Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
They talked even more, bragging a little, teasing a bit, commenting on Park’s good looks and the way he’d drawn such a female crowd. Vienna couldn’t help but look at the women congregating around the barrier separating the final table from the onlookers. Park definitely had a fanatical following. The women jumped up and down, calling his name and waving items for him to sign.
Park looked resigned, giving the other players a faint shrug and his famous grin. “They’re here to bring me luck.”
“They make enough noise that you can’t hear yourself think,” Leo groused.
Art laughed. “You’re just jealous because on your best day, you don’t have that many women looking for the key to your room.”
“Depends on whether I win or not,” Leo said.
“Well,” Art conceded, “there’s that.”
They all laughed, although Vienna didn’t think the comment was that funny because she was certain it was the truth. Leo—and the others—most likely did have women vying for a chance to go to their room with them if they won.
Once the laughter faded, Leo turned the spotlight on Vienna. “I heard about what happened to you last night, Vienna. I’m so sorry. I should have escorted you up to your room, or had security take you up.”
All at once, she had the attention of every man at the table. It felt as if they were all staring at the black-and-blue bump on the side of her forehead that her hair wasn’t quite hiding. It was difficult to resist covering it with her palm.
“No one was to blame, Leo. Who knew Charles would get drunk and decide to assault me? My neighbor in the suite beside mine, a sweet older man, came to my rescue with his cane and whacked Charles over the head before he could punch me.”
“Charles never could hold his liquor,” Jameson commented under his breath, his eyes on the raised bruise on her forehead.
Art sent her a quick grin. “He did the same thing to me at a no-limit tournament at the Rio. He placed a bet he shouldn’t have and he lost. He’s really mad at himself, but then he drinks and wants to fight. He came at me swinging, but there were security guards everywhere, and they stopped him and took him to his suite. It was that or throw him out.”
“I think he went to jail last night,” Vienna said. “He actually put his hands on me. I have some bruising on my stomach where he pretended he was a linebacker and drove his shoulder into me to throw me to the ground. The cops took pictures of the bruising and of the lump on my forehead.” She flashed a small smile. “I don’t think the bump is going to bring me the same luck Park’s frenzied fans are going to bring him.”
Her attempt at humor failed because the men exchanged long looks of what had to be anger. It was Art that voiced their concern. “You have a large bruise on your stomach? He hit you that hard?”
Vienna wished she hadn’t been so chatty. “It’s nothing. Really. We’re here to play cards, not talk about me. Did you all get a chance to meet Mr. Wallin last night?”
Leo, ever the gentleman, nodded. “Yes, he came in and made the rounds. I’ve met him several times. He’s always gracious. There was far more security than there’s ever been, most likely because of what happened to you.”
“The food was amazing,” Park said. “I wanted to talk to him about a couple of proposals I had for the hotel, but I didn’t get more than a few minutes with him.”
The dealer sat down and the mood of the crowd became electric. Vienna felt the excitement igniting through her veins. The blood rushed in a quick wash of heat and then settled so she felt the familiar calm sweep through her. At once she was aware of everyone seated around the table. The way they moved, their hands, their eyes, the set of their mouths. The way the dealer flicked her fingers as she shuffled the cards. Everything registered in her brain, cataloging down to the tiniest detail.
The cards slid to the players facedown in front of them. Art was the man to start off once the players had made the pot right. He lifted his cards with two fingers to look, his face expressionless. She’d noticed he tended to run the edge of his thumb along the cards when he intended to stay in, which he did as he dropped them to the surface of the table. He had a pair of aces. He made his bet and sat back to see what would happen.
Leo looked at his cards and folded. His move was very, very subtle. She had nearly missed it, but if he was bluffing, he slightly cocked his head to the right. Theodore took a look at his cards, dropped them down, tapped a finger on them as he always did and matched the bet. She was next. She had a king and queen of spades. She stayed. Park stayed in. Jameson folded and sat back, crossing his arms, a small enigmatic smile on his face. In the end, it came down to Art and her, as they challenged one another and the others folded.