Page 49 of Russian Roulette
“Does he know now how you do the illusions?” she asks. “Surely he’s figured them out if you’ve been together for years.”
I smile at her. “To this day, he’s never figured out how I do my illusions and I’m glad. The day Leroy stops believing in my magic is the day I quit. He helps me remember why I started doing them in the first place.”
“That’s a cool story. Is it true?”
“Every word.” I’m glad she isn’t asking about my family story, which was a blatant lie. “You can ask him.”
“What’s the deal with Kit and Vulcan? There’s a tight bond between you. More than just a group of guys who hang out to party together.”
I hesitate a moment, unsure of how much to tell her. “We all come from similar backgrounds,” I say. “Now that we’re older, we have some of the same goals. These two things caused us to form a tight bond. Tighter than you might expect from a group of guys in a competitive entertainment world. Vegas isn’t a place where it’s easy to make friends. It’s a cutthroat environment to live and work in. Everyone is out only for themselves.”
“You’re lucky to have each other,” she says. “It’s hard to make friends anywhere these days. Or maybe it’s just me.”
Surprised, I draw back to stare at her face. “What do you mean? You don’t have any friends back in Los Angeles?”
She snorts. “Are you kidding? Los Angeles is just as fake as Vegas, maybe worse. Nobody makes genuine friends there.” She sighs. “I’ve always been a loner. It didn’t bother me not having friends. I’m more comfortable being alone.” Her body language tells me it mattered more than she’s letting on.
I tighten my grip slightly around her shoulders. It’s all I can do to keep from wrapping my arms around her and pull her onto my lap. I want to hold her close until she feels secure and safe. She might not understand my intentions, and I would hate to frighten her away from me. Jade doesn’t strike me as a girl who gives second chances freely.
“Your loner days are over,” I tell her. “Because you’re stuck with us now. Whether you like it or not.”
26
JADE
Seven’s words cause an unfamiliar rush of emotion to wash over me. Being stuck with these guys wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.Would it?Especially the way I’m feeling right now.
He wasn’t joking about the alcohol content in the cotton candy drink. There’s a delicious buzz going on in my head and even though my life is certified shit, everything is right at this moment.
Seven’s muscular arm is wrapped around my shoulder, with his warm body sheltering me from the wind. The masculine scent of his cologne makes me want to bury my nose in his neck and stay snuggled there for the rest of the night. As undeniably sexy as he is, I’d doubt we’d only snuggle for long. Seven’s charm would be impossible to resist if he turned it on me full blast. I get the sense he’s holding back, almost afraid to push me too far. He’s a smart and charming man. I’m irresistibly drawn to those qualities in him.
Seven would make an exceptional partner.
The curious thought pops into my brain. Would it be possible? How could that even work? I quickly put the thought of working together with the guys out of my mind. There’s too much I still don’t understand. If I show my hand too soon, they’ll screw me over. I can’t take that chance.
Not yet.
Maybe never.
“You’re not going to argue with me about being stuck with us?” Seven asks with a touch of concern. “That’s weird. Are you getting tired? Or has the drink knocked you out already?”
“I was just wondering again for the thousandth time why you’re so insistent on keeping me locked up,” I reply. “I understand that in some weird way, you’re trying to protect me from Giovanni. What is the big deal, though? Even if I was trying to run a scam at his casino, what’s the worst that could happen if he caught me?”
“For starters, he wouldn’t call the police and let the legal system handle it,” he says. “If he caught you, he’d make sure you were indebted to him. Once you fall into his web, you’re stuck. You don’t want to be anywhere on his radar, for any reason.”
I glance over at him. “Do you have firsthand experience with this? Because it sounds as if you do.”
Seven slowly stirs the drink with his straw before answering. “I normally don’t tell people this. I’m only telling you because we’re having such a difficult time convincing you how dangerous he is. Giovanni caught someone I’m acquainted with counting cards in one of his casinos.”
“Counting cards? I thought everyone did that. Why wouldn’t you do it if you have the mind for it? It’s not illegal, and it’s not that hard to do if you have an excellent memory.”
“No, it’s not illegal.” Seven’s expression grows dark. “Only against casino rules. Once Giovanni caught the guy on camera, he ran a background check on him. Casinos have facial recognition software and a variety of other security systems that aren’t public knowledge. Giovanni found things in this man’s background to blackmail him with.”
“For money?” I ask. “Isn’t Giovanni one of the richest men in Vegas?”
“Not for money,” he spits out. “He blackmailed the guy into working for him, doing private odd jobs.”
“What kind of jobs?”
