A Pair of Jacks

Chapter One

Mila

“I can’t even with this girl,” Sofia says as she turns away from my brand new sister-in-law. “She must have put some serious voodoo shit on your brother to get him to marry her.”

“I don’t understand it either.” I turn and watch her as she tears through one of the bellboys because he accidentally knocked over her bag.

Sofia throws her hands in the air and gasps. “She’s getting the manager now! This chick is beyond ridiculous.”

“And now she’s my sister-in-law.” It makes me nauseous just thinking about it. Now every time I want to see my older brother Chris, she’s going to be there tagging along and ruining it.

“I have to get on the bus, sweets,” Sofia says as she wraps her arms around my neck. She gives me a big kiss on the cheek and tells me to enjoy my last night in Vegas before she joins everyone else on the bus.

My brother just got married to the she-beast over a long weekend in Vegas and now the entire wedding party is jumping on the bus and heading back to the airport.

I’m the only one staying.

The only way I could afford to come here in the first place was with a discount ticket I got online after opening up a new credit card, but they only let me fly back home to Tulsa, Oklahoma tomorrow. So, I’m here in Vegas for one more night.

“Don’t get into any trouble tonight,” my dad says as he walks over with his suitcase.

“I won’t. I’m so tired that I think I’ll be going straight to bed.”

“Like I’d ever believe that.” He laughs as he wraps his arms around me in a hug and kisses the top of my head. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us. I can pay for your ticket.”

“No way,” I say, shaking my head as I pull away. “I’m nineteen-years-old now and can pay my own way.” Kind of. I’m a little proud like that.

“Well, starting next week, you’re going to be making the big bucks.”

His face lights up in a smile as my stomach churns. I try to force out a smile, but I feel sick.

I just graduated high school and next Monday is the day that I start working in the family business full time. Price Lumber. We fulfill all of your lumber needs at the best Price!

What I really want to do is become an interior decorator, but try telling my old fashioned father that. He still has the original paint on the walls that my grandfather put in the store fifty years ago. I tried to redecorate it to bring it into the twenty-first century, but he just scoffed at me and told me to leave it as is.

“I’ll see you at the office.” He gives me a salute and I swallow hard.

“See you there,” I say with a waver in my voice.

I hate working there. I’ve been working there part-time for my entire life and it’s always full of construction guys and painters leering at me as they ask me to get them a box on the top shelf, which they don’t ever end up buying.

The thought of working there every day is making me want to stay here in Vegas and start a new life.

My older brother the newlywed comes over and wraps his thick arms around me. I smile as he swallows me up in a hug.

“Thank you so much for coming. You made a gorgeous bridesmaid.”

“Thanks, Chris. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come to the airport and get an earlier flight back with us?” he asks. “Maybe you can get a standby ticket and try to get on the plane.”

“It’s okay,” I say with a shrug. “It’s only one more night, and besides, I already paid for my hotel room.”

“All right. I guess I won’t see you until after our honeymoon then.”

“Chris!” the

she-beast screams as she stomps her foot. I roll my eyes as I turn away from her. What kind of an adult stomps her foot? “Get on the bus already!”

She huffs out a breath and then stomps up the stairs. This girl is a nightmare and I have no idea why the hell Chris married her. I thought he was smarter than that.

She made the Vegas weekend a nightmare for all of us in the wedding party. She actually threw a hissy fit and cried at the rehearsal dinner because the waiter brought her drink with ice when she asked for none.

I was about to throw it in her face, but my nice-guy brother Chris took it back and got her a new one without ice. This guy is too nice. She’s going to eat him alive.

“Well, you better get going,” I tell him. “Have fun in the Bahamas.”

I force out a smile knowing that having fun is going to be near impossible with his traveling companion.

He looks back for his pretty new wife, but the she-beast is already on the bus. She’s one of those who never says goodbye.

“Did Hannah say goodbye?” he asks as he looks over his shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it,” I say with a wave of my hand. “I’ll catch her when she gets home.”

He gives me one last hug and hurries off. I wave to the bus as it pulls out and heads to the airport.

Now that my dad and all of the rest of the guests are gone, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It was a long four days.

I walk over to the reception desk and wave Carlos over. “Thanks, C. Can I get my bag now?”

He smiles as he reaches under the desk and pulls it out. “I’m going to miss you, Mila. Come back and visit me soon.”

I take my bag and thank him for all of his help. He was in charge of the wedding party and he helped hide the fact that I checked out this morning. I didn’t want anyone to know that I couldn’t afford to stay in this nice hotel for another night, so I had him hide my bag.

My reservation for tonight is at a charming roach motel called The Sunken Gambler Motel. It only cost $29 so you know it’s going to be really nice.

About forty minutes later, I find out what $29 gets you in Vegas and it turns out, it’s not a lot. My room is covered in grime and dirt and what looks like blood stains on the curtains. The bed isn’t even made and I’m sure it’s infested with bedbugs.

My skin crawls just from standing in here. Tears start to prickle my eyes as I wonder how I’m going to get through the night in this motel. Will I even get through the night?

I decide to get out. Walk around. Vegas never sleeps so maybe I can just spend the night wandering down the strip and through the hotels.

I hang my bag on the hook behind the door and then head back out. It’s already late in the evening and all of the bright lights are popping on as the sun goes down.

