Page 38 of Russian Roulette
For a short time in the kitchen, it felt nice to be a part of their group. I’ve always worked alone, and being included with others is a new experience. Even as a child, I never had the time or money to join any after school activities or clubs.
I’ve always been alone.
I keep wondering how they would react if they knew the real reason I’m here in Vegas. If my information is correct, the mysterious Natasha is hiding something that could make someone filthy rich if they understand how to use it.
And I do.
What if the guys could help me get it? Or even better, what if they were willing to work with me? Together, we could bring this town to its knees.
Even the evil Giovanni, if he didn’t catch us first. The idea is undeniably appealing.
Tap, tap, tap.
What the hell is that noise? Something or someone is tapping on the outside of the bathroom window. I run over to the window, grab the pull string, and lift the blinds.
Tap, tap.
A huge ostrich with long eyelashes is tapping at its own reflection, staring back at it in the bathroom window. It’s not alone. There’s an entire flock of big ostriches wandering around outside the house, picking at the grass.
That’s weird.
Kit told me it wasn’t safe to go outside the house because the tigers roam around free, guarding the property. Yet now there’s a flock of large, flightless birds wandering around without a care in the world. The tigers aren’t guarding the grounds. If they were, they’d kill the ostriches in a heartbeat.
Kit lied to me.
The fact stings me more than it should. He tricked me into not trying to escape. I’m an idiot to trust him, and to believe he would let the tigers roam around loose. Given his protectiveness, he wouldn’t do that. The guys must be laughing their asses off at how stupid I am. I can’t believe one damn word they say to me. It’s all a pack of lies on top of lies.
I’m seething with anger.
Fuck them and their pizza and their tigers and most of all, their sexy eyes!
I’m out of here.
20
SEVEN
“Do you think Jade’s feeling okay?” I ask, checking the time on my phone. “I hope she’s not sick. She’s been in the bathroom quite a while.”
“I was wondering the same thing,” Kit replies. “She didn’t eat anything all day and then she wolfed down the pizza too fast. I feel bad for not insisting that she wake up and take time to eat more today. She’s acts as if she’s missed a few meals lately.”
“If you ask me, she’s missed meals a lot in her life,” Vulcan says. “I’ve never seen a woman gobble up food the way she does. That’s a sign of one thing-food insecurity. I should know, since I’ve missed plenty of meals when I was younger.”
“I don’t remember ever going without food, though we went without a lot of things,” I remark, remembering my childhood. “Dad always made sure we had enough to eat, even if it was peanut butter and crackers. We never went hungry.”
“Considering yourself lucky there, buddy,” Vulcan says. “It’s something you don’t forget easily. Going hungry can fuck up your mind when you’re a kid. I’ll go check on her.” He moves to get up from the table.
“No, I’ll do it,” I say, stopping him. “I’m the one that got her into this mess. I need to try to smooth things over and talk some sense into her. There’s no way she can understand how dangerous Giovanni is. I didn’t want to scare her unnecessarily by giving her too many gory details of the things he’s done. He’s not a man to cross.”
“Any idea of why he wants her?” Vulcan leans over to grab another slice of pizza out of the box. “It doesn’t set right with me that Giovanni is personally getting involved with picking up a petty criminal. He has layers of security to deal with minor issues. There are scammers working every day in the casinos. Vegas was built for scams. There’s another reason he wants her.”
“I’m not sure exactly what he’s after,” I say. “At first, I was convinced he wanted to find her because she was trying to pull something on the casino. You’re right, though. He’s going through too much trouble for that to be the only reason. What if he doesn’t want Jade at all? What if he wants something from the Russians and intends to trade Jade to them for it?”
“Or she has specific skills that he needs,” Kit says. “Same as all of us. He found each one of us because he was searching for specific talents to fill his shows. Giovanni is a special collector of people, the same as other collectors collect rare wines or art work. Once he sets his mind on something, he doesn’t stop until he gets it. And then he never lets go.”
The more we discuss Jade’s situation, the more worried I become. “We need to keep talking to Jade to convince her of the danger she’s in. We’ll regret it if we don’t. We can’t sweep this under the rug and pretend she’s not in danger here.” I shove away from the table. “I’ll go check on her.”
I walk along the long hallway and enter the guestroom without knocking. The door to the bathroom is shut, with the light glowing underneath the door. “Jade, are you okay in there?” I ask through the door. She doesn’t answer. Pressing my ear against the door, I listen for any sounds from her.
