Page 13 of Play to Win

Her eyes shadow and she catches her bottom lip between her teeth.“Yeah.Shit.I guess I can go crash at my friend Karine’s place tonight.Although I’d hate to have those guys show up there.Karine and her husband just had a baby.”

What’s she going to do, though?She can’t stay away from her home forever, trying to avoid those guys.Worry gnaws at my gut.“Well, have one more drink.”

“I shouldn’t.I have to take the bus to Karine’s place.”

“I’ll get you to Karine’s place.”

Her smile is sardonic.“I don’t even know you.”

“Hey.”I lay my hand on my chest.“I helped you out.”

“True.I’m sorry.You can understand why I’m a little ...wary, though.”To my surprise, she reaches out to pat my arm, and when her hand lingers, my blood heats up.Our eyes meet.

Heat pulses between us.She feels it too.

“Yeah,” I manage to grate out.“I get it.”

“Okay.”Her voice is husky.“One more drink.”

The guys come back from the blackjack tables then, and they’re whooping and throwing their arms around one another.Danny holds up a huge wad of cash.“I won!”he shouts.

Holy crap.

“Here’s your tip,” Danny declares, handing a bunch of bills to Lacey.They’re fucking hundred dollar bills.

She slowly takes the money, glancing at me, then the bills.I have no idea how much is in there, but I know it’s a good tip.“No.”She shakes her head.“I can’t take all this.”

“Sure, you can.”Danny grins.“I have lots more.”He waves the money.

“Shit, man.”Jeff grabs his arm to keep him from flaunting his cash.“You want someone to roll you on the way out of here?”

“Best way to avoid that is to spend this.”He waves over Crystal and orders bottles of Piper-Heidsieck.

Jesus.He’s even more hammered thanIam now.

Lacey’s laughing at him, but still holding the money.I nudge her backpack, sitting on the floor next to the couch, toward her so she can put it away.“We were going to tip you,” I say in a low voice.

She nods and pulls a small purse out of the bag to tuck the money into, clearly still uncomfortable with this.“I appreciate it.”

I know it’s not anywhere near what she needs to get her brother out of trouble, but I hope she doesn’t even try to do that.She needs to use that money for herself.She needs to cut him loose and let him face the consequences of his actions.I also know from family experience that’s easy to say but not so easy to do.

5

LACEY

This is turning into a party,which I’ve always loved, but I wish it was anywhere else but here.The servers are giving me weird looks, and it’s only a matter of time until Enrico discovers I’m sitting here drinking champagne after being fired.

But like Théo said, I’m a paying customer now.Well, except I’m not paying.Someone is, though.

Hmmm, I knocked back those glasses of Jack pretty quick.

Fuck it.Right now, I don’t give a shit about anything.I lost my job and don’t have enough money in the bank to pay the rent.Chris has disappeared and sicced the mob on me.I could go home and lock my doors and cry in my bed, but that won’t change anything, and staying here and having a few drinks with some ...well, strangers, but they seem decent, isn’t going to change anything either.

I’m on my own in the world.I have been for a while, I have to admit, since Chris sure as hell isn’t there for me.He’s doing the opposite in fact.I might as well do what I want.

I knock back my first glass of champagne all at once.Hey, those flutes are small.

“Easy there, lush puppy,” Théo says.“I know you had a bad day, but you don’t want to get ham sandwiched.”

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