Couple after couple passes me and I start to get lonely and start feeling down on myself. Why can’t I find a guy?

Even she-beast found my brother. Why am I so unlucky?

I’m nineteen and I’m still a virgin.

I don’t understand it. How can I never have found a guy that I wanted?

But I kind of know why…

In my fantasies, I’m always with two guys. There’s just something about having two cocks at the same time that always gets me going.

The only porn I watch is threesomes with two men and one lucky girl.

But that’s just porn and fantasies. It’s never like that in real life.

I know I’ll have to settle for one guy eventually, but right now, I’m not ready to do that.

So, I just keep walking feeling lonelier than ever.

But that’s okay. I’m used to it.

Chapter Two

Mila

I walk into the huge Khan Hotel and Casino and gasp when I look up at the insanely high ceilings in the lobby. They definitely went over the top when designing this place.

A Puerto Rican dressed up like Genghis Khan growls and swipes a plastic sword at me as I walk down the vast hallway that has the best of the best designer shops in it.

I feel poorer than ever as I look inside each one and see shoppers with tons of bags on their arms. I can’t help but wonder what it would feel like to walk around with one of those beautiful bags with the golden writing and the ribbons for handles. Only plastic bags have hung from my arms.

The clinking and clanging sound of coins on metal gets stronger the closer I get to the Casino. I grin when I walk in and look around at all of the bright flashing lights that are trying to get my attention. There are people everywhere, gambling their life savings, gambling their children’s inheritance, gambling their next mortgage payment.

Some are dressed in fine suits and long gowns like they’re about to head to a gala held by some gallant foreign king, and some are dressed in sweat pants and dirty shirts like they’ve been here for days. I’m wearing a white summer dress with a floral print on it and flats. Nothing special, but I think I look good.

I give myself a quick once over when I pass a full-length mirror. My brown wavy hair is draped on my bare shoulders and I’m looking like I fit in here, even though I only have three dollars in my purse.

I continue deeper into the Casino and gasp when I walk into the heart of it. About a dozen huge stone horses each the size of a bus are planted around the vast opening. There’s an enormous waterfall tumbling down from the third story into a large fountain that then snakes around the entire place in tiny rivers. I’m looking around in shock as I walk over one of the wooden bridges. An elderly man tosses a quarter into the river that’s floating under us.

“For good luck.” He reaches into his bucket and pulls out a quarter. “Make a wish and toss it in,” he says as he stuffs it into my hand.

I think of spending the night and losing my virginity with two men and then toss it in with my cheeks blushing. I know it’s ridiculous to think that would ever happen, but the quarter is underwater before I can think of a more practical wish like winning the lottery or being able to work for someone other than my father.

“I haven’t had any luck,” the man says as I help him walk down the curved bridge. “The house always seems to have all of the luck in Vegas.”

“Well, they have to pay for these giant horses somehow,” I say with a laugh. “Hopefully your wish will come true.”

“Yours too, dear.” He waves his wrinkled hand and shuffles off to lose more money.

The main floor is a large circular area and I walk into the middle of it.

“Wow,” I gasp as I look up at the multiple levels above me. There are six and each one looks more extravagant than the last. The huge stone horses are all pointing in my direction, looking mean and vicious with hooves raised and nostrils flaring. I quiver as I look around at them, imagining they were real and wishing two heroes would save me.

It’s then that I feel eyes on me. I dart my head around and look up. On the top floor is two good-looking men in beautiful fitted suits. They both have dark eyes and dark hair. I gulp when someone walks by and I see the true size of them.

Are they looking at me?

They both seem to be looking down at me with a heavy intense gaze.

Come on, Mila. It’s not me they’re looking at.

There are people everywhere with a ton of lights and stone statues to look at, not to mention the spectacular waterfall. They could be looking anywhere.

But, their eyes seem to be locked on me.

A fluttering ripples through my chest as I look away. I swallow hard and walk to the other side of the room near a stone horse that’s standing up on its back two legs. I run my palm over the smooth stone and then casually look back up.

They’re both still staring at me. There’s no denying it now. They’ve turned their muscular bodies and are taking turns whispering to each other as they stare.

Butterflies start to flutter in my stomach as I turn away with my cheeks blushing.

Why are they staring at me?

Do they somehow know that

I don’t belong in here? That I don’t have any money? Maybe they know that I’m staying at The Sunken Gambler Motel and want to kick me out of here.

One of them raises his hand and calls over a security guard. He points right at me and says something to the giant in black.

Oh crap. I’m out of here.

I grip my empty purse and hurry away with my heart pounding.

I should know better than to squat in a Casino, trying to kill some time before I have to go back into my flea and roach infested hellhole of a motel room. This is a business, not a public park.

My pace quickens as I hurry over the bridge, passing all of the incoming tourists who are marveling up at the waterfall. The sound of the falling water is thundering, but it’s nothing compared to the pounding of my heart in my ears.

Suddenly, I’m very aware of all of the security guards. And they seem to be all aware of me.

One behemoth across the room presses the earpiece to his ear as he scans the area. My pulse races as his eyes lock onto me. He starts to move toward me and I just take off running.

I’m not sure if walking into a Casino with no cash is against the law, but I’m not going to stick around to find out.

I smash right into a woman and she drops her bucket of change everywhere.

“Sorry!” I shout back to her as I keep running down the hallway toward the exit.