Ell's Double Down: The Willows Series, #1

By Caroline Walken

No one forgets their first love…

That first kiss, the passion for music or the view from the top of a mountain.  First loves come in many forms and for ELL DONELAN it was her home; The Willows.  Filled with desire and courage she fought to save it, salvage what she could from it then concocted a scheme to obtain a piece of it.  Gambling, the one way a girl in the mid 20's could raise cash quickly.  Just a pretty girl having a lucky night, what was the harm?

It was a great plan until she drew the attention of the mob.  Late one night REGGIE MARTIN and his friend filled her doorway.  He too had a hunger he chased, it was not women or power but an empire.  He yearned for a change, the pursuit of it consumed him.  That was until a mob boss sent him to straighten out a reckless gambler with hazel eyes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Caroline Walken
• Release date: Apr 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9780998727608

Caroline Walken

Caroline Waken has three titles in publication currently; Ell’s Double Down, Reggie’s No Limit, Nowhere on the Map and the newest, Behind the Fan.  The latest novel, Nowhere on the Map was accepted for the 2018 Reader’s Choice Award in the Romance category.  Additionally, her entry In Hiding was the winner of the Writer’s Assembled Short Story Competition in 2017.  There are plans to expand In Hiding into a full-length novel in the future.  This past June, Rejected Manuscripts published her short story, The Rule of Ten, on their site and it has remained in the top ten since publication.    The consensuses by readers are that her writing is gripping and the characters compelling.  The women love the female characters; appreciating their spunk as well as their flaws.  With a craving for action and adventure, her romance novels are not your typical girl meets boy romances.  Often intertwined with mystery and lawbreaking the stories keep the reader engaged. Look for other novels by Caroline Walken as her imagination continues to run wild!

Book preview

PROLOGUE

THE SUN WAS WARM, CARESSING her face the way a parent would a cherished child.  Across the fields, a hawk called, challenging any other raptor that dared enter their realm.  Weaving in and out of the white sheets drying on the line she and Sophie played without a care in the universe.  Their laughter carried across the valley joining in with the sounds of the songbirds, hammering, and field machinery.

Laughing they fell to the soft grass staring into a cloudless blue sky.  She thinks to herself that this must be what love feels like, giddy and breathless.  She could lie here forever listening to the sounds that encased this valley, her home.  Too soon, Sophie is urging her into another game; her best friend cannot sit still even for a moment.  Not Ell, she would be satisfied if she never moved with the scent of bleached sheets billowing above her.  Sophie continued to nag, and since she had a guest, Mother allowed her to play instead of helping today.  Too soon, Soph is tugging on her hand enticing her to rise.  The sounds of the countryside fade taking the slap of the sheets with it.  The hum of the radiator creeps into the dream.  Furrowing her brow, she resists returning to the present desiring to linger there.  She fights to remain under this Blue Bird sky in a place that will always hold her heart, her first love.

Hazel eyes slowly focus on the yellow cracked ceiling of her flat.  Back to the present and the heartache, she feels over the loss.  Tears sting and threaten, shaking her head she rises fully waking into the present again.

To hell with tears, I will find a way to return there again.

CHAPTER 1

THE HAZE ACROSS THE room conceals the faces of the patrons and gives the setting a secretive draping.  Her heart is pounding, and although she has done this for months now, she still becomes nervous starting out.  She glances across the table, the man facing her is attractive he is dressed in a fine suit his eyes a warm brown, his stare deliberate.  When he looks at her she can tell, it’s a look you don’t give a kid sister, his look is heated.  She can hardly breathe when she looks into his eyes it is disarming; she can’t have this.  She looks above him to her friend Sophie; she is unsure of herself and silently communicates her discomfort to her friend.  Sophie smiles at her then leans down whispering into the man’s ear his attention is suddenly diverted giving Ell the opportunity to settle in.  She exhales feeling better now that the man is distracted.  Later she will help Sophie untangle herself from him, but now she has to focus on the business at hand.  She takes a deep breath, flashing a dazzling smile at the rest of the men gathered around the table and anteed up.

