The Nymph's Curse: The Collection (69 page)

“You know about our history in Vegas don’t you, Kodie?” Mr. Blackwater looked like a snake in the way his lips peeled back from his teeth.

“You aren’t threatening us, are you, Mr. Blackwater?” Chance tried to act cool.

“Absolutely not. I’m merely asking if you men know Las Vegas started as a mafia town.” Mr. Blackwater’s dangerous smile grew wider. “No one in this place went against the bosses. More importantly, no one took what didn’t belong to them — there are many graves in the desert filled with the bones of those who tried.”

“Don’t you have another way to take Nate down?”

“There are other ways we can handle this situation, but we are hoping to not use such antiquated practices in taking down those we deem “less than ideal” for our business. We’d rather use this instance to our advantage.”

By using
him.
“We haven’t acted in a way that is
less than ideal
.”

“Not yet, but if you aren’t willing to help us, I’m sure we can find something in your past we don’t like … something we could use to show how you and Kodie are going to go against the bosses.” Mr. Blackwater straightened his black jacket and the sudden movement made Chance’s heart pound. The man meant business.

The bodyguard thumped his fingers on the metal briefcase. “I think I saw an area out in the desert … a perfect place where a grave … or two, would never be found.”

“You wouldn’t go against your best interests, would you?” Mr. Blackwater stood up and pulled his sleeves down, covering the wrists of his white dress shirt.

“Let me think about it.” Chance stood up and faced the man head-on.

“I don’t understand what there is to think about.” Mr. Blackwater motioned to his bodyguard and the briefcase. “I trust you will make the right choice.”

“You can’t just force this on us,” Chance said, pointing at the bodyguard and the gilded threat.

“We’re not forcing anything,” Mr. Blackwater answered, with a calmness that came to men in power. “We’re only trying to impress upon you how important your role in this game is going to be.”

“
If
I play along.”

Mr. Blackwater smiled and walked toward the door, the case-wielding bodyguard close at his heels. “I’m sure you will do what you know is right.”

The door clicked shut behind them, leaving confusion in their wake.

“Shit.” Kodie turned and walked back to his spot at the window. “Shit. Shit.”

What was Chance going to do? If things didn’t go as they hoped, they would still have to pay back the debts owed. In the winner-take-all tournament there was only one winner, and only one way he could come up with the money to pay back Three-Eyed Nate. They had to win. However, if they took Nate and Vice down, Kodie’s debt would no longer be an issue.

Walking away from a debt owed wasn’t that simple. Yeah, it would have been great to forget about the money owed, but if the word spread Chance had been involved in taking Nate and Vice down all hell would break loose. Some players would love that he took down a cheater, but they would never forget he had worked with the authorities. Even if they thanked him to his face, the other big name players would be calling him a narc behind his back.

Kodie faced out toward the strip. “Blackwater is an idiot if he thinks he is going to get away with this. There is no way his plan is going to work.”

Chance couldn’t disagree — Blackwater’s plan was never going to work, but the man was far from being an idiot. What Blackwater wanted from them was outside of the realm of acceptability, but they only had one choice — they had to play the gaming commissioner’s game or they would have to get out of Vegas — permanently.

If he was going to continue being one of the best poker players in the world, he couldn’t do it anywhere but in Vegas. Yet, the more he thought, the more he couldn’t discount the idea of leaving Vegas forever — a part of him was growing weary of this way of life. Yes, he loved to travel. To play poker. To win. However, there was another part of him that seemed to come alive when he was around Harper. He loved being with her. Listening to her talk. She hated the idea of his drifter ways, but did he love her enough to give it all up?

He faced a difficult choice — continue on the road he’d been traveling for so long and do what the commissioner asked, or give up on this reclusive life and put his heart on the line.

“What are we gonna do, Chance?” Kodie leaned his head against the plate glass window. “We’re damned if we do and we’re more than damned if we don’t.”

“Kodie, we’re going to play the game … but we may just have to play by our own rules.”

Chance’s phone buzzed in his breast pocket, pulling his attention away from the mess. Grabbing the phone, he stared down at the most beautiful named he’d ever read — Harper.

