Page 82 of Double or Nothing
As usual, he spent most of the night on the front porch again. For the life of me, I can’t imagine why he prefers sleeping on hard concrete instead of a soft, warm bed. I don’t ask questions because he seems happier than I’ve ever seen him. Whatever he’s doing must be working for him.
“Would you have a few minutes today to swing by the penthouse for a quick chat with me and Kit?” I ask him. “Leroy will be there too.”
“Sure,” he replies, throwing me a puzzled glance over his shoulder, his dark eyes narrowing. “You mean a chat without Jade?”
I nod back at him, my stomach tight. “I have a few concerns about her plan and wanted to discuss it.”
“You’re not the only one,” he says, leaning back on the counter and crossing his arms. “I’m glad you brought it up. I’ll swing by this afternoon before I go to work.”
“Great,” I reply, grabbing my car keys from the hook hanging on the wall. “Kit said he’s available anytime. We’ll see you then.”
* * *
“What’s on your mind?”Kit asks me, stretching his arm along the back of my leather sofa. “This feels weird having a meeting without including Jade. I doubt she’d appreciate us talking about her behind her back.”
“Hell no, she wouldn’t like it,” Vulcan replies, sitting across from him. “But sometimes we’ve got to do things to protect her, even if it means stepping on her toes. Spit it out, Seven. We’ve all got places we need to be. Tell us your thoughts.”
“I’m worried about her plan,” I say. “It’s not a secret that I grew up running scams with my dad. Until Giovanni gave me my own show, that’s all I ever knew. Something feels off about Jade’s plan, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s not as if this is an original scam that hasn’t been tried out before. I researched it thoroughly, and it’s been successfully pulled off in several international casinos, but not in Vegas, as far as I know.”
“Which means it could’ve been unsuccessfully tried here, and the people were caught,” Vulcan says.
“Right,” I say.
“Are you afraid Jade will get caught?” Kit leans forward, his eyes growing serious.
“I’m worried,” I answer. “Not going to lie. Just because a scam worked internationally doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to work in Vegas. Our security systems are better, and the casinos work together when they spot a potential issue. All it would take is one small slipup for the dominoes to topple. Everything could go to hell quickly.”
“Where do you think the biggest risk is?” Kit asks.
“The whole fucking idea is risky,” I reply. “The casinos use all kinds of techniques to spot suspicious behavior. Everything from surveillance cameras watching everything to computerized algorithms that can detect unusual patterns that fall outside of statistical norms. Plus, there’s always the floor staff observing the gamblers. Luckily, Leroy is connected to the casino security alert system. If any other casino puts out an alert for suspicious behavior, he'll receive it.”
“Then what?” Vulcan asks. “Hypothetically, if a casino thought they saw something suspicious, and an alert went out, would Jade abort?”
“Of course she would,” Kit replies firmly. “She’s not stupid.”
Vulcan raises his eyebrows at him. “No, but she’s stubborn and determined.”
“And that’s exactly what terrifies the shit out of me,” I say. “We need a backup plan in case everything blows up. No matter what happens or what we need to do, we can’t let anyone, especially Giovanni or his men, get their hands on Jade. Understood?”
“Absolutely,” Vulcan replies, nodding in agreement along with Kit, their faces set with determination. “Do you already have a worst case scenario plan in mind?”
I grin at them, the tension in me lightening. “Why do you think I brought you here?”
35
JADE
Christmas Eve in the dressing room at Platinum…
“The red hair suits you,” Natasha remarks, stepping back to admire her handiwork. “You look European and chic. Sophisticated and mysterious. Like a spy in an old movie.”
Her hand reaches for my face, sweeping away a few rogue strands of hair. When I flinch, she holds my chin steady. “Be still and stop wriggling,” she scolds. “I can’t tell if the wig is on straight if you keep moving.”
“The wig’s too heavy and it feels weird,” I grumble. “And it’s hot as hell. What if it falls off?”
“The wig will be fine if you do what I say. Let me fix it.”
Turning slightly, I try to glimpse myself in the mirror. It’s hard to concentrate when muscular male strippers are changing into cop uniforms right behind us for their next performance. They barely have time to switch outfits before the music of the next song blasts, signaling their cue to run back out on stage.
