Page 30 of Betting Blind
“Exactly.” The last message I received from him was from the night Cassidy and Juliana came to tell us about the guys who spooked them. That was Wednesday, the same night I called and left him a message. “Tell me why my brother hasn’t answered my calls or texts for almost a week now?”
Panic festers under my skin, spreading like a sickness, and a light sheen of sweat blankets my body. “He’s in trouble, D.” Glancing at my best friend, I see my fear mirrored in his gaze.
I stand quickly, but Derrick comes around my desk, placing his hand on my shoulders to stop me. “Take a deep breath, Jack. Let’s think about this before you go tearing up the town looking for a guy who wants to be lost.”
Taking a step back to cool down, I roll the tension out of my shoulders and pop my neck. “You truly think that’s what this is? That he doesn’t want to be found?”
“Think about it, man. It’s no secret to us that he’s been hanging around with some questionable characters, but how bad are they honestly? So he’s got a bit of gambling addiction. That doesn’t mean he’s in need of rescuing. Sounds to me like he doesn’t want his little brother knowing what he’s really up to.” D crosses his arms while I contemplate his view on the matter.
He’s not entirely wrong. Ben has always been the protective type. If he knew something would upset me—even slightly—then he wouldn’t tell me. He had to know I would find out about the money, though.
The look on Ben’s face the last time I spoke with him in person flashes through my mind, telling me all I need to know. He came through the back door to the kitchen, and I remember how red-hot furious I was as I confronted him about his bad habits.
“Whatever.”I hear the last word he spoke to me in my mind, but I vividly recall that haunted look on his face…
Cassidy’s terror-filled eyes after her and Juliana were spooked by those two guys force their way to the forefront. Anxiety saturates my insides like sludge. Those men weren’t a coincidence… and they definitely weren’t strangers.
Fuck. I don’t know why I didn’t put the pieces together sooner.
“No. He needs me, Derrick… I’m telling you.” I move to step around him and an impatient hiss sounds from behind me.
“Look, Jack. You know I love him too, but we can’t keep cleaning up his messes. How many times do you have to rip open your past before you’re done for good?”
I turn and place my hand on his shoulder and grip it tightly. “I’m going to find him, D.”
“Fuck,” he breathes out the word on a heavy sigh. “Well then, I’m coming with you.”
* * *
We wait until the sun has set to head out. If there’s one place that can draw the worst out of one of the best men I know, it’s the Royals Inn. There are rumors around town that the owner is the devil himself, capturing the souls of the damned and unlucky. Who else but Lucifer could sit back and watch people purge their life savings, all while reaping the benefits with a Cheshire smile?
I’ve seen the glazed-over eyes of the people who frequent Royals’ underground casino. They appear to be zombies, throwing insane amounts of cash at the dealers while others sit in front of colorful slot machines for hours on end… but that’s not the worst of it. No, it’s the conniving, manipulative loan sharks who are working the biggest hustle I’ve ever seen. They’re ruthless, and they make a killing for the boss—literally. They prey on the weak and feeble-minded, making these people believe that if they pay them back, all will be forgiven.
Not a single person was able to pay them back during the years Ben and I had worked at Royals.
Vibrations come from my front pocket, and I pull my phone out to see two missed calls from Cassidy. As soon as I unlock it to call her back, headlights shine across the parking lot, and I squint through the bright light to make out the driver.
The old Honda pulls up one spot away from where Derrick and I are standing in front of my truck. “Is that Cassidy?” D asks from beside me and I nod. This could not be worse timing.
Damn. I swallow hard as she exits the car, and I’m suddenly grateful that I changed into jeans. She flicks her gaze to Derrick, then to me as a bright smile spreads across her face. The excited glow she’s sporting has my heart stuttering.
Her long, slender legs immediately grab my attention as I watch her approach in the dusky evening light. I appreciate the fit of her loose T-shirt and light jean shorts with the shredded bottoms.
“Hey, guys.” She beams up at us.
Derrick can’t help himself. He’s got a goofy smile on his face, admiring her warm presence. “Hey yourself, sweetheart,” he says with the flirty twang I’ve always associated him with. “I see you’ve taken to marking yourself like this idiot.”
Glaring at Derrick, who blows me kiss, I gently take her arm and look at Red’s work. “It’s healing nicely,” I tell her through the lump in my throat when those big green eyes meet mine. She truly takes my breath away.
Turning her attention to D, she hands him the keys. “Thank you for letting me borrow your car. I wanted to return it, since yesterday was my last shift.” Picking up on the tension, she bounces on her heels before fumbling awkwardly. “I w-was hoping you could give me a ride back? I, um… tried to call you.” The last of her words turn quiet as if she’s a bother.
I curse inwardly. What if there was a way I could be with her without telling her about my past? The whole point of escaping it was to start my own life, free of deception and addiction, but Ben continuously drags me toward it no matter how hard I try to cut ties.
Raising a brow to Derrick, I cue him to give me some of his ever-present wisdom. Surely, he can come up with something to tell her so we can get out of here without raising her suspicions.
He stares at me blankly before understanding dawns on him. “Oh, right. Um.” He pauses, looking around the area like the words are going to jump out and bite him, and I resist the urge to shake him.So much for wisdom.
I can practically see the wheels turning in Cassidy’s head as she glances between us, then to the open doors of my truck. “What’s wrong?”
