The Gambler(22)

She left gramps and walked over to the computer looking it up and down.  It was obvious she'd seen it before as she sat down and started doing  her thing. Pretty soon the screen opened up and he just showed her the  picture of the senator that he'd printed and she tapped in some words  and voila.





Chapter 19





There was a shit load of things to read through and he figured now was  as good a time as any. He picked her up from the seat and sent her back  to gramps to play, while he muddled through what was written on the  screen.

He didn't say anything about the shadows hanging over his shoulder,  since he figured they were as curious as he was about what the fuck was  going on. It wasn't a small thing to put a hit out on a United States  senator. She must've pissed the wrong people off.

He soon found a thread to tug on when he learned that this senator was  leading a committee to investigate DHS. She'd also spearheaded a  campaign against unfair and unjust dealings in the organization.

The thing that caught his attention, was the fact that in six days she  was supposed to release an expose` on her findings on the corruption and  mismanagement of not only funds, but also human life.

Her specialty was children of autism and the shit that was being done to  them in the name of science. He was surprised that he'd never heard of  her, since she was such a staunch advocate of the very thing he  represented in his life. He guessed that was because of his attitude of  going it alone.

He spent the next two hours sifting through the quagmire, until he came  upon the crux of the matter. There were some big names involved, names  that she was about to reveal to the public. She had information that  could topple dynasties here and abroad.

And somehow Jenna had been in the middle of it. He couldn't find her  name mentioned anywhere, but he knew there was more to come. He was  trying to find Bonata's part in it, why had he had all this information  on the senator, and which of the men on that list had hired him to do  her?

It wasn't long before he found the connection, but his blood ran cold  when he found pictures of Jenna and the senator at some type of award  function. The caption said Jenna had won an award for outstanding  service.

He kept digging but there was nothing to tell him who, when, or where,  this assassination was supposed to take place. He had a pretty good idea  about the where since she'd given him the coordinates to the location  of a house, but other than that he was in the dark.

What was he supposed to do now? Was he supposed to warn this person or  what? He sat there pondering that thought and making himself nuts, until  gramps interrupted him.

"Jenna wants to play the slots."

"What, how would you know that?"

"She told me."

He doubted very much that she had, and besides, he'd been in the room  with them the whole time, and except for the tap-tap tapping of the  game, he hadn't heard a peep out of either of them except for a laugh  here and there. "Oh really! Exactly how and when did she tell you this?"

The old man held up his phone. "She texted it."

"She what?"

"Yeah, her little toy has messenger on it and since she has trouble  putting her words together, I thought it would be a good idea." He  seemed pleased with himself.

"Why the fu … why didn't I think of that? Let me see that." He read the  screen where she told gramps she wanted to play the machines that go  ding. How the old man knew what the fuck that meant was anybody's guess.         

     



 

"We can't go tonight though."

"Angel play." She gave him the pouty face and sad eyes, which meant all hell was about to break loose if she didn't get her way.

"Well shit." How the fuck was he supposed to go to The City when he'd  just offed a couple motherfuckers there just the night before?





This was a bad-fucking idea; but what could he do? She and her new  partner in crime were acting like kids in a candy store. He never saw  gramps so damn animated in his life. It was a shock to realize that she  was good for the old man as well.

He never gave much thought to gramps' daily life. The old man was still  running his business, still had his connections and a million friends.  But now, watching how alive he was with flower, he realized that he  might've been a bit remiss in his care of the old man.

He'd just always seen his grandfather as bigger than life, not someone  who needed anyone. Now he felt like because of his shutting himself away  from life, he'd maybe done the other man a disservice. He knew if it  wasn't for the new addition in his life his mind wouldn't be running to  such thoughts.

In three days she'd opened his eyes and his heart, she'd given him the  will to live again, not just exist. He had no fear of losing her, not as  he once had; no one will ever take from him again, of that he was sure.  He would protect her with everything in him for as long as he lived.  There was no need to hide himself away any longer.

They got dressed in between her stealing kisses and playing with her  butterflies. She'd gone so long without asking for a kiss he'd thought  she'd forgotten.

The doc had come by to check the bandages on her shoulder and make sure she hadn't opened her stitches or anything like that.

Andros still wasn't sure, even after the other man reassured him that  she was perfectly safe to fly. But she was so excited about going, that  in the end he gave into her.





They flew in same as the night before, only this time their destination  was another casino. He wasn't sure how things were on the ground, he had  no fear of retaliation since no one knew of his involvement, and his  men that had stayed behind hadn't heard any rumblings.

But he knew there would be an underlying danger in The City with the  shakeup of a boss being eliminated. Every gumbah and their mother will  be swarming like sharks, fighting for whatever scraps were left after  the major heads had taken their cut. The place would probably be  unsettled for a while to come.

He wasn't worried about anyone thinking that either he or gramps wanted a  piece of the pie; their interest lay elsewhere, and those who were in  the know, knew that. Plus it wasn't unusual for him to visit The City  twice in one week, rare, but not unusual.

They made a sight as they headed into the casino from the limo that had  brought them from the airport. The old man had one of her arms and he  held the other, while his shadows and the rest of the security detail  that he'd brought along brought up the rear.

She had three men on her and there were two on gramps, he wasn't taking  any chances with either of them, never again. Not now that he knew how  much each of them meant to him.

He took her to the machines first, where she looked around like she was  in a daze, that look alone made it worth the risk. He said nothing as  she walked up and down the aisles looking at the different machines.

He just followed behind and let her enjoy herself. She stopped short and  watched some little old lady, as she was about to take a stool in front  of a quarter machine; at least he thought that that's what it said. He  wouldn't know; he'd never been on this floor before.





He started to call her back as she moved closer to the woman, but she  walked with a purpose, so he kept his mouth shut and hoped the  grandmotherly type didn't say or do anything to cause him to dump her  ass in the Atlantic.

Jenna said something to her, but with her penchant for one and two word  sentences the lady didn't seem to get it. She broke out the new phone  he'd given her and he took his phone out because he knew what was coming  next.

He read her message and walked over to the lady who was looking at Jenna  like she had a few screws loose. Then Jenna moved away and he heard her  yell ‘NO' at the top of her lungs and tried to push some guy off a  stool two seats down from the lady. Andros walked over to them and the  guy didn't need much convincing to move the hell on.         

     



 

Next he turned to the old lady. "She wants you to sit here. I'll put the  money in no problem." The machine was five dollars, considerably more  than the woman had been about to play.

She didn't seem too sure but she changed stools, all the while giving  Jenna an odd look. He guessed that was normal, seeing as how she was now  surrounded by nine men who looked like they'd walked off the set of a  sixties gangster flick, and an exceptionally beautiful if somewhat pushy  young woman.

The first few tries garnered nothing and the lady turned to him in  apology. "I'm sorry young man, I don't know much about these things. My  husband just had surgery and we need the money. I'll pay you back what  you lost … " She fished around the suitcase she no doubt called a purse,  but his hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"No worries just play." He put another token in the machine and she  pulled the lever. All the while Jenna had her head cocked to the side as  if listening for something. He can't say that he was surprised when all  the bells and whistles started going off. He just looked at his flower  and the smile on her face was all the answer he needed.