Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“Uh, I mean, that’s not really your job.”
“I know, but—”
Then I realize. She’s not talking to a fellow dealer.
She’s talking to Adler’s wife.
I give her a smile. “It’s fine. Really. I’m just chatting, that’s all.”
“Right.” She relaxes slightly. “Sure. Sounds good.”
I let the poor girl off the hook. I’m pretty sure if I keep talking then her head will explode.
And fortunately, I’m saved when Roxie comes storming into the room carrying her tray. “Since when did you work the high rollers?” she says, one hand on her hip, a nice little collection of tips already gathered near the napkins. “Wow, did someone get murdered in here?” She looks around pointedly.
I roll my eyes and head around the table, waving at the floor manager. He doesn’t even bother acknowledging me as I lead Roxie away from our little room and over toward the closest bar. My security goons lurk nearby, but they give us some space at least.
“I’m having such a crappy day,” I say, sitting down. I order a club soda. “Want something? On the house?”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “You can do that now?”
“Married the owner. Came with perks.”
She laughs. “I’m good. What’s wrong? You and Adler fighting already?”
“Something like that?” I chew on my lip, looking around as if his brothers might materialize nearby. Instead, it’s only the normal motion of tourists hurrying past. “He doesn’t want me to meet his brothers. Also, I saw Shane an hour ago.”
“Shane?” She seems surprised. “Okay, that’s a lot of info all at once. Let’s start with your troubled sibling.”
“He seems… fine? Using probably, but fine? I told him to lie low. But he said something that’s really bothering me.” I lean closer to her, tone pitching softer. “He said that he’s been working for Tony Vetch.”
“As in, Adler’s rival?”
“Right, and he was assigned to follow me around… in order to find info on Adler? I don’t know, it didn’t make sense, but you know how Shane is.”
“Drugs,” she agrees.
“It’s weird though. Like, why would Tony Vetch want Shane? A notoriously flaky addict? And why would he care about me?”
“Maybe he knew you were going to marry Adler.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” I smile at her, feeling unmoored. I’ve been obsessing about this all morning. How does Tony fit with Adler? And how do I fit with them both?
There’s something I’m missing.
Like a little hole in my head.
If I can find the piece then I can make sense of everything that’s happening—my marriage, Adler’s rivalry, everything.
Instead, it’s like each time I get close enough to work it all out, more pieces tumble from my skull.
“It could be a coincidence. Like, Shane’s always looking for ways to make cash, right? So he takes a job from people that work for Tony, but Tony himself might not have known about it.”
“That’s actually kind of reasonable.” I shift slightly on my stool. “I don’t know. It’s all such a mess.”
“Well, what about the brothers?”
“God, that’s even worse. Adler just blew me off. I said we should go meet them and he just basically told me to get back to work.”
Roxie’s lip press together. “That seems like an asshole move.”
“No kidding. I have no clue what the hell that guy wants. One second, he’s all over me, and the next he’s shoving me away.”
“What do you want then? If Adler can’t make up his mind, maybe you can.”
I pause, sipping my club soda. I should have an answer for that, but strangely, I don’t. “If you had asked me a few days ago, I’d tell you I’m in this for money and to save Shane’s life.”
“Now?”
“I’m in it for money and to save Shane’s life. But also… weird stuff’s happening. With Adler.”
She gives me a sly look. “Weird stuff, huh? I know you’re a little sexually repressed—”
“Please don’t start grilling me about sex.”
“—But come on, the man’s gorgeous and we both know you have a massive, throbbing lady boner for him.”
“I hate that phrase, lady boner. So ugly.”
“Sure, whatever, but his boner isn’t ugly. I bet it’s nice and long with pretty little veins.”
“Stop now, please.”
“Come on, Case. Admit you like the guy. It’s kind of fine, right?”
“I don’t know what I feel.” I look away toward the slot farm. Lights flash, money’s lost, sucked into the casino’s vortex. “Sometimes I want to be around him more than anything in the world. Sometimes I can’t stand him at all.”
“How romantic.”
“More like a huge pain in my ass.”
“What are you gonna do? About the brothers, I mean.”
“I’ll meet them eventually. He’s in a shitty mood right now, but he can’t put it off forever.”
“And then what?” Roxie’s tone gets softer as she leans in close. “You meet the mother, you meet the brothers. He gets you pregnant. You live together, sleep together, work together… then you get divorced in a few years? You get rich, everything works out? I know you, Casey Kiernan, and I know you are utterly incapable of staying detached. Everything about you screams attachment.”