The Strip Ch. 14

"I guess that's true," Grace said, a hint of a smile breaking on her glossy lips. She appeared to be just as edgy as Rosie felt. "I seem to have gone from a nobody to famous to infamous in the blink of an eye."

Rosie nodded. Just talking to Grace was surreal enough, but attempting to hold a conversation with Daniel's ex in the middle of hordes of poker fans only added to that feeling. The chanting and cheering all around them continued irrespective of whether play was in progress.

"I'm sorry about what's happened," she softly said, trying to keep one eye on the players and the other on the woman standing in front of her. Daniel had folded his cards, that gave her more time to devote to the conversation.

Grace shot a warm glance of appreciation. "Well, thanks for that, Rosie. I don't seem to be getting much sympathy right now." She followed the redhead's gaze across to the final table. "Daniel could have done without losing that hand," she grimaced. "Looks like his dream could be over."

"No!" Rosie's response was firm and immediate. "Don't write him off yet, he can come back." Anything had a chance to come back to life, she now knew. "You're here to watch him?"

"Well, actually…" Grace uncertainly began, "I'm here to watch Samuel. Look, do you mind if I sit beside you for a moment? Just a moment?"

The redhead nodded, shuffling to allow Grace to take the spare seat. "Sure." She said the word with more confidence than she felt. What the hell did the woman want?

"Thanks," Grace smiled, her eyes checking Rosie out as she slipped into the seat. Daniel had chosen well. "I've been hoping the guy beside you would leave for a while," Grace explained. "I wanted to speak to you."

"Why?" The question wasn't unfriendly, but nor was there any warmth in Rosie's tone. This woman was trouble.

Grace's lips pursed as she stared into space, thinking through what she wanted to say. "Not to cause any problems," she explained, meeting Rosie's gaze again. "I want only the best for Daniel, and I can see that he's found a real pearl in you."

It was true. Not only was the young woman a fresh faced beauty, the way she'd instantly rebutted Grace's too quick dismissal of Daniel's chances indicated her feelings for her new boyfriend. Almost despite herself, Grace couldn't help but warm to the redhead.

"Thank you," the redhead answered, her face softening a little. She'd no idea if this woman was genuine, but was prepared to take her at face value until she proved otherwise. Daniel had always told her that Grace's heart was in the right place. Not that men ever really understood these things.

"I wanted to speak to Daniel at one of the breaks," Grace continued, watching as the redhead's expression changed. "Nothing heavy," she hurriedly reassured, "but we haven't spoken since we... I… since I left him."

"You want to get back together with him?" Rosie instantly asked, the hairs on the back of her head standing to attention. Her accusatory tone was clear—this woman was just about to become public enemy number one. The redhead hadn't gone through what she had, to easily give up her man.

"No, no…" Grace quickly reassured the young woman. That wasn't her intention at all. It would never work. Daniel was part of her past and would stay that way. She swivelled in her chair to face the redhead full on.

"Then what?" Rosie asked, taking advantage of the brunette's hesitation. Her look reinforced her words. "What are your intentions?"

Grace smiled uneasily, but it seemed an honest smile. "It's just… well… I just want to wish him all the best, and tell him I'm sorry for the way we parted. I need to do that, Rosie. We both have our separate lives now, but I'd like us to remain on good terms, y'know? And I don't think the way I dealt with things allowed that to happen. I want to put that right."

The redhead slowly nodded, evaluating the words. It wasn't up to her to determine who Daniel spoke to, but at least Grace had taken the trouble to speak to her before approaching Daniel. That meant something—didn't it?

"And as you're with him now," the brunette continued to explain. "I wanted to reassure you I don't mean any harm. I just want to say a proper goodbye."

Rosie's attitude instantly softened. Grace hadn't needed to do this, she could have ignored her completely. "And I know Daniel only wants the best for you, too, Grace. So do I. I appreciate you taking the trouble to talk to me first." She glanced across at the final table. "Just carefully choose your moment to talk to him. He's going all the way in this tournament."

For the first time, Grace's nervousness disappeared. "D'y'know, Rosie. With each word, I can see you're perfect for him…"

***

"How much?" Rachal gasped, staring across Kay's living room at the older woman.

