Lucky Streak (Lucky 2)

King Bobby Boyd stood at the concierge desk talking to Amber’s friend Caroline. Beside him stood Emmy Lou. Their game had been in a room in another hotel. None of the high-stakes players knew where anyone else was staying. For all she knew, King Bobby could be staying at the Bellagio, too. It suited his larger-than-life taste. He hadn’t been pleased at the outcome of the night and Amber didn’t want to have a conversation with him now, not with seventy-five thousand dollars hanging from the large handbag on her shoulder.

Not wanting to be seen, Amber ducked behind a pole, and when a large group of people passed by, she strode out among them, hoping to get lost in the crowd.

“Amber, honey!”

Amber recognized Emmy Lou’s distinctive Texas drawl and her stomach rolled in a panic. Gut instinct told her to run, so she did, ducking past all the people in the cab line, slipping a twenty into the valet’s hand and grabbing the first open taxi, ahead of the line of people waiting.

“Just drive,” she told the man, not sure where she wanted to go yet. Her heart pounding, she needed to calm down and think.

First she had to find out why King Bobby had been at the hotel. Had he been asking about her? She pulled out her cell phone and searched her contacts for the direct line to Caroline at the concierge desk in the Bellagio. Although it had been a while since she’d had to utilize them, Amber had friends like Caroline all around the country, especially in L.A. and here in her hometown. In her former job, she had to be connected to anyone who could find anything at all hours of the day or night. She’d prided herself on the ability to hunt down the most obscure item any guest desired. If she couldn’t find it, she had a network of other concierges who might. All she’d had to do was send out an SOS and she’d have hundreds of people helping her out. The person who found the item was owed a favor. Amber had thrived on those challenges.

She missed her old job and her old life. A life she’d worked hard for, one she’d been proud of instead of the one she lived now.

Caroline answered quickly. “Caroline du Zutter, Bellagio concierge, how may I assist you?”

“Caroline, it’s Amber Rose. I know its been a while but—”

“Your ears must have been ringing! I’ve had the most interesting day involving you.”

Amber leaned forward in the cab. “Keep driving,” she said to the taxi driver. “I’ll let you know where to go soon. Sorry, go on,” she said to Caroline.

“Two people came by looking for you today. The first was a gorgeous hunk of a man who asked if you were registered at the hotel.”

“Mike,” Amber said aloud.

“Detective Michael Corwin of the Boston P.D. to be exact.”

Amber swallowed hard, memories of the man still strong in her mind. “What did you tell him?”

“Nothing. He didn’t ask me. He asked Nikki, who was just finishing her shift from last night. She’s new. She said she didn’t know you. He left his card and said if she heard anything to contact him. Then she asked me when I came on duty. I played dumb.”

“I owe you, Caroline.”

“Hey, until I spoke to you and knew what he wanted, I wasn’t giving you away. But I have to tell you, Nikki pointed him out as he was leaving. That is one gorgeous guy. Any chance you want to share information on him?”

Amber forced a laugh. “Not yet. Who else was asking about me?”

“A big loud Texan. He was booking dinner reservations when his wife started calling your name. I turned and didn’t see you, but she was upset you didn’t stick around. That’s when the Texan asked her what she expected, considering he’d been fleeced. I didn’t know what he meant and I don’t much care. The man’s so full of hot air, you can’t believe anything that comes out of his mouth, little lady,” Caroline said in a poor imitation of King Bobby.

This time Amber laughed for real. “Good call. A friend of mine pissed him off. Nothing to worry about.” She crossed her fingers to cover her lie. “So nobody gave anything away, that’s a relief.”

“Well…” Caroline’s voice rose in pitch. “The man started ranting about how he was connected, that if he didn’t get answers, he’d call in favors and we’d all be in trouble. I didn’t believe him. He blows too much smoke.”

Amber’s stomach cramped because King Bobby did strike her as dangerous. If he had any kind of underworld connections, she’d be in big trouble if he blamed her for his losses last night. “Then what happened?” Amber asked.

“Remember Danny Heath?” Caroline said the man’s name with disdain.

“The bellboy from hell.” Amber recalled him too well from the old days, when Danny had worked at the Crown Cladler.

“One and the same,” Caroline said. “He heard the Texan talking and insinuated he knew something about you. Before

I could blink, the big guy slipped Danny a fifty and Danny told him you used to be a concierge in Beverly Hills. I sent him off on an errand before he could give anything more away.”

“You’re a lifesaver. You have my cell number, right? Can you keep me posted if anyone else comes looking for me?”

“ASAP,” the other woman promised.

“I owe you,” Amber said again.