Gambling: VI: Mr. and Mrs. LeBeau
Gambit turned the corner sharply in the black Porsche he drove for the occasion, screeching the tires and burning rubber in the process. "She handles the curves so smoothly!"
He was laughing when he pulled the car up to the front of the New York location for the Hellfire Club. "Gambit should get him one of these," he said stroking his hand across the dash of the car in front of where Rogue sat in the passenger seat. His hand slipped off the dash and landed cupping Rogue's cloth-covered knee. He squeezed it and sent her a cocky grin. "Should get him one of these too."
Rogue jerked her knee away from him and got out of the car. She walked briskly around the front and waited on the stairs leading up to the building. Gambit got out of the car casually and gestured for the valet to take the Porsche before joining Rogue at the stairs. He watched the valet with the cheeky grin get behind the wheel and vowed that he'd be sure to check the mileage when he got the car back.
They entered the building together and rode the elevator in silence up to the top floor where the penthouse suite for the Hellfire Club was located.
When they stepped off the elevator, Gambit made his move to encroach upon her territory. Rogue's jaw tightened in her attempt to not yell at the man whose arm was currently wrapped around her waist as if it belonged there.
"Well chere, looks like this be our cue." He grinned down at her and Rogue was suddenly nervous about the mischievous glint in his red on black eyes. He leaned down and pressed his lips briefly against her cheek before he knocked on the front door of the suite.
That brief moment was a moment too long considering that Rogue now had a vivid idea of just what sort of thoughts were running through the perverted Cajun's mind. She tried to shove the fool away from her, but his grip around her waist only tightened.
"We can play rough later chere," Gambit promised under his breath. He flashed a million-watt smile when the door opened and a muscle bound man stared out at them with a bored expression.
"Names?" the man requested.
"LeBeau, Remy LeBeau," Gambit said introducing himself. He squeezed Rogue closer against him. "And this is the most beautiful woman in my life. My fiancée, Miss Howlette."
The man looked over the electronic list he had in his handheld computer and gave them a cursory nod. "Ah yes, you have been expected for some time now." He tapped his wrist watch pointedly. "You're a half hour late."
"This idiot here took a wrong turn and then refused to ask for directions," Rogue explained. She reached up her elegantly gloved hand and pinched Gambit on the cheek. Hard. "Isn't that right, darling?"
A muscle in Gambit's jaw twitched before he reigned in his tight control. "That's not the real reason we're late, but I suppose it is the socially acceptable one." He ran his hand down Rogue's silk encased arm. "I think we got most of the wrinkles out of your dress. Hardly anyone will notice."
Rogue's face burned red in mortification at the muscle bound stranger's leering look. She pulled away from Gambit and walked into the Hellfire Club's front parlor. In the far corner a quartet of strings played classical music that sounded like Mozart. All around she saw elegantly dressed women and men. What she did not see was Jean Grey.
A handsome man approached her with a charming smile. He bowed courteously before her. "I am Sebastian Shaw. I don't believe I have had the honor of making your lovely acquaintance."
"Marie Howlette," Rogue replied resisting the urge to curtsy in turn. There was something about this man's manners and the classical music playing that made her feel like she was some character in a Jane Austen book.
Shaw extended his hand. "Would you care to dance?"
Rogue hesitated before accepting and thought she saw something dark flash within the man's eyes. She noticed Gambit flirting with a dark haired woman on the other side of the room. He noticed her watching him and gave her an impertinent wave. She flashed Shaw her most flirtatious smile and accepted his hand. "I can't think of anything I'd want more."
"It's been a while since we had any new blood in our little society," Shaw commented. His arms were wrapped around Rogue as he twirled her to the sounds of the music. There was something about his voice that made it hard for Rogue to concentrate. She was having difficulty remembering her mission.
"This is such a lovely place. I'm surprised y'all don't have people banging down the doors," Rogue said.
Shaw laughed hardily at that comment. "I'm afraid we're a bit too snobby for people to attempt such a feat." He drew her close, his lips near her ears and his cool breath tickled her skin there. "I'm glad you've come though."
OOOOOoooooOOOOO
Gambit had tucked his hands into his pants pockets to hide the tight fists they had formed. He couldn't help the feelings of jealousy that had started to surface at the vision of Rogue dancing so cozily with some strange man. Vaguely he realized that he didn't know Rogue very well, but that didn't change how he felt.
"Is something troubling you?" the beautiful brunette standing with him asked. She followed his gaze and smiled slightly. "The woman is with you I take it?"
"Yes," Gambit hissed. "Who is he?"
"That is Sebastian Shaw." The woman gently touched Gambit's arm, drawing his attention away from Rogue and to her. 'Your mission is elsewhere,' her voice echoed in his head.
Gambit's eyes narrowed. 'My mission? Can you read my thoughts?' he asked her mentally.
'I am Xavier's informant. My name is Sage. Jean Grey is here. You must be careful to guard your thoughts. I am not the only telepath.'
'Guarding my thoughts is what this one does best,' Gambit argued.
"Only when you aren't distracted by who your girlfriend is dancing with," Sage answered aloud. "Come with me, I'll show you where the poker games are taking place."
Gambit followed Sage to another room, but his eyes lingered on Rogue before he allowed the door to close behind him.
OOOOOoooooOOOOO
"That slimy son of a rat-faced dog," Rogue growled when she saw Gambit following the brunette out of the room.
"Pet names already?" Shaw teased with an arched eyebrow.
"Not you," Rogue apologized with a sheepish smile. "My fiancé just took off with a woman."
