Vegas: Bk 02 Ch. 08

*

From the window, Holly could see the side of the car. It was partly obscured by the corner of the wall. Perfect cover, she thought. Easing herself out of the window, she quickly covered the distance to the end of the wall. Listening intently, the blonde assassin dropped to her haunches. She stealthily made her way to the rear of the car, being careful to stay out of sight of the rear view mirrors.

A dark figure sat in the passenger seat. The smoke from the expensive cigar spiralled into the air through the open window. The hand resting on the frame held a gun. It was clear the sound of the shooting had reached the car. It took a brief second to reach the open window

"Drop it," Holly quietly said. She signalled her attention by placing the barrel of her silencer against his forehead.

He looked sideways at her. His eyes widened when he saw her. "You're the hitman?" he asked. It was a rhetorical question.

"Woman," she corrected.

He nodded slowly. His eyes darted around, searching for a way out. "I can explain..."

"Of course you can, Joshua," she said. She had found her target. "I'll ask one more time, drop the gun."

Holly saw his hand begin to move a fraction of a second before he stubbed the cigar into her hand. Her silencer flickered into life. He slumped forward, an empty expression on his face.

She licked the burn on the back of her hand. "Bastard!"

*

Julie tightened her legs around Parker's waist, taking half of him inside. Her upward thrust completed the entry and she gasped at the way he filled her, the way his dark curls scratched against her smooth labia. She could feel every delicious inch.

"That good, honey?" Parker asked, encouraged by her groan of arousal.

She spread herself wider and he responded with strong, rhythmic thrusts. He had wanted this woman ever since he arrived in Vegas. Her complete submission enhanced his arousal. It was not only that she was giving in to him. She was a full participant, her ass urgently lifting from the couch as she matched him thrust for thrust.

Whatever it was that had pushed her buttons, Parker gratefully took advantage. His mouth found her breast, sucking the nipple inside. The sassy brunette responded to his flicking tongue by digging her fingers into his scalp. She pulled his head up to stare into her hazelnut coloured eyes. Holding his gaze, she eased her frantic pace.

Tightening her grip on his hair, she slowly thrust up, taking him deep inside. She adjusted her position, flattening out on her back. She looked down their sweat-damp bodies. Parker's eyes followed. He groaned at the licentious sight of their union. At the way her engorged pussy stretched around his girth as he slide in and out.

She repeated the manoeuvre; he was lost to her.

It was all too much: the sight of his cock being consumed in her slick flesh; the soft, tight feeling as he bottomed out; the aroused look of control in her eyes, and her tightness around his shaft combined to take him over the edge. He cried out seconds before he released. One burst followed another. He jerked continuously as he coated her clutching walls, relentless and unending.

The brunette waited until he began to recover before fucking him again. It was her turn. Her red fingernails dug into his back, drawing blood. Parker responded to the pain, beginning to drive back. He was the one in control here, not her. His mouth found hers and he fucked her hard. She groaned louder and louder as he took charge. Her body jerk each time the bottom of his shaft rubbed against her clit.

The brunette's svelte body began to buck and shudder under his. One moan mixed into the next. As she came, she roughly bit on his neck. He held her close throughout her climax. Her body felt hard and tight as it shook under him.

He glanced at he clock on the wall behind the couch. Only eleven. Good, they still had another hour of fucking before Ming arrived.

*

It took the two Detectives an hour to secrete Katherine in a safe house. The redhead had kept her wits about her. Her insistence that she wanted written confirmation of her freedom had pissed them off, but she needed that assurance if she was to tell them everything she knew.

Their boss was flying in first thing in the morning. He would give her that guarantee and hear her story first hand. Once she had confirmed what they expected, they would raid Big Eddie's.

Williams was to provide around-the-clock protection until their boss arrived in the morning. He and Jeffries would join the two of them then.

The arrogant Detective tried to get Katherine to confide in him whilst they waited. It would enhance his reputation if he could extract the full story before Thompson arrived, but the bitch insisted she was saying nothing until she met with his boss. He tossed his Dictaphone onto the table and snorted. He could wait.

