Page 143 of Theirs to Tempt: The Marriage Claim

She turns it over.

The queen of hearts.

Air leaves my lungs.

Zero.

And now the card lies between Malcolm Voss and everything he wants.

Player remains at five.

Banker stands at six.

For several seconds, no one moves.

Then Lorenzo says, “Banker wins.”

Caleb’s hand clamps around my thigh beneath the table.

Lucian releases a slow breath.

The dealer pushes the clear case across the felt.

Toward me.

Not Lucian.

Not Caleb.

Me.

I stare at it.

“Take it,” Lucian says.

My fingers close around the case.

The card inside is almost weightless.

The power attached to it is not.

Across the table, Voss rises.

“Enjoy the victory.” For the first time tonight, Voss’s pleasant expression disappears completely.

Caleb stands. He doesn’t threaten Voss, doesn’t need to.

Clearing his throat, Voss adjusts his cuffs and walks away.

Lorenzo picks up the tablet. “The destruction protocol has begun. My team will retain the verification record.”

“Thank you,” Lucian says.

With a quiet word, Lorenzo dismisses the dealer and follows Voss from the room.

The door closes behind them.

I remain seated between my husbands with the decryption key in my hand.