A Necessary Sin (The Sin Trilogy, #1)(75)

“Good luck,” the dealer says.

The first cards dealt are low so I assign them a value using the hi-lo strategy. Low numbers are more beneficial to the dealer but the good news about pulling low ones is that my odds increase for higher ones, which benefits me. For every low number played, the percentage of high cards in the remaining shoe increases.

I choose to stay while Sin increases his bet. “You shouldn’t have done that. You’re gonna bust.”

“We’ll see.” He sounds so cocky.

The cards are dealt and it plays out exactly as I predicted. “Dealer wins.”

“Told you,” I say.

“You lost too.”

I did but that won’t last after I count a few more hands. “I lost the minimum, unlike you.”

“You have to spend money to make money.”

“Or you watch and bet wisely,” I argue.

“All right, lass. Show me how it’s done.” And that’s exactly what I do with the next dozen hands. My stack of chips grows while his diminishes. “You’re a natural.”

Yes, I am. And he has no idea why.

I win four more hands and see I’m gaining the attention of the pit boss. We need to roll.

I lean over to kiss the side of Sin’s face and whisper, “It’s time to leave, Breck.”

“But you’re doing so well.” Now isn’t the time for him to argue.

“I don’t want to keep you out too long. You have to work in the morning.” I push my chips in to exchange them for larger ones. “Let’s cash out and go home.”

“Sin, you have quite the blackjack player with you tonight.” Oh, shit. The pit boss knows who Sin is. I don’t see this going well.

“This is Bleu MacAllister,” Sin introduces. Now he knows who I am as well. “Bleu, meet Todd Cockburn.”

“Hello, Bleu. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

We’re in a casino. He’ll refuse my hand if I extend it so I offer a smile and nod instead. “The pleasure is all mine.”

“We missed you at Bleu’s initiate ceremony,” Sin says.

What?

Todd shrugs and gestures at his surroundings. “Someone had to be here running this place.”

A dealer from across the pit approaches. “Mr. Cockburn, I’m sorry to interrupt you and Mr. Breckenridge, but we have a problem.”

“Duty calls,” Todd says.

Sin is wearing a teasing grin.

“This casino is Fellowship?”

“Aye.” He laughs.

“I was ready to dash out of here because I thought I’d been discovered.”

“For what?”

“Card counting—as if you didn’t know.”

I look at the dealer and she smiles. “It took a while for me to catch on.” She looks at Sin and shrugs. “The lass is quite good.”

“Yes. She’s quite good at everything she does, I’m afraid.”





Chapter Twenty-Six





Sinclair Breckenridge




Bleu is going home. I won’t see her for two weeks. I’m not sure how I’ll handle being without her for so long since we haven’t spent a day apart in three months.

We said our goodbyes last night—all night long. There were many times I considered telling Bleu the things on my heart. I. Love. You. They’re three simple little words—but I couldn’t bring myself to say them.

Work has robbed me of the time I’d prefer to spend with Bleu. That’s why I’m taking the afternoon off to be with my lass. Her red-eye flight doesn’t depart until almost midnight so we’ll have several hours to … say goodbye again.

I’m already in the shower when I hear her come into the bathroom. I expect her to join me at any minute—but she doesn’t—so I grip the handrail and peek around the tile wall.

She has taken off her gown and is standing in front of the mirror naked, looking at her body. “Admiring yourself?”

“No.” She laughs and twists, moving her hand to her hip. “I was wondering what a Celtic shield like yours would look like right here.”

She wants matching ink? “Stunning—that’s how it would look.”

“You’d approve?”

“Of course.”

She comes into the shower with me, putting her arms around my body from behind. “I know I told you a hundred times last night but I’m going to miss you like crazy,” she says.

“I’ll miss you too, my Bonny Bleu. I mean that.” I can tell her I’ll miss her but why can’t I man up and spit out the words I so desperately want to say?

I still have tonight. That gives me all day to think about the perfect way to broach the subject.

“Will you be seeing your doctor while you’re in the States?” She mentioned making an appointment. I hope she does because I’m very concerned about the way the diabetic medication makes her feel.

“I doubt I’ll be able to get in to see her on such short notice. You usually have to have an appointment months in advance.”

“If you can’t, I’ll make sure you get in with the best doctor here when you come back.” She’s let this go on for months. She should have already been seen by someone.