Page 41 of Bullet

Standing, I took one last puff before putting out my cigarette. “Thanks.” I headed toward the table games, hoping Dixyn's friend was right.

Once I found the craps tables, I stopped and looked around, searching for my beauty. I finally picked out her bright red hair at one of the roulette tables a few tables away.

I made my way over to her. She smiled warmly at a player as she handed him a drink, and he tipped her some chips.

When she saw me, her demeanor completely shifted. Narrowing her eyes, she stalked over to me. “What the hell are you doing here?” she asked, her voice an angry whisper.

“Nice to see you, too, kitten.” I chuckled.

“Well, the last time I saw you, you told me to get lost. So I'm confused as to why you're here.”

“Look, about that … Can we talk?”

She frowned, darting her eyes around. “I'm working. I can't just drop everything to talk to you. I need to get back to the players.”

“Wait,” I said, stopping her. Dixyn looked at me impatiently as I stepped over to the nearest roulette table and took out a hundred-dollar bill. “Pick a number,” I said as the attendant spun the ball onto the roulette wheel.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“If I have to play to get you to talk to me, I have no problem doing so. So pick a number.”

Dixyn's wide, dark eyes darted between the wheel and the table several times, but she still didn't respond.

“Now, kitten.”

The wheel started to slow as she blurted out, “Nine.”

I slammed my money down on the nine right before the attendant announced no more bets.

I smirked at Dixyn as she gaped at me. “That wasn't so hard now was it?”

“You just put a hundred dollars on my number,” she stammered, flustered. “What if you lose that because of me?”

I shrugged, amused by her reaction. I loved seeing her all worked up.

As she was about to speak again, the attendant called out, “Nine!”

Dixyn's eyes widened in surprise as I took a glance at the wheel. Sure enough, the ball had landed on the nine.

“Oh my God,” Dixyn murmured in surprise.

I was shocked for a few moments myself before I cheered out, “Yeah!” I grinned widely at Dixyn. “You just won me thirty-five hundred bucks, kitten.”

Her lips curved into a huge smile, and she let out a little squeal of delight.

As the attendant called a pit boss and stacked my payout, I asked, “When you get off? I'm taking you out to celebrate.”

Her cheeks flushed. “I get off at eight.”

“All right. I'll pick you up at eight.”

“Okay.” Dixyn gave me a small wave before returning to serve customers. I left after getting my money and went back to the shop. I felt a hundred times better after seeing her alive and well, and winning thirty-five hundred dollars was just icing on the cake.

When eight o'clock rolled around, I pulled up outside the casino on my bike. Dixyn came out a few minutes later, dressed in some tight jeans and a white halter top. She looked fine as hell, exactly what I wanted sitting on the back of my bike.

She approached me with a smile. “Good thing I brought a change of clothes.”

I handed her a helmet. “Ready?”

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