Page 77 of The Scarab's Game
Even if it was colossally stupid.
If I won… I looked out at the glittering casino. At the chandeliers, the flashing lights, the sounds of triumph and despair. Emmett, handsome in his pale gray suit, acting like he was born for this world, was nowhere to be seen.
If I won, I was taking control.
I’d order room service and make my move tonight, long before bedtime. Eliminate all his excuses.
And if I lost? Well, I’d just be continuing my current streak, wouldn’t I?
The dealer’s attention turned to me. I tapped the table.
She hesitated. “You have seventeen, madame. Normally, you want to stay on seventeen.”
I muttered, “I’m tired of staying when I’m told to.”
“Anything above four will bust.” She held my gaze a beat longer.
I tapped again.
And wouldn’t you know it?
She dealt me a fucking five.
Chapter 27
Emmett
The Casino Rocherfelt different this afternoon. Typically, it was a place I visited for fun, but it was all business today. I rarely had a problem mixing work and pleasure, but it usually meant having a beautiful woman on my arm. If only Jenn were that woman, and not someone I was looking out for.
Could Noah have been behind the break-in?
Maybe he’d spotted Jenn in town, assumed she was working with Reynolds Recoveries, and planned on gathering intel. But he wouldn’t make a rookie mistake like moving any of her items, let alone replacing the housekeeping door hanger in the wrong direction. Noah was damn good at his job and wouldn’t slip up like that.
I scanned the room, taking in the layout. As fate would have it, the natural cavern formation mimicked the Monte Carlo Casino—some said the Casino had been designed based on the cavern, which predated the Casino by millennia. Three huge central rooms with several offshoots. One large room off the second for a small restaurant, another for special events, and yet another offshoot from the third main room that led into the storage areas. Any item already delivered for the auction would be in secure storage.
I ducked into the men’s room for privacy. The restroom was like the rest of the casino, built into the stone, with marble and porcelain fixtures gleaming under soft lighting. Two men stood at urinals, and another washed his hands. I slipped into a stall, the cool metal door closing behind me with a soft snap. I retrieved the hidden earpiece from my wallet and popped it in.
After following Will’s instructions to connect it to my new watch, I heard his voice crackle through.
“I have—from Emmett. To—me?”
The watch connection worked, but the signal was shit. I flushed the toilet to avoid suspicion and left to wash my hands.
Will’s voice came through again. “I don’t—signal?”
I lathered up and extended my hands under the water. “Water’s a bit warm, isn’t it?” I said, loud enough for the man next to me to hear, but more importantly, to find out if Will could hear me.
The man grunted in agreement, but said nothing.
When no response came from the team, I strolled out of the men’s room and whispered, “Can you hear me?”
Will replied, “—but the—not good.”
No kidding, the signal wasn’t good. “I’m turning off my mic,” I said slowly, letting each word hang in the air. “Will can do some work on the signal.”
Hopefully, enough of the message got through, and they could piece it together. I wouldn’t focus on communicating with the team. Having the earpiece in was all about Will fine-tuning the equipment from his place in the cavern. I’d listen in on the team’s conversation, but they didn’t need me narrating my progress.
The rest of the team was exploring the caverns beneath the Exotic Garden, searching for the magic path that would deliver Jayce to the Casino Rocher. She was a talented thief and sneak, but there was no way she’d bypass security at the main door orthe water door. The latter was lower security, but still had metal detectors. And they didn’t allow just anyone to use that door.