Page 8 of Queen of Spades

The same is true for the dealers, servers, and bartenders. That, or come with a special skill set, like myself.

Gambling is at the heart of Vegas, but Spades appeals to a very specific set of clients.

Most of the High Roller’s clientele is here for the atmosphere—or the omegas.

You don’t make it into Spades unless you’re betting in the top one percent of spenders. And I’m the gatekeeper who ensures all lucky streaks are actually skill or luck and not cheating.

Counting cards isn’t difficult, but for most people, it does take a lot of practice to get good at. Luckily for me, my math and memory skills are considerably above average.

The thing about card counting is it isn’t illegal. Well, unless you’re lazy enough to use a device instead of your own brain power—but the house doesn’t like losing its advantage. It’s not easy to spot the ones who are actually good at counting, especially the ones humble enough to take enough losses that it’s not glaringly obvious.

The other half of my job is looking for tells that the bettor is tipping cards or using some other method of cheating, like sleight of hand.

I toss my badge up in front of the scanner, and the door pops open to allow entry to the security corridor. The stairs to Spades are immediately to my right, but the entire wall on the left is one-way glass to see out over the main floor. Down a little farther on the right is the security command center for the main floor.

I take the turn into the stairwell and aim for the second floor. Once I reach the top, I make a left, and after a short walk, I’m in the Spades security center.

Unlike the main security room downstairs that’s lined with a massive amount of tables covered in computer monitors, this room is cozier.

The wall to the right is one-way glass that looks over the high-roller room. The four desks are empty, except for one.

I yank my bag over my head and toss it down on my desk as I aim for the private stairwell that leads to the VIP back entrance of Spades.

Jimmy pops out the door before I can even grab the handle. “Where the hell have you been, Annika?”

It didn’t take nearly as long as I expected to grow accustomed to my new name. It feels a hell of a lot more like me than Sparrow ever did. Okay, that’s a lie, but I think I’ve almost convinced myself that I don’t miss my old life…

The old me might be a different story.

I quirk an eyebrow at my boss. “I got here as soon as I could.” I wasn’t technically scheduled until nine. The heavy hitters tend to be the night crowd, which works perfectly for me.

“Yeah, well, we’ve got quite the crowd tonight, including two new guys who just bumped up their memberships to include Spades.” Jimmy sighs, scratching his salt-and-pepper beard. “They want lap candy.”

I roll my eyes so far they practically get stuck in my head.

I serve drinks as a convenient cover for when I’m verifying if luck is really luck. I’m all for the omegas earning money however they see fit, but I can’t do my job effectively if I’m busy flirting.

The top floor of the club is private sex rooms. I have yet to partake in any of that. Not that I’m opposed to it, but no member has yet to tempt me.

Grady might have something to do with that, but I don’t let myself think too much on my fuck buddy.

Grady Wells works security for the club, and with it being Friday night, he’s definitely around here somewhere.

“Come on, Anni. It’s packed down there. The newbies are on a streak, and I need to know if it’s legit.” Jimmy shrugs, forcing a smile. “I’ll owe you one.”

“You know I work better when I can see their faces and the table,” I tell him, planting my hands on my hips. “Maybe see if any of the women downstairs might want to step in. The high rollers are always super generous, especially when they’re on a streak. Let me do my job. It’s more of a hindrance than a help when you try to do it for me.” I pat his shoulder. “I’ll take over serving them and pretend to be enamored by watching them win big. How’s that for compromise?”

“Fine…” He continues cursing under his breath as he stomps past me. “Just, ya know, do your thing and save my bonus.”

“Got it, Jimmy.” I laugh, shoving my hair behind my ear.

It’s time to get to work.

The main casino is louder than Spades because it’s closer to the dance floor, but the bass is unmistakable, no matter where you are in the building. They pump high doses of oxygen into both the main casino and the high-roller room, and with music playing through the speakers, it’s quite a vibe.

The night passes quickly, and Jimmy will be heartbroken to know the two newbies were simply on a lucky streak. They aren’t bad to look at, but the one guy Jade is talking to reminds me a little too much of an alpha I spent my last heat with. They also have questionable manners, which is unusual for our clientele.

I sigh, glancing around as the dealers start to close everything up. I’ve got another heat coming in less than a month. They’re never more than three months away. It always feels like I just start to recover from the last one before another starts creeping up.

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