“What does that mean?” Emily asked, her fingers thrumming on the edge of the table.
The dealer pushed her winnings over to her with a smile.
“You doubled your money,” I informed her.
Emily’s hand covered her heart as she stared wide-eyed. “I was so scared I was going to lose it.”
“Want to play some more?” Knox asked.
She shook her head, a jerky back and forth. “Nope. I’m good.”
“I’ll take care of this,” he said softly at my side. “I’ll find you shortly.”
“I’ll take her out front to see the fountain.”
Knox nodded to the casino host to collect the winnings.
“How does anyone do that?” Emily asked, shaking out her arms. “I feel light-headed from the stress of it.”
“That’s the thrill. It spikes the adrenaline.”
“It’s addicting,” she said, smiling up at me.
“That’s the thrill of Vegas.”
“But you don’t gamble?”
“Never had the desire.”
“Does Knox?”
“Not that I’ve seen, no.” I guided her out into the night, then took her hand.
“At first, I thought it was my imagination,” Emily said softly, “but those guys are following us.”
I didn’t look back at the two men she was referring to. “Bodyguards.” They’d been with us for the past three days, so it was a testament to how well they did their job that she hadn’t noticed until now.
Her eyes widened. “Why do you have bodyguards?”
“It’s a necessary evil this day in time.” I didn’t bother to tell her it was more for her than for us.
Knox was the one who’d suggested it when we were on the plane here. While he and I rarely had bodyguards with us, neither of us was willing to take a chance with Emily’s safety. The problem with being high profile was that it had the potential to draw unwanted attention. And since we weren’t pretending Emily wasn’t important to us, we figured it was better to be safe than sorry.
“What will you do with your winnings?” I asked, wanting to get her off the subject.
Emily laughed. “It’s not my money, but if it were, I would buy stock in the Monolith.”
“Yeah?” I pulled her around to stand in front of me as we stared at the silent, still water of the Bellagio fountain.
“I like the idea of being part of it.” She leaned back against me. “There’s something magical about this place.”
A soft hum sounded as the fountains turned on, and the water slowly rose as the music played from the speakers.
For the next several minutes, we watched the water and light show, one of the top things on a tourist’s guide to Vegas. Emily never said a word, just leaned back against me, and I realized I could’ve remained like that for the rest of my days.
By the time it was over, Knox had ventured out to join us. When I turned, I saw him standing a few feet away, his gaze locked on the two of us. What glittered in his eyes could only be described as a violent hunger. I knew it well. I felt the same when I looked at the two of them.
“Where to now?” Knox asked as we approached him.
