High Stakes (Sin City Chronicles)

By Toshia Shaw

High Stakes is a gripping and fast paced drama guaranteed to expose the cunning and slick nature of the real,"Sin City,"giving you a peek inside the shrewd world, exposing the myth: What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas. Shauna, Dawn, and Felicia are best friends who are bonded as "partners in crime" while trying to survive in Las Vegas, Nevada aka Sin City. Their friendship quickly begins to unravel when Jeffrey, Dawn's fiancé, enters the picture. Although happy for their friend, Shauna and Felicia quickly begin to question the validity of their friendship when they aren't allowed into Dawn's new picture perfect life. Desperate to keep her old lifestyle a secret from her fiancé, Dawn comes up with an elaborate scheme to make sure she weds Jeffrey at any cost, but Jeffrey attends a bachelor party where he meets, and instantly falls for, the naive and beautiful Shauna, and he and Dawn's relationship becomes compromised. When dealing with matters of the heart, all bets are off. Felicia is caught in the middle, and when it proves too much, she goes against her better judgment and becomes lost in her own world where promiscuity and drug abuse become the major players in her life. Each girl is dancing on the stage of uncertainty. When the curtains are drawn and the neon lights go dim, who will wind up with the standing ovation? High Stakes, sometimes when you gamble a little, you wind up losing it all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Toshia Shaw
• Release date: Mar 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9780974042619

Toshia Shaw

Toshia Shaw is an author, speaker, and philanthropist. She is the founder of Purple W.I.N.G.S. Organization, a 501 c (3) for at-risk girls in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a triumphant survivor, and educator of sex-trafficking, modern day abolitionist, and public speaker. Toshia recorded a Spoken Word CD entitled, Open Book in 2003. She performed locally in Memphis, Tennessee on a regular basis spreading her message about life, love, social issues, and the uplifting and empowerment of youth. It was also during this time she became a Domestic Violence and HIV/AIDS advocate. The proceeds she made from her musical events were donated to various organizations. She went on to pen her first work of fiction entitled, High Stakes, and self-published to national acclaim in the year 2010. She gave readers a sneak peek inside the shrewd nightlife of "Sin City." She exposed the myth: "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas." Toshia is a member of the Women's Federation for World Peace, Las Vegas, Nevada chapter. She has also been chosen as an Ambassador for Peace, by the Universal Peace Federation, due to her commitment of service to women and girls. She has been named by Las Vegas City Life as a Local Hero 2013, Las Vegas Business Magazine as a Woman to Watch 2011. She is the proud mother of two children.

Book preview

Prologue

It seemed like a nightmare. Looking at the bars before her, Shauna absentmindedly rubbed her palms together until they burned. She moved restlessly from the bench over to the bars and gripped them. Eyes closed, she laid her head on the cool iron and held her breath. It took all her strength to keep the churning in her stomach from coming up in her throat. If she wasn’t careful, she would puke right there in the jail cell with everyone looking on. Knots settled in the bottom of her stomach.

Desperately holding back her tears, she tried to think how she'd gotten herself into this horrible situation. The last thing Shauna could remember was leaving the hotel room, counting her money in the hallway, and being satisfied with the amount she’d made. The next thing she knew, an undercover policeman was handcuffing her, telling her that she was under arrest. The rest was a blur.

She’d never imagined she would be thrown in jail for solicitation. In fact, just the thought of her going to jail had been inconceivable. Number one, she wasn’t a prostitute, and number two, she and her best friend, Felicia, were always careful when they worked the casinos. But, at the same time, she’d known it was always a strong possibility that the authorities would apprehend her. It was clear - she'd slipped up, and now she was paying the price.

Shauna could not the keep the tears inside any longer. Pressing her lips together, she cried silently to herself and moved back over to the bench where Felicia was seated.

What am I going to do? Shauna blurted out as she buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

What you’re going to do is stop all this damn crying and get yourself together. Everything is gonna be all right, girl. You’ll see.

Felicia rubbed Shauna’s back in a circular motion.

Everything is gonna be all right? How can you say that? We’re in jail, Felicia. Everything is not all right, Shauna cried.