The Agency Head laughed softly. It had been a good morning's work. The same source who'd paid her fifty thousand bucks for the sisters' sex tape had offered a couple of hundred for the new tapes. Kay's recordings of Lauren with her and Carly were paying dividends.

There was only one proviso. That's why she needed to speak to Rachal.

"It's a lot of money," Kay agreed, sauntering across to the exotic looking model and handing her the glass of the chilled Chablis she'd just poured. "Twenty five thousand is yours."

Rachal's jaw dropped as she took the drink. "Mine?"

Kay nodded, sitting down on the luxurious couch beside the girl and smoothing the expensive black skirt beneath her legs. "Cheers," she said, clinking glasses and waiting until they'd both sampled the wine before continuing. "It's compensation, Rach."

The younger woman felt her heart miss a beat. Compensation. She knew it! This was bad news. It had happened before, of course. In her business, Kay needed to be nimble on her feet and that meant sudden changes of plan. Rachal never complained, of course. It was part of the territory and her employer always ensured she was adequately rewarded at such times.

"Why do I think I'm going to be disappointed?" she asked with a resigned smile.

The Agency Head shrugged her shoulders; she knew that the girl was already anticipating the bad news. Not that twenty five thousand bucks was that bad, was it? That was one of the things she liked about Rach; she was always amenable. No histrionics from this girl.

"I'm sorry," Kay said, pulling down on her lower lip. "The deal I've made is conditional on Lauren being in these movies." Making her into an adult movie star would significantly increase the value of the videos, her buyer had pointed out. Releasing them one by one would earn their new owner far in excess of the amount he'd paid. It was a condition that Tony LaParma insisted on. The Miami based entrepreneur was adamant—and that's why he'd paid top dollars, after all.

"The good news," the Agency Head added, stroking her hand along the beautiful model's jean covered thigh, "is that Demetrius is sending over another girl. What d'you think?" she asked, taking a photograph from the side table and handing it to Rach.

Rachal whistled. "Geez," she gasped, taking in the sight of the ebony skinned beauty. The voluptuous figure took her breath away How could such large breasts defy gravity like that? Whatever she'd paid for them had been worthwhile. And those upturned chocolate nipples…!

"What do you think, darling?" Kay chuckled. "Fuckable?"

"Oh yes," Rachal muttered, her smiling eyes flicking between Kay and the photograph. "Very fuckable—"

Kay leant in for a soft kiss. Lips parted, their tongues softly danced for a few seconds. "If only there was time to finish this," the older woman sighed, reluctantly drawing away. "But I have to finalise arrangements for my trip… and you have to prepare, too."

"Me?"

"Uh-hum. Carmella arrives in Vegas just as I'm flying out. I need you to collect her from the airport. I'm only away for a couple of days. Think you can find a way to entertain her until I return?"

***

Samuel Smith was picking everyone off. With a chip stack of fifty three million, he could afford to. That was more than twice as much as the seemingly passive Allen Cunningham, in second place, and the amateur resembled a steamroller the professionals were finding impossible to stop.

When the African American looked at his watch and glanced across at Holly, the blonde assassin took his meaning immediately. Time to go. Send those chips this way. She'd been expecting the warning for the last twenty minutes. Time was getting short if she was to meet their pre-arranged timings.

With Holly in the big blind, the businessman made a twenty million raise and gave an imperceptible nod. It suggested he had a big hand and this was the moment. His bet just covered the stack in front of the blonde.

The African American's plan was that everyone would fold, Holly would push all in, and he'd hoover up her chips. With seventy odd million, it would be all over. The Main Event would be his.

Except, everyone didn't fold. Daniel called, carefully placing his three stacks into the middle of the green baize. Just under five million chips.

It looked like a desperate move from her friend and Holly thought things through before calling, "All in." If Daniel had any sort of hand, her chips, along with Smith's would triple him up. If he didn't, it made no difference.

The hum that ran around the watching audience seemed to reverberate around the large hall, bouncing of the walls and then back to the table again. It was the biggest moment of the tourney so far. Play was stopped to allow the usual formalities to take place, even as the hands were turned over.

Smith had Big Slick, Holly Ace-Ten and Daniel a pair of treys. Surprisingly, the odds were very much similar for all three hands.

