Against the Odds (Fighting to Survive #2)(52)

I enter the hotel suite and everyone is sitting at the bar. “What in the hell was that about?” Dad asks.

“Kennedy’s limp is fake.” I don’t say it to distract them, I say it because right now, that is the most important thing going on.

“What?” Gus asks, “How do you know that.”

“I’ve been watching him. His limp was originally on his left leg, then it was his right leg, and just now, he didn’t have one at all. He’s using it as a tactic to throw me off when we fight.”

“Are you sure about that?” Tim asks.

I get my laptop and show them the video on YouTube that I watched last night, then I show them the video that Dove made. I wait as they watch the video’s.

“Oh, that sly son of a gun,” Dad says.

“Good job, Bobby,” Gus says. "Is this what you were working on last night?”

“It was. Today, I confirmed it. Kennedy was preoccupied with something else and he must have forgotten he had a limp, or that he was supposed to have a limp.”

Everyone laughs and Dad asks, “What’s going on with Kennedy at the press conference?”

“I have no idea.” That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

“He could be in serious trouble if anything she said is the truth. He’ll be disqualified and they’ll find you someone else to fight.”

“Well, let’s hope there isn’t any truth to that.” Because I really want to kick his ass. “I’m going to the gym before the Blackjack Tournament tonight.”

After a serious workout and a hot shower, I call Leah. We fly home tomorrow and it can’t come soon enough. Gus, Tim, Dad, and I have dinner at the Jasmin Restaurant inside of the Bellagio. It’s upscale with some of the best food I have ever had.


I see that Kennedy is here with his team. I look around to see if he has a date and he doesn’t. Drake Sinclair is also here sitting at the table with Mr. Pelayo and several other men. Does that man ever wear anything other than a suit?

Dad, Gus, Tim, and I have dinner and we all watch as Kennedy and his team leave. Kennedy’s limp has miraculously reappeared. They all look at me and nod. Yeah, if Kennedy thinks he is going to trick me into thinking he has a handicap during our fight, he has another thing coming.

I call Leah and check in on her and Gracie before the tournament starts. The baby is screaming in the background when Leah answers. “Hold on, Robert, she's starving,” Leah says, laughing. When the baby quiets, which is almost immediately, Leah returns to the phone. "I’m sorry, I couldn’t get my boob out fast enough."

“She is one lucky baby.”

“Robert.” Leah tries to speak sternly, but she giggles.

“If I cry, maybe I’ll get lucky, too.”

“You’re all talk when you’re away. But when you’re home, it’s all about waiting for six weeks. So, which is it?”

Damn it. I forgot again about waiting six weeks. I think about it and my dick gets hard. “There’s other forms of sex. We don’t need penetration to have an organism.” Why didn’t I think of this sooner? Probably, because I always want to be buried deep inside her.

“Really? You’re willing to —”

I interrupt and say, “— do whatever it takes to get my girl off? You bet.”

I swear I can hear her moan. “When are you coming home? I don’t think I can wait.”

“Not soon enough.”

We have to walk through the slot machines to get to the card tables. Although I am wearing a suit and tie, I feel underdressed. Some people are here in tuxedos and evening gowns. I’m suddenly grateful Leah packed two suits for me. This is definitely an event for high rollers.

My team and I enter the Blackjack Tournament after we show our passes to security. Every doorway is being monitored by cameras and security. They have a specific room reserved for the tournament and it’s by invitation only.

We walk around, order a few drinks, and observe the players. The games are interesting to watch and the players have their game faces on. It’s almost impossible for me to tell who is bluffing and who isn’t.

I am going to teach Gracie how to play poker when she is young, so I can learn the “tells” that reveal when she is bluffing, aka lying. That way, when she begins dating, I'll know when she is lying about going to study at the library when she really plans to meet a boy.

I stay for most of the tournament, not because I have to, but because I find it interesting to watch. Professional card players. Now that’s a job I want. Dad, Tim, and Gus left a long time ago. I watch Kennedy from the corner of my eye and his limp is more prevalent than it was. I smile and try hard not to laugh.

I leave when they announce the winner. When I get to the elevator, Kennedy is standing there waiting for it. We both get on together not speaking or acknowledging the other. We exit the elevator together and just before I open the door to my suite, I say, “If you’re going to fake a limp, you really need to remember which leg is injured.” I don’t wait for a response when I hear him chuckle. I walk into my suite and close the door behind me.

Before we leave for the airport the next morning, I collect the unused money from everyone that the hotel gave us. I know from experience that they won’t expect it back. It’s our payment for being here this weekend. I place the money in a large manila envelope and call the American Red Cross and tell them there is a donation waiting for them at the front desk of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.