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He growls and throws his cards onto the table. A pair of fives and a pair of queens.
I lay mine out. A two, a seven, an eight, a ten and a king. Different suits.
There's a gasp around the table.
I lean back, locking my fingers in front of me. "So, looks like you won the pot."
"Damn right I did..." he grunts, and reaches out to drag them all toward him. I wait for him to finish before I say, “"But lost the side bet. Pay up, please."
He growls, salivating at the pile of chips in front of him. "That's ridiculous."
The blonde sitting next to Kylian yells out, "Booo. You would've made her pay up. We all saw you take the bet. Pay up."
"You shut up, bitch!" he spits.
This time there’s no stopping Kylian as he stands up and towers over the sleazebag. "Apologize to both ladies for speaking to them like a fucking ogre. And then pay up. Then you can take your measly pot and get the fuck out of here." The tone in his voice is glacial, but his eyes rage.
The asshole loses a little of his bravado. "But… she played me, man."
"How? Did she cheat? No. I don’t think so. You've been bleeding chips to everyone at this table. It's not her fault you suck at playing poker as much as you suck at being a man. Now apologize. To the two ladies. And to everyone at this table for wasting their time with your bullshit."
He avoids eye contact with Kylian by staring down at the table. "But I…"
Kylian takes one step closer and breathes down his sweaty neck. "Now.”
"Sorry," he mumbles under his breath.
"Louder."
"Sorry! For fuck’s sake!"
Kylian steps back. "Good. Now empty your pockets."
Cowboy tucks his hand into his right pocket.
"I'm sorry, I do believe you bet your left pocket. Or do you need a lesson about left and right as well as wrong and right?"
He looks up at Kylian, shoulders dropping in defeat. "Come on, man, it was just some good-natured fun. I didn’t mean to be rude to your girl. I can apologize."
Kylian returns his look with one of steely indifference, but everyone at the table knows that crossing him now will not be in their self-interest.
Cowboy finally slides his hand into his left pocket, pulls out his car key and throws it onto the table. "Take that, bitch."
And those are the last words he speaks before Kylian's fist slams his cheek, making a sickening crack before he falls to the ground. Out.
We all watch as Kylian nudges him with his foot as the dealer calls security over. "Well, I'm sorry for that unpleasantness, everybody. I think these might belong to you," he says, waving the car keys at me.
I grin, catching them with one hand and lay them on top of the pile of chips in front of me.
Kylian pushes all of his chips to the dealer as a generous tip and then walks over to me.
I take his hand and stand up. "Well, I think that's enough of us for now. Thank you everyone, I'll be returning this seat to a person who has less of a penchant for drama. Wishing you all a lucky evening."
Mai-Li arrives to reclaim her seat and play resumes.
"Did you really have to punch him?" I say under my breath, trying to stifle a giggle.
"One of us was going to, and he might have a chance for survival if it was me," he replies, pulling me against his side.