The delay while the TV cameras set everything up seemed to last a lifetime. Daniel and Holly took the opportunity to leave the table and head over to where the anxious Rosie was sitting.

"What are the odds?" the redhead asked, her eyes swinging from one face to the other.

"Daniel's a slight favourite," Holly murmured, glancing back at the table. "But there's not much in it."

"Why'd you push all in, too?" Daniel asked, his puzzled face staring at Holly. "Ace-Ten? A big raise and a call. Why?"

The blonde pushed back a loose bang of hair, carefully fitting it behind her ear. "I reckoned I was third favourite," she smiled. "But better for us both to have a chance in a pot against Smith than just the one, don't you think? He's got too big a chip lead. Time to gamble."

"Gives him the opportunity for him to take you both out," Rosie ruefully sighed. Thanks to Holly's teaching, she'd picked up the intricacies quickly.

"There is that," the blonde laughed, making light of the situation. "But this is the final table. Are we going out meekly? Or roaring like lions?"

The crinkly haired Englishman nodded, giving both women a wistful smile. "It's back with the poker gods…" he said, slumping down in one of the two vacant seats beside Rosie.

"Going to watch from here?" Holly laughed, taking the other seat.

"We're the three Musketeers," Rosie laughed, trying to ease the tension.

Despite the frivolity, the strain on Daniel's face was only too evident, whereas Holly seemed to be more ready to accept her fate. When the two players grew silent, she sat quietly, too. Daniel and Holly were the two gladiators in the arena, after all. She was just an interested observer, albeit one who was dying a thousand deaths right now.

The noise in the crowd intensified as the flop was revealed. Ten… King… Three.

Holly'd made a pair, Samuel had trumped it, and Daniel had hit a set. He grimaced at Holly. "Sorry," he unnecessarily said.

The blonde's smile covered her entire face. She couldn't explain, of course, but this was working out perfectly. "Sorry? Don't be silly, Daniel. Unless Smith hits runners, you're back in this. Though it looks like I might be saying sayonara…"

The turn changed everything again. The red ten gave Daniel a full house and Holly a set. "Interesting," grinned Holly, inwardly cursing the fact she had to leave. In other circumstances, she could have actually won this damn thing! Instead, she had to get rid of her chips… and fast. Only one thought occupied her mind—if she could, look for chances to give them to Daniel.

The next few hands brought a flurry of activity. Holly pushed at every opportunity, a couple of times folding what she anticipated was the best hand.

Damn, getting rid of chips wasn't as easy as it should have been.

A big Cunningham hand took a chunk. Gavin Smith took some more. With fourteen million, it was well past her time to go. She was already later than she should have been and experience told her that every minute's delay made her mission more dangerous.

Daniel's all in push was timely.

He had a monster. She knew that from the tell she had on him, though he wasn't aware of that. His left hand stroked the crystal while he was watching the action, waiting his turn to bet. She'd seen him do that three times. Twice with Kings, once with Aces.

When she called, the blonde was hoping she was right. Her suited connectors were exactly the sort of hand that could crack a big pair but she'd never have a better chance to give her chips to her crinkly haired friend.

She was right. Aces. The flop helped neither of them, nor did the turn. She was out. As planned.

Daniel headed around the table and hugged the blonde. "Holly—"

"Sssh," she whispered to him. "I'm fine. You're back in this now, settle down. I want to see you play like Desperado always did, okay? Tight but aggressive. And for fuck's sake, stop stroking that crystal when you've been dealt a monster. I think I'm the only one who's noticed, but you never know…"

***

The shadow caused Big Eddie to look up from the paperwork on his desk. He hadn't expected to see Carly this early. Her shift wasn't for another few hours. "Hey," he smiled.

"Hey yourself," she answered, slipping inside his office and leaning back against the door that thumped shut behind her. "I'm horny."

The gangster's eyes widened. If only he wasn't so busy. The tax people had demanded this information on three occasions now and would expect it when he met with them later in the evening. Did the goddamn Revenue work all hours?

"That's what I like to hear," he grinned, though the disappointment in his eyes conveyed his dilemma. "But unfortunately…"

Resting the back of her head against the door, the spiky haired woman lifted a finger to her mouth, slowly fellating it. Big Eddie's cock twitched. The sexy bitch didn't take no for an answer when she was in this mood.

