“What are these jerkoffs called anyway?”
“Tony and Bobby. They showed up at Fortuna last night. And they’re bound to be back. I did mention that we already had to kick them out of Destino for getting too rowdy.”
“Well, just keep a close eye on them and get rid of them if they act up.”
“It’s not just that. They’re cheats.”
“You sure?” My ears perk up. There’s nothing I hate more than a cheater, whether it’s in a casino or in life. I believe in playing straight.
“We don’t have footage but the dealer working their table last night put up a red flag to the pit boss.”
“Why didn’t they kick them out then and there?”
“Dealer only spoke up after. He was too afraid to call them out on the spot and tell them they couldn’t play. Once they name-dropped Mickey, he got nervous.”
“Fine, fine. I understand.” Mickey’s name is well known and while I pay my dealers well above the average wage for the gig, I certainly don’t expect them to put their own safety at risk to face off against assholes like these. “Well, this Tony and Bobby sound like real pieces of work. Look, Mickey is starting to put a lot of money on the street out here. What do you think?” Terry’s opinion is one of the few I value in this world.
He looks unsettled. “It’s nothing to concern ourselves with just yet but if this is how his people are going to act, we may have a real problem on our hands in the near future.”
“Well, like I said before, I don’t want to piss off a guy like Mickey without just cause. If they come in again, let ‘em play. But also let me know. I want to take a look at these two. Maybe we can get them in a back room game.”
“And see if we can pin them on cheating?”
“Yep. Then we’ll have good reason to take up against them,” I say. “If they’re going to act like jackasses, we don’t want them here.”
“Okay then.” Terry nods, his eyes sharp. “I’ll leave you to it.” He drops the folders of the previous night’s reports on my desk. “Some light reading,” he remarks with a little smile.
I give a laugh. “Thanks, Terry. See you later.” He slips out the door, letting it click shut firmly behind him.
I scan through the floor reports, checking how much money came and went the previous evening. Then, as usual, I deposit the paperwork into my safe. I take the Smith & Wesson .40 caliber out and hold it briefly in my hand, feeling the heavy weight of the gun. I’ve never had to use it and I hope I never have to either. I hit the shooting range regularly to keep up practice in any case. It’s good to be ready in this world, for anything. This was one of the last tips from my old mentor, Jack. The same man whom I inherited my impressive mahogany desk from. The same guy whom I inherited the Destino from. A father figure of sorts. I don’t think about him as often as I should.
I push the thought out of my head and turn my attention back to my desk. There’s a high stack of papers on it. There’s work to do.
***
Three hours later, I’m in need of a break. Normally, I’d just head straight to one of the casino’s restaurants for a bite to eat but today I stop off at the security hub. I want to see what Lilly’s up to.
When I step inside, Terry’s eyebrows shoot up immediately. He well knows my routine and knows that this is out of the ordinary.
“Here to check on Miss Madison?” He strolls up.
“Just want to make sure she’s keeping out of trouble.”
“Seems to be.”
“What’s her movement been like?”
“Left the penthouse around ten, browsed the shops and restaurants, then was in the salon for about an hour.”
I smile to myself. The Brazilian bikini wax.
“Now she’s lying poolside, I believe,” Terry goes on, seemingly disregarding the grin that’s flickered across my face. He gestures to a cluster of security monitor screens that overlook the swimming pools.
I walk over and take a look. Sure enough. Lilly is lying down by the tropical themed pool. Large palm trees are dotted all around. She’s wearing a bikini with a risqué high-cut, showing off her legs, but has a mesh-looking cover-up demurely draped over her. She almost looks like she belongs here, with her stunning figure, and her