“What would you like to play first?” Sin asks.
Blackjack is my game. I’m a card counter—but I tell no one. I believe my mother was one as well. Perhaps that’s how she fell into the gaming profession. I guess you can say gambling is in my blood.
I don’t want to give myself away. “I should probably start with the American roulette table.”
Westlyn, Lorna, and I take the seats at the table while the men stand behind us. Sin tosses a pile of bills on the table and the dealer changes them for chips. “I’ve got the first round.”
Damn. He’s spotting everyone.
We’ve never discussed finances but I know how much money Sin has. It was part of my research—to know how much and where his funds come from. He has legit investments that have nothing to do with The Fellowship. He’s highly intelligent when it comes to capital so he’s a wealthy young man. I’m sure that’s another reason all the single Fellowship ladies are so sad to see him take up with the likes of me. I don’t love the thought of how many women would like to have him.
I can think of one good thing about Sin substituting in my place for my endurance test. No woman from The Fellowship will ever question his feelings for me. He still hasn’t said those words. I’m not sure he ever will but what he did leaves no question in my heart or mind. Sinclair loves me.
Everyone places bets but I go straight for the zero and double zero. It’s my favorite wager because the payout is greater. “That’s all you’re betting?”
“It’s a good bet. If either of the zeroes hits, it’ll pay well.” I’m not going to place stupid bets simply because I’m not using my own money.
Lorna is clueless about what she’s doing. She’s placed several wagers that will cancel one another out so I turn to Leith behind me. “You should help Lorna. She has no idea what she’s doing.”
“Lorna makes her own decisions.” He brings his whisky to his mouth and tosses it back.
“She doesn’t understand the rules of the game. Her bets don’t make sense and the dealer isn’t going to tell her the difference.”
“Then she shouldn’t play games she doesn’t understand.” Leith can be cold toward Lorna at times. I never noticed him being that way with the other girls at the bar. I’ll need to ask Sin later if he knows what Leith’s problem is.
I don’t fare well at the roulette table so I decide it’s time to head over for some blackjack. “I’ve lost enough here. I’m going to try my luck at cards. Want to come with me?”
“Aye.” We sit side by side. “Do you know how to play?”
I avoid a direct answer. “You try to come closer to twenty-one than the dealer without busting?”
He seems satisfied with my understanding.
“Good luck,” the dealer says.
The first cards dealt are low so I assign them a value using the hi-lo strategy. Low numbers are more beneficial to the dealer but the good news about pulling low ones is that my odds increase for higher ones, which benefits me. For every low number played, the percentage of high cards in the remaining shoe increases.
I choose to stay while Sin increases his bet. “You shouldn’t have done that. You’re gonna bust.”
“We’ll see.” He sounds so cocky.
The cards are dealt and it plays out exactly as I predicted. “Dealer wins.”
“Told you,” I say.
“You lost too.”
I did but that won’t last after I count a few more hands. “I lost the minimum, unlike you.”
“You have to spend money to make money.”
“Or you watch and bet wisely,” I argue.
“All right, lass. Show me how it’s done.” And that’s exactly what I do with the next dozen hands. My stack of chips grows while his diminishes. “You’re a natural.”
Yes, I am. And he has no idea why.
I win four more hands and see I’m gaining the attention of the pit boss. We need to roll.
I lean over to kiss the side of Sin’s face and whisper, “It’s time to leave, Breck.”
“But you’re doing so well.” Now isn’t the time for him to argue.
“I don’t want to keep you out too long. You have to work in the morning.” I push my chips in to exchange them for larger ones. “Let’s cash out and go home.”
“Sin, you have quite the blackjack player with you tonight.” Oh, shit. The pit boss knows who Sin is. I don’t see this going well.
“This is Bleu MacAllister,” Sin introduces. Now he knows who I am as well. “Bleu, meet Todd Cockburn.”
“Hello, Bleu. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
We’re in a casino. He’ll refuse my hand if I extend it so I offer a smile and nod instead. “The pleasure is all mine.”
“We missed you at Bleu’s initiate ceremony,” Sin says.
What?
Todd shrugs and gestures at his surroundings. “Someone had to be here running this place.”
A dealer from across the pit approaches. “Mr. Cockburn, I’m sorry to interrupt you and Mr. Breckenridge, but we have a problem.”
“Duty calls,” Todd says.
Sin is wearing a teasing grin.
“This casino is Fellowship?”
“Aye.” He laughs.
“I was ready to dash out of here because I thought I’d been discovered.”
“For what?”
“Card counting—as if you didn’t know.”
I look at the dealer and she smiles. “It took a while for me to catch on.” She looks at Sin and shrugs. “The lass is quite good.”
“Yes. She’s quite good at everything she does, I’m afraid.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sinclair Breckenridge
Bleu is going home. I won’t see her for two weeks. I’m not sure how I’ll handle being without her for so long since we haven’t spent a day apart in three months.
We said our goodbyes last night—all night long. There were many times I considered telling Bleu the things on my heart. I. Love. You. They’re three simple little words—but I couldn’t bring myself to say them.
Work has robbed me of the time I’d prefer to spend with Bleu. That’s why I’m taking the afternoon off to be with my lass. Her red-eye flight doesn’t depart until almost midnight so we’ll have several hours to … say goodbye again.
I’m already in the shower when I hear her come into the bathroom. I expect her to join me at any minute—but she doesn’t—so I grip the handrail and peek around the tile wall.