow over my head as I turn, attempting to smother the noise.

Lying there as it continues blaring, I let out a huff of annoyance. Tossing the pillow aside and sitting up with my feet tossed over the side of the bed, my eyes search for the offending device.

Shutting off the alarm, I stand. Arms up over my head, my body twists and turns, stretching out my sore muscles.

Entering the bathroom, I start the shower, giving the water a moment to heat up. Looking into the mirror at my reflection, I turn my head this way and that.

“Fuck it,” I mutter, deciding that I can’t be bothered to shave.

Steam fills the room, fogging the mirror before I step under the hot spray of the water.

Placing my hands on the wall and hanging my head, I take a moment to myself. It’s probably the only one I am going to get today.

Dressing in one of my favorite suits, I gulp down two cups of coffee, knowing the caffeine is needed to get through the day. Checking the time, I have one hour before the casino opens.

Making my way from the hotel to the casino, controlled chaos greets me.

Briefly, I check the floor for any major issues, then go in search of more coffee. Trying to function on only three hours of sleep is going to be fun.

Chapter 12

Antonia

The past week has flown by.

Adjusting to my new role as a dealer has gone pretty smoothly. One minor glitch has been Tony, the pit boss.

When we work the same shifts, my body is so tense by the time I get home it aches. Migraines threaten to split my skull open almost daily.

Knowing that Tony is working the shift with me today, my belly has been churning from the nerves.

Making it through the first part of my shift, I run into Shawna on my way back to the floor after my break.

“Are you okay?” she asks me, concern for my well-being evident in her expression.

Tears of frustration pool in my eyes, and I dab at the corners to keep them from escaping. My shoulders sag as my breath hitches, admitting defeat.

“Shawna, I can’t take this anymore,” I say, my voice cracking. “Is that offer to transfer to New York still an option?”

She pulls me into a tight hug. When Shawna pulls back, her hands remain on my shoulders. Looking into my eyes, she must find what she is looking for.

“Of course it is. When do you want to leave?”

“Give me two weeks here,” I tell her, doing some quick math on how fast I can pack and clear out my apartment. “I will need a week to travel. I don’t want to be rushed.”

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