Vegas: Bk 02 Ch. 03

As he threaded his way through the television cables, the anonymity of last year seemed a world away. He was stopped every few feet by a series of well wishers who all wanted to offer their own words of good luck, comfort or advice.

He made a point of shaking every hand that was proffered and courteously thanked each person who offered good wishes. But the reality was that whilst he genuinely appreciated their support, he felt it unlikely he could do them justice.

He looked warily around his table but recognised no one. A hallmark of the new poker, he thought. But his fame quickly became apparent.

"Well, if it isn't the man himself," a grizzled customer on his left remarked.

Daniel just smiled, then nodded hello to everyone around the table. But Grizzly wasn't about to let up.

"You think it's fashionable to turn up late?"

"I'm not late, my friend," Daniel good-naturedly responded. It was best to defuse the situation before it went any further. "I'm just on time in fact."

To reinforce the point, he nodded at the dealer who was in the process of dealing the first hand.

"On time by a few seconds," Grizzly responded. "And you're not my friend. You think you're another Hellmuth who can just turn up when they want? Has winning gone to your head?"

"I'm certainly no Hellmuth," smiled Daniel. He wished he was at any table but this one.

"You saying you're better than him?" Grizzly continued.

Daniel stared at his interrogator as he folded his hand. The aggressive eyes above the crumpled black shirt told him this was a discussion he could not turn around.

"Tell you what," he quietly said, holding Grizzly's eyes, "I'm just going to concentrate on my poker now. I'll leave the trash talking to you."

Grizzly gave a sneer and looked around the table.

"Seems Mr. Big Shot doesn't want to talk to us," he told anyone who would listen.

"Give the guy a break," broke in a young, fair-haired kid at the opposite end of the table.

"Mind your manners, kid," began Grizzly. "When I was your age...."

*

Ming was seated in a booth at the far end of the bar. It allowed her to view the entire room. The place was busy and Rosie, one of her favourite girls, was strutting her stuff on stage. The girl was the genuine article who wanted to earn enough to make a better life for herself. She might make it, too, Ming thought, seconds before Desmond returned.

He caught her eye across the room and gave a toothie grin as he came straight over to her.

"Have a seat, Desmond," she said, giving him her best smile as she caught the eye of one of her waitresses.

"Where's Mr. Smarty Pants?" he asked, looking around the bar.

"Oh, he's long gone," she replied, attempting to disguise her nervousness.

"Very sensible," he drawled, nodding his head at her as he spoke. "You got my money?" he asked.

The oriental woman smiled. "Desmond, you know I always have your money on time."

"I know that, Ming. I trust you. That's why this place is booming. It's Smarty Pants I don't trust."

"Desmond, forget Parker. I thought it was me you wanted to see."

She rested her hand on his arm, smiling at him as if he was George Clooney. Her smile hid the wicked thought that if it was not for the fact he was a little overweight, slightly balding and verging on ugly, he might have been.

"I do, Ming, but you have a problem with that man!"

He paused as the waitress served them their drinks. He watched her peachy bottom as she sauntered back to the bar before returning his gaze to Ming.

"And I'm willing to overlook this one time... but on one condition."

Ming's sigh was deep. She knew where this was going. Desmond had made it quite clear on several occasions that he wanted to fuck her. Each time she had explained that she was off-limits but she was now on borrowed time. She had always made sure he had a good time with one of her girls and had convinced him that was wasting his time. But now, that fool Parker had made her vulnerable.

"Desmond..." she nervously began.

He quickly saw through her vain attempt to exude an air of confidence and stopped her with a shake of his head.

"That shit with Parker has gone too far this time. Now either you give me what I want or I'll explain one or two things to Big Eddie."

Ming looked into his blue eyes and although she saw no escape, she tried again.

"Desmond, I always make sure you get what you want. My best girls..."

This time it was the hand he held up between them that stopped her.

"Ming, baby. You've got three choices. Sack Big Shot immediately..."

"You know I can't," she hissed.

"Your choice," he calmly said. "Or we take this place off your hands..."

"Desmond..." she whimpered, her eyes pleading.

"Then it looks like you are plumping for choice number three," he stated. "And as it's you I'm gonna fuck, I want the master bedroom...."