The truth is gambling makes her feel empowered the rush was like none other.  Each hand dealt promised her a solution to her problems.  Logically that alone could be the cause for her increased heart rate and butterflies, but Ell knew better.  She liked the mind games played as each of them attempted to psyche out opponents seated around the table.  Ell herself suffered through painful lessons until she honed her skills.  Eventually, Sophie taught her the most valuable ploy—using her womanly wiles as her weapon.  Ell initially felt foolish, but the first time she glanced through mascaraed lashes and saw the effect she turned to her friend for additional suggestions.  This combined with her ability to gauge the cards each player held or what now laid in the muck.  However, to be honest, she simply loved soundly beating the table full of men.

The man fills the doorway easily recognized as a regular allowing him access immediately.  The server nods and scurries off to fetch his usual order but not before taking a moment to appreciate his handsome frame.  He glances around; he has arrived late the tables already filled.  Had he not been bored he would just nix the plan and leave after the nightcap.  His elegant hand caresses the proffered drink; the waitress notices the large red bruises, which mar the knuckles.  She glances up, emotionless eyes meet her own she quickly moves on as Reggie refocuses his attention.  Cards when no other challenge satisfies he knows he will find it in the cards.  The call to collect from a deadbeat or remind a club owner who their boss was failed to bring the necessary excitement he craves.  Finding a dame was easy enough, and he always kept a short list of skirts who posed as nice distractions.  However, they too were only a temporary fix.  A game of cards was the answer tonight; they answered the call when he was itching.  These smoke-filled rooms, like the sultry look of a lover, always welcomed him.

The opponent seemed to shift slightly in the seat.  His index finger tapped a card, just a couple strokes.  There it was the card that ruined his hand.  Her hazel eyes release the player across from her to steal a glance registering the emotion of observers around the table then to her best friend.  Sophie looks like a Nervous Nelly-she always worries.  She knows the girl will put too much emphasis on a lost hand.  The striking man with his lusty brown eyes tries to draw Sophie closer.  Now that he has folded and left the game, he is unnecessary, and the seasoned flirt easily escapes his reach.  He leaves with a scowl; Sophie turns and issues knowing wink.  Ell’s focus is now unfettered, freeing her again to bring down the last player.  When she wins this hand, she will smile sweetly, thank the boys for their indulgence and walk away $700 ahead.  The men never suspected her; she’s no high roller.  She realizes she and Sophie will have to stay just a bit.  Mill around and pay homage to the boy’s egos.  The real trick will be leaving this joint alone without one of them trying to tag along.  Her opponent is taking his time; he is still undecided as to what card to keep—tap, tap.  He may not know, but she has an idea which one he will choose.  He attempts to appear nonchalant, but she knows she has him cornered.  She makes a quick glance for Mr. Lusty Brown-eyes; he has found a new dame who is much more receptive than Sophie had been.  Good, that small problem resolved itself for them.  She returns her focuses on the cards once more and notes, her opponent's eyes have dilated a bit.  She has him, but she cannot let the gathering of onlookers know.  She wants them to believe this was just a lucky night for a pretty girl.  Her mirth finds her eyes as she accepts his bid.

From a back table, there is a ruckus indicating the crowd’s appreciation of a well-played game as it ends.  Reggie knew a table was freeing up and just in time, he did not want to waste this evening on the painted and perfumed blonde dish vying for his attention.  He glances the way of the table that slowly broke up.  He recognizes most of the players and searches out the winner amongst them.  He likes to take on the victor and through the crowd; he catches a glimpse of his goal, surprised that he had not noticed her before.  The women who frequent the back poker rooms in speakeasies all dress to compete – loud colors, low bodices, jewelry which flashes in the low light.  This dame faded into the backdrop nicely, wearing a deep gray understated yet flirty gown.  The minx deliberately blended into the room filled with dark men’s suits.  He chuckles thinking she is just as unassuming as can be playing the room as she just played those patsies at the table.  He bet she had sat down all wide-eyed with some story about how she always wanted to play cards.  He imagined she offered up a stake that wouldn’t be large but at the same time, substantial enough.  Gauging her demeanor, she would have been bold enough to have the money tucked in her bodice.  Those boys would be eager after she teased them by retrieving her stake.  He smiled a slow smile; he would not mind watching that himself.  He knew gamblers; this one was careful not to call in the hard players, just a couple of marks, which would keep the pit bosses off her.  He wants to play her however before he can reach his goal, the skirt slips away again using her gray camouflage to aid her.  Hell, it is just as well, Reggie considered she would only serve as a distraction and what he really needs is the mental challenge of the game not the hot release of some dame—good or not.

