We play for another hour, and Jake has managed to build his stack to about three hundred. I’m dealt the worst hand in poker, seven of hearts and two of spades. Jake must have a good hand because he raises pre-flop to thirty-five dollars. It’s a big raise, but his hand trembled ever so slightly when he pushed his chips out. That means he doesn’t have a pair of aces. He probably has a strong hand like an ace with a king. I reraise him by pushing out one hundred dollars. Everyone folds until it comes back to my snake of an ex. He has to think about it fora minute before he finally decides to call, matching my bet.
The dealer lays down the first three cards, a jack, a three, and an eight. I have nothing, but if I’m right, Jake doesn’t either. He’s the first to act and pushes one-hundred and fifty dollars in chips out, leaving only fifty dollars in his stack. It’s a big bet.
“All in,” I announce. He only has fifty left so under normal circumstances, most players would call. But this isn’t normal, far from it. I narrow my eyes at him with a maniacal grin, daring him to call.
He goes into the tank, a poker term that means he has no idea what to do and has to think long and hard about his next move. I know what he’s thinking. He can’t stand the idea of losing the last of his money to me, and if he folds, at least he’ll have a chance of making his money back.
Turns out I’m right, and he throws his cards down face-up into the middle of the table so everyone can see how strong his hand was. Just like I thought, it’s an ace with a king and they’re both spades. I can’t resist. As the dealer pushes all his chips to me, I toss my cards next to his face-up so everyone can see the huge bluff with the worst hand in poker.
Jake shoots to his feet, his hands balled into fists as he gives me the dirtiest look. “You—”
“Careful,” Mason says lazily. “Dumbasses end up eating through a straw.”
I stifle a vindictive laugh. The reference to Zane, Mason’s brother-in-law of all people, breaking Jake’s jaw because of me, was priceless.
Jake knows who Mason is. Everyone knows MacLucifer. My ex stares at me with a clenched jaw, dying to call me a bitch or a cunt again, but he hesitates.
“You were saying?” Mason says calmly. His evil grin is terrifying, like a bear grinning at a hunter whose gun just jammed. In this case, the hunter has oneoption, to run.
“Never mind,” Jake whimpers pathetically, his voice shaking with fear. He scoops up his small stack of chips and walks away without another word.
As he hurries out of the poker room, the men laugh mockingly while the dealer gives me a wink.
Damn, that felt good. I turn to Mason. “Thanks.”
In true cowboy fashion, he just tips his hat to me.
“That was something,” Mr. Lynch says. Several of the other men agree.
Listening to their conversation I’ve had enough excitement for one night, so I get up to leave, wondering if I’ll see Mason again. Part of me wishes I could talk myself into wanting to get to know him better, but I can’t, because, unfortunately, I still want Riggs.
CHAPTER 49
Riggs
“What now?”
My satellite phone is ringing with a call from Top. We left him and Rhonda only three hours ago and have been blazing a trail up the steep side of this mountain. “Hello,” I huff, nearly out of breath.
“Rhonda broke her leg. It’s bad. How fast can you get back here?”
He’s yelling in full-panic mode. “Slow down. It’s going to be okay.”
“It’s not okay. You need to get back here. I don’t know what to do.”
I try to make my voice as calm as possible. “Tell me what happened.” Ash is a few yards behind me, so I hold up a fist signaling him to stop.
“We stopped to take a break, and she slipped on some rocks and fell. I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Where is she now? Can I talk to her?”
“She’s on the ground. Hold on.”
“Hi,” Rhonda says, her voice strained. “Yeah, my leg isbroken, but I’m more worried about Top. I think he might be going into shock. How soon can you get back here?”
“At least an hour, but if we drop our gear, maybe forty-five minutes. How bad is it?”
“You should probably drop your gear. I don’t think I’ll be much use if he loses it.”
