Although she tries to hide it, her eyes flicker with fear before she can blink it away. “I recognize that name. Isn’t that Lila’s boyfriend? She’s another dealer here. Lila Kent. You shoulddefinitelytalk to her about him.” Shifting her weight from foot to foot, she careens her line of sight around the casino. “I don’t see her. Hang on. Let me check to see if she’s working today.”
Andrews cocks a knowing brow at me, his grin rapidly overtaking his smug face. Fan-fucking-tastic.
No way he’s gonna mind his business once he picks up on the chemistry between us.
Dana retrieves a folded piece of paper from her apron and drags her index finger down the page. “She’ll be here on duty in an hour. Blackjack, table three.”
Fuck.
Looks like I’ve got sixty minutes and counting to figure out a way to avoid interacting with Lila in front of my partner.
I slide my business card to Dana. “Keep this. If you think of anything else that might help us catch the people who hurt your mother, call us. Day or night.”
She tucks the card in her apron without looking at it. “Sure thing.”
We don’t make it five feet from the table before Andrews starts in with his bullshit. “Guess we have an hour to kill. Where is this bar of yours? I need you to tell me everything about Lila Kent.”
TEN
Agent Dad
LILA
If you need me,I’ll be here, super-duper excited for another glorious day of barely hanging on by a thread.
Only on the casino floor for ten minutes, and my blood pressure has already shot through the roof. One glimpse of him was all it took. It’s too much to ask for Reed to be a hallucination, isn’t it?
On the bright side, he isn’t hanging around my table. In fact, nobody’s playing blackjack yet. I hate working the early shift. The tips are terrible because of how slow it is.
However, I was worried about Kenzie being alone at night, so I swapped my schedule to be home with her before it gets dark. Just for a while until she’s less skittish.
Only now I’m bored at work, which gives me more time to obsess about the nightmare that won’t ever end.
What would Silas do if I quit my job? Would he finally leave Kenzie and me alone?
After all, I wouldn’t have anything to offer him and his band of merry men if I weren’t in close proximity to thousands upon thousands of dollars.
Then he could flip right off.
His words run through my head as I mindlessly shuffle the decks and reload the shoe.
We’ve got more work to do, Lila. You aren’t done until I say you are.
He wants me to ask for more shifts at the craps tables. No clue how he plans to cheat at that game. Witchcraft? Nano technology? Weighted dice, probably. But that’s all monitored so closely. I’m sure there’s a way, but I don’t want any part of it.
Something’s gotta give. Icannotkeep doing this.
I’m not built to be a criminal. I’m a simple gal who loves birds and taking naps. I was made for the sheets, not the streets.
My body is exhausted from living in a constant state of panic. I barely sleep. Can’t eat more than a few bites here and there. I’ve dropped two pant sizes, which would normally be fantastic news. But I don’t want to lose weight this way.
I’d rather be fat and happy than thin and miserable.
Related, I’d like to flick the biggest of middle fingers at my genetics. Honestly, I’ve tried to lose weight the right way for my entire life. Eating like a rabbit, exercising until I collapse, drinking so much water I might float away, getting adequate sleep, doing yoga, manifesting, and meditating. I’ve tried acupuncture, weight loss hypnosis, injections, and spent thousands on supplements. Sure, I lost weight with some of those approaches. A few pounds over long, laborious periods of time. But it always comes back.
Always.
But now? I’m losing weight every day without even trying. Far more than I ever have before. And that really grinds my gears.