Off in a corner the pit boss takes out a worn notepad, his meaty hands deftly use a stub of a pencil to enter the notation.  The date and short description of the two broads quickly jotted down for his boss Mr. Deluca.  He has seen the pair before, and they are winning too often for it to be accidental or to be healthy.

CHAPTER 2

DAWN DARED TO CREEP over the row of brick flats; the city lights still lowered for the night.  The bank of houses all darkened with the exception of one.  Like a beacon from the third-floor apartment shown beating the arrival of sunrise.  Lying on her bed Ell calculates her booty.  She is up to a thousand dollars and very close to her goal.  A pure sense of joy washes over her; she will make it now she is sure of it!  Buying her grandfather’s hunting cabin and the few acres surrounding it now seems possible.  Torn from the present, she reminisces about her family home, The Willows.  At the turn of the century, those living in a crowded city sought refuge from the noise and demands of urban living.  With so many innovations in manufacturing, Americans finally enjoyed leisure time.  Many large farms extended rooms to city folks who were eager to experience the healthier country life for a day or so.  It was during this time her parents built on to the homestead and created the resort The Willows.  This life had been all she had known aside from Saint John’s, the local boarding school but like their guests, she lived for summer when she could enjoy all the country had to offer.

Her whole childhood, the resort’s history, simply everything will soon belong to the bank.  The end came when the people opted for more exciting holidays and trips abroad.  Swank hotels soon dotted the riverside springing up overnight stealing steady customers away, and the quaint resort could not compete.  It was all over once her Momma passed then her Daddy took ill from a lung disease.  Her older brother Michael accepted the responsibility of the now weathered resort in an attempt to hold on to their home.  Ell admitted that her brother worked hard to keep the place afloat, but by then the place was in severe disrepair and beyond even his skills.  The writing was the wall, and the bank saw their opportunity to obtain a broad swath of land for new development.  It was soon after their father died that her brother broke the news to her, they were too deep from borrowing against the property in the past.  Ell’s eyes still stung with tears from the memory; damn bankers were no better than the gangsters were as far as she was concerned. 

Since her classes at Villa Madonna College were in business she offered to help save their home; damned bank would not take it without a fight.  She had not appreciated the fact she was facing off with experienced money managers in a man's world.  One by one, they all turned her down.  One fatherly fellow tried to soften the blow by advising her never mix business with emotion all while he patted her hand like a child.  Most of the bankers simply placated her; one refused to take her request for a meeting but offered to meet with her brother instead.  Ell fumed as one swell propositioned her asking her out to dinner.  She was sure the evening would have ended with his crawling all over her but undoubtedly still not securing a loan.  Damn if she thought for a moment it would have worked – she would have offered herself as the sacrificial lamb.  Nevertheless, in the end, The Willows was lost, and Ell was in mourning. 

Money had been the answer she thought, safely tucking the cash again in a loosened floorboard.  She could do nothing to save her home she admitted this now.  She smiled just like those puffed up boys surrounding the card table tonight; the bank should not count her out.  She had a plan.  The mirror caught her attention; she returned the gaze surprised at the small figure in the glass.  The most striking feature was the large hazel eyes that sparkled with amusement.  She was slightly built and had a lovely long neck accentuated by her auburn hair set in a stylish bob.  Her heartfelt years older than the youthful image facing her.  Only her eyes offered the measure of her resolve that a soldier would be envious to possess.  Slowly she smiled; no, they would be fools to count her out.

Months back, Sophie recalled that the old cabin was the final parcel of land purchased by her grandfather, therefore, deeded separately from the resort.  The bank owned this also, however; Ell could buy this independently from the resort.  Last fall over glasses of wine, the two girls worked on a plan. 

