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“Either way…” Sebastian’s lips curl in a cruel smile. “I’ll have fun breaking her in.”
I can’t help the shudder of revulsion that rolls through me at his words. Sebastian sees, but his smile just spreads wider.
“We have a game to finish.”
Nero yanks me back inside, to where everyone is still waiting at the card table. I look around the room at the curious, expectant faces, and swallow my disgust. They don’t know I’ve orchestrated every moment of this; they’re just watching like it’s entertainment. Like my virtue is just another young, expensive bauble to be traded away in a game between billionaires.
I sink back into my seat. A glass of champagne appears at my side, and I gulp it quickly, nervous all over again.
This is it.
Nero glances at his cards again, and nods to the dealer. “Hit me.”
“Wait.” Sebastian’s voice makes the dealer freeze. “I’ve changed my mind.”
No!
I gape at him in panic. Sebastian turns and meets my gaze, giving me a slow, assessing stare. “You offered one night with her, against a million-dollar stake,” he says, not looking away. “I want a month.”
A month?
It takes everything I have to seem devastated, but inside, I’m conflicted between victory and suspicion. This is exactly what I wanted. The chance to get close to him, to infiltrate his life. I was expecting to have to charm and seduce him to get inside his fortress, but instead, he offers that access up on a platter?
I don’t understand it. What is he planning?
“A month with the girl,” Sebastian continues, “and I’ll stake you ten million.”
A hum of shock ripples around the room, but Nero doesn’t even hesitate. “Done,” he says with a growl.
He takes the card from the dealer, and smirks.
“Call.”
Everyone leans closer as Nero turns his cards, and even I’m on the edge of my seat. He’s good enough to make losing look easy, but if Sebastian suspects even for a second that Nero’s thrown the game…
“Full house,” Nero says with a cocky smile.
I exhale.
It’s a good hand. Maybe even too good. I gulp, wondering if anything can beat it. If Nero’s fucked this up on purpose, and all my careful midnight plans will be for nothing.
But then I see it: the unmistakable flash of victory in Sebastian’s gaze. He takes his time revealing his cards, but I already know the result.
Emotion crashes through me. Victory, and fear, and regret, all at once. But it’s too late to change my mind now. The deal has been struck.
“Royal flush,” he announces, and the crowd goes wild. Celebrating this grotesque victory—and everything it means. Cheering my sacrifice.
It sickens me, but isn’t that a good thing? Just another reminder of what I’m up against.
Another flame to the fire of my simmering rage.
As the other players swarm Sebastian with congratulations, Nero approaches me, looking guilty as fuck. “I’m sorry,” he says in a low voice, and I know it’s true. He tried to talk me out of this. Not because he doesn’t believe in justice, but because his kind comes at the end of a .45. He would happily put a bullet in Sebastian’s head for what he’s done, but that isn’t good enough for me.
I want him broken. Ruined. Begging for the release of death.
“Just go,” I tell Nero, clenching my jaw. I need to appear angry with him, but the truth is, I need him gone. He’s the only person in this room who knows who I truly am under the dress and the diamonds. Before everything changed. I can’t have him looking at me like that, like I’m still that girl. If I’m going to do this, I need to be untouchable.
Vengeance made flesh.
