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“Dat’s not vhat the next card shows. Da Ace of Swords is also reversed. It means defeat. You came to Vilde dejected and sad.”
“Maybe I did. Things have been tough.”
“And here is your present. Da Lovers. Human love is a mystery and full of its own challenges.”
“Boy, do I know that.”
“Dat’s the truth.” Carlotta closed her eyes. Her finger came down on the fourth card. “Listen to me, Jessica. Be on guard. Dis is da Five of Pentacles in your near future. It’s reversed. Somevone vishes you harm.”
Austin Wilde, I bet. “I will. Thank you.”
Carlotta took Jessica’s hands. “See dis?” She tilted her head toward the last card. “It is da best outcome. Your distant future. Da Star means new hopes and vonder. You vill find inspiration, courage, and so much more, my dear. Your dark days vill end. Your future is full of light and love.”
She smirked. “I’m glad to know that things will get better for me in the distant future.”
“Get past da danger around you. Love and trust yourself again. You’re so much more dan you know. Do dat, and your distant future might be just around da corner instead of years from now. Only da invisible knows for sure.”
“I sure hope so. Thank you, Carlotta.”
The woman smiled, and released Jessie’s hands. “Let me get your vine for you, my dear.”
Chapter Eight
The four of the Wilde brothers, Jackson, Phoenix, Dallas, and Denver, sat at a table in the middle of Sneaky Pete’s Casino, playing poker.
Jackson bet fifty dollars, expecting his two aces in his hand and the one on the table would finally have him winning a nice pot.
“Raise fifty.” Dallas moved the chips into the center of the table. Likely, he either had a pair of fours or a pair of jacks. He never stayed in a pot unless he had a strong hand. Too bad for him, Jackson had the best hand at present.
“Call,” Denver announced, and added to the growing pot.
“I’m out.” Phoenix leaned back, looking at Jackson with a wide smile.
Sneaky Pete’s wasn’t like the bigger casinos in Vegas or Reno. It was more of a local watering hole than anything else. Still, the place was really quiet for ten at night. Only four of the ten slot machines had customers. The craps table was empty. No one sat at the bar. A couple of Jackson’s cousins, Tobias and Nate Strong, were the only people playing at the blackjack table.
Pete himself was the Wilde brothers’ dealer tonight. He laid down the three-card flop, revealing the ace of hearts, the four of spades, and the jack of hearts.
Jackson thought about raising on top of Dallas’s, but with two opponents still in, he decided to slow play. “Call.”
Pete looked at his watch. “Boys, this has to be the last hand for now. I’ve got a wedding in fifteen minutes to conduct.”
“No problem.” Jackson nodded.
Pete, aka Sneaky Pete Buchman, had opened the casino and chapel next door fifty years ago. The old man was Wilde’s only minister, which suited everyone in town, including Jackson.
Pete turned the next card over. It was the three of clubs.
“A hundred.” Jackson pushed in more chips.
Dallas didn’t hesitate. “Call.”
“That’s all for me. I’m out.” Denver grabbed up his remaining chips. “I’ve lost sixty bucks tonight. Not bad for me.”
“Not at all, bro.” Phoenix had doubled his chips in the two hours they’d b
een playing. He turned to Jackson. “One down. One to go.”
Jackson loved poker night with his brothers. He rarely won. With Austin, the best player of them, absent, tonight would be different. “We’ll see.”
