Taking a Gamble on Three of a Kind (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (13 page)

“About time,” Luke said, not hiding his anger.

“What do you want?”

“Let’s take a walk,” he said, glaring at her.

“Just say what you came to say.”

“Where’s your mother?”

“She’s in bed. “

“Good. But I still think we should take this outside. Let’s go.”

“You’re under the misconception that you can order me around. Just because we were together last night doesn’t give you that right. Nothing gives you that right. So, like I said, say what you came to say.”

“Have it your way,” he said, pushing past her. Adam followed him inside. “Hello, Jenny.”

“Hello, Adam.”

“So you did it. You broke them up,” Luke said, turning around as she closed the door.

“Now, Luke,” Adam said calmly, “We don’t know that for sure.”

“I think we do.”

“Maybe you should listen to your brother,” she said, her back still to the both of them.

She felt what she assumed was Luke’s hand on her arm. She tried to shrug it off but found his viselike grip to be firm. He turned her around. Her eyes met his in defiance. She wasn’t going to let him push her around. He knew nothing, and that was the way it was going to stay. She remained silent.

“Why did you do it? What possessed you to want to ruin their happiness? Are you really that selfish?”

“Take your hand off my arm,” she warned.

Luke dropped his hand as if he had been burned. However, he didn’t move. His eyes dared her to look away.

“My mother broke up with your father because it was what she knew she had to do. It’s been a long time coming. Trust me, I had nothing to do with it,” she lied.

“Our dad is beside himself, Jenny,” Adam said, standing next to Luke. “I haven’t seen him this upset since…” He faltered. “Let’s just say in a long time. He doesn’t understand. Your mother just said she couldn’t see him anymore. No explanation.”

“I’m sorry about your dad.” That was the truth.

“Are you really?” Luke’s sarcasm was not lost on her.

“Yes, I am. I like your dad. I always have.”

“None of this makes sense except that this is what you wanted, and Adam and I both know your mother would do anything for you. You mean the world to her. She obviously puts you ahead of her own happiness.” Luke turned and walked into the living room, his shoulders slumped.

Adam continued to look at her, his eyes sad. “Don’t you want your mother to be happy?”

“Of course I do. But I know you think they belong together. My mother has said things that make me believe otherwise.”

“What things?” Luke shot back, walking back to where she and Adam were standing.

“Things that are her business and not for me to talk about with you or anyone. My mother’s a grown woman, and she knows what she needs and unfortunately for your father, he’s not what she needs.”

“Tell us why you think he’s not what she needs,” Adam said, his voice suddenly hard and unyielding. “We need to know. My father needs to know.”

“I can’t. Trust me when I tell you it really is for the best.”

“Best for them or best for you?” Luke asked harshly, his jaw rigid.

“You should both go now.” Jenny felt like she was being attacked, and she didn’t like it.

“And I think otherwise,” Luke said. “In fact, I think it’s your mother I should be speaking to.”

“Oh, so you’re going to speak with my mother about this? And then what, report back to your father that you think you can handle his love life better than he can?”

“God, you can be a bitch.”

“You and your brother make me think my mother was more than justified in cutting your father loose. She doesn’t need a man who sends his sons to fight his battles.”

“Son of a bitch,” Luke choked out, his face turning a deep shade of red. “Do you really hate the thought of your mother being with another man so badly you’d stoop so low as to try and degrade my father? He doesn’t even know we’re here.”

Jenny immediately felt shame wash over her. However, this was no time to back down. She had to continue the charade or all would be lost, and her mother might never get better. “Our fighting won’t change anything. Go home and stop putting your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

Luke took a step toward her. Jenny backed away. She knew Luke was close to his breaking point. His anger was palpable. For the first time, she felt afraid.

“Luke,” Adam said in warning, his hand on his brother’s arm. “She’s right. We should go. This isn’t getting us anywhere.”

“This isn’t over,” Luke said, turning to his brother. “I’m not going to let her destroy what Dad and Marlene have.”

His eyes returned to Jenny. “You aren’t going to get away with this. I promise you that.” Luke turned sharply on his heels and stormed out the front door.

Adam took a deep breath before he spoke. “You have to know this is killing him and me. This isn’t just about our parents. It’s about us. You, me, Luke, and Justin. What happened between us wasn’t some random thing, just like what’s between our parents isn’t either. He’s not going to let you or your mother go, and neither am I. So be prepared, Jenny. We don’t like to lose, and when the stakes are this high, we seldom ever do.”

“I’m sorry your dad’s hurt. It’s not what I wanted.” She felt terrible about everything, and she understood their anger and concern, however, they had to let this go for her mother’s sake, and she couldn’t allow them to intimidate her into telling them about her mother’s problem and the real reason for the breakup.

“I think you’re hiding something. You better come clean with us, Jenny, or you’re not going to like the results.”

Jenny felt the blood drain from her face. Although his voice was calm, it was like a knife slicing through her. She had no doubt that Adam would be as relentless as Luke in his search for the truth. However, recalling Luke’s words,
when the stakes were this high
, she knew she would do whatever she had to keep her mother’s secret even if it meant that the three men that had made her feel things she hadn’t thought possible hated her.

“Don’t threaten me, Adam. It doesn’t become you.”

“And lying doesn’t become you. I thought you were better than that. But it looks like I was wrong about you. You’re a destructive force in your mother’s life and now my father’s, to say nothing of your own. Hurting the people you love doesn’t become you.”