The two of them finished the sandwich Katherine had prepared. The two cops had the foresight to purchase some food on their way. The redhead stared at Williams across the small room. He sat back in the patchwork-covered chair and held up his mug of coffee.

"Nice! You ever been married, Katherine," he conversationally asked.

"What's it to you?"

He laughed, planting both feet onto the glass coffee table. "Honey, you and I are stuck here for a while yet. Just making conversation."

She felt stupid. "Sorry. No, I'm not married. I'm way too young. You?"

"Oh yes," he said, sipping his coffee. "To the prettiest lady in Vegas."

"Kids?"

He nodded, picking a piece of food from between his teeth. "That was a pretty good sandwich, honey. Yup, two boys. Want to see a photo?"

He padded over to the couch, plopping down beside her. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket, removing a photograph and handing it to her.

"You weren't kidding," the redhead softly smiled. "Your wife is beautiful. Two good looking boys, too."

He nodded, smiling at her approval.

"You know what, Detective Williams?" she grinned, picking up her mug. "You might just be human after all."

He sneered as he returned to his chair. "Don't you kid yourself, honey. I can be the meanest motherfucker in the force." His eyes were deadly serious. "I suggest you never forget that."

*

Daniel had searched for Holly all morning. The start of play was half an hour away when he bumped into her. She looked nervous, not her usual self at all. He realised even this cool woman was feeling the pressure. The World Series did that to people.

He was about to reassure her when a man approached them. Daniel recognised the same genuine, friendly smile as he had seen a year ago. The loud Hawaiian shirt was familiar, too.

"Holly," Daniel softly said. "This is the person who helped me win the Main Event last year."

He watched as her eyes creased in puzzlement. Their visitor's large body shook with laughter.

He vigorously shook Holly's hand. "Well, that's quite an endorsement," he said with a smile. "But I do like to believe that I may have brought this talented man a little luck."

Holly's gaze passed between them. She made no effort to play their game. Instead, she patiently waited for the story to be disclosed.

"I've been closely following both of your performances this year," he continued with a broad smile. "I think every poker aficionado is aware that history could be in the making. The first back-to-back winner since Johnny Chan. Or, the first female winner ever. The eyes of the poker world are focused on you both!"

"We're doing our best," Daniel modestly said.

The man's smile never left his worn face. "I can't do anything more to help you, Daniel. But I thought I might be able to give the little lady an advantage. I brought you this."

He handed Holly a small crystal.

"Chris Moneymaker and Daniel are the only two people that have received one of these," he explained. "And both won!"

Holly glanced at Daniel, who nodded at her. His face was serious. "Last year, stroked mine for luck whenever I was in trouble. And in every poker tourney since then, including this one, I've carried it with me. I'm a believer."

He pulled his crystal from his pocket, as if presenting evidence in court.

The man's face beamed at him. "Some people rest them on their cards, and others like Daniel stroke them when they need some luck," he told Holly, nodding at the crystal he had just presented to her. "This particular one is very special. It's delicate, just like a woman. Brings inner peace and luck. It's for you."

"Thank you so very much," Holly said, her eyes genuinely warm with gratitude. She gave him a hug. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate the gesture."

Her benefactor blushed. But then Holly's unfettered tits pressed into your chest would make any man blush. "Won't keep you," he said, glancing around the rapidly filling room. "Good luck."

He shook both their hands. Giving a soft wave, he walked away.

Holly's mischievous brown eyes stared into Daniel's. "So you stroke yours for luck? Wouldn't you like me to do that?"

He gave a loud cough as he felt the stirring in his groin. His eyes took in her playful gaze before dropping to the full breasts he remembered so well. Had it not been for Rosie, he would have been sorely tempted.

*

Katherine felt an eerie sense of foreboding. Time was passing slowly. But the slower, the better. Pulling her legs up under her, she wrapped her arms around her knees. Her soft sigh was telling. When her gaze flicked back to Williams, she saw his eyes on her tits. Her nipples were prominent against the thin material of her t-shirt.

"I thought you were married," she quietly stated.

He laughed. It was an uncomfortable sound. "That doesn't mean I can't look, honey. Especially at someone as well stacked as you!"

