Beautiful Moves (Shifting Steel Book 3)(47)

“Miss Roulant, if you have nothing to hide, then you don’t mind if I check your phone for anything that would influence my tables.”

“1990,” Ella replied.

Drake keyed in her pin and started combing through her phone. He then popped off the back and examined the inside, before setting it aside. The flashy man went through her purse again, feeling the leather for something incriminating, but found nothing. Drake got up and rounded his desk. He approached Ella, gripped both of her arms, and roughly pulled her out of the chair.

“Hey.”

“Hands on the desk,” he gruffly demanded, as he forced her to bend over the desk. “Miss Roulant, it’s not about the money. I’ve had guests who have won more. It’s the principle. I don’t like cheaters in my club.”

Drake started to frisk Ella. His hands groped her sides, then moved around front, to feel between and beneath her breasts. Drake could tell she wasn’t hiding anything in her bra, but he prolonged his disgustingly thorough inspection.

“Mind your manners,” Ella growled indignantly, her ire reaching the point where she was starting to have difficulty restraining her curse.

When Drake’s hands moved up her thighs and cupped her crotch aggressively, she could no longer control the energy that eked out. The chips on the desk started rattling. To cover her slip Ella slammed her hands on the desk, scattering the contents.

“Stop! I am not hiding anything, you grabby bastard.” Ella reared back.

Drake stepped back. The placid smug expression on his face had been replaced by one of surprise, mixed with intrigue, and an almost maniacal excitement.

“Ella, you are right, you aren’t concealing a device of any kind. I apologize. I usually have a nose for cheaters. This way,” he indicated toward the door.

Ella relaxed marginally. Drake grabbed her purse and started to escort her out of the office.

“What about my chips?”

“I will have a cashiers-check cut for you,” he said as he sent a text message on his phone.

Ella didn’t know what else she could do but comply, so she followed him back to the elevator.

Just get your money and get out of here. It was way too cramped in the small metal box. Ella wanted to be free of the smarmy man.

“I hope you can understand that we must be vigilant with such things. Perhaps you’ve heard about the recent case at the Bellagio, with the Craps scheme,” Drake said as the elevator descended.

“No.”

The doors opened and Drake pulled her out of the elevator. Ella’s eyes widened when she was greeted by a stark concrete corridor.

This isn’t the main floor of the hotel. Drake had deceived her.

The hair on the back of Ella’s neck stood on end. This situation was going from bad to worse. Drake gripped her arm tight, and led her toward a metal door, flanked by a couple of large goons.

“Take a hike. But don’t go far.”

The two men nodded and left. Ella was really starting to lose her composure. It was getting to the point where she didn’t know if she had any recourse, but to lash out with her gift.

Drake tugged Ella into the small concrete room, then kicked the door closed. Ella jumped at the ominous clang. Her curse pushed outwards, shoving at Drake’s slimy grip. His hand only tightened on her arm.

“Ella, Ella, Ella, I sorely underestimated you. I thought you were a pretty face being manipulated by some money hungry nerd, with a new gadget. I can see that I had it all wrong.”

Drake pushed Ella up against the wall, his body smothering hers. Ella pushed at him with greater intensity, using both her hands and her curse. Still he didn’t budge, much to her dismay and confusion.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that,” Drake chuckled. “Actually, I wish you would.” Drake leaned in, his face inches from hers. “You know, Ella, you’re not the only one hiding something.”

Drake’s canines elongated and his eyes took on an inhuman bluish glow. The ghost of a beastly image shifted across his face. Ella shrunk in fear and trepidation, even as her gift surged forth. Claws bit into her biceps, shredding her blouse, but holding her firmly in place.

What the fuck is he?

Ella pushed harder. She’d never intentionally unleashed her curse on anyone, this was the first time. The lone chair in the room smashed against the far wall, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. The fluorescent light swayed violently, the bulbs exploding plunging them into darkness.

“Oh, yes. That feels fucking amazing,” Drake growled.

Drake’s hot breath skated over her neck, and she felt his sharp fangs graze her skin. He ground his hips into her and Ella could feel his erection.