She nodded. "Understood. I can help you with that."
I bet she could.
"You guys any good at card games?" she asked.
Not what I'd been hoping for.
Bones snorted. "We did grow up in Vegas."
"Good. I heard you met Myles." She watched my face, but I was careful not to give anything away. I only nodded. "Well, he and his friends are setting up a game in the great room. I'm sure he's in there stashing cards right now. I could use some help bringing that little cheater down."
"Yeah, well cards isn't the only thing that little punk cheats at," Bones said, rubbing his side.
Markie frowned. "He's a work in progress, but then again, we all are. Speaking of which, we should get in there. Last time I left him and his crew alone, they got into the packing tape and stuck a couple of the bigger kids to the wall."
She led us down the hall and turned into a room with several mismatched ratty couches. Myles and his crew sat in folding chairs surrounding a scratched-up wooden table. He was hunched over, massaging out his calf muscle, but the second he saw me he sat up straight, crossed his arms, and scowled. Bones snickered.
"You sore, Myles?" Bones asked, patting the kid on the shoulder, probably a little harder than necessary.
Wincing, Myles pulled away. "Man, forget you."
Bones laughed.
Markie joined the boys, sitting at the head of the table.
"Hey guys. You got room for two more?" I asked.
Myles kicked an empty chair toward me. I reached out and stopped it before it could slam into my leg.
Markie shot him a look. "Be nice."
His scowl only darkened. "Five card draw, fifty dollar buy in," he said.
Markie cocked her head. "I told you, no gambling. It's a friendly game, no buy in."
"It'd be a lot friendlier if you'd let us make some money," one of the kids argued.
Markie stared at him and he ducked his head. "Sorry, Ms. Markie."
Myles was right. She didn't take shit from anyone. Bones and I sat while Myles dealt. I caught him cheating twice in the first deal alone.
"How can you tell?" Myles asked, after the second time I called him out.
"Because you're not very good at it. If you're going to deal yourself extra cards, your dealing has to be seamless. These cards are slick. They slide and one of the edges is going to show. If you're going to cheat, it's easier to do it when you exchange your cards."
Markie gaped at me. "Are you really giving him tips?" she asked.
"Someone has to," Bones replied. "He'll end up dead if he pulls that move on the wrong person."
Markie dropped her head to her hands and her shoulders shook with laughter. She took a moment to compose herself, before glaring us all down. "No gambling and no cheating," she snapped.
"Of course not," Myles said, holding his hands up.
Bones won the first game and Markie won the second. The third went to one of Myles's little cronies. I sat back, counted cards, and threw the game to the best of my ability, lest she peg me for a cheater. After all, I still wanted her damn phone number. In the middle of the fourth game, the boys were called to do their chores. They moaned and groaned before throwing in their cards and taking off. Then it was just the three of us.
Markie pulled out her phone and studied it. Minutes ticked by, thickening the awkward silence that settled over the room. Bones looked at me and his eyebrows rose in question. Then he got up from the table, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and walked down the hall to give us some privacy.
More awkward silence. I had to break it. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked.