As long as looking is all he did...

Her eyes widened as the thought appeared from nowhere. If she could somehow destroy his credibility before his boss arrived, there might still be a way of staying out of prison. And keeping on the right side of Eddie, too.

He interrupted her thoughts when he stood up. "Gotta check in," he said, fishing out his cell phone from his jacket pocket. "The room telephone has been disconnected, so don't get any thoughts inside that pretty little mind."

As he left the room, Katherine glanced at the Dictaphone on the table. She picked it up and hid it under one of the thick cushions on the couch. She had not quite formalised what she intended doing, but an idea was forming.

*

Holly listened to the message. She walked away from the circus that surrounded the table and returned the call.

"From what I hear," came Big Eddie's voice at the end of the line, "an extremely professional job!"

"That's what you pay me for," she answered.

"Indeed. You know the father will come looking for you now?"

"He won't be the first. I'll cope."

"But alas," he continued, "he'll come looking for me, also."

"I'm sure you'll cope, too," she said.

"Perhaps. But I have other distractions right now. I need one, perhaps two, final jobs."

"Who?"

"The second is a girl who may just have given the cops a lot of information on me," he growled. "But first, I want the father taken out."

"When?"

"Tomorrow," he said, his voice rising as he became agitated. "I want him removed tomorrow."

"Where is he?"

"Los Angeles," he snorted. "He's in Los Angeles."

"It will cost you double," she said calmly.

"Not a problem."

*

Daniel hated the restricted view of Seat One. His attempts to casually peer around the dealer to see the two amateur Scandinavian players were fruitless. Instead, he focused across from him. Doyle Bronson was in his eyesight, flanked by Tony G and the genial Englishman, John Gale.

Those two could not be more different. The Brit was well known for the good-natured hugs he gave to anyone he knocked out of a tournament. Whereas Tony G had earned the unenviable tag of the 'Australian airbag.' His loud and unrelenting disrespect for other players at the table was known throughout the game.

His eyes fell on the two of the three remaining players. They were hugely experienced. Julian Gardner, the third Englishman at the table, had been runner up in the 2002 Main Event. The rugged Spaniard, Carlos Mortensen, had won the title in 2004.

That left Holly, looking as hot as ever. Her thin black blouse seemed glued to her tits and the sight of her ass moulded to those black jeans made his mouth water. She'd just returned to the table from goodness knows where. For a brief moment, she raised her sunglasses and winked at Daniel. They dropped back into place as the dealer fanned the cards.

Both of the Scandinavian's were short on chips. Predictably, they pushed all-in on the very first hand. Their hole cards proved to be irrelevant. Mortensen flopped a straight and took them both out.

Three hands later, the number of players reduced further. To everyone's relief, Tong G had his Aces cracked by Texas Dollie's set of threes.

But any thoughts of a Final Table sprint were rapidly dispelled. The six remaining players were cautious throughout the first two sessions. It took until the fifth hour of the day before the next significant action. Julian Gardner's pocket Kings were no match for Texas Dollie's two pair. Doyle could do no wrong.

Daniel had been on the fringe of the action throughout the day. That was fine. His achievements over the last twelve months had given him confidence to go along with his natural patience. His chip stack remained pretty much in shape as the final five players went into the dinner break.

*

It was late evening. Katherine had gone through her plan so many times in her mind. She was convinced it would work. She stretched her arms over her head and feigned a yawn. Williams' gaze predictably fell on her lush breasts. She arched her back as she extended her arms, thrusting her natural assets towards him.

He flicked his tongue across his lips as he took in her curves. The redhead smiled inwardly as he dropped his hand to adjust his crotch. Better and better.

"I'm tired, Williams," she said, holding the pose. "Do you mind if I take a shower?"

"No problem, honey," he grinned. His mouth was almost watering. "Just leave the bathroom door open, so I can keep an eye on you..."

"You wish," she said. But as she walked across the room, she provocatively added, "I'll leave it ajar, but no peeking."

She headed straight for the bathroom. She flicked on the shower and glanced around. If she left the door slightly ajar, she would see any movement outside. The mirror on the opposite wall to the shower would guarantee that.

