That was a goddamn lie because I remembered every fucking touch. Every glance. Every broken promise she had made.
Jarek met my stare as he pushed nearly the rest of his chips into the pot, raising me by a thousand.
I raised him another ten.
How far are you going to go, asshole? Whatever you have, it’s mine.
A soft sound of pain wheezed from Aster’s chest. A heave of distressed air.
My gaze followed to where the black dress she wore dipped low between her tits. My heart fisted when I saw what she wore around her neck. It was a star-shaped necklace, dangling down to kiss her cleavage.
I nearly cracked. Lost the control I was holding onto.
It had to be a joke.
A taunt.
A fucking cruel, sick twisted one, the girl coming down here and parading it like a slap to my face.
It made my teeth clench and the fury I was barely constraining flashfire through my veins.
I tore my attention from her when Jarek spat, “Fuck,” under his breath.
He still clutched his cards, refusing to give up the fight.
Haille laughed, the sadistic fucker enjoying this far too much. He looked at Jarek. How the hell he knew him, I didn’t have a clue, but I didn’t believe in a coincidence quite this big. He pulled his cigar from his mouth and jabbed it Jarek’s direction. “It seems you’re in a small predicament, Mr. Urso. Are you already going to walk? And here I thought you were going to bring something interesting to the table.”
Jarek all but growled, and Aster’s gaze darted between the three of us. Nerves flew from her soft, caramel flesh. That face carved of perfect lines and smooth skin tightened in dread.
He’d brought something interesting to the table, all right.
“Just cut your losses, Jarek.” She begged it quietly, but I heard the strength behind it.
It tugged somewhere deep in my chest. The way she’d come off as shy, maybe even vulnerable, but in truth, she’d just been a listener. Too astute to join in on the superficial. Strong and firm in her own, innocent way.
Too smart to delve into the foolishness of that sordid life.
I guessed I’d been the fool, though, hadn’t I?
“Your move.” Haille cocked his head as he rocked back in his seat, his attention on Jarek before his eyes slanted to me, curious as they narrowed.
Normally I came off as easygoing. Probably too easygoing. Just another spoiled, rich punk living in excess because I didn’t see a point in having it if I didn’t use it up.
Money.
Women.
Reckless outside the office. Ruthless inside.
Tonight? Every cell in my body had pulled to a razor-sharp edge.
“What’s it going to be?” Haille provoked.
Jarek roughed his hand down his pompous face, and he turned to look at the necklace around Aster’s neck as if it could be a solution to his issues.
Aster gasped, and her hand came up to protect it. Tears sprang to her eyes. She took a small step back. “No,” she wheezed, like it would physically pain her to remove it.
I wanted to jump to my feet.