I knew from one look why Dickhead had chosen him—he loved money, and when someone loved money the way he did, greed didn’t follow too far behind. The bastard was right, this poor guy would probably be one tasty meal for him.
I flipped to the guy’s list of favorite places and ran my index finger down it.
“Eenie, meenie, miney, moe,” I muttered as I propped my feet up on the coffee table. “Catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers let him go. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe.” My finger landed on the Dragon Night Casino smack dab in the middle of Sin City.
Of course it would be a damn casino, and of course it would be in Sin City. All of my Charges were always there. It was Dickhead’s domain.
I straightened my tie and slipped my shoes back on. It was time to get this over with.
When I was ready, I closed my eyes and thought of the Dragon Night Casino while keeping old Hardy in mind. In seconds, I was whisked away, lamp and all.
Hmm… what would his first wish be? Unlimited money. If I was a betting man, I’d have placed a high bid on it because I knew his type.
Chapter Two
Fresh air filled my lungs as I pulled in a deep breath. While the air of Las Vegas wasn’t pleasant, per se, it was better than the stuffy, stale air inside my lamp. I glanced around, searching for my Charge. When I spotted him standing a foot away, eyes wide and mouth open, I stepped closer.
We were on the sidewalk. People passed by without looking at either of us. This was common in the city. Everyone was drunk, high, or in a rush to get to a place where they could feel either for whatever price they were willing to pay.
“Holy shit,” the big man said, his words dragging out with a southern twang. It was clear from his accent he wasn’t from here. If I had to guess, I’d say he might be from Texas or Alabama. Maybe even Georgia or one of the Carolinas. “My eyes screwin’ with me?” He made a show of rubbing his eyes. When I didn’t disappear, he laughed. It was a deep, rumbling laugh. The type that had a smirk twisting my lips because it was contagious.
“My name is Ryan,” I said, eager to get this over with. “I’m here to grant you three wishes.”
While I enjoyed being free from my lamp and out in the world, it was a false sense of freedom I knew would be detrimental to my mental health if I let this drag out too long. It was best to make my Charge ask his three wishes and then head back inside. And this first part, introducing myself, was always the longest bit to this whole damn thing.
Once it had taken me three days to get a woman to believe what I was and what I could do for her. I thought I’d go insane being surrounded by all the things I missed about life—alcohol, burgers with fries, surfing, tacos, fishing, drugs, sex—while I’d followed her around trying to convince her of what I was.
“This some joke, boy?” Hardy glanced around. I noticed how red his cheeks were and the beads of sweat that dotted his upper lip. “Where the hell did you come from?” He spun around. “Am I on one of them street magic TV shows? Where’s the camera?”
“There is no camera. And, this isn’t a show. It’s real.” I’d lost count of how many times people thought I was a street magician. I’d also lost count of how many times I wished that were the case. “No trap door. No wires. No illusion. I am what I am—a genie. Your genie.”
Hardy’s smirk grew. He wiped the sweat beading across his upper lip away and stared at me. “Can’t be. Genies don’t exist.”
“Try me. Make a wish.” I folded my arms over my chest and held his stare. “What have you got to lose?”
His eyes lit up. It happened every time. People loved the idea of what I said being true. He still had doubt—they always did—but I knew it wouldn’t be long before a wish passed from his lips.
“Nah, you’re pullin’ my leg, boy.” He chuckled, waving my words away. More sweat beaded across his upper lip. Did this guy always run hot? He was big. It was possible. However, it could be that it was nine o’clock at night and still in the mid-seventies. There was a thickness to the air that had the dress shirt beneath my suit jacket sticking to me. “You’ve got to be.”
“Let’s head inside and find out,” I insisted as I nodded to the Dragon Night Casino.
He didn’t move. He licked his lips and continued to stare. I could see the gears shifting behind his eyes. He was trying to figure me out, wondering what angle I was playing here. I snapped my fingers and forced my lamp to reappear. It sat on the sidewalk between us, shining in all of its golden glory. I wanted to hate it because of what it stood for, but it was impossible.
It was too beautiful to be hated. Strange symbols were carved into it, creating an intricate design that drew the attention of whoever saw it. While I knew some of the symbols stood for my specific Sin Demon, the rest were meant to lure in humans to pick it up or touch it.
“Okay,” Hardy said. He swallowed hard. “This is real?”
“Yeah. It is. I’m here to grant you three wishes. What’s your first?”
The big guy smiled, and I knew he finally believed me. What had I thought his first wish would be about? Oh, yeah. Money. It motivated this guy.
“I can wish for anythin’?” he asked. “And you’ll give it to me?”
I nodded and then snapped my fingers again so the lamp disappeared once more. “That’s how it works.”
The grin on his face grew. He rubbed his meaty hands together as he picked his wish. “I want money. Lots of money.”
Bingo. I’d had this guy pegged from the get-go. Where was my prize?
“Phrase it into the form of a wish. I can’t grant it unless you say the words right,” I said. He tipped his head to the side, his smile fading, and confusion dimmed the excitement in his eyes. “Meaning, your wish needs to start with the words I wish before I can grant it.”
He blinked. “Oh, right. Yeah, of course.” He chuckled at himself. “Sorry about that. I wish for a million dollars.” Each word was said louder than necessary and enunciated with too much force. You’d have thought I was hard of hearing, listening to him shout. It had me cracking a grin.
“As you wish,” I said to seal the deal.
“That’s it? How do I know you’re not yankin’ my chain?” His brows pinched together. “Where’s the money?”
I coughed into my hands, hoping it hid my shit-eating grin and the chuckle that slipped past my lips. Was this guy for real? What did he think would happen? Hundreds would fall from the fucking sky and land at his feet?
Hell no.
“I suggest you find an ATM and check your balance,” I said, once I’d contained myself.
Hardy adjusted his suit coat and straightened his back before moving toward the entrance of the casino. I followed. Not because I wanted to, but because I knew the second he saw the amount of money waiting for him to blow, it would be all the proof he needed to believe me, and his second wish would come shortly after.
He made his way to the right of the entrance, knowing exactly where the row of ATMs were. Obviously, he was a regular here. When he approached an open one, I leaned against the machine and took in my surroundings while he punched around on the keypad.