She had been in the shower for only a couple of minutes when a shadow appeared in the mirror. Williams had taken the bait.

She turned away from the mirror. No point in scaring him off. The tiny jets of water bounced across her breasts as she put on a show. She grasped her engorged swells and began to gently caress them with her palms. One hand ran down her stomach, through the strip of red hair. A finger slipped into her moist heat.

She stroked herself as the water continued to cascade down her curves. Fuck, that felt good. And the thought of Williams almost certainly masturbating whilst watching was an immense turn-on. Her show was for the cop's benefit, but she couldn't stop her fingers as they circled and rubbed her soft flesh.

It was only when her trembling body stiffened and then exploded, that the shadow disappeared. When she recovered, the redhead smiled at the thought of what was to come.

*

Holly stayed away from Daniel during the dinner break. They both needed their space. She had not expected to feel as tense as she had during the day. But then, history was beckoning.

While she easily stayed out of trouble, making progress was a different matter. With five players remaining, a fair share of cards was all she asked. Two hours later, frustration replaced her nervousness. The cards had still avoided her and a couple of bad beats had made a severe dent in her chip stack. She had no option now. Aggression was the only way forward. Find a spot and push her chips in.

He blonde needed to get herself all-in against the Spanish Matador. One of them would double up and be right back in the tournament. It took a while to happen. They both made separate all-in moves without gaining any action. But both knew it was simply a matter of time.

When Carlos pushed in again, Holly was pretty sure she was ahead with her Ace. Even if her Six kicker was not much help. Her expectation was that both of Carlos's cards would be higher than her kicker. So she was fractionally better than 50-50. But that was good enough. After that, it was up to the poker gods.

She pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her blonde locks. Daniel smiled reassuringly at her. She beamed back. They both knew the score. So did the rest of the table. If her hand stood up, she would knock Carlos out. If Mortensen's King-Nine prevailed, there was no way back for Holly. Either way, Doyle, John Gale and Daniel knew they were about to move up one place.

Holly surprised herself as she stood up. She felt remarkably calm. Perhaps her crystal was doing its job? The flop did nothing to change her inner peace.

Queen-Four-Two.

Her brown eyes continued to pull themselves across to Daniel with each turn of a card. His constant, supportive smile was powerful. The Eight of Clubs on the turn and the Jack of diamonds on Fifth Street sealed the Spanish Matador's fate. Holly sat back down. The poker Gods were with her.

*

Katherine liked the pyjama's she had found in her room. Slightly too small, they accentuated her curves. The top two buttons she had left unfastened added to the effect. She had felt a flicker of arousal when checking herself out in the mirror. Williams would have no chance!

She lay across the couch, ostensibly watching television. The redhead had seen Williams continually glance across at her. She would twist and turn, ensuring the tight top pulled against her breasts, and the bottom across her ass. The cop's hand on his crotch confirmed she was having the desired effect.

Her fingers found the hidden Dictaphone. She had become an expert at activating it from its hidden position beneath the cushions. Whenever the crinkly haired Detective had checked, she had rehearsed the procedure. Her hands were now familiar with each button. Comfortable that everything was in place, she began to sob. She covered her face with her hands, really selling it.

"What's wrong?" she heard him ask.

The redhead didn't answer. Her soft sobs continued.

He rose from his chair, taking a few tentative steps towards her. "Katherine. What's wrong?"

Her voice was shaky. "Tomorrow."

Williams ran his hands through his gelled black hair. "What about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow my whole life changes." She sobbed a little louder.

The couch moved as he sat beside her. He had taken the bait, as she knew he would. He could not take the chance that she would renege on the deal.

"Listen." His voice was soothing. "My boss arrives tomorrow. You get your guarantee of your freedom. And once Big Eddie is behind bars, he can't touch you."

Katherine slid her arms around him. Her fake tears ran down his neck. When he lifted his hand, she turned to trap it against her naked breast.

"I hope you're right," she mumbled.

The redhead gently rocked her body. It seemed an innocent gesture. But she was aware it rubbed her hard nipple across his hand. He gave soft sigh at the friction. When she stopped rocking, his hand continued its gently rubbing motion.