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Sam glared at Alberto in silence as Alberto scraped in his winnings. He took another mouthful of chewing tobacco, licking his fingers before dealing another hand of cards. Then he began dealing, occasionally glancing Alberto's way.
Alberto cringed, seeing that maybe he was getting too much attention too soon. He knew that Sam could possibly remember that one other time, and how lucky Alberto had been at playing this game. Could Sam see him and his true features through his thick crop of whiskers? But, surely not. It was dark, even foggy, with shreds of wet mist hanging in the air.
As the new hand of cards fell on the deck before him, Alberto scraped them in one at a time and positioned them in his hand, not believing how his luck continued to be with him. Even so, should he bluff and pretend he had nothing this time? He didn't want to work too fast. He had to be cautious, or he would fail once again at having a woman's flesh against his own. So he frowned and drawled a slow, “Damnation. Ain't got nothin’ this time.” He smiled to himself when muffled chuckles rose from the throats around him. When he discarded, he threw away three Aces and drew another Ace and two Kings, making him frown, knowing that even now. he had a full house, after having kept an Ace and a King in his hand before having discarded. His face flushed crimson, looking around him, knowing what to expect when he placed these cards on the ship's deck before him, letting all see what was probably once again a winning hand.
“Got ya all beat this time,” Sam laughed. “What's yore bet this time, stranger?” he added, looking Alberto's way.
Alberto couldn't resist the temptation of getting the better of his enemy. “Five big ones,” he drawled, counting the money out, slapping it onto the ship's deck.
“Damn it you say,” Sam growled, spitting a wad of chewing tobacco into the wind behind him. “Well.ah'll raise ya five,” he quickly added, laughing throatily.
“I'll call you,” Alberto said, throwing out five more dollars, feeling guilty and reckless now, remembering how Maria had worked so hard beside him when cleaning chimneys, taking so long to even earn one Italian lira. But he would win it back. Double. Plus in doing so, he would be able to touch the secret parts of that wench Grace. His eyes moved to her, just as she began to creep around to snuggle down behind him. He swallowed hard, remembering so vividly how it had happened before. She was making her first move. Well, he would play along. She would soon find out how her plans would be changed this night. How he would be the one in authority.
“Okay, stranger,” Sam grumbled. “Show us yore cards.”
Alberto smiled amusedly as he placed his three Kings and two Aces on the ship's deck for all to see. His gaze traveled across to Sam and he could see the hatred forming in his beady eyes. “And yours? What are you showin’ this hand, stranger?” Alberto asked, placing a distinct emphasis on that word “stranger.”
“Yore whippin’ my ass tonight,” Sam growled, slapping his three Queens of Spades and four and five of Hearts on the ship's deck.
“So I am,” Alberto said, smiling widely. He looked at all other cards in front of the other men and saw that he had indeed beat them all. As he scraped his winnings in, he glanced quickly toward Sam and knew that the time was drawing near. He knew that if he waited too long, Sam would probably understand just what was happening.
“And where've ya been on this here trip before tah-night, stranger?” Sam suddenly blurted, counting out more money to place on the ship's deck before him.
The color drained from Alberto's face. “Uh . .. I . . . well. . . you see, I've been ailin',” he quickly said. “Yeah. Had that damn dysentery. Guess it's been the drinkm’ water on this death trap.called a ship. Didn't think anyone would like gettin’ round me.” He felt beads of perspiration on his brow, seeing Sam studying him even more closely.
“Tha’ right?” Sam growled.
“Yeah,” Alberto said, then he felt the softness of a hand reach around and cover his own.
“And you're feelin’ better now?” Grace purred, blinking her green eyes at him as she leaned her face down into his.
Alberto's color returned to his face. “Yeah. Much. Sure am,” he mumbled, feeling that same damn stirring in his loins that he remembered from before as her fingers worked a button loose on his shirt and inched her way beneath it, curling in the thickness of his chest hair.
“I'm glad,” Grace said further, pulling her hand away, settling down next to him. “You see, I'd like to get to know you better.”
Alberto swallowed hard. “You would?” he stammered. He had wanted to act confident, fully in control of himself, but this beautiful woman was causing him to react much differently than planned.
Grace leaned over and whispered into Alberto's ear. “I've got a private cabin all to myself,” she said. “Want to see it?”
Alberto glanced quickly around him, seeing all eyes on him. Then his gaze met Sam's and held. A further intense feeling of hatred lured him to his feet. He knew that no more hands of cards were necessary. He had come to the point of no return now. He placed his money in his pocket, then turned and locked his arm around Grace's waist. “Sure. It'd be my pleasure to see your cabin,” he drawled, glancing once again at Sam and seeing that look of triumph in Sam's eyes, knowing that Sam would be thinking that soon he would have himself some fun with this newest stranger. But Alberto would show both Sam .. . and Grace. .. .
“And might ya be alone on this journey?” Grace purred, clinging, making sure a breast mashed against Alberto's left side. He felt a delirious sense of need rising inside him, making his face flush even more.
“Sure am,” he lied, knowing this was only a part of her plan, as befor
e. He knew that if she thought he was a lone traveler, she and Sam would have more freedom to abuse … his … body. He swallowed hard once again, leaning down as Grace led him through the door that took him below deck, where her filthy cabin waited. He had to wonder how many innocent men had been taken there and used. A weakness at the pit of his stomach made him feel like wretching, remembering exactly what Sam had done to him earlier. But not this time. No. Not this time.
“No wife?” Grace asked further.
“No. None. Ain't needed a wife yet,” he drawled, laughing awkwardly, looking around at the dismal passageway, cringing when he again remembered the last time he had been there. He managed to pull his arm more tightly around Grace's waist, even making her squeal out with pain.
She jerked away from him. “Hey. Watch it,” she stormed. “What do ya think I am? Don’ you know I'm a fragile female? Just ya remember that.”
Alberto had to laugh, remembering the way she had held a gun on him. She most certainly hadn't looked fragile to him then. “Beg your pardon,” he said, trying to force his lips to quit trembling with the need to want to laugh at her further.
She walked on ahead of him and pushed a door open with one quick stroke. She stepped aside, holding her head tilted a bit. “This here's my cabin, mister,” she snapped. “You can enter ifn you treat me like a lady.”
Alberto moved on past her, quickly darting his eyes around him, seeing that nothing had changed. She still had a cabin full of filth. His gaze moved to the bunk, knowing that soon he would have her on it and be taking from her just what he demanded. She would even beg for mercy, if he had anything to do with it. “So this is where you pass your evenings when you're not watchin’ that card game, huh?” he asked, moving on around the room, touching everything gingerly. He tensed a bit when he heard the door shut behind him.