You need to calm down. Stop getting all hysterical and shit. You can’t let these hoes in here think that you’re weak, unless you want them to start picking a fight with you. Just keep your cool. Trust me, Felicia replied. Shauna laughed to herself at Felicia’s last comment. Trusting her was what had gotten her in the predicament in the first place. She wouldn’t dare say it, though. The last thing she needed right now was for her best friend to be upset with her.

No matter how she tried, she couldn't stop crying. Her whole body trembled, and her head hurt from the steady stream of tears. Her hands shook and, at the same time, felt numb. Shauna ran her hands across her cheeks and wiped the smeared makeup onto her dress. Matted from sweat and damp from her tears, Shauna's long and curly hair hung loosely in her face. She was hungry and tired. She and Felicia had been in jail for what had seemed like forever, but actually they had only been there for three hours.

A tall and burly inmate, whose hair was closely cropped and smelled of men's Brut cologne, turned her frowning face toward Shauna, apparently angry with the amount of noise she was making.

Hey, why don’t you shut up over there! the large inmate shouted. She stood in the midst of five other women in the far corner of the cell. She turned her attention back to the other girls, who were engulfed in deep conversation about what had brought them to jail. She leaned her obese body against the bars of the cell and had both hands shoved into the front pockets of her jeans.

Shauna jumped at the sound of the woman’s husky voice. She quieted her crying to a whimper.

Sensing that Shauna was frightened, the woman straightened and turned to face her. What’s wrong, pretty little girl? You miss yo’ mommy? The other women in the jail cell began to laugh and poke fun at Shauna.

Yeah, she misses her, look at her over there cryin’ and shit, one skinny Latina hissed.

Aww … baby girl, I'll dry them tears off your pretty little face, a black girl with a short bobbed wig said to her with a wink.

Naw, better yet, I’ll be yo’ momma. Yeah, that's right, come to momma.

They all laughed in unison. Shauna, disgusted, felt her stomach turn. They clearly needed something or someone to laugh at. Shauna glanced at the women. She wanted to stand up for herself, but was too scared to say anything.

Why don’t you shut up, you fat bitch? Leave my friend alone! Felicia shouted, rolling her neck for emphasis. She got to her feet and tried to look tough.

She saw the fright in Shauna's eyes, and she wanted to stand up for her. Felicia didn’t have any intention of fighting the butch, but she never backed down from an altercation.

The woman balled up her fist and stalked toward them. I don’t believe anyone was talkin’ to you. The woman bore down on Felicia, but stopped in her tracks when she saw a guard appear at the cell.

We’ll finish this later, she said as she took her balled up fist and hit it into her other hand.

Yeah, whatever. Ain’t nobody scared of yo’ big ass, Felicia said. She put her palm in the air, as if to dismiss the woman.

Felicia and Shauna each gave a big sigh of relief. They were thankful that the guard had appeared. Neither one wanted to fight; it might have extended their stay in jail.

Shauna appreciated the way Felicia protected her. At least Felicia knew she didn’t belong in jail, but her opinion did not count. It was the opinion of the judge she would have to worry about when she went to court in exactly one month.

Felicia sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. She then turned her attention back to Shauna. Don’t worry about it, sweetie. I called Dawn, and she’ll be here soon to get us the hell out, Felicia said. She wiped her friend's tears and brushed the hair out of her face. I mean, technically, they don’t have a case, she continued. I only gave that pig my number. Shit, I didn’t even take any money from his trick ass. So, when we go to court, the judge will most likely throw out the case.

Yeah, but what about the money he seen me counting in the hallway, Felicia? Shauna asked. That cop said he thought I got it from tricking.

Don’t worry about that fool. He probably won’t even show up when we go to court, Felicia said confidently.

Yeah, but how do you know?

Felicia seemed irritated by Shauna’s worrying. Didn’t I say don’t worry about it? Hell, at the rate you’re going, you gonna give yourself a heart attack.

Felicia tried to change the subject. Hey, ain’t that the girl over there the one from the club?

Which one? With her vision blurred, Shauna strained to see which girl Felicia was speaking of. She struggled to stop crying and regain her composure. She didn’t want to come off as a weakling.

The one over there with the long, blond Jeannie wig, Felicia replied. You know, the one who look black cause she tans too much.

