As soon as her door shuts, Bart says."How's Darren?"
"He's good."
"Angela?"
"She's good too."
"Siri looks as happy as I've ever seen her."
"That's good to hear."
"That incident scared the living hell out of all of us."
"Yeah.It did me too.It won't happen again."
"It better not."
"It won't."
He cuts his eyes at me, and I don't hide.The Bastard Son stares into his eyes.His eyebrows flinch."I believe you."
I nod."You have my word."
Beverly comes back out and hands me my card."Guard that with your life now."
"Will do.Thanks."I shake both their hands again and walk back out to the casino.
I text Dirk.
Where are you?
Table 56.
I smirk.Why am I not surprised?Of course, he would be drawn to Rebecca's table.
When I walk up, I put my hand on his shoulder."Your luck is about to change."
"Hardcore!Brother.It's good to see you."He jumps up.
"You too, buddy!"He gives me a full-on bro hug."Where's your old lady?I'm dying to meet the hellion."
He chuckles."She tracked down an old friend, and she's off trying to hook up with her.I told her I was tired of being dragged around.I'd just wait here."
"Rebecca."I nod to her."I'd like you to meet my old army brother, Dirk Sam.Dirk, this is Rebecca, and if you aren't lucky at her table, you've lost your mojo."
"Deal 'em then."He chuckles.
I slide in next to him and slide her my card."Rebecca hit me with a small pile of gold.I've got an hour to kill and a lot of tales to hear.I don't need to concentrate."
Dirk's eyes widen as she slides over a pile of chips."Did you win the lottery or something?"
"Or something."I chuckle."You aren't the only one with a backstory to come clean on."
"Obviously."He laughs and places a bet.
For the next hour, we laugh, drink and gamble.I bring him in the loop on my Italian heritage and my wealth, and when he begins to bring me up to date on his sordid past and then his new wife, who he refers to only as, 'my partner, The Brit,' I warn Rebecca."Dirk is a master at spinning a good story and has been known to tell a long, elaborate one, only to reveal at the end that he made the whole damn thing up."But this crazy story is too unbelievable to be anything but the truth, and several times, I find myself shocked, but I would never let on that he had stunned me.When my alarm goes off, he is right in the middle of one of those crazy plot twists.I hold my hand up, and he stops talking."We need to cash out and go."
Rebecca, who has remained quiet, absorbed in Dirk's tale, tells me."Fucking hell, Aurei!You're going to leave me hanging like this?I need to know what happened."
