I feign a smile at Kiona, aiming to appear natural but likely failing. She’s one of the other blackjack dealers coming on shiftwith me. She’s a sweet woman in her late twenties. Unlike me, she’s a member of the Seminole tribe that owns Oak Winds Casino.
“Oh, nothing.” As my incoherent response teeters through my mind, I quickly amend it. “I mean, I’m a bit tired. But it’s fine. This is fine. I’m fine.”
Terrific. I just memed myself.
Kiona chuckles melodically. It sounds natural and normal, so I use it to ground myself.
Thankfully, she lets me have my lie, and we make our way to our assigned tables.
After I set up my station and go through all the card and chip verification procedures, I fall into a groove. My plan is to wait a few hands before I start marking the cards. I’ve practiced the movement at home so much that I could do it in my sleep. However, I won’t do it here until I’m more relaxed. Last thing I need to do is get all jittery and draw the floorman’s attention.
After a few minutes, one of my regulars takes the next-to-last open seat at my table.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite brunette,” Keith drawls as he lowers his aging frame to the chair.
When I went through my red hair phase, I was his favorite redhead. And before that, I was his favorite blond.
I flash a beaming smile, genuinely happy to see him. Sweet elderly men are my catnip. “I’m only your favorite when you win.”
The old flirt winks at me as he slides a large stack of bills across the table toward me to cash in. “Well, any time I see you, I’m a winner.”
Keith’s so cheesy that he can’t stay out in the heat too long or he’ll melt.
I shake my head, my grin widening. “You’re shameless.” Over my shoulder, I call out the buy-in to notify the floorman thatcash is going into my drop box. I slide the stack of chips over to Keith and clear my hands for the cameras, flipping them over and wiggling my fingers so the eye in the sky can see I’m not palming chips.
Here’s hoping they don’t notice my new jewelry. On each thumb, I have a ring that will deposit a tiny smudge of invisible ink when I press it against the card in the right way. Only the special contact lenses that Silas’associateswill be wearing tonight will be able to view the ink marks. And by associates, I mean the group of cheaters who have been working their way across the country, scamming casinos out of millions.
And they kidnapped my best friend to force me to help them.
As soon as I get her back, I’m going to make them sorry they ever messed with me.
Somehow.
Sketchy on the details of how I’ll pull that off, since I can’t even curse, let alone do something violent. However, I’m nothing if not determined when someone I love has been harmed. Maybe I’ll channel my inner bull and gore Silas.
Eww. That sounds revolting. Let’s go with a nice trampling. Lila the bull will need to work up to goring.
Keith keeps me entertained with his cheeky quips and over-the-top facial expressions. For the thousandth time, I wish I had a dad like Keith. Someone fun and easygoing. A man who smiles and is always genuinely happy to see me.
Oh well.If wishes were fishes, we’d all be fried.
Using Keith’s presence to calm me, I eventually start marking the cards. The ring on my right thumb has the color ink for the aces, and the one on my left has the ink for the face cards.
Aces on the right. Aces on the right.
Here goes nothing. Or . . . everything.
“Blackjack,” I announce with an artificial smile when I turn over Keith’s second card.
Welp, there are two cards that need marking. Scanning the table, I find a few more.
My heart slingshots into my throat.
As I collect the cards and stack them in the discard rack, I roll the appropriate ring on them like I practiced for hours on end over the last few days. I do it so fast I could almost pretend it never happened. Years of working at Oak Winds have made me good with my hands. I should try close-up magic for my next career.
The one I’ll have plenty of time to train for in prison.
Because as of right now, I’m officially a party to a crime. Yet nothing around me has changed.
