AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A felt one.
It wasn’t my expectation that we’d show down in the ballroom of a grand hotel or the game room of a millionaire’s mansion, but I also didn’t consider that we’d be flipping cards outdoors on a dock.
Theo had already made his way to one of the chairs, which he pulled out.
“Um.”
“You bet yourself in last night’s game,” Theo said. The dock had become eerily silent, save for the gentle bobbing of boats, and his voice carried easily. “If that’s not deciding to be all in, then I don’t know what is. So, going against me shouldn’t make you hesitate.”
My right eye twitched. “I pause only because we don’t have a dealer.”
“Head’s Up doesn’t need one.”
“In this game? With you? Yeah, we do.”
“Guess that’s where I come in,” Kai said behind me, two gorgeous black shoes hooked in his hand. Excellent.
“Fine,” Theo said. “We’ll get another chair.”
Kai waved that off. There was no time to linger. I took my seat, Kai standing between us. He’d found the deck of cards, cracked open the cellophane, and we were on.
Everyone else had either disappeared or taken refuge on a boat. It seemed to be only the three of us. Theo’s brows were lowered, casting black crescents across his cheeks and hiding his thoughts. One hand was casually splayed on the table, waiting for his two cards.
You’re back in his game room, Letty.
I set my shoulders, envisioning this as just another round of kicking ass and teaching lessons, and not a moment where I sat across from the man who changed my entire world as soon as I laid eyes on him two years ago.
“So we’re clear,” I said as Kai shuffled, doing his fancy tricks that neither Theo or I would appreciate, “If I win, I don’t go anywhere. We find Trace and bring him to justice together.”
Theo gave a slight nod. “And if you lose, you let Kai take you home, safe, and away from this.”
Away from me, he meant.
I’d never see Theo again if he won. I doubt he ever wanted to reappear in my life until I’d forced his hand, and now here he was, a Triton calling to me. Enticing me to tumble back into what I’d so sorely missed and disappear into the ocean together. Forever.
At times, it seemed impossible I was looking at him. In other moments, all I wanted to do was shoot him. Theo represented all that remained sad, broken, unfixable.
Yet, I did not want to go home.
“Okay, put in your blinds,” Kai said. “Who would like to begin the totally pointless process of using chips?”
“To the left of the dealer,” I said, leaning back in my chair and crossing my legs.
Theo acknowledged his start with a brow arc.
With deft flicks, Kai passed us our two cards. I flipped up only the corners of my hand. A King and a Jack of hearts. How appropriate. Casually, I glanced at Theo in an effort to gain any clues to his, but this was more out of habit than believing I could spot a tell. Theo had none.
But then again, neither did I.
“I’ll raise,” Theo said with the inflection of ordering another bourbon on the rocks.
I paid attention to the column of chips he pushed to the center. $2,000, when the little blind was $500. Theo was being cautious.
“Call,” I said. I could be cautious, too.
Kai laid down the flop. A Jack, a nine, and a five, of mixed suits. “Check,” Theo said. “$3,000,” I announced, pushing chips in the middle and trying to remain as expressionless as possible. Theo called without a word.
Kai laid down a fourth card—the turn. Another five.