*

Daniel had tuned out. His eyes were closed in an attempt to relieve the blinding headache. This was not how he had imagined the start of his title defence. His victory last year had injected him with an amazing sense of confidence that had carried him through the last twelve poker months.

But today, he felt crippled.

He was distraught at the thought of what might have happened to Katherine and the pain in his head would not allow him to think clearly. And Grizzly was an added complication. And if all that was not bad enough, he had gone from a world of minimal expectations last year to a bucket full this year. Fucking great!

There was no pleasure to be gained from his defence. It was not even about survival. It was all about the need to ensure he did not disgrace himself.

He tried to ignore every other thought and just concentrate on his poker. But he quickly found he was a target for all comers at the table. Whenever he bet, someone called, determined to be the one that took out the world champion. Daniel quickly understood his only tactic was to play tight for the time being and only risk his chips on monster hands.

The strategy worked. Helped by the occasional hand, he sat at $10,400 and it was with some relief that he approached the last hand before the short break. Time to increase his stack, he thought as he made a sizeable raise with Ace-Jack in late position. Grizzly made his inevitable call and made a pair with a six on the river.

As he flopped over his Jack-Six unsuited, he drawled. "You ain't as good as you think, brother."

Daniel sighed. A good sized bet on the flop or turn would have won him the pot and was a pretty basic thing to do. But he hadn't.

"Nice pre-flop call," he sarcastically said and then slumped back in his seat, disappointed with himself for being drawn into the childish banter.

From a solid position before the break he was now down to $8500. If he needed it, that was further confirmation that this was going to be a long day. As soon as his blinds passed him, he decided to find the rest room and see if another couple of painkillers would help.

*

"Sit on the bed," Desmond calmly said as he closed the bedroom door.

When Ming did, he took her arms and held them against the wooden slats of the headboard behind her.

"Keep them there, sugar," he grunted, his voice already hoarse with desire.

She did as she was told and realised she was instantly moist. The submissive position had created an unexpected degree of arousal in her.

His eyes were narrowed with his own desire. "Do you know how long I've waited for this?" he asked, his coarse tongue flicking across his lips.

She gave no answer, her eyes drawn to his rough fingers as they unbuttoned her white blouse. She found herself wishing she'd worn a bra but his lips on her erect nipples immediately changed her mind.

"I know you think this is one time only," he purred, pausing to look up at her. "But I'm gonna fuck you so good you're going to want Desmond every day."

Her words sent an undeniable jolt between her legs. She would not admit it but she needed to be fucked. And even though he was a long way from her usual preferences, his mouth on her tits made the thought of what was about to happen suddenly more appealing.

Just when she thought the mouth on her breasts and fingers under her lacy thong were going to get her off, he pulled away from his teasing work and clumsily stood up. His eyes were fixed on her reaction as he undressed. He gave a self satisfied growl as her gaze rested on his naked cock.

"Admit it, sugar," he gloated, lewdly stroking himself to full erection. "You want Desmond as much as I want you!"

Ming's eyes narrowed as he thumped down beside her. The oriental woman suddenly saw the ugly, overweight, slightly balding hood in a different light. Or was that just the dick she needed so badly?

His fingers slipped under her skirt and hooked themselves in her thong. Their eyes remained locked on each other as he gently tugged it down and away from her body. God, she felt unnaturally horny. She involuntarily tightened her grip on the wooden slats behind her head. A soft moan escaped her lips as he eased her thighs apart and slowly lowered his head.

He nipped at the heart shaped patch of black hair, his tongue skirting her clit on its way to her clean shaven valley. Ming thrust her hips upward as his lips and tongue explored the soft skin. She closed her eyes, savouring the tingling sensations that ran across her sex. Fuck, that was good.

Although she made a final effort to suppress her sexual arousal, the feel of his tongue as it separated her twin labial lips could not be denied. Her hands left their prison and wrapped themselves around his head. She softly guided his movements as he gently lapped at her smooth furrow. For a chubby man, his tongue felt so soft and sensual.

The oriental beauty widened her legs and lightly caressed the hairs at the back of his head as she offered herself to his mouth. That changed when he found her clitoris.