Ell, what if you try seducing Ace for the money.  You have seen the take from the games; he’s loaded!

Sophie, this would take more time than I am willing to devote to Ace!  I am desperate, but there has to be another way. 

Agreed, you would not get anywhere, you are horrible at flirting. I doubt you would get a dinner out of him.

Ell stared at her friend then both dissolved in laughter, no truer words spoken.  The rest of the evening the two tossed ideas back and forth until the wine affected their judgment.  The last plan that Ell recalled was akin to a bank job like Bonny and Clyde.  Thank God, they went to bed soon after that. 

It was working the gaming room one night she got the inspiration she sidled up to her friend hissing Gambling!  Sophie shook her head questioning the implication.  Ell completed the thought, I am going to raise the money fast by gambling.

She left to deliver drinks, as Sophie called to her retreating back NO!  That night between serving rounds the two debated, Sophie was entirely against the idea.

Ell, men are poor loser not to mention they would hate losing to a dame.

You forget they will be losing to a pretty girl.  It will take the sting out of it.  Ell whisks away before her friend can counter this.

The mob run the games, the rules for collecting would be the same for you as it would be for a man.

I am smarter than that; I will spread it out in the town.  We know who is running which place, don’t worry Soph. 

What am I supposed to do?  I don’t play cards. 

Ell smiled at her friend, Just be you; it’s the best diversion I have!

When the details fell naturally in place, Ell theorized this indicated her idea was solid.  Sophie was well versed in these theories and knew arguing was useless, so she aligned herself with the plan.  Ell scoped out the games, but more importantly, the clubs the two dare not go.  Sophie wanted to dress her up, but she countered it is better to come across like your kid sister wishing to sit in on a hand or two.  In the interim, she practiced cards every chance learning the various forms of poker.  She honed her skills by taking on back alley games with friends, playing cards with the boys in the kitchen, even playing with her Dad's old chums at the Vet's Home.  Sophie became her cohort and gave up a silent prayer for them both.

She returns to the present; the city was still silent although she heard the whine of the milk truck as it rounded the far end of Monmouth Street.  Before long the day would begin, she tossed again in the narrow bed but sleep refused to come to her.  Finally, she gave up, opening her eyes and staring at the ceiling.  The cracked plaster and ceiling fixture faded, replaced by the smoky room of the gaming hall.  She smiled recalling the win again indulging herself over the evening’s events once more.  The rounds, the players, how she and Sophie slipped off effortlessly smooth as silk!  It would have been nice to linger, one more hand it is all she needed now.  The decision to stay evaporated when she spotted him.  Across the tables and smoke, she caught the movement of a tall man with serious eyes as he searched the crowd around her table.  She knew he was looking to play the winner.  Her heart raced even now at the prospect; serious gamblers like to take on someone with a hot hand.  Oh, how she longed for this brand of stimulation!  The bonus of his being handsome was not lost on her; even she was not immune to this.  However, she took one look into his piercing steel eyes she at once lost her nerve and told her girlfriend they need to leave, now!  Hours later, she toyed with the idea, wondering what if they had stayed.

On their street, the milkman arrives making his deliveries for the day, the clink of bottles ring out in the still morning.  Finally, her eyes droop then close she dreams of a game, her opponent a man with steel eyes, her heart flutters as she smiles in her sleep.

CHAPTER 3

THE ROOM FILLED WITH large men; their calling in life was evident.  As fierce as they were, they stood stoically as their boss paced releasing his anger.

Who the hell does she think she is?  I am down on the tables because of her, and you guys can't give me a damn name?

Jimmy The Tree knows it is not about the money.  This slip of a dame is too bold; no one is as lucky as this.  The bum she is working for is flipping the finger at a powerful boss.  Losing track of his boss’s tirade, he picks the man’s rant back up.  Now the boss looks to Nick to deal with this skirt.  Ah, hell – Jimmy thinks, that will be bad.  Nick came up keeping the working girls in line in another organization; he will enjoy fixing the problem too much.  Deluca is building up to