Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
I had a job to do, and right now, it didn’t include dwelling on Devin the rest of the day.
By the time I pulled up to the casino, I’d managed to pull it together. At least somewhat. There were only a few cars in the lot. It was mostly regulars and a few of the high rollers who liked to show up early and drink before the lights dimmed. I pulled around back and parked, then took the side entrance that led through security.
As I expected, the main floor wasn’t busy. There was just a quiet hum of slot machines and the occasional clatter of chips, but the underlying energy was still there. It was always there, ready to be snatched by the next big winner. I continued towards the front, and it wasn’t long before I spotted Preacher, Tabitha, and Goose huddled up at one of the smaller bars, drinking a cup of coffee with Sergei and Nikolai.
Goose was talking with his hands, animated like always, and Tabitha was pressing her lips together, trying her best not to laugh. Preacher had that look on his face he got whenever he wanted to act irritated but secretly, he was entertained.
Hell, even Sergei and Nikolai were cracking grins, which was rare at best. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, let alone jokes, but I pressed forward. I took a breath, squared my shoulders, and made my way over to them just in time to hear Goose say, “Might as well call him Ricky Bobby.”
“Ricky Bobby?”
“Talladega Nights.” Nikolai’s brows furrowed even more, and that sent Goose over the edge. “Oh, come on. It’s only one of the best car-racing movies around. Hell, it’s a classic.”
“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” Preacher corrected.
“Look, we’re getting off track here. Speedy Gonzalas over here was just taking me to pick up a pack of smokes. There was no rush. No emergency or time we needed to get back. But some car cuts him off, and he has to hammer down and almost got us killed.” Goose looked at Nikolai and shook his head. “You’ve got yourself some major road rage.”
Nikolai leaned back against the bar and smirked, clearly finding the conversation amusing. He’d skipped his usual white button-down and slacks and was wearing a pair of jeans and black T-shirt, revealing more of the ink on his arms and biceps. Preacher glanced over at him and chuckled. “I’ve never had any problem with his driving.”
“He took a corner so hard my soul left my body.” Goose sounded as serious as he could be as he told him, “I saw the light, Prez. The light.”
“Oh, Goose.” Tabitha gave him a playful nudge and laughed. “Surely it wasn’t that bad.”
“The hell it wasn’t!” He turned to Preacher, completely serious. “If I die ridin’ shotgun with this asshole, I want ‘I told you so’ written on my tombstone.”
“Jesus,” I grumbled under my breath. “Is there a fucking off switch?”
“Well, look who finally showed up,” Goose called out with a cocky grin. “Was starting to think you didn’t love us anymore.”
“Just needed a little peace and quiet. Don’t get much of that around here,” I shot back.
“You can have peace and quiet when you’re dead.”
“Something to look forward to.”
“Ah, you aren’t fooling anyone. We all know you love the crazy.” He laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. “I hate to cut it short, but I’ve gotta get over to the Vault. My shift starts in ten.”
“Have a good one, brother.”
“Gonna do my best.”
Preacher gave him a nod, then turned his attention to me. “You got a minute?”
I nodded, then followed him out of the bar. We stopped midway down the hall, where the lighting was dim, and the noise was muffled. Preacher turned to face me with a look of annoyance. “What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit.” He tilted his head, and his eyes cut right through me. “We both know something’s going on, so cut the shit and tell me what it is.”
I should’ve known that he’d call me on my bullshit. He always did. The man knew me better than anyone and had always been able to tell when something was eating at me.
I clenched my jaw, staring at the floor for a beat. He didn’t say another word. He just stood there with his arms crossed, looking at me like he could see right through me. The silence was deafening. And I could tell by looking at him that he wasn’t going anywhere until I gave him what he wanted.
So, I took a breath and said what needed to be said, “I saw Devin.”
“You talk to her?”
“I did.”
“And how’d that go?”
“Could’ve been better. Could’ve been worse.” I shrugged. “She quit the force and is teaching over at the community college. Been divorced about a year. And she looked good. Damn good.”