“Hi,” he answered, pressing the phone to his ear. “How’d it go?”

“I think we got somewhere with Dr. McDougal. He’s going to meet us in two hours. He said he would bring all the information he could get his hands on.” There was an edge of excitement in Harper’s voice, but beneath the thin layer there was something else.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“I got a call.”

“From?”

Kodie turned from the window and took a few steps toward him, as if he wanted to hear what Harper was saying.

“Ariadne Papadakis, the leader of the sisterhood of Epione. She said she has a man tailing Starling and me.”

“What? Why would the sisterhood have someone tailing you?”

“They think we could be in danger. Jenna’s house was broken into right after we left.”

“Did they take anything?”

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. “Ariadne said they only saw a woman.”

“Do they know who the woman was?”

“No. Ariadne just said it was a mousy woman. They seem to think she is connected somehow to Carey’s death — and now, whoever she is, she may be targeting us.”

“Why?”

“I have a feeling it has something to do with Carey’s ability to have a child … ” She paused for a long moment, making him wonder if she had wanted a baby.

“You don’t want a child, do you?”

“No,” Harper said, but there was sadness in her voice. “But I never thought I had a choice. Until after you and I made love. I thought maybe with Carey getting pregnant, I could too.”

“And you were excited?”

“I guess. But I never really thought about having a child before. I think I was more excited to have the option. But it was stupid to even think about. If Ariadne is right and the drugs are the reason Carey got pregnant, than there is no way I could be.” Harper paused on the other end of the phone line. “So don’t worry, you won’t be having any more children.”

He hadn’t even thought of the possibility of a pregnancy. “I’m sorry, Harper.”

“Don’t be sorry. I could have had a child a hundred years ago, but it didn’t fit in my life.”

That was one sentiment Chance could understand. Only a week ago, he had felt the same way. But since adding Starling to his life there was no way he would go back to the way things had been. If anything he looked forward to the future more than he ever had before.

“What about now?” Chance paused. “Do you think you’d want a child around now? Maybe a child like Starling?”

“What do you mean, Chance?”

What did he mean? Harper couldn’t be in his life. She had her own in Seattle. “Nothing. Never mind. What else did Ariadne tell you?”

“Ariadne seemed concerned with the drugs getting in the wrong hands. If Starling, her drug, or the formula ends up in the wrong hands, she thinks we may have more incidents like what the ranchers tried to do with Jenna. And who knows what else supernaturals would do if they had a way to guarantee a pregnancy — she couldn’t guarantee that Starling would be safe.”

He had a hard time understanding her words. It was as if they were coming through water. He just couldn’t believe someone out there wanted to hurt his daughter just so they could have the chance to have a child of their own.

Harper continued, unaware of how her words swam into his overworked mind. “So many types of supernaturals can’t get pregnant — they are desperate. And may the gods help us if we have a population boom of someone or something that has no business breeding.”

“If I find out who did this … Who killed Carey … Who wants to hurt Starling … Or you … ” Anger seeped through him like a liquid flame. “Getting pregnant will be the last thing they’ll have to worry about. They won’t live long enough.”

“There’s something else.”

What could possibly be worse than hearing there were people out there who would be trying to hurt the only two women in the world he cared about? “Are you kidding me?”

“Ariadne told me Jenna had been using the drugs as well. She’d gotten pregnant. And then … well, she lost the baby.”

The anger, that had only seconds before overwhelmed him, suddenly turned to a sickening mix of rage, confusion, and sadness. “Oh my God, Harper. I’m so sorry.”

There was a siren somewhere in the background on Harper’s end of the line. “It’s okay.”

She needed his help. She needed him to protect her. She couldn’t be alone. Not now. Not when she was so exposed. So vulnerable. “Harper, come back to the penthouse. Please.”

“I just wish I would have known. I missed so much. If only I could have been there for Jenna.”

