“Your go, princess,” Tommy said.
“She knows, asshole,” Declan said.
Tommy laughed and sipped his beer.
I needed that ace out, but throwing the queen meant someone could trump it with anything.
My only option was to draw out the ace and pray no one had spades left to trump my queen when it rolled back around.
I placed the jack on the table.
Tommy tossed a ten.
Declan threw off with a five of diamonds.
Eric laid down the ace, smiling as he collected the book.
At least that went as I planned. He’d already gotten another book with ace of diamonds, so those were his two. But I didn’t know if he had any other spades in his hand.
He dropped a jack of hearts.
I trumped it with my queen of spades
Tommy tossed off a two of hearts.
Declan plopped a six of hearts to the table.
I laid out my king, hoping to draw out any remaining spades.
Tommy laid down the eight of spades.
Declan threw down the four of spades.
Eric dropped a two of clubs, and my shoulders softened with relief. He didn’t have any spades left or he would’ve had to play one.
I collected the book and held my breath as I laid out my queen of diamonds.
Tommy’s jaw tightened as he threw down a four of hearts.
My extremities