Page 54 of Double or Nothing

I stop and face him. He’s been so insistent about me taking this residency, actually tricking me to get me here. Something isn’t adding up. This isn’t all for my benefit. Or Kat’s.

“Why is this so important to you?” I ask, knowing damn well there has to be another reason.

Mac left Vegas and came with me to New York. We were best friends, partners. I knew he would never leave my side. While I never looked back, Mac did. He had family, responsibilities. His family may not have been the Cleaver’s, but he’s the oldest out of five kids, and a part of him has always felt responsible for his younger siblings. I know he misses them. I know he misses Vegas. I just hadn’t realized it had gotten this bad.

“Sarah’s pregnant.” Sarah’s his youngest sister, barely out of high school. “I’m going to be an uncle.” I can hear the pride in his voice despite being masked in worry. She’s young, too young, to have this kid and raise it on her own.

“So, you want to come back to take care of Sarah?”

“Part of it. Part of me… I just miss having someplace to call home. I’m tired of being on the road. You know I’ll do whatever you need me to do, and I get why you can’t come back. I just… I thought it was worth a shot.”

Having laid eyes on Kat again, I get what he means. I miss having someplace to call home. I miss that home being in Kat’s arms.

Having Kat with me last night? Her standing on the balcony, even though she was pissed, it felt right. It’s the piece that has always been missing.

“I won’t say no.” Seeing the confusion in his eyes, I continue. “If I knew how all of this was affecting you, I would have given it more thought. I… I’ll think about it. All of it. You. Kat. Me. I’ll figure something out.”

What that something might be, I don’t have the slightest clue.

“Really?” he asks, shocked by my sudden change of heart.

I put my arm around his neck and drag him toward the suite door.

“Even I’m not that much of an asshole.”

“You kind of are,” he says with a laugh.

When I step into Jack’s office, he stands, and I can’t decipher if the smile on his face is legit. Vegas can be so fake, people just trying to please customers in order to get their money. It’s the business. I get it.

The thing is, I don’t give a damn about money. I never had any growing up, never expected to have a dime to my name. Now here I sit on a pile of money exponentially higher than I ever thought possible. I’m set. For life. For about fifty of lives.

So, whatever he wants to offer me is fine. The part I need to be certain of is if I can handle moving back to Vegas because so far, I haven’t dealt with it particularly well. Hell, even if Kat came with the contract as a guarantee, I’m not sure I could sign.

“Mr. Cole, it’s a pleasure to see you,” Jack says as he extends his hand toward me.

I take it, give it a firm shake, and retract.

“Jack.”

His name, the only greeting I give him. While I have zero interest in negotiating, I still need to make this deal as lucrative as possible. Not for me, but for my crew. The best way to do that is playing the aloof prick of a rock star I usually am.

“We are so thrilled to have you here for the show this week… and maybe even longer?” Jack offers me a seat.

“Maybe.”

“What do I need to do to turn that maybe into a yes?” The gleam in his eye tells me nothing is off the table.

“What House of Cards has to offer me versus any other venue on the strip?”

“Frankly, Mr. Cole, whatever you want. You’re good for business. Hell, your presence here alone has not only increased our food and beverage sales but our coin-in as well. I can only imagine what having you here permanently would do for business.”

“I don’t come cheap.” I try to keep my voice stern. Not professional. Demanding.

“No, you don’t.” Jack laughs. “That’s not an issue. We are more than willing to meet any terms you have.”

I have to admit, I really thought there would be some negotiating. I didn’t think a man like Jack Rhodes would just roll over and give in.

“So, do we have a deal?”

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