Oh yeah, I see her now, Shauna said. I wonder what she doing in here?

Girl, please! That bitch suck more dick in the club than a little bit, Felicia said knowingly. Excuse me, girl, I’m desperate for a smoke, so I'm gonna go over and be nosy and bum a cigarette while I’m at it.

Shauna watched her friend sashay over to the girl and give her a high-five. The two struck up a conversation, and she gave Felicia a cigarette and lit it for her. It appeared to Shauna that Felicia seemed too calm and relaxed for such a hostile environment. Shauna knew it probably had to do with the fact that Felicia had been to jail for solicitation at least twice before.

Shauna studied her friend as she drew on the cigarette long and hard, and held the smoke in her lungs for what seemed like a minute before releasing it. Felicia flashed Shauna a reassuring smile, and turned her attention back to the girl and started laughing and joking with her.

Shauna sat up straight and took a good look around. The cell was dark and grim. The stench of a filthy toilet in a corner of the room mixed with the odors of smoke and musk. It made her want to regurgitate. Two benches were attached to the walls on either side of the cell, and most of the women were huddled in groups, smoking cigarettes, or talking loudly. A few were asleep on the benches. They all looked cheap, dirty, and unkempt.

Shauna noticed all the black women were in a group, jive talking and laughing. Some of them were obviously prostitutes, while others were in house shoes talking about how they'd been brought in on domestic disturbance charges.

Another group was made up of white women who looked as if they were prostitutes or homeless. Then, there was the butch inmate. Shauna could not figure out her story.

A group of strippers squirmed about in the far back of the cell. She and Felicia fit into that group. They were all different races—black, white, Hispanic, and Asian. Some of the women had on expensive, gaudy outfits, while others still had on their stage costumes. Almost all of them had long hair or wore a long wig. It seemed as if most of them were high on drugs or drunk from alcohol.

Collectively, the women in the cell looked as if they had been on the streets for much too long. Shauna imagined how she must have looked to them. She didn’t feel as if she were that much different. There she was, a nineteen year old mother of one and a high school dropout. She lived with an extremely abusive boyfriend, a convicted felon named Tony. Shauna longed to turn her life around; she knew that needed to make some serious changes.

She’d never been arrested in her life. As a stripper, she knew risk went with the territory. Now that it finally had happened, she shouldn’t have been surprised, but the truth was she was shocked.

The guard interrupted her thoughts. Shauna Williams and Felicia Andrews! he said loud and clear.

Shauna took a deep breath and stood. Felicia went to her friend’s side and held on to her arm for support.

The guard opened the cell door to let the women out. Shauna stepped forward, but stopped in her tracks to take a final look around.

The huge woman who had yelled at her earlier turned to her and said, Guess I’ll be seeing you later.

I don’t think so, honey, Shauna retorted. Not later and not ever.

And with that, she turned on her heel and let the guard escort her to her freedom.

Chapter 1

Buzzing and seemingly brighter than usual, Las Vegas, Nevada, flaunted her wares that night. Even the Strip had an exciting thrum underneath the swirling crowds. Tourists were all over the place, snapping pictures, drinking liquor, losing, and winning money. People leapt in and out of taxis, hurrying from one casino to another.

Shauna allowed her eyes to scour the throng that drifted up and down the street. She thought it amazing that there could be so many different kinds of people in town from all over the world. She could feel the cab she and her best friend were riding in come to a halt in front of the biggest casino in Las Vegas, the MGM Grand.

Come on, girl, Felicia snapped as the two women jumped out of their taxi. After being inside the air-conditioned cab, Shauna felt as if she were stepping into a sauna. That particular night, the heat had risen to an unbearable one hundred and fifteen degrees. There wasn’t a breeze to be felt. Even the palm trees were at a standstill, drawing a straight line down the middle of the Strip.

Shauna pulled down the front of her dress, which clung to her body like a wet napkin. She decided to give up any hope of having a hairstyle as she gathered her long mane into a ponytail and wiped the sweat from the back of her neck with an already damp handkerchief. She loved living in Las Vegas, but she could live without the summertime heat.

Nearing the casino, Shauna began to feel a little nervous. She slowed her steps a bit and gazed at the bright neon marquees flashing the names of famous entertainers.

