“Alright, alright,” he chortled, hands up in the air. “I was just going to tell y’all to wrap it up. We’re going to the casino tonight.”
“What?” Sera squawked, looking up from the dark abyss where most of Nik was gone.
“LiiiGhT!” Nik wailed, stomping his foot.
“Shit,” Sera hissed. Returning the light back to where it was, she spoke again, “Why are we going to the casino?”
“Drinks, dancing, and a good time.” Jessie squatted, studying Katarina who held something still while he saw the hint of Nik’s fingers weaving something into place. “What are you doing?”
“Making an ass of myself, apparently,” Katarina cackled.
“I mean, you have an amazing ass—” Jessie stopped as Nik howled in victory somewhere deep in the car. His bugbear pulled back, pumping his arms up and down in the air. Then Nik whirled around and gave the engine both his middle fingers. Jessie smirked, “You good there, Fluffy?”
“Fuck you!” Nik laughed breathlessly, dancing away from the car. “Yeah, let’s go to the fucking casino. I need a victory drink.”
Jessie waited till Katarina started to squirm out from under the car and tugged her out by the ankle. She beamed up at him, smeared in grease and pink cheeked from the sun, but she looked happy. “I think she’s almost ready to run.”
“Let’s celebrate then.” Jessie winked.
“Who’s going to watch the Bug?” She sat up.
“My mom. Already asked her; she’s excited because she’s got some big bake sale for the healer’s hut tomorrow and said Isabella will have a blast making stuff tonight, and if we’re not back in time, she’ll just take her with tomorrow to hand out sweets to people. It’ll be fun.” Jessie extended a hand to her, hoisting her up off the dusty ground.
“You sure?” Katarina furrowed her brow.
“My mom loves Bella,” Jessie laughed as he extended the same courtesy to Sera to hoist her off the car. “She will take any excuse to steal her for grandma time. Don’t rob her of this, Little Momma. Plus, Penny is going with her girls so there willbe plenty of pretty pixies cutting it up on the dancefloor with you.”
“What? Don’t you dance?” Sera teased.
“Oh, I dance…I just don’t dance well.” Jessie grimaced at the gnomish woman who tossed her head back, cackling from deep in her gut. Jessie could still see Katarina’s face. She wasn’t sold yet.
“Come on Babe, let’s go dancing tonight. I’ll drive home, scrub off the dirt, grab Ellie, and we’ll meet you at the Casino at eight?” Sera shimmied her shoulders at Katarina suggestively. When that didn’t work, Sera pouted with fluttering puppy dog eyes.
“Okay,okay, we’ll go,” Katarina snorted. “Let me just go grab Bug and get her over to Lailee before I shower.”
“Atta girl,” Jessie purred in her ear, making sure to give her backside a loving smack. “I’ve got a shop to close up, but I’ll meet you back at the house shortly.”
He watched the pair of women trot back toward the waiting room, likely to rouse a slumbering child. The second they were out of earshot, Nik came slinking back up beside him.
“So why are wereallygoing to the Casino for?”
“The Executive or his lackeys hang out there. They caught Bobby whining obviously. They caught sight of a delivery being shipped to me. I say we go try and meet the man running this shit show and have a talk finally.” Jessie twisted to look at Nik over his shoulder. “And maybe to see Katarina dancing in a short dress.”
Nik scoffed, rolling his eyes. “That knot’s going to be a problem tonight.”
“Mmm, which is why I’m bringing you and Rex.” Jessie could already feel the heat creeping up his chest. Like last night at the game, it was going to prove a nuisance. Which is why he needed backup. Likely, at some point he was going to need totake care of things.And who knows how often that would have to happen.
Knox’s casino had a floor that was just a club. Dance floor, bar, great music, and booths that could be intimate if one pulled the curtain closed.Was it a wise idea to have sex in the Devil’s casino booth? No. Definitely not…
But that was a problem for knotty Jessie in a few hours.
“So, you’re getting the night off, butI have to work?” Nik teased as he elbowed Jessie. “Ass.”
“I’m the bait,” Jessie scoffed, elbowing Nik back.
“Huh?” Nik furrowed his brow.
“This guy is trying to fuck with me, what better way than to loudly give him the opportunity? So, I told everyone in the shop we’re going to the Casino, even had Penny ask all her friends to come drinking. And then I’m going to parade my sweet little succubus around the casino, play a few tables, dance for a bit, and basically be out in the open. You and Rex are simply going to be observing and if anyone seems a little too interested in talking to us, maybe you have a conversation with them first?” Jessie arched a brow.
