Page 129 of Gathered Sparkle

Annabelle’s nails dig into my arm as she steers us toward the slot machines. “Stop looking at the ceiling,” she whispers through a grin. “You’ll make us look suspicious.”

“Sorry.” I force a smile, willing my eyes to focus elsewhere and catch sight of Sylus at the bar, his shoulders relaxed, his casual smirk in place as he chats with the bartender. Ace is a few rows of slots down, scanning the room. They’ve been here for half an hour already, blending into the crowd.

“Should we get some champagne first?” Annabelle asks. “Would that help settle your nerves?”

“No thanks.” The answer is automatic. “I don’t drink anymore.”

Annabelle stops dead, her hand dropping from my arm as she turns to stare at me. “What? Since when?”

Right.What?

When did I decide that?

“I… I don’t know. I just don’t want to anymore.”

“Huh.” Her eyes narrow, the beginnings of a smirk forming. “I think I like these guys more and more.”

“It’s not for them.” Yes, Koen has this coercion thing on me. And, yeah, they’ve helped me keep my mind busy focused on other things. But it’s not for them. “It’s for me.”

I don’t want to hide behind it anymore.

“Well, shit.” Her expression softens as she takes my arm again, and we walk farther into the casino. “Good for you, Nova.”

Her approval makes something in me loosen, but it also reminds me that this isn’t about approval, hers or anyone else’s.

This is about me.

We stop near the rows of slot machines, and my breath catches when I spot Foster. He’s exactly where Sylus said he’d be, perched on a stool in front of a machine, his sandy hair tousled, his wiry frame swallowed by a beige suit that makes him look like a human Band-Aid.

This is the guy overseeing Veronica’s casino empire?

The guy who traffics girls?

He looks like someone who’s been losing at slots for hours. The sight of him causes my chest to get hot with anger, but I push it down.

Focus.

Annabelle slides onto the stool next to him, her smile radiant, while I linger behind them. Foster doesn’t notice us at first, too focused on feeding coins into the machine. After a moment, though, he glances our way, his gaze lingering on Annabelle before flicking to me.

His grin turns predatory. “Well, well. Can I help you two beautiful ladies?”

Annabelle laughs, light and airy. “Oh, we were just watching to see how this works. It’s our first time in a casino, and we wanted to try.”

“Is that so? You came to the right place. How about your first game is on me?” He slides a few coins across the machine toward her, his fingers lingering on the edge of the tray.

I can’t stop the subtle scoff that escapes me, but thankfully, Foster doesn’t notice.

My gaze darts back to Sylus, still at the bar, as he pretends to enjoy his drink. Ace is pacing closer now, circling the machines in a way that looks casual but is anything but.

“That’s so sweet of you.” Annabelle leans forward. “Thank you! I’ve always wanted to try one of these but didn’t know how.”

“Stick with me.” Foster puffs up like a pigeon showing off. “I’ll make sure you ladies have the best experience.”

While Annabelle expertly holds his attention, I take the opportunity to glance over his body again. My pulse spikes as I finally spot his phone tucked into the inner pocket of his jacket.

Shit.

This is going to be tricky.

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