Page 97 of Double or Nothing
“Wow,” I say when we step through the doorway of the grand ballroom. “This is incredible.”
I’m glad Natasha insisted on helping me choose my light blue evening gown. The cascading layers of silk and chiffon flow gracefully around me, and with each step, I feel as if I’m floating on a cloud.
The ballroom is alive with the excitement of New Year’s Eve. Everyone who is anyone in Vegas will be here tonight.
Crystal chandeliers hang from the intricately molded ceiling, casting a soft glow that bathes the entire room in a warm radiance. Their shiny crystals catch the light, scattering shimmering patterns across the walls and polished marble floor. Soft music wafts across the room, the orchestra hidden behind a sea of masks.
Waiters in black and white uniforms move gracefully through the throng, carrying trays of bubbly champagne. The guests, dressed in an array of vibrant colors, sway with effortless grace across the dance floor, their laughter mingling with the tinkle of champagne flutes. Venetian masks conceal their identities, adding a mysterious air of intrigue to the festivities.
I scan the crowd, hoping to spot Eva and Natasha. Even if we can’t be seen socializing in public together, it still gives me comfort knowing they’re close by. At the last minute, Eva miraculously snagged a pair of the coveted tickets to the ball. No small feat considering the tickets are for the hottest New Year’s Eve event in Vegas.
When I asked her how, she’d only smiled mysteriously without answering. Something tells me there’s more to the relationship between her and Giovanni than she lets on. Maybe one day, I’ll hear her whole story. Until then, I can only dream up my own conclusions.
As I continue to search the room of masked strangers for my friends, a pang of melancholy washes over me. The knowledge that we must keep our distance tonight tugs at my heart.
I’ve grown attached to Natasha, and even Eva, to a certain extent. But being seen together in public would be too dangerous for us now. We were lucky to make it through Christmas Eve without being dragged off in handcuffs.
All thanks to the guys.
They risked everything to protect me. While I stupidly fell into the gambler’s trap of playing one more hand when I should’ve folded when we were ahead. I knew it and kept playing. The lure of a huge payout and my pride got to me.
I won’t make the same mistake again.
Eva executed the last step of our plan this past week. It was too risky for any of us to walk up to the cash cage in the casinos holding fistfuls of winning tickets. We needed someone else to collect the cash, a buffer between us and the glaring spotlight of suspicion.
According to her, it was easy to find many people willing to cash in the tickets at the various casinos, collect a fee for their trouble, and hand over the rest. All they had to do was grab the cash and go.
True to her word, she’d distributed the winnings right away. I immediately divided up my fifty percent split between myself and the guys. Being noble, they tried to refuse it, but I wouldn’t keep their shares. The money was the whole point in the first place, or so I’ve told myself, over and over again.
Or was it?
With the scheme behind us, a strange hollowness has settled in around me, a void that echoes with emptiness. It’s a restlessness that I can’t quite put my finger on, a yearning that gnaws at my insides, leaving me unanchored and adrift. I’m at a loss for what to do with myself now, caught between the lingering exhilaration of success and the unsettling uncertainty of what comes next.
“What’s going on in that pretty brain of yours?” Seven glances down at me, his eyes warm and probing, and gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “Who are you searching for? I know you’re wishing Kit and Vulcan were here with us, too, but there was no way to talk them into wearing tuxedos. Especially Vulcan, and Kit couldn’t find a tuxedo to fit him. They’ll be waiting up for us with champagne when we return home tonight. Big masquerade balls aren’t their style.”
“I understand,” I reply wistfully, my eyes still gazing over the crowded dance floor. “I’m searching for Natasha or Eva.”
Seven frown deepens, a shadow crossing his face. “Aren’t you supposed to be staying away from each other in public now?”
“I wasn’t planning to talk to them. I only wanted to see what they’re wearing.”
“Sure, you did,” he says doubtfully, his tone teasing but his eyes ever watchful, ever protective. “Come and dance with me. That will take your mind off your friends. It’s too risky for you to be seen with them. You told me that yourself.”
“You’re right,” I agree with a regretful sigh, the truth of his words settling heavy in my chest. “Why don’t we grab a table first?”
I’m trying to delay stepping out on the dance floor, where I’ve always been awkward.
“I have a better idea,” he says, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “Let’s split. Why are we here in a room full of strangers when we could be upstairs in a private hotel room having hot sex?” He pulls my hair aside and kisses my neck softly. “What do I need to do to convince you to escape with me?”
“Stop it!” I tease, playfully slapping his arm. “Try to control yourself. I’ve never attended a New Year’s Eve party before, and you need to indulge me. We only just arrived. Besides, there isn’t an empty hotel room in Vegas tonight, especially not at the Imperial.”
“No harm in asking,” he replies with a low chuckle. “I’ll behave, but only this one time. I have to warn you, though, I’m superstitious. It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m giving you a kiss at midnight.”
A waitress weaves her way to us, a tray of shimmering champagne flutes balancing effortlessly in her hand. Her costume is a stunning display of red and white; crimson feathers fan out from the sides of her mask, matching the fiery hue of her cocktail dress.
“Would you care for a glass of champagne?” she offers.
“Absolutely,” Seven says, removing two glasses from the tray with a smooth gesture. “Thank you.”
