Page 24 of The Gambler

“When she was little, each time she did something good, or learned something new, I gave her chocolate.”

“I’ll wring your fucking neck you bitch. You and your husband and your piece a shit son got rich off of her and you gave her chocolate? Tell me why I shouldn’t put two in your head?”

“I didn’t know what they were doing I swear to you.”

“I don’t believe you. Do you know how fucking special she is? She’s worth more than all of you combined.” He was pissed beyond measure, hearing her talk so casually about squandering her daughter’s gift for something so dark, and to gain from it…

“Who is senator Winthrop?”

“I don’t know the name doesn’t sound familiar.” He studied her to see if she was telling him the truth. There was something amiss he was sure, but he was too fucked up to think straight.

“Your daughter in law’s sister was working for me, was she a plant?” Again she took her time answering and he could see the fear coming off of her in waves.

“Yes.”

“Why? I never had any dealings with the Bonatas. What the fuck did they want with me?”

“That was Jenna’s doing?”

“What?” Her answer threw him. Eileen had been working for him for two years; he’d only known Jenna for two days. “Explain.

“She saw you. He felt that tingling shit down his spine again.

“In a news article I think it was. She kept calling you Angel. At first I thought it was because she had difficulty saying your name, but then she started talking crazy. Saying how you were her angel and you were gonna come for her.”

“Two years?”

“Yes, Alphonso Bonata didn’t like it, and we couldn’t understand what was going on in her head, but with everything else that she was capable of, they got spooked I think. He thought it was a good idea to keep an eye on you just in case.” His thoughts were racing; this was all crazy. How could she have known about him when he’d never heard of her? Maybe the same way Alice had known that you’d meet a woman who would call you her Angel.

He stormed out of the room sick to his stomach. He had even more questions now than when he started.

“Will you take me to her?”

“Lady of you go anywhere near her I’ll throw you off the fucking roof.” He slammed the door as he left. “She stays in there, if she tries to come near those stairs shoot her.” He headed back up the stairs after giving his man those orders.

Chapter 14

JENNA

“ANGEL.”

“Shh, shh, it’s okay.”

“Hey I know you.”

“I know.” The pretty lady took her hand and started leading her away.

“Come sit with me for a spell.”

She looked back over her shoulder, looking for her angel.

“But…Angel, he’s hurt.” She started to cry as she looked around and nothing looked familiar. The place was pretty enough, some type of garden with a riot of colors. But she was sure she’d never been there before.

“Your angel is fine, you protected him.” She looked back at the woman who was even prettier than the picture in her angel’s room.

“Where am I?” She felt different in this place. Her thoughts weren’t jumbled and she didn’t feel like she had to run to catch up to them. She could actually take her time and speak too.

That’s the reason she only spoke in short sentences, because her thoughts were sometimes racing ahead of her tongue, and she found it was easier to keep it short and sweet. But somehow in this magical place she felt calmer.