Page 86 of Wild Ace

I guess I should be flattered that I’ve earned a briefcase and not just a few sacks to carry out.

The air in the room shifts, and the hairs on the back of my neck tickle, letting me know someone important just walked into the room. The men who were counting my chips bow their heads in respect and I turn to face the man who warrants such respect.

“You’ve never been here before. I would have remembered.”

“You’re correct,” I say simply, surprised when my voice comes out steady.

“You come here and we have an incident. Coincidence, or no?”

“Yes, it is. I didn’t know him and he seemed to have a problem with losing.”

“He’s been dealt with. As for you,” he says, stepping closer, his cold eyes assessing me. “You should find somewhere else to play. You’re bad for business.”

“You won’t see me again.”

“We’re taking an extra fee for our trouble tonight,” he tells me, and the guy placing my money in the briefcase doesn’t add the last ten stacks of money to it.

So, the fee for causing trouble is a hundred grand?

I’m not about to argue though, if it means I get to walk out of here unscathed.

“Sounds fair.”

“More than fair.” The briefcase is closed and locked, and handed to the man in charge. “I’ll walk you out.”

I’m escorted back the way I thought I might never walk again, and I’m so close to breathing a breath of fresh, free air, that I also thought I might never have again.

We reach the main room that’s still being cleared out, and it’s as if everyone knows not to look our way.

I’ve been in fight or flight mode for hours now, and keeping up appearances has been slowly draining me.

I need air. I need to scream. I need to cry. I need to…I don’t know. I just need to get out of here and make sure no one follows me back home.

“Remember what I said,” he tells me, handing me my briefcase by the door.

“I will.”

The heavy metal door is opened for me and I walk out into the frigid city air, not even feeling it at this point after everything. It doesn’t even touch me.

“You fucking bitch!” Regular guy emerges from the shadows of a nearby dumpster and I freeze. I’m glad they didn’t kill him, but I do see dried blood around his nose and mouth, as well as a bruise forming around his eye. But it’s the limp as he slowly approaches me that has me seeing the blood stain blooming on his jeans.

They shot him in the leg. And then what? Threw him out the door?

“You need a doctor,” I tell him, taking a step backwards.

“What I need is my money back.”

“What you need is to stop where you are.” I hold my hand up. “Or do you want me to go knock on the door and tell them you’re still here?”

Where the hell did those two scary bodyguards go that were outside before?

His face thunders as he takes another hobbled step towards me. “I want my money.”

The door I came out of opens to let two more men out, and every cell in my body is screaming at me to run. To just run and hope I make it to my car before my money is stolen, I’m attacked, or worse.

I just need to get out of here.

I take another step backwards, but keep my eyes on the threat. If I had to, I know I could outrun him in his state, even with my heels. But my car is still around the block and I’d have to be very careful not to twist my ankle or break a heel.

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