Girl, you are too scary, damn. Walk up! Felicia waved her hand at Shauna.

Shauna saw that her friend was marching briskly toward the MGM Grand casino, where the high rollers liked to gamble. Meekly, Shauna followed her, taking in the night as she tried to keep up. Young men were driving up and down the street, blasting their stereos and showcasing their cars. Scantily dressed in tight, revealing clothing, the women sashayed around in high stiletto heels. They all looked like models, or tried to with the help of silicone, weaves, and makeup.

The Strip was littered with soft porn advertisements and leaflets with pictures of women in provocative poses. Each leaflet gave the phone number and location of a legal brothel in Pahrump, a small community outside Las Vegas. Each stressed the fact that Las Vegas was known as Sin City, and promised to live up to that title. There was no doubt about it: Las Vegas was for the adventurous, a place where anything goes. It was the scene Shauna and Felicia had seen so much of; it was the atmosphere they were accustomed to. As usual, the girls had made up their faces and dressed provocatively. They had to appear enticing and extremely sexy to stand out from the crowd. They wanted to meet and possibly get their hands on the fortunes of wealthy men.

Does my hair look all right? Shauna asked. And, what about my makeup? I hope I didn’t overdo it with the eyeliner. Feeling insecure, Shauna looked to Felicia for approval. She knew her fidgeting made Felicia nervous. She could tell by the expression on her friend’s face.

Could you please stop trippin' and get your shit together? Felicia sucked her teeth. Why are you always so damn nervous when it comes to men? You ought to have them eating out the palm of your hand, good as you look. Cause I know I look good, and all these men know it, too.

You’re right, I don’t know why I’m trippin, Shauna replied. I know how much I irritate you when I act like this."

Umm-hmm, you right about that. Felicia waved one hand in the air as if she were testifying. Just remember, these men don’t give a damn about your makeup. All they care about is your body!

Once inside the casino, the women escaped to a cavernous restroom, where they put the finishing touches on their appearance. Shauna looked on as Felicia readjusted the wig she was wearing.

Damn, this wig is hot as hell, but its gone have to do because I look good in it, Felicia said with her trademark sass. Come on now, Shauna, get your shit together cause we about to make us some money tonight. I can feel it.

Shauna flashed a reassuring smile to let Felicia know she was ready, and the two were off to find men with money.

As Felicia strutted, her black, patent leather mini dress inched further up her thighs. Her six-inch glass stiletto heels dug deep into the multicolored carpet.

Shauna knew Felicia needed to get to the $5,000 crap tables before other women with the same agenda got there. As they neared the area, Felicia looked like a tiger bearing down on her prey.

Eager to start on their quest to become instant millionaires, the men swarmed around the tables. The casino was filled with elderly people who were having fun as well. They loved to frequent the casinos, trying their hand at gambling, holding on to their drinks as they sat in front of the slot machines, taking advantage of the all-night buffets where they could get a steak dinner for $4.99. Shauna walked behind Felicia, her eyes darting around, looking for security. A tall, buxom blonde cocktail waitress sauntered over with a tray of cocktails in hand. She wore heavy makeup and a Jeannie wig.

Before she could offer the two ladies a drink, Shauna snatched a cosmopolitan and drank it down quickly. She allowed the alcohol to soothe her nerves.

As Shauna drank, she could see Felicia’s expression out of the corner of her eye. She knew she was acting strangely, but she had an uneasy feeling about the night and wished she had just stayed home.

Girl, are you okay? I mean, you act like somebody's after your ass. You need to calm down before you start making people suspicious.

I'm all right. I was a little flustered from all the heat. I just needed a drink to cool down.

The women carried on quiet conversation, all the while looking for available men. They perched themselves at the bar and tried not to look dubious. Felicia had heard of security taking girls to jail only for obvious solicitation. In eight months of picking suckers up, as she liked to call it, she had never been hassled by The Man.

Looking in the gold-veined mirror behind the bar, Shauna studied her friend. She thought Felicia had an aura about her that just reeked sex. She didn’t have to say it, but you knew she had lots of it. She was petite, about 5’3 and one hundred and fifteen pounds, with the most ravishing mahogany skin Shauna had ever seen. Felicia’s eyes were deep brown and dreamy. She loved to call them her bedroom eyes" and thought they held the power to lure any man she wanted. Her lips were full and wide, and she would wear a deep red color of lipstick to let you know they were there, as if you could miss them.