“You better leave. Your brother’s waiting for you.”

Adam turned and walked out the door. She shut it. Her whole body was trembling. She had never had a confrontation like that with anyone.

“What was all the yelling about?”

Jenny looked up to see her mother standing at the top of the stairs. How much, she wondered, had she heard?

What a difference a few weeks can make.
Jenny shut the door to her dad’s old truck. Her mother was in therapy, and she was working. And despite Luke’s and Adam’s threats, she hadn’t seen them since that night at her house. Maybe she and her mother could get through this.

Jenny walked quickly to the employee entrance of the Redwood Casino and slid her ID badge through the card reader and waited for the door to unlock. Once inside, she walked up the escalator to the casino offices and the staff locker room.

She had three costumes, and she kept all three at work. She had no desire to wear them back and forth to work like some of the girls, and besides that, the casino had them dry-cleaned free of charge, so there was no need to bring them home. But more than that, all her mother needed was to be reminded of where she worked. It was enough that she had taken the job against her mother’s wishes.

“No, Jenny,” her mother had all but yelled when she finally had found the nerve to tell her that Anne had helped her get the job. “You can’t work there. You’ll be nothing but a sex object encouraging people to drink too much and gamble even more. It’s not right.”

“It may not be right in your mind, but it’s going to help us pay the bills. I’m lucky I got it. There are plenty of people out there looking for work, and this job pays well. We need it.”

“There has to be something else. You just have to look harder.”

“I told you before there isn’t anything around here that has the earning potential of working at the casino. I’m sorry, but I have to do this.”

When her mother shook her head and silently walked away, Jenny knew she had won, but it wasn’t the kind of victory she enjoyed. Her mother’s shoulders were slumped and she knew what was going through her mind. She was blaming herself. However, what choice did she have when they were so desperate for money?

Jenny hurried to the locker room and slipped into the gold-and-black corset that lifted her large breasts upward and outward. It would have been nice if it were a little less revealing, but there were no other options if she wanted to keep her job.

Once she had clocked in, she went to the manager’s office to get her assignment. Michael, the assistant manager, was waiting for her with a smile on his face.

“Hey there, Jenny. As always, it’s good to see you.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m putting you on the poker tables, one through ten. That should keep you busy. We have a good crowd tonight.”

“Good. I like the poker tables. The tips are usually very good.”

“Samantha will be waiting for you. She’s anxious to get home. She did a double today.”

“Wow. Did someone call out sick?”

“Yeah, your friend, Anne. She called out three times this week. I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t hired her, but then again, she did recommend you.”

“I don’t think she’d call out unless she had to.”

“Well, if she continues, I will have to let her go. It’s not fair to the other girls.”

“I’m sure she has a good excuse,” Jenny said, not wishing to continue the conversation that made her uncomfortable. “I better relieve Samantha. See you later.”

“Definitely,” he said, his eyes looking her up and down.

She turned quickly and walked out of his office. Michael had an eye for the ladies, but he was harmless. She had been told by a couple of the other girls that he had a wife he adored along with three kids. She hoped they were right. The last thing she needed or wanted was anything to complicate or threaten her job. Her mother might not approve, but it was turning out to be exactly what they needed to stay ahead of the creditors and keep the house.

“Jenny, you’re here a little early, and am I glad,” Samantha said, walking up to her with a tray full of drinks. “I’ll deliver these and be right back.”

Jenny watched Samantha walk away with a deliberate sway to her hips. She was almost six feet tall and was all curves. The men at the tables couldn’t take their eyes off her, for all the good it would do them. She was engaged to two professional football players who she said didn’t mind that she worked serving drinks to men who ogled her. They were confident in her and knew she loved the work. Jenny could understand they trusted her, but why Samantha liked to serve drinks to men who undressed her with their eyes was something she would never be able to figure out. She knew as soon as she could, she would give her notice, but that, unfortunately, wouldn’t be for some time.

When Samantha returned, she gave Jenny a rundown on the tables and then took off. The only table that had given her any problems was filled with old men who looked like they were ready for the nursing home. She supposed they thought age gave them certain rights. She’d be nice to them but not overly friendly. Luckily, they behaved themselves and were generous with the tips.

By the end of her shift, her feet hurt. She hated the spiked heels she had to wear, and would have given anything to be able to wear sneakers or even a pair of low-heeled shoes. She was delivering her last tray of drinks when she looked over at the table next to her. She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Luke Rowan and his cousin Justin were staring her, and if looks could kill, she would have dropped to the floor from a heart attack. Holding on to her tray securely, she took a deep a breath and delivered her drinks without spilling a drop.

When she was done, she didn’t look back and walked directly to the bar where she hoped her replacement would be waiting for her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Roseanne talking with the bartender.

“How’s business tonight?” the pretty blonde asked her.

“It’s good, Roseanne, and no one looks like they’re leaving. You should have a good morning.”

“That’s why I’m here,” she said with a smile.

They talked for a few minutes about the tables. It was standard practice to make sure your replacement knew what to expect. She was happy there wasn’t much to talk about. All she could think about was getting off the casino floor and away from Luke and Justin. The last time she had seen Luke, he had been anything but pleasant, and she wasn’t looking forward to another yelling session. She was too tired to cope with it or the onset of one of her migraines that she knew had to be stress related. She still hadn’t been to a doctor.

Changing her clothes as fast as she could, she practically ran out of the casino and to her truck. She had just unlocked the door when she heard footsteps behind her.