"Ah, Tessa. Don't worry about her, she's my personal aid and wouldn't do anything with a potential member of the club. I don't know how any man in his right mind would let you out of his sight," Shaw commented. He took Rogue's hand in his and began to lead her off the dance floor. "Come, let me introduce you to some of the more prestigious members of the club."
The first person she was introduced to was the White Queen herself. Emma Frost was dressed in an icy blue dress that complimented her blond features. She gave Rogue a bored look and Rogue could feel the woman trying to probe her mind, some residual effects of having absorbed Gambit's powers before entering the suite. She was able to block her thoughts for the woman and keep her true thoughts masked with worries about her dress.
"Charmed," Emma replied icily. She didn't bother to rise from her leather lounging chair.
It was then that another door opened and a woman who looked remarkably like Jean Grey stepped in on the arm of another man. Jean's look-alike and the man walked through the lounging room on their way to the main suite without stopping. The woman's eyes locked on Rogue's briefly and something seemed to spark in the redhead's eyes, before becoming darkened.
Emma observed Rogue's reaction. "That's Phoenix. You don't know her, do you?"
Rogue looked down at the blond and gave her a confused expression. "Phoenix? That's an odd name. And no, I don't know her. She just reminded me of that doctor that was on television. The one who worked with all the mutants."
"Perhaps she's from Arizona," Emma said with a shrug. "You're describing Dr. Jean Grey who was of course a familiar figure in the mutant community. Do you sympathize with the mutant rights?"
Rogue shrugged. "Not really my problem. That's why they have that Secretary McCoy isn't it?"
"Right," Emma agreed. Rogue sensed her having given up on probing further into her mind. "Well I certainly hope that you and your fiancé return to visit us next week," she said dismissively.
"Nice meeting you Miss Frost," Rogue said as Shaw led her out of the room.
"I'm afraid, Marie, that I must part with you. I have a meeting to attend to, but please do find a means to entertain yourself." Shaw lifted her gloved hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Until we meet again."
The door hadn't shut behind Shaw two seconds before Gambit appeared behind Rogue with a firm grasp on her arm. He pulled her with him towards the terrace. "Don't disappear on Remy like that again," he said quietly.
"Right, so sorry. You take off with some woman and I'm supposed to follow behind like a loyal puppy and watch you work your charms? I don't think so. I'm not as pathetic as you might think." Rogue crossed her arms over her chest and stared down below at the streets several stories down. It was a long way to fall. The thought raised gooseflesh on the back of her neck.
"Don't be putting words into Remy's mouth chere." He sighed and leaned against the wall. He pulled out the deck of cards he always carried and began to shuffle through his fifty-two closest friends. "You keep the ice queen out of your head?"
"They didn't get anything from out of my head. But I did see Jean. She's real. They called her the Phoenix. I thought for a moment that she recognized me, but then that flash of recognition was gone."
"Sage told me they got her living in an illusion."
Rogue turned to him, her back against the railing. "Sage?"
"The brunette you thought Remy was making time with. No need to be jealous, chere." He reached out to touch her and Rogue leaned away from him. In doing so, she lost her balance and began to fall over the railing of the terrace.
Gambit caught her quickly and pulled her back with him toward the wall. "Don't keep giving Remy a heart attack! This Cajun eats enough spicy food to keep his heart in trouble without your life being in danger!"
"Thanks," Rogue muttered numbly. She couldn't believe she let this man upset her enough to almost fall over a balcony! "So what did Shaw's personal assistant have to say to you?"
"You might be interested to know that she's Xavier's informant. We've a golden opportunity to get your Jean out of here tonight."
"Oh really? And how do you propose we do that?"
"You just go around knocking everyone unconscious and then we'll carry her out."
Rogue blinked at him. He couldn't be serious? Could he? "Was this your idea of Sage's idea?"
Gambit shrugged. "Does it really matter? It's a good idea. What's the worse that could happen?"
"They figure out what we're doing and kill us," Rogue answered without a trace of humor.
Gambit smiled at her boyishly. "At least we go out in style, no?" He pulled out the Queen of Hearts from his deck and presented it to Rogue. "For luck."
"This is a stupid idea, it won't possibly work."
"Oh all right. We'll shut down the security cameras, Sage will use telepathy to render the guards unconscious, we'll use the gas canisters I left in the air conditioning vents this afternoon to knock everyone unconscious—except us." He reached into the inner folds of his jacket and pulled out a pair of oxygen masks.
Rogue gaped at him. "You came here this afternoon and set up gas canisters?"
"You think this thief don't case his jobs? He'd been caught a long time ago if he didn't do that, chere."
"You're just full of surprises," Rogue said accepting the gas mask.
"You not still mad about the kiss outside are you?"
Rogue toyed with the straps of the gas mask. "No, I know why you did it. So that Frost couldn't get inside my head."
Gambit grinned. "Right. That's why I did it." He was quite happy that Rogue didn't have the ability to read his mind and know that he had no such honorable motives, but if he had thought ahead that far that would have been a good and plausible reason. He cleared his throat and looked at his watch. "We had best to get the gas flowing." He pressed the button on the side of his watch used to change the time.
He then slipped on his mask and Rogue followed his example. "I guess this is it," Rogue's muffled voice said when she noticed the people inside had begun to drop to the floor like dead flies. "Did our informant say where the Inner Circle would be meeting?"
"Of course."
"And the main system of air vents is the same as in that location?"
"Um, of course," Gambit answered less confidently.
A/N: Revised 6/4/2008