Felicia had a large array of wigs that she loved to wear when she worked. She thought that if she wore one, no one would recognize her and she could hide her identity. She often compared prostitution to acting, stating you could transform into different characters, play a role, and get paid for it.

Felicia nudged Shauna with her small elbow. Girl, look at that guy over there with the cowboy hat. He’s lookin' over here with the biggest grin. Why don’t you go over there and see if he wants some company?

Are you crazy? I ain’t goin' over there. If he doesn’t come over here, then we might as well forget it! Shauna crossed her arms over her chest, stuck out her bottom lip, and began pouting. She looked like a small child with her coal black hair hanging in her face.

Shauna was about 5’9" without heels. Her flawless skin had the texture of cocoa butter. She had large, inquisitive eyes that resembled those of a doe, and they showed her soul if you looked deep enough. Her legs were long, they never seemed to end. Men seemed to get intoxicated from looking at them. Her hips were wide and her waist small. Her breasts were full, round, perky, and always at full attention. She had never needed a bra, even after the birth of her son.

Shauna was born of a Swedish mother and an African-American father. She was an only child and had often felt lonely while growing up.

Her mother would tell Shauna that she was enough trouble, the last thing she needed was more children. When her mother was in a stupor from her drunken binges, she would tell Shauna that she looked exactly like her father and would be just like him.

Sometimes, her mother would look at Shauna with a hateful glare. I wish you were never born! She would pause, and then add, If you were never born, maybe your father would still be around.

The words still stung, and Shauna would push the thoughts to the back of her mind. Young Shauna would care for her mother when she passed out and would nurse her when she was sick. She felt sorry for her mother, sorry that she'd never had real love from a man, sorry that she was hurting all of the time, and depressed. Shauna vowed that she would never be like her mother; she would never say such hurtful words to her child. She would take care of her son and her boyfriend.

Shauna had never met her father, and to speak of him would be like Eve biting the forbidden fruit. She hid the longing she had in her heart for her father; she remembered being beaten as a child at the mere mention of his name. Her mother seemed so angry at the very thought of him. There were no pictures, letters, anything. It was as if her mother had made her all by herself.

Shauna had always wanted a father. She wanted any man she could get to be a father figure to her. She even tried with all of her mother’s boyfriends. Of course, they all wanted a little something in return, but it seemed like a small price to pay to be their special little girl.

Excuse me, Miss Thang, you think maybe you could get that dreamy look out of your eyes? Felicia asked impatiently. Those guys are about to come over here.

Shauna snapped back to reality in enough time to see the two white cowboys head their way. Felicia ran her dainty, manicured hands over her dress to smooth it out, and then licked her thick, ruby red lips to make sure they were wet.

One man looked to be about 50 years old, short, and very fat. He wore a ten-gallon cowboy hat, tight jeans, and a studded jacket that wouldn’t dare button even if he'd tried. The solitaire pinkie ring on his right hand indicated that his bank account was as round and swollen he was. With him was a younger man who was tall, gangly, and goofy looking.

How y'all pretty ladies doing over here? The short, fat one took his hand with the big pinkie ring on it and grabbed his crotch.

Unmindful of Shauna and Felicia’s stares, he just kept talking and grabbing.

Me and my nephew saw y'all standing over here, and we had to come on over and introduce ourselves, he said.

The men were staring at Shauna and Felicia’s cleavage with lust in their eyes. The nephew kept snorting and laughing, all the while looking around and rubbing his head.

At that point, Felicia started her poor, helpless dame spiel, and Shauna barely looked them in the eye.

Well, we were beginning to wonder when you handsome men were going to come over and talk to us, Felicia said as she used her fake southern accent and layered it on thick.

Now, what are your names, cowboys?

Shauna looked on as Felicia batted her eyes, twirling the hair of her wig. The fat buzzard was eating it up. He was practically drooling: probably thinking back to the slave days, when his grandfather would sneak into the slave quarters and steal some sweets from the women there.

