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THREE
Seraphina leaned ontothe side of the table, careful not to obstruct anyone’s view of the game unfolding. The target’s eyes blazed and the jittery motions of his multiple arms set off a wave of trepidation in her. She forced herself to remain steady, hands loose at her side.
Nothing to fear, Seraphina reminded herself.Simple and easy.She adjusted her stance and allowed her arms to brush alongside the Antare. He shot an annoyed glance in her direction then his gaze dropped to her abundantly displayed curves in the tight shirt and his lips tilted upward.
“Well, look at you,” he rasped. Cubes forgotten, he turned and angled his body toward hers.
She masked a flinch as he deliberately bumped her chest and trailed his fingers over her right nipple. She’d been groped and leered at before, not that she ever liked it.
Upping the wattage of her smile, she tipped her head shyly to the side and said, “Is this a private game or can anyone play?”
He waved one of his four arms at the table. “Anyone can join? Want me to start you off?”
She wet her lips, pouted and fluttered her overlong lashes. “That’s so sweet of you, but I have my own credits.”
“Nonsense. Allow me.” He signaled and the robodealer glided the cubes in her direction.
Two yellow squares rolled across the table for her to use. She pretended to hesitate while taking in the other players. Glazed eyes and parted lips hinted they’d taken an illegal substance of some sort.
She shifted her attention back to the mark and winked. “I’ll play a round or two but no more.”
It was always good to appear reluctant. She’d learned from trial and error that while women were more suspicious of striking up a conversation with a stranger, men didn’t hold the same hesitation.
He barked out a harsh laugh but moved aside to let her play. The game fortunately was one she’d played before though Seraphina didn’t gamble often. The idea of wasting credits on luck never set well with her.
She played a few rounds, jumping when she won and pulling her lips down when she lost. After she exhausted the small funds he’d loaned her, she feigned an excited tone. “That was fun.”
The Antare leaned toward her when it was another player’s turn. “My name’s Kai. I have a room if you want to spend more time together. Maybe earn some extra credits to play.”
Eww. Forcing her lips to stay curved up was a challenge but she managed. “Thanks, but I think I’ll look around some more. This is my first time here.”
He stared and again the sensation of terrible foreboding rolled over her. Her flesh pebbled in response, but Seraphina didn’t let her unease show. She had what she needed. With another sly wink, she spun around and made to leave.
“Not so quick.” One of his multiple hands latched onto her forearm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Seraphina tugged to free herself, but his grip was ironclad. Her chest tightened, lungs compressing as her pulse shot up. She turned her lips up in a snarl. “Let me go.”
“After you give me back my credit chip.” Another hand latched on to her other arm.
So far, they hadn’t attracted unnecessary attention. Seraphina checked for Coco and her friend had caught sight of her dilemma. Coco slinked around a gaming station, hips swiveling in a practiced motion and smile in place.
Looking at her, you wouldn’t sense any urgency but the tiny crease at the corner of her eyes told Seraphina that her friend was heading toward them as fast as possible without drawing attention.
Seraphina drew a deep breath and glared at the behemoth holding her. All she had to do was give Coco time to get near and create a distraction. No big deal. “If you want me to pay you back what you lent me, I will. You don’t have to get aggressive.”
Kai smirked. “You’re not as slick as you think. I felt you swipe my credit chip from my front pants pocket.”
Seraphina froze and for one brief second her faux outraged façade slipped. How had he noticed? Had she made a mistake? No one ever caught her. Not to brag but she was excellent at sleight of hand. She’d learned at the group home under the tutelage of two boys who’d transferred from a youth prison center for their renowned thievery.
They were only caught because they confessed and sought to recruit new members for their crew. As far as she knew, they’d never been caught again.
“Let’s party, pretty,” a feminine voice slurred before a shove from behind sent Seraphina stumbling.
Off balance, the Antare let her go and rocked back on his heels. Coco reached for Seraphina’s hand and squeezed. Her smile held a drunken leer as she wobbled. “Spend the night with me. I’ll lick you better than he ever could.”
Relieved at the timely rescue, she played along and pouted. “Sure thing. I was bored anyway.”
Looping their arms together, Coco tugged and headed straight for the exit. “You okay, Fina?”