Her grip tightened as her body jerked in response. She glanced down and saw his eyes were following her reaction. The heated woman could not help but respond and arched her back. But as she tried to lock her legs around his back to keep him in place, he straightened up into a kneeling position.

"I guess you're ready to be fucked?" he said as he eased his thick hardness against her wet outer lips.

His words were a statement rather than a question. She showed her compliance by adjusting her position. She gave a soft howl as he slid into her hot core.

"Oh fuck, that feels good," the now sweating man moaned.

He was right, Ming knew! His immediate, urgent thrusts underlined his long held desire to fuck her. It was all she could do to hold back. But she continued to tell herself that she must not show him that she wanted this.

Her weakening will was her only problem. Even the sweat dripping down from him was an aphrodisiac. The feel of his shaft rubbing against her exposed clitoris was sensational.

Ming grabbed his chubby buttocks to force him deeper as she at last began to fuck back. He had her close to an orgasm and she wanted to get there. She was no longer able to contain herself and was transformed into a rutting animal. It took no time at all and she dug her red fingernails into his flesh as she climaxed, continuing to hump against him until the electrical current at last began to subside.

When she felt him begin to convulse, she took his earlobe between her teeth and gently bit down on it. He screamed as he ejaculated, burying his head against her until his body stopped jerking. After a few seconds of bliss, he ponderously lifted himself from the bed and headed for the bathroom.

Fuck, thought Ming. Is that it? Is that fucking it? He had wanted her so much and now it was over that quickly? Fuck!

*

Holly eased her car to a stop and checked the licence plate on the gas-guzzler parked across the dark road. It was the number Joshua had provided her with. And was in the vicinity he had suggested. It had taken only ten minutes of patient touring around the area to locate it.

As far as she could tell, there were movements in the car. Despite the darkness, there were definitely little shadows. They may have not meant a great deal to anyone else but to her trained eye they said everything. The only question was whether he was in the car alone or whether he had company.

The blonde's thoughts were interrupted by a light tap on the driver's window. She looked across at the gun pointing through the glass. The barrel moved in an upward and downward motion and she obeyed the unsaid instruction. As she lowered the window, a well worn face peered in.

"Watch doin'?" a deep voice asked, the gun trained on her.

Holly began to move but was stopped in her tracks.

"Uh-uh!" the guy uttered in admonishment. The gun waved gently from side to side as if to reinforce the point. "I asked what you're doin'!"

Holly eased back slightly in her seat and slightly tugged open her jacket so that he had a better view. Her trained eyes followed his gaze as it dropped to the swell of her breasts above her thin black top. The momentary distraction allowed her hidden hand to pick up the silencer at her side.

"I'm looking for a little action," she softly breathed. "Are you?"

She watched the well worn face break into a grin.

"Well, Jimmy has some action over there, so why not me?" he laughed.

As he spoke he nodded across at the gas-guzzler. That was all the time Holly needed. Her movement was a blur as the shot hit him directly between the eyes. The only sound other than the soft spit was the dull thud as his body collapsed to the ground.

Her eyes returned to the car across the street. So, Jimmy was inside and was entertaining a guest. That made life easier. Much easier. She killed the switch above her head to keep the car in darkness but something stopped her as she tried to slip out of the car.

The thug's fallen body must have lodged itself against the door. Cursing, Holly manoeuvred herself out of the passenger side.

To avoid any complications when she returned, she pulled the heavy body to one side. Staying in the shadows, the blonde stealthily slipped across the street and glanced around to ensure that the vicinity remained clear. As she approached, she could hear the fucking sounds from inside the vehicle.

It was not difficult to remain out of sight of the wing mirrors and Holly allowed half a minute or so to adjust her eyes to the shapes inside the vehicle. Jimmy and his entertainment were in the back. It seemed the buxom blonde was riding him for all she was worth. She felt a momentary shudder of arousal coarse through her own body as she watched.

"Yeah, fuck me doll," she heard him grunt.

His words seemed to motivate the dyed blonde as she bucked on him like a wild stallion. Holly watched as her hands pulled Jimmy's head against her naked breasts. The vehicle began to rock under her exertions. Her efforts did the trick as Jimmy's shouts made clear his moment had arrived.