"Carly," he began again, trying to disguise the way his hand surreptitiously adjusted his hardening cock. If it wasn't for these damn tax returns…

She ignored the protest, unbuttoning her top and easing one side down her shoulders, then the other. Each movement was slow, provocative. It was the most important seduction of her young life.

The garment floated to the floor like a feather on the wind. She'd debated with herself beforehand, but decided to wear a bra. The black, half-cup effect was always a turn on for men. Arching her back, she thrust her beauties out, the action telling him they could soon be his.

"Carly," he began again, his resolve to complete his urgent documentation rapidly weakening.

Of course it was. Who could resist her in this mood? The poor bastard was almost panting like a dog staring at its last meal. If only he knew…

Hunching her shoulders, she shook her tits at the hungry looking man. The skimpy bra perfectly emphasised her overspilling cleavage. Swinging around on her heels, the temptress dragged the back of her skirt upwards as she swung her hips—a hypnotic metronome that captured his gaze.

The skimpy black thong was one she used when dancing at the club. She unfastened the front zip and allowed the skirt to drop at her feet. Three more undulations of her hard buttocks were enough to get him hard.

He was lost. He knew it, she knew it. She had him now...

Turning to face him, Carly slid her hands up her body, ripping open the front catch on her bra. Her breasts bounced. With a theatrical gesture, she swung the bra around her head before letting it fly on a journey to who knows where.

Her fingers provocatively covered her swells, the hard nipples digging into her palms. Fuck, she felt hot! Arching her back, she swayed as she raised her hands above her head. Her pear-like breasts bounced again. When she shook them at the gawking man, she'd never felt as aroused in her life.

This was his last supper…

Head back, her tongue ran across her pink, glossy lips and her eyes fixed on the gangster's. She knew he liked that, liked having her eye him before they fucked. Want it, her gaze was asking him. Want this body? How badly?

The sexy woman swayed across the short distance between them, swinging around when she reached him. Lowering herself, she ground her ass down into his cloth-covered erection. There were no more objections, just a silent acceptance of the inevitable from the heavily panting man.

The hands she felt on her hips were the first tangible acknowledgement of his willingness to participate. Satisfied, Carly athletically swung around to face the gangster. Sweat had formed on his brow. Her hand brushed it away as she straddled him, easing down onto his lap. "Want to fuck me, baby?" she whispered, closing in for a teasing kiss. "Want to fuck Carly?"

She arched back as he tried to deepen the kiss, grinding her pussy harder into his cloth-covered cock and watching the way his eyes clouded over.

She so loved the feeling that came with control...

"Fuck, but you're sexy…" he moaned, meeting her soft hazel eyes once again. His hands grabbed her arms, pulling her closer to allow his mouth to suck in one of the deep, pink nipples.

Carly's hands snaked to the back of his head, throwing her head back with pleasure as he drooled across one and then the other hard bud. "That's it, Eddie," she moaned, loving the way she could reduce this man—any man—to a quivering, sexually fuelled wreck.

As he sucked, the spiky haired temptress pushed her saliva covered breasts into his face and began to grind harder into his cock. Her unsteady hands found his belt, then his zip. Enough playing—the assassin must be close by now? She wanted the grunting gangster close to his orgasm before the hitwoman arrived. That would be her treat…

***

Holly drove to Midnight Hot as if she was competing in Formula One, though sufficiently on her guard to avoid any confrontation should any hidden traffic cops be in the vicinity. Her mind was ticking as she moved through the busy club. Samuel had passed on the internal layout that Carly had provided. But as she slipped inside the door from the bar area, no one had mentioned the possibility of the pitbull barring her way.

"Where d'you think you're going?" he grunted, stepping into her path from a room to his left. The coffee he was carrying suggested it was a kitchen area.

The thin corridor left no room for easily sidestepping the well-developed man. His physique made her think of Oddjob from James Bond fame.

"Hi handsome," she grinned at him, moving the gum from the left to the right side of her mouth as she chewed. She smiled sweetly as she pushed a hand through her brunette locks. The long brown wig was an essential part of her disguise, as were the pink coloured sunglasses. "You're just in time. Am I goin' the right way? I'm late. Carly and Big Eddie are expecting me."