“Honey, you didn’t do anything wrong. Your sister died because of her choices and the people she ran with. You couldn’t have changed things for her.” He tried to comfort her, but even as he spoke, he knew what he was saying wasn’t really the truth. Maybe if Harper had been more involved in Jenna’s life she could have made a difference — just as he could have made a difference in Carey’s. Maybe he could have stopped her from dying — from getting wrapped up in a drug trade and conspiracy in which she had no business being involved.

“Maybe you’re right, maybe I couldn’t have changed anything, but I could have tried.”

“You’re right, but there’s no use in going over things that we can’t change. We did the best we could. And now the best thing we can do is keep you and Starling safe and get the hell out of Las Vegas. Maybe we just need to run away and find a place where we can all be safe.”

“No more running.” She paused. “Just today I told Starling there are times when we need to walk away and times when we need to fight. I think this is one of those times we need to fight. Starling needs the medication and you have a tournament to win.”

He tried to hold back the snort, but the sound escaped. “Right.
Win
the tournament.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” he lied. There was a tournament, yes, but he was only a pawn and not a player. “Just come back. I need to know you are okay. I need you in my arms.”

Maybe if Harper just went back to Seattle she could put this all behind her, but she’d made a promise she intended to keep. There was no way to turn back now and leave Starling without the help she needed; and she couldn’t leave Chance … not when he needed her the most.

“Chance, what time do you have to sign in at the game?” Harper asked, trying to make the worried expression on his face disappear.

He looked up at her. “Hmm. What did you say?”

“What time do you need to go down to Bobby’s Room for the tournament?”

“Not for another two hours. Then the gaming commissioner will go over the table stakes and the rules of the game.”

Kodie and Starling huddled together at the table. “Why don’t Starling and I run downstairs, and get everything in order? I don’t think the commissioner will mind if I sign you in for the game. I would venture a guess he is willing to make a few allowances for you today.”

“I can do it, really,” Chance said, his voice tired.

“Let me just take care of it,” Kodie repeated.

Getting up, Chance walked over to his rucksack and pulled out his checkbook. Opening up the little leather book, he lifted a pen and wrote out a check. “Here’s my buy-in. Please make sure it gets into the right hands.”

“Got it, boss,” Kodie said, taking the check and stuffing it into his pocket.

“I’m hungry,” Starling said, interrupting the conversation.

“And I’ll get the little miss something to eat.” Kodie nodded as he looked to Starling. “Can’t have you starving on us. We’re gonna need you to cheer for your old man tonight,” he said, giving Starling’s hand a light pat. “He’s gonna need a lot of support.”

Harper couldn’t make sense of what the men eluded to. What had the gaming commissioner and Chance talked about? Ever since she and Starling had returned to the room on the thirty-fifth floor, there had been a stillness that somehow reminded Harper of Jenna’s funeral. It was like she was standing at the head of the casket, waiting for people to pass by and leave her with hollow condolences. Chance couldn’t even look her in the eyes. It didn’t matter whether it was out of fear or shame, Harper couldn’t go through another day where the people she knew and cared about couldn’t stand to face her.

Kodie and Starling walked to the door, but Kodie turned back. “Why don’t you get some rest, Chance? You know what I always say:
If your mind’s a mess so is your game
.”

“I’m going to go too. I have to meet Dr. McDougal.” Harper glanced down at her watch. She had plenty of time, but she couldn’t stand being in the room any longer. “You should take a nap.”

“Do you need me to go with you, Harper?” Kodie asked as he and Starling moved toward the door.

“No. I got this. It may be better if it is just me who goes to see him. I don’t want to draw any attention.”

Harper stood up to follow Kodie and Starling.

“Wait,” Chance said, sticking out his hand for her to take it. “Don’t go. Not yet. Please.”

The way he pleaded made Harper stop and sit back down into the golden chair at Chance’s side. How had Chance become a broken man in just a matter of hours?

From the first time Harper had seen him sitting behind the poker table in Worley, he had been happy, easy-going, and filled with a passion Harper now realized she secretly envied. It was his passion that had first infuriated her — a love for travel and poker she hadn’t fully understood — but now, seeing how it affected him, it was easy to see it was his calling. Playing the game was like breathing — it was necessary.