“Marcus Reynolds,” she announced like it should mean something to him. “He not only owns the fraternity house, he’s on the board of regents for the college, and it gets better, he’s the only one who didn’t go to this school. I don’t know what it means if anything, but I’m going to spend the day doing some more digging.”
“Well, you’re making more progress than my people here. Keep it up, Torres,” he said. I’ll want an update in a few days. Keep digging; we’re finally getting somewhere.”
“Yes, sir, I will, I just wish, well…maybe it would be better just to ask Taylor,” she suggested. “I mean, who knows, he might cooperate, and then I wouldn’t have to lie to him.”
“Emily, we’ve been over this,” he said. “Don’t reveal yourself to anyone, especially Taylor. You’re our eyes on the inside, and I want it to stay that way.”
She knew she was stuck and that there was no way out. “Yes, sir, I understand. I won’t blow my cover,” she said. “But Taylor isn’t the bad guy in all this. I can promise you that.”
“Then what’s he hiding?” Captain Strattler asked. “Or have you forgotten about that?”
CHAPTER 15
***TAYLOR***
Taylor stood hands on his hips in his bedroom doorway, surveying the room, a frown on his face, but it wasn’t the mess he’d just made that was upsetting him. His lucky jacket wasn’t in its usual place in his closet, and after a thorough search of his room, it appeared to be missing. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d hung the jacket up the night before; it was the only thing he’d done before falling into bed in the early morning hours after the poker game.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair. If he didn’t leave soon, he’d be late, but he wanted that jacket; it had always brought him luck, and he needed some tonight. It was the third night of a poker tournament Dakota had invited him to join, and he was finally working his way up to the big tables. If things went his way, he could walk out with a tidy little bundle of cash that night. Looking up at the clock he realized he was going to have to leave without the jacket, but he did one more quick circuit of the room just to be sure he hadn’t missed it, then grabbed the keys for the van and shut the door behind him.
Traffic was on his side and he arrived at the poker tournament with a few minutes to spare, but he was frustrated and out of sorts, not the way he wanted to start the night. On the drive, he’d turned it over and over in his mind and couldn’t come up with any reason someone in the house would have taken his jacket; they all knew how precious it was to him. That left an outsider, a prospect that didn’t settle well in his gut. His encounter with Sebastian was still fresh in his mind, but he still couldn’t imagine why his cousin or anyone would want it, which frustrated him even more.
Getting out of the car, he paused for a second to breathe in the cool night air, forcing thoughts of the jacket to the back of his mind, knowing he wouldn’t be able to play well if he didn’t. He’d be fine without it. His skill was more important than a good luck charm, and he’d been playing better than he ever had. He was confident that by the end of the night, there would be a fat roll of cash in his pocket.
Dakota was waiting for him just inside the front door, a worried look on his face. “Where have you been?” he demanded. “If you’re late they’ll kick you off the table.”
“I’ve got time, there’s still ten minutes left,” he said, heading for the back of the casino. “I thought you’d already be at your table.”
Dakota was silent for a second, a scowl on his face. “Oh, yes, well, I’m afraid that lady luck and I had a bit of a disagreement last night,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. Then he looked over at Taylor. “But that’s okay, this way, I can really give you my attention. We haven’t had much time to work together yet. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be sitting in the winner’s circle.”
“Oh, I don’t…that is…I’m doing okay on my own,” he stammered. “Not that I don’t appreciate the offer, I mean, I’m sure you have more important things to do…”
“Nonsense,” Dakota said, slapping him on the back. “Iwouldn’t be much of a mentor if I didn’t; it’s my job to help you become the best player you can be. You’ll be my legacy; I can just see it now—our names linked together forever.”
A panicky feeling spread through him as they approached the woman behind a set of shiny gold bars so he could pay his buy-in fee for the tournament that night. “Oh, that sounds…well…” his words trailed away. “Maybe we could talk about this tomorrow, I think I’m okay on my own tonight.”
The warmth in Dakota’s eyes cooled. “I hope I don’t have to remind you that you wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me,” he hissed. “Take some advice from your elders, boy. We can teach you a thing or two, unless you want to go home.”
He wasn’t sure that Dakota had the power to get him kicked out of the tournament, but that was a chance he wasn’t willing to take. “Yes, sir,” he said, pulling out a bundle of twenties and sliding them over to the cashier. “I’ll do my best.”
Three hours later, he was two thousand down, Dakota was on his fourth drink, his advice getting worse with each hand, and he knew that it was time to shut him down. “I’m calling a break,” he said, throwing in the blue card he’d been given. “I need some fresh air.”
Ignoring the jeering from the other players, he got to his feet, grabbed Dakota by the arm, and pulled him out of his chair. “Let’s take a walk,” he said. “We need to have a talk.”
“Keep your hands off me, boy,” Dakota slurred. “I don’t want to go for a walk, I want to get another drink, and then we’ll take the rest of their money.”
He stared at the older man, both frustrated and annoyed, “I guess you haven’t been paying attention; I’m not taking their money, they’re taking mine, and all thanks to your so-called expert advice. I’m done, Dakota. I appreciate theinvitation to the tournament, but I can’t do this anymore. I don’t need or want your help.”
A stormy look spread across Dakota’s face. “You ungrateful little…” he growled, then tried to punch Taylor. He easily stepped away from the drunken man, which only infuriated him more. “I’m going to have you banned. You’ll never play poker in this state again. You have no idea who you’ve messed with…”
A second later, a security guard walked up. “Do we have a problem here?” he asked. “I heard some shouting.”
Dakota gave him a dirty look but instantly calmed down. “We were just having a small disagreement,” he slurred, then started backing away. “This isn’t over, Taylor. You’re going to be sorry you disrespected me. You’ll see. I have power, and I’m going to use it to destroy you.”
When the older man turned and stomped away, swaying a little, Taylor let him go, already humiliated by the exchange. He then turned back to the table, not sure what kind of reaction to expect. He was met only with knowing looks, and he let out the breath he’d been holding. Then he sat down again, hoping they could just pretend it had never happened.
“Don’t worry about Dakota, he does this every couple of years. You stood up to him sooner than most of them do,” a scruffy-looking man a couple of chairs away said. “I’m Stan, by the way. I’ve been taking your money all night; guess I should have introduced myself sooner.”
“Stan,” he said, nodding his head at the man. “Nice to meet you, hope you’ll forgive me for taking some of my money back now that Dakota is gone.”
