Red Queen by Christopher Pike Read Free Book Online Page B

He called for two women who grouped the chips in stacks of twenties, after first separating them by color. Russ had won so many gold chips—worth a thousand dollars a pop—it made my head swim. YetRuss seemed to take it all in stride. It was just another night at the casinos to him.
    The women completed my count first. $57,800.
    â€œYou’ve got to be shitting me,” I gasped.
    â€œWould you like a check or cash?” the manager asked me.
    â€œA check,” Russ replied. “Jessie, is your legal name Jessica?”
    â€œYeah. Jessica Ralle. Do you need my middle name?”
    â€œIt’s not necessary unless your bank prefers it,” the manager said.
    â€œHell. My bank has probably never seen a check that large.”
    The women finished with Russ’s count. $642,450.
    â€œMy full name is Russell Devon,” Russ said.
    â€œWe need to see both your IDs,” the manager said. “And as I’m sure you’re aware, we’ll automatically be withdrawing the sum you’ll owe the IRS for these winnings.”
    I suddenly felt faint. Of course, I had been playing with a fake ID. I had never planned on winning an amount where they would need to see my ID, never mind withdraw money for the IRS. I leaned against Russ and buried the side of my face in his ear.
    â€œI need to talk to you alone,” I said.
    Russ asked if we could be excused for a few minutes and the manager was agreeable. We went around the corner, out of earshot, and even before I could explain what the problem was, I burst out crying.
    â€œShit, shit, shit,” I kept saying through my tears. Luck likethis really didn’t happen in the real world. I wasn’t going to get the money.
    Russ stared at me with a faint smile on his lips.
    â€œLet me guess,” he said. “You’re not twenty-one.”
    â€œI’m so sorry, Russ.”
    â€œRelax. Did they ask for ID when you two first sat down?”
    â€œWe showed them something our friend whipped up on his computer. These guys will know it’s fake.”
    â€œI’m sure they will, since they’ll want your Social Security number as well. But it’s not as big a problem as you think. You’re going to leave here, now, and walk across the street to the Mandalay Bay. It’s only two hundred yards up the Strip. That’s where I’m staying and that’s where I planned to take you for coffee when we were done here. Go through the front door and take a sharp right. You’ll find a coffee shop that’s always open.” He checked his watch. “I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes.”
    â€œWhat are you going to do?”
    He shrugged. “Tell them that you were obviously playing with my money and under my direction and that we changed our minds and want it all under my name. But I’ll take out sixty grand in cash so you get your share tonight.”
    â€œWill they give you that much cash?”
    â€œThey won’t want to. But I’ll tell them if they can handle this whole matter quietly, I’ll promise to return tomorrow night to gamble. They’ll go for it. At this point, all they careabout is getting a chance to win their money back.”
    I wiped at my teary eyes. “I feel like such an idiot.”
    He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead.
    â€œNot at all. Anyone else would have gotten hysterical if they thought they had lost so much money.” He paused and glanced around. A pit boss watched us from a distance. “It’s important you leave before they stop and check your ID. If they see it’s fake, they’ll deny your winnings.”
    Just then a faint doubt stirred deep inside me.
    What if I went to the coffee shop and sat there for thirty minutes and I started to get nervous with him taking so long? And what if another half hour went by and he still didn’t show up? Then, finally, what if I went to the front desk and asked them to