“How long are we expected to stay at these things?” Ash asks him.
Kelsier looks at his watch. “I’d give it another half hour before you try to slip out,” he says. “The rookies have to stay until the major VIPs leave.”
“Have you seen Celena?” I ask Kelsier. “I’m just wondering if she’shad any more luck with the players since her little display with Kingston.”
Kelsier gives me a doubtful look. “Yeah, she may have rejected him, but that look on his face said he hasn’t given up yet, and until he does, no one will go near her.”
I look around. “Where is she anyway?”
“I think I saw her wander into the poker room,” Kelsier says.
I jerk my eyes back to him from scanning the room.
“Poker room? What poker room?” I ask urgently.
Kelsier points to a door off the ballroom where a few people move in and out. “The games are an additional fundraising activity,” he says.
I look at Ash in panic. “You didn’t tell me there’d be gambling.”
He frowns. “I didn’t think it mattered. They announced the games would be starting while you were arguing with the congressman about trash talk. Did you want to play or something?”
I shake my head. “No, Celena has a gambling problem,” I say. “That’s why she couldn’t come to the club with me that time. She tries to stay away from it, but – shit!”
I shoot out of my chair, and Ash and Kelsier are half a second behind me as I head for the door to the poker room.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Ash tries to reassure me, his long strides helping him keep pace with my short, quick ones.
I don’t answer as I step into the poker room and look around for Celena. I find her at a table with three other people in the back right and head straight for her. I slow my pace for just a moment as I recognize the large form of Kingston sitting across from her, then I double-time it.
“Celena!” I call as I come around to stand next to her. Everyone at the table looks at me like I’ve gone mad, and I try to calm myself. “Ash and I are leaving soon,” I say as calmly as I can muster. “You should come with us. We can give you a ride home if you’re not good to drive.”
Celena doesn’t take her attention from Kingston, whose eyes also seem locked with hers across the table.
“I’m not going anywhere until I finish taking this asshole for all he’sworth,” she says, her eyes still fixed on the goalie.
I look down at the table. Celena has a decent pile of chips in front of her, while Kingston’s pile appears to be dwindling. Still…
I bend down next to Celena and turn my head away from the other players so I can whisper to her.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I ask her. “Maybe you should-”
Celena turns to look at me. “I’m not leaving.”
I sigh and stand up. Celena is a grown woman and can make her own decisions. I won’t force her to leave, but I have a feeling this isn’t going to end well.
I step back to watch the end of the hand.
“Call,” Kingston says, pushing part of his last few chips into the pot.
“Show your hands,” the dealer says.
I look at the row of five cards on the table. There’s a pair of deuces showing, and the rest is a whole lot of nothing.
Kingston turns his cards over. He has a Jack and a seven. The Jack does nothing for him, but his seven, along with the other seven already showing, gives him two pairs.
Celena smiles as she turns over her cards. A three and a deuce. She has three of a kind, which wins the hand.
I let out a small breath. Maybe things will be okay this time. Celena’s almost done finishing Kingston off, and then we can get her out of here.