He answered Felicia in a husky Southern drawl. The name is Willy West, and this here is my nephew, Brandon. He pointed in the young boy’s direction.

And what’s your name there, pretty little lady? the nephew asked Shauna.

Raising an eyebrow, Shauna gazed at him. He looked sort of like the character Opie on that old TV show. He had red hair that looked as if a bowl had been used as a guide when it was cut. When he laughed, freckles danced across the bridge of his nose. He snorted from time to time, and licked his lips a little too often. He smelled like a brewery, and, looking at his bloodshot eyes, she could tell that he drank often—a little too often.

She kinda looks like that singer, you know the one, what’s her name? the goofy one stated.

Oh God, here we go again, Shauna thought. Every time a white person talked to her, they automatically compared her to Mariah Carey, just because she had a light skin and long, curly hair.

Shauna tried to smile, but she really didn’t feel like working the casino. She would rather be at home with Tony, who had been exceptionally nice to her for the past two days. He hadn’t even gotten upset when she told him she would have to work at the casino. It was his night to go and hang out with the boys.

Maybe he really had changed. After the last fight, he had promised he wouldn’t hit her anymore. She had vowed that the next time he hit her, she would leave him. She would take her son and leave him, no matter what.

Oh, yeah Misty gets mistaken for Mariah all the time. Felicia used Shauna’s old alias from the first strip club they worked at together.

Felicia gave Shauna a wink to let her know they were going to make some money. The girls talked with the two men for about an hour, gambled their money for another three hours, and after that, it was business as usual. The men met them back in their hotel suite for the girls to perform their private dances.

Once inside the hotel suite, the ladies took a moment to take in its full beauty. The suite was large - about seven and seventy-five square feet; the furniture was deep mahogany in color. It had an oversized bedroom, which was separated from the sitting area by a gigantic dresser and wet bar.

Shauna hurried over to the window and stepped out onto the balcony. They were on the twenty-fifth floor, and the view instantaneously took her breath away. She could not believe it was still hot that high up in the air. She could see the massive lion that sat directly in front of the neon green casino. Shauna wished she could stay out on the balcony and just think. However, she knew what she was there for, and she had to stay focused on the money that was to be made.

When she went back inside, Felicia was busy setting the mood for their private show. She turned the radio to a soft contemporary station, dimmed the lights, and closed the curtains of the windows.

Willie sat on the edge of the king-size bed, and Brandon sat on a chair. The ladies excused themselves to the large, exquisite bathroom.

Shauna sat on the edge of the oversized, garden styled tub and wished she could take a hot bubble bath instead of dance half-naked in front of strangers. She leaned back on the cool marble of the tiled wall and watched Felicia get ready.

Felicia pulled out a package of disposable wet napkins and began to cleanse her private area. She then took out her perfumed stardust body lotion and smoothed it onto her neck, shoulders, and cleavage. She took out a cigarette, lit it, and inhaled the smoke deeply. She blew the smoke into the air. She became aware that she was being watched, and looked over her shoulder in Shauna's direction and flashed her smile.

What you over there daydreaming about, girl?

Felicia, look at this place. It's so beautiful. It's always amazing to me to see how these men come to Vegas, put themselves up in an expensive hotel, drink, party, and want to have strippers parade in front of them all night. I wonder what their wives would say if they knew? Shauna asked.

I don't give a damn what their wives would say, Felicia replied. I'm just glad the bastards come here so I can get paid.

Felicia threw the half-smoked cigarette into the toilet and turned her attention back to the mirror. Shit, you need to get off your ass and let's make this money.

Shauna let out a hesitant sigh, reluctantly got to her feet, and began to prepare for the striptease. She stepped out of her gold spandex dress and pulled the sides of her leopard-print G-string panties over her hips. She opened her gold, lame clutch bag, pulled out a brush, and brushed her hair. Then, she applied a fresh coat of candy-apple red lip gloss over her small, heart-shaped lips. Once she was done primping, Shauna took a deep breath and followed Felicia back into the room.

Shauna approached Brandon with a sexy, suggestive smile. He became excited and his breathing quickened. Once he had a full view of Shauna’s built body, he reached out his hand to grab her. Shauna