“That was different. She was?—”
“She’s the reason you’re able to sit across from me tonight. If you’d rather lose every cent you came here with and be forced to pay up on your existing debt, then fine. Let’s play.”
“S-so if I win tonight, you erase my existing debt plus I get this pot, and I get to keep my girl?”
“Absolutely,” I said before leaning back and crossing my legs at the ankles. “Study long, study wrong.”
“He’s bluffing you, Drake. Don’t let him psyche you out. He doesn’t have shit, and he doesn’t need this money,” Antoine told him.
And while he was right about the money, I did need the girl. “So, what’s it going to be?”
“I’m in,” Drake said before throwing down his cards.
I smirked at the sight of his King and Queen of clubs. “Impressive, but not enough,” I replied as I threw down my two aces.
The color drained from his face, and the other two were stunned into collective silence. I slid the stack of cash in the center of the table toward me, then piled it atop what was left of mine. Drake remained quiet, at least until I stood up.
“That other twenty grand is due to me by this time next weekend, or you’ll lose a few fingers, which won’t help with your medical career. The girl, however, is due to me tonight, or you’ll lose the only thing you have to offer her.” Anger filled his face, and he rose quickly to his feet. Conor and Liam, two of my men, rose just as quickly, and when Drake noticed their weapons, he gulped slightly.
“Surely, there’s something we can work out,” Drake finally said.
“I’m not completely unreasonable. Get me the girl tonight, and you can keep not only the twenty grand you owe, but the use of your fingers.”
“Why are you doing this? And how do you know about Rory?”
“I make it my business to know everything about everyone I do business with, whether professional or recreational. Your girl could do a hell of a lot worse than me. After all, she’s with you.”
He lunged toward me, but Conor was able to get to him first. I didn’t need protection from this fucking dweeb, but I let my man do his job. Crossing my arms, I stared at Drake. “Don’t act like you’re madly in love with this ‘Rory’ because you wouldn’t be fucking everything with two legs if you did.”
“I love her,” he seethed.
“With a lover like you, she sure as fuck doesn’t need enemies.”
“You know nothing about her and me. I’m going to marry?—”
“Are you?” I asked. “I doubt she’d want to jump into holy matrimony with an adulterous loser like you.”
“Rory isn’t for sale,” he said in response.
“Actually, she was because we had a valid bet.”
“Do you know who you’re messing with? My family name is Smythe, and we?—”
I moved in close. “And mine is Brannington.” At the mention of my surname, his face paled to a pasty shade of white.
“B-Brannington?” he stammered in question.
I grinned. “Zarren Brannington. And I expect the girl in my possession by midnight, or you’re going to lose more than your fingers and tiny dick. I’ll end your worthless life and be a shoulder for Aurora to cry on afterward.”
“You bastard,” he said to me, but when I remained firm with my promise, his deflation became obvious. “How am I supposed to get her to you?”
Tonight was a rare night off from both the hospital and Drake. I loved my boyfriend and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, but he had been acting differently in recent weeks. I wasn’t sure if it was the pending graduation from medical school bothering him or something else altogether. All I knew was that I enjoyed some quality time alone. I’d spent the night binge-watching a romance series on Netflix while drinking wine and eating ice cream. It had been the perfect evening, and one I sorely needed.
In the back of my mind, I knew I should’ve been more focused on my relationship, but I had let it slide tonight. Drake still hadn’t told me what it was that he wanted to talk to me about, and I wouldn’t have found out tonight anyway, as he was playing cards with some friends.
He had a lot of those nights lately. On any given evening, I could call him, and he’d be off playing cards, and more specifically, poker. It wasn’t like he was out at strip clubs like a number of his single friends, so I hadn’t thought too much of it. I was never one to stress over speculation, and I didn’t intendto start now. We loved each other, and that was all I needed to know and hang onto.
My cell phone rang in that moment, jarring me from my thoughts. I smiled as soon as I saw his name on the Caller ID. “Hey, babe.”