"I'm cumming doll," he groaned, "I'm fucking cumming..."

The timing was perfect. Holly pulled her silencer from the back of her trousers and tried the door. It made no difference if it was locked but was preferable to shooting through glass. It opened in one movement just as Jimmy was ejaculating into the bucking blonde. Holly put the gun against his forehead and pulled the trigger.

She had returned to her car before the hooker quite knew what had happened and was speeding from the vicinity when the horrified screams erupted.

*

When Carlos opened the back door of the limousine, Lauren found Samuel waiting inside.

She beamed at him as she sat beside him. "Samuel! What a surprise!"

He laughed. "A nice one, I hope? Instead of meeting you at the restaurant, I thought you might like hoer-douvres?

As he said it, he pulled her close, placing her hand on the bulge in his crotch. He was already hard and his urgency was a major turn-on. There was no need to speak. Her deft fingers immediately went to work, unfastening and pulling until she fished out his pulsating member.

Her eyes were wild, wet and wanton as they met his. She slowly jerked the semi-erection for a few seconds. Only when she had him rock hard did she gratefully take him in her mouth. His immediate moans increased her arousal further and she took him all the way down her throat.

"That's it, baby," he encouraged as her muscles went to work on him.

Lauren knew from the instant throbbing in her mouth that he'd been anticipating this for some time. He was already close. Rather than savour the moment, she wanted his immediate orgasm as if it would be some kind of triumph.

"Good boy," she whispered.

The porn queen slipped her hand inside his slacks and softly cupped his testicles. She felt him jerk in her mouth at the caress. With a self satisfied grin, she renewed her soft sucking as she gently squeezed his balls. It was like she'd set off an atom bomb.

His hands tightly gripped her blonde locks as he came, his hips pushing upwards as he fired into her. She gratefully took every last drop. It was only when his proud member began to soften in her mouth that she reluctantly pulled away.

Only then did she realise that the limousine had ground to a halt outside of their destination. Displaying his usual impeccable timing, it was only once they had tidied themselves that Carlos opened the door. She grinned at him as Samuel took her hand and walked her into the restaurant.

*

Daniel's day had not improved. Every success, from the first moment through to the final session, had been hard fought, with little in the way of hands to help improve his position. In other circumstances he might well have taken some chances to relieve the building frustrations but this was the Main Event. He was defending his title and his entire poker reputation was on the line.

It was not about winning. His sole objective was to remain in the tournament for as long as he could. See out today, he kept telling himself, see out today. Forget the headache. Forget Katherine. Forget Grizzly's continual chirping in his ear. Find a way to stay focused.

It was the dealer who helped, with Pocket rockets. His immediate reaction was one of relief. At last he had been given something to play with. But then he could not shake the memory that it was this hand that had seen both he and Holly depart the final four only a couple of days ago.

He instantly knew that was too negative a state of mind. He should have been thinking about how to capitalise on the hand. But doubts had started to creep in and that was not a good place to be. He decided not to slow play and to take the pot then and there. He raised five times the big blind.

Grizzly on his left thought for a few moments before he doubled the bet. This was too good an opportunity to miss. Daniel allowed himself a considerable pause in an attempt to convey uncertainty. He then doubled the bet again, figuring that Grizzly might take the bait. He did.

Without a second's hesitation, he pushed all-in.

As Grizzly's stack was bigger, the call was a pivotal moment. The buzz from the table immediately spread to the surrounding tables. And with the possibility of losing the champion, it seemed that just about all the television cameras were being redirected to focus on the hand.

It looked like the confrontation was the Event's first big TV moment.

Spectators rushed along the rail for a better view whilst some nearby players paused to watch. Daniel looked around, feeling like he was floating in a goldfish bowl. He was aware that all he could was to pray that those higher poker beings were not about to have a laugh at his expense.

Grizzly cursed as he saw Daniel's hand. He flung down his Queens and news of their cards was soon broadcast around the room. For some reason probably connected to his loss to Brunson, Daniel gave a relieved sigh. He had been hoping to see Ace-King, but at least Grizzly's hand wasn't the one Texas Dollie had despatched him with. Kings would have worried him.