The House Always Wins - 37. Chapter 37

CHAPTER 37

It was 4am when I woke up from the soft beeping of my watch-alarm. I had set it deliberately, and silenced it quickly.

I listened to Michael's sounds; he was still deep asleep. As devious as it sounds, that was what I'd been aiming for; to tire him in such a way that even an atom bomb wouldn't wake him.

I got up from the bed, where we'd moved after spending another hour on the sofa earlier that evening, and couldn't help but groan a little; he'd been particularly thorough with me. I stretched and then made my way to ‘my' closet, where I had already packed all that I could fit into my backpack; most of the shirts and several jeans.

I had planned this the day before; I'd try to convince Michael to let me take Olivia to the airport, for her flight out of Vegas. All I had to do was take my stuff downstairs, stay out of sight from the night crew,
and then try to get past the front desk unnoticed. Get to the parking garage, put my stuff in the trunk of the car, go back upstairs, and sleep some more until morning.

I knew I could get Michael to let me take his mother to the airport; just seduce him again in the early morning hours, his favorite time.

Of course he'd want to say goodbye to her, duh, but if I played my cards just right, he'd never noticed the missing clothes.

I hadn't taken anything else, except the credit card; I planned on using it to withdraw some money from an ATM. I'd send the card back to him, and would include the location of the car, somewhere in Vegas,
preferably close to the train station. By the time it got found, I'd be long gone. I wasn't stupid enough to try and take the car and sell it for more funds; he'd find me in a heartbeat, and turn me over
to the police.

I had already decided to forego the $20,000. Whatever I could get from the ATM would have to do.

**********

When I got back to the suite, and into the bedroom, Michael was still sound asleep. It was 4:30am by then.

**********

Olivia actually shed a tear when she said goodbye at the airport, making me assure her again that we’d be coming over soon. I had parked the car a short distance from the private jet that would take her to New York, where a commercial flight would take her back to England, and we said our final goodbyes.

"I really enjoyed my stay, this time," she said. "It was nice to have someone to talk to while Michael was busy during the day. He's very lucky to have you."

"We'll be over next month," I promised, hating that it was an empty promise, "but if you don't want to miss your connecting flight, you'd better get on board."
The pilot was looking at his watch impatiently.

"He can wait a little longer; one word out of me and Michael will fire him."
She didn't really mean it, and she winked.

"Help me get on board, Jason. Carry my bag."

All her luggage had already been brought aboard, except for her handbag, and that really wasn't very heavy, but I humored her. I guess she was trying to stall, and I didn't mind. Heck, even I had tried to make the drive here as slowly as possible.
I accepted her bag, just as my cell phone started to buzz.

"Hello?"
Right then, the pilot decided to crank up the engines, for the preflight check, and I had to strain to listen.

"Ja..on! Wha...th...fuck is go... on? ...ou're leavi...ren't you?"

"Michael?" I shouted to be heard over the engines.

"..ES! ...ome..ack here, rig... now! I...ve...you!"

There was no way to make out anything he was saying with this noise, not that it mattered anymore; it was over. I hung up, and looked at the cell phone. I turned it off, put it in my backpack, and lifted Olivia's bag, gesturing at the plane.
We got on board, and were greeted by the purser, who took her bag from me, and I followed Olivia to her seat. When she was settled, I hugged her one final time. For some reason, she didn't let go; then my ears popped and the pursers' head appeared beside me, asking me to take a seat for take-off.

"No! Wait! I’m just settling her in, I’m not coming along," I said, alarmed. They’d already closed the door? "I have to..."

"Sit down, Jason."
Olivia's voice sounded stern, one manicured finger pointing to the seat in front of her. "Please."
I took the seat, more confused than anything.

“Olivia? What...”
She ignored it, and gestured to the purser with a finger, making a circling motion.

"Olivia..." I repeated.

"Not before we are in the air," she said, shaking her head.

I tried several more times, but she simply ignored me. Shit. What the hell was going on here? The jet began to move, taxiing to the runway and I saw the car rapidly getting smaller through the porthole; double shit! What was going on?!