Page 70 of Double or Nothing
“If you’re thinking you can finish him off at the hospital, don’t risk it,” Jade warns. “The police might be guarding him. Let it go.”
Natasha’s laugh is bitter and hollow. “Let it go?” she scoffs. “Never. Not until he is six feet under.”
The hum of the city outside is a distant echo as I probe deeper. “Jade’s been tight-lipped about your past. What’s the story with you and Igor?”
A dark shadow crosses Natasha’s face. “We have history. Dark, twisted history. My hatred for him burns as fiercely as it did for Ivan.”
“Then I’m glad we could help you out,” I say. “Where do you want us to take you? Back to Platinum?”
She nods back at me. “Yes, I need to tell Eva everything.”
“Was the operation going as planned until Igor showed up?” I ask. “Or was it a complete bust today?”
“Everything was working beautifully,” Jade replies. “We were so close. Within a couple of spins. Maybe it’s better this way without us going all the way through to the end. We’ll draw less suspicion. Personally, I don’t believe we need to do another test run. The plan will work.”
“Are you sure?” I ask. “There’s time to do another test one or two.”
“I’m sure,” Jade replies. “Every time we step foot into a casino, we’re raising our chances of getting caught. I’m confident the plan is solid. We should begin our preparations for Christmas Eve. It’s time to do this.”
“I agree,” Natasha says. “Jade is ready. All we need to do is make certain the rest of us can do our parts, too.”
“Natasha, do you mind if Leroy drops us off at my place before taking you to Platinum?” I ask, hoping to grab a rare, few minutes alone with Jade.
“No, I don’t mind,” Natasha replies.
“Leroy, drop us off at my penthouse and take Natasha to Platinum. I’ll meet up with you later, before the show.”
“Whoa…hang on a minute,” he says. “Shouldn’t you be asking me if I mind, instead of her? What if she draws a knife on me, and holds it to my throat? She’s already gutted and filleted one man today.”
Natasha laughs softly at his comment. “Are you afraid of me?” she asks.
“Fuck yes! I’m scared of you,” he replies, glancing back at her in the rearview mirror. “You remind me of one of those Russian spies in the James Bond movies. Whenever Bond would go to sleep, they’d try to stab him with an ice pick or strangle him with their pantyhose.”
“I’m not Russian, I’m Ukrainian,” she explains. “And I left my ice pick at home today.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he replies. “When Seven and Jade get out, I’m putting the partition up between us. When we arrive at Platinum, I’ll blow the horn, and then you can get out. I’m not giving you a chance to slit my throat. No sirree.”
Natasha laughs again, genuinely amused.
“Leroy!” I scold him. “You don’t need to be rude. We’re all working together now. Natasha won’t hurt you, for fuck’s sake!”
“Damn right, she won’t,” he mutters. “Because I won’t give her the chance.”
Ten minutes later, he drops us off at the private entrance to my building. Before we’ve stepped away from the limo, he’s already raising the partition between the front seat and the back where Natasha is sitting.
“I can’t believe Leroy is intimidated by Natasha,” Jade says, taking my hand in hers. “Natasha acts tough, but she’s a marshmallow underneath her cold exterior.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” I say.
30
JADE
Seven takes me up to his penthouse for the first time since I moved into Kit’s place. I can’t help but feel a small wave of nostalgia as memories flood back to me of our time spent together here.
“Do you miss living here?” I ask him, as he guides me inside with a gentle hand on my back.
The luxurious penthouse has a different vibe to it than before. The rooms are still immaculately decorated, filled with contemporary furniture and stunning artwork, but the vibe is sterile and cold now that Seven has technically moved out. The once vibrant and personal ambiance has been replaced by an elegance that lacks warmth. Even the bright Vegas lights streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows appear distant and impersonal.
