Chapter 10
As cool as a cucumber, Anthea trailed behind like she was out window shopping on a breezy
afternoon.
Nanson whirled around, his temper flaring. “Anthea Morris, are you out of your freaking mind? Why the heck are you following me?”
Anthea grinned. “Uncle Nanson, I’m not a Morris anymore. You can call me Ann as Mom does, and last I checked, the sidewalk isn’t your private property. If you can walk here, so can I.”
Nanson choked on his retort, muttering as he strode on. Before long, they arrived at a place ablaze with lights.
It was Cloudcrest’s biggest underground casino.
Before entering, Nanson pressed his palms together and prayed earnestly. “Oh, Lady Luck, watch over me! Spin the wheel of fortune my way! I’ll light a candle in your honor when I hit the jackpot. I promise!”
The casino was a hotbed of vice and variety.
Those on a winning streak were head over heels in ecstasy.
Losers wailed their sorrows away.
hev
Nanson was a familiar face there, and as he walked in, greetings flew his way. “Hey, Nanson’s here!”
“Good to see you, Nanson!”
“Who’s that with you, Nanson? Some kin of yours?”
Only then did Nanson realize Anthea had followed him into the lion’s den. He quickly stepped back, putting distance between them. “I don’t know her! She’s nobody to me!”
Anthea wasn’t bothered and followed Nanson to a table deep inside.
A crowd was shouting themselves hoarse. “Big! It’s got to be big!“.
The dealer unveiled the dice with a smirk. “Three, one, five. That’s small!”
“Damn! How’s it small?”
“Talk about lousy luck!”
The dealer shook the dice again, and a betting area appeared on the table. Punters could also bet on specific numbers. The more you hit, the heftier the haul!
Anthea listened intently to the dice clattering inside the shaker.
Nanson bet on small in the game, picked his numbers cautiously, and then folded his hands, praying for divine intervention.
Chapter 10
“Uncle Nanson, go for big. Bet on five, six, and one,” Anthea whispered.
Nanson rolled his eyes, full of scorn.
What did this kid think she was, a gambling prodigy? Ridiculous!
After everyone placed their bets, the dealer revealed it, saying, “Five, six, one, small!”
Nanson shot a puzzled look at Anthea. “She was just lucky!” he thought.
He steadied his nerves and gambled on.
“Uncle Nanson, you got it wrong again. It’s big this round. Six, six, one,” Anthea advised.
When the dealer announced the results, Nanson was dumbfounded.
It was the same as Anthea had said.
Was she right again?
Swallowing hard, Nanson went for small in the third round.
There was no way he’d believe this any longer. A kid’s guesswork couldn’t trump his years of experience, right?
Anthea smiled, “It’s big again, Uncle Nanson. Six, four, one.”
No, it couldn’t be!
How could Anthea keep guessing it right? How could it always be big?
Nanson fixed his intense gaze on the dealer’s hand over the dice shaker.
It had to be small! It just had to!
He couldn’t lose to this runt! He had to regain his ground!
As the dealer lifted the dice cup, Nanson’s pale complexion turned ghostly.
She’d guessed right again.
Despite Anthea’s threat, Nanson still wouldn’t buy it.
His paycheck had dwindled to a mere $300. If he lost this round, he was doomed.
Since it had been big every time, it must be big again. He would no longer bet on small.
He was going big!
Anthea’s voice floated through the air while Nanson was about to place his bet. “Uncle Nanson, it’s not big this time. Go small. Bet on three, one, and four.”
