I feel movement behind me, and suddenly my arms are being pinned to my sides as Murphy grabs me from behind.
“Keep her?” my father says. There’s something dangerous in his voice. But he’s not saying no.
He’s not fucking saying no!
“Daddy, please!” I wail. I kick back at the bastard holding me, feeling him flinch as my heel meets his shin, but his grip doesn’t loosen.
“McErlane, this is preposterous,” Roy snaps at my father. My dad holds up his hand to silence him.
“But if I win, I get half your business?” he says yet again.
Oh, sweet Jesus, he’s going to risk losing me to this psycho for a portion of his company?
“But…but you can’t! What about your wife!” I yell because surely that should count for something? Murphy shakes me so hard I feel my teeth rattle. It shuts me up.
Raoul flicks a look at me, frowning slightly, then goes back to staring at my father.
“Half my New York business,” he confirms. His voice doesn’t waver. Roy is staring at my father.
“Are you serious, man? What about our deal?” he says.
“Back down, Robbins. I got this.” My father is reaching for his bottle. He takes a couple of deep mouthfuls, then sets it down.
Raoul still has those unnerving eyes fixed on him. There’s silence from the entire room – a silence that makes it easier to hear the pounding of my own heart.
“You got yourself a deal, Caraldi,” my father says.
“Daddy!” I scream. Murphy clamps a hand over my mouth. I sink my teeth into his palm. It’s the second time I’ve been manhandled like this today, and I’m growing enraged by it. My shouts of outrage are quickly stifled when he hauls me off my feet and drags me kicking across the room.
“Are you ready, gentlemen?” I hear the dealer say. The rest of the players remain silent. I can hear cards being shuffled, the slap they make as they land on the table. I keep squirming against the iron-tight grasp against my arms. Fucking Murphy’s going to come out of this battered, but he’s not letting me go. My dad’s guys are tough as nails. I thought I was too – but this…
“Your cards, gentlemen,” I eventually hear the dealer say after endless minutes in which cards are dealt out, examined, and more cards dealt. There’s an audible intake of breath as I hear the cards being set down. “Straight flush to Mr. McErlane,” the dealer says, his voice expressionless. My father is chuckling. And then there’s a tense moment in which I’m pretty sure Raoul has set his own hand down.
“Well, would you look at that?” I hear one of the others say.
“Royal flush,” the dealer continues. “Mr. Caraldi wins.”
“Holy shit,” someone laughs out. There are more astonished comments from the table, and then I hear a chair fall back.
“No! No…! Fuck you!” my father bellows. I can’t see him, but I’m pretty sure he’s just shot to his feet.
Oh, my God! He’s won…Raoul has won!
No! Jesus, no!
It has to be a mistake. And if it’s not, I need to get the fuck out of here.
I snap my head back into Murphy’s face hard enough to leave my ears ringing. It’s worth the pain because he curses and staggers back. I tear free from him and spin to face the table. My father is half on his feet, red with rage as he roars at the man across from him. Raoul barely bats an eyelid. He gives a slight smile and then rises smoothly.
“My man will be in contact to make the business arrangements,” he says calmly. My father is spluttering so loudly that I almost wonder if he’s having a heart attack. He waves his hand at some of his men, who surge forward, reaching for weapons. A small gesture from Raoul has them stopping in their tracks. The metallic sound of guns being racked comes from all around the room. His men are everywhere, armed to the teeth.
This is going to be a bloodbath.
My father is still trembling with rage as he tells his men to back down. And Raoul is still unflappable. Cool eyes move over me, then go back to my father.
“She has a day to prepare. Then you will send her to me.”
Turning from the table, he walks toward the door, pausing as he reaches it.
