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I took a quick glance at his face, his eyes directed on the remaining player. Samuel always gave me the creeps. I had a feeling he ate barbed wire for breakfast. As Dante Torino’s enforcer, his brutal reputation was well known throughout Vegas.
“Shit,” Jack huffed. “Yeah, I’ll take the goddamn insurance.”
When I turned over the final card, he flicked his eyes toward me in disgust, mumbling under his breath as he jerked back from the table. But I heard exactly what he called me.
Bitch.
How many times had that phrase been used? As a dealer, I was used to angry tourists certain I’d cheated them out of millions. Jack often took it to an entirely different level.
“Take off, sweetheart,” Samuel told me under his breath. “Mr. Torino said you’ll have a bonus in your next paycheck.” He turned his attention to the gawkers. “The rest of you assholes as well. Get lost. Party time is over.”
“Thanks, Samuel. I appreciate it.” While I hated working for the Torino organization, it afforded me a lovely apartment and time to do what I really loved, painting. I watched as the other guests filed out without question. They knew the rules as well as I did.
What Mr. Torino said was law.
“What about the table?” I usually made certain everything was organized before leaving. I hated coming in and finding someone else’s mess.
Samuel waved me off without saying another word. I took that as my cue, heading toward the door. Just as I was walking through it, Dante Torino walked in. He was usually cordial, mentioning me by name as he did with the other five hundred employees in the casino. This time he was expressionless, heading into the room with swagger and ownership. I closed the door and took long strides toward the employee lounge to get my things.
After waiting for the elevator for almost three full minutes, I rolled my eyes.
“Shit.” The word slipped from my lips when I remembered I’d almost been late coming to work, which wasn’t acceptable. Because of it, I’d shoved my purse under the table. My keys and wallet were inside. I quickly raced back, quietly opening the door. At least the table was close. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be noticed.
Pop! Pop!
The sound was muffled yet drew my attention immediately. When I lifted my head, I was greeted with the sight of Jack slowly slumping to the floor, half his head blown off. I hadn’t realized I’d made a sound until Mr. Torino lifted his gaze, his eyes piercing mine. I was no fool. I knew exactly what Dante did for a living. As the Don of the Torino crime syndicate, he held most of Las Vegas with an iron fist using extortion and blackmail as his usual weapons. He’d been rumored to have murdered dozens of people but had never spent a night behind bars. Likely because there’d never been a single person who’d come forward to the police.
He was also one of the hottest bachelors in the Southwest.
Now he had his eyes fixed on someone who’d just witnessed a brutal crime.
Shaking, I couldn’t react. I was paralyzed to the spot.
Samuel turned toward me, shaking his head. There was no doubt I was in deep shit. When he started to say something, Dante threw out his arm, stepping over the fallen man as if the dead body was nothing more than a cockroach. As he walked toward me, I was certain this was my last day on earth.
Instead of raising his weapon, he lifted his hand, caressing my jaw. “My sweet Madisen. Sometimes in business, difficult choices are required. In the case of Mr. Barrington, he made some very bad decisions including theft. I think you know exactly how I feel about anyone who dares try and steal from me.”
“Yes, sir.” My voice was little more than a croak. Oh, God. I was a dead woman.
“Good. That’s what I thought you’d say. Why don’t you go home and take a hot bath. Have a glass of wine. Read a romance novel. Then forget about what you saw here today. Is that a deal?”
He stroked my face, rubbing his thumb back and forth across my cheek. My skin crawled from his touch, my stomach churning as bile formed in my throat. The man was pure evil.
“That’s a deal, Mr. Torino. I just needed my purse and keys.”
“Of course. Mistakes happen. I’m a fair man. Now, go and enjoy the rest of your evening.” He lowered his hand to my throat, squeezing with enough pressure I knew he could snap my neck if that’s what he wanted. Then he let me go, his lurid gaze continuing.
“Thank you, sir.” I was furious with myself for giving him any concept of respect, but I also wanted to live. I backed away, trying to keep my composure then yanking my purse from under the table before scampering out the door. Only when I was halfway down the corridor did I take a scattered breath.
This wasn’t going to end well. He’d never allow me to live after what I’d seen.
I didn’t bother grabbing anything else that was in my locker before racing down the stairs toward the employee parking garage. I had to make a plan and get the hell out of town. Terror skittered through me as I fumbled to unlock the door to my baby, almost dropping the keys.
Oh, God. This was so bad.
Once inside my truck, I locked the door and almost flooded the engine. “Calm down. Just fucking calm down.” I took a deep breath, glancing in the rearview mirror as I counted to fifteen. Then I successfully started the engine and within a few seconds pressed down on the accelerator. There was nothing else to do but leave the life I’d built over the last few years. And there was only one place to go.
Back home to LA and to my brother’s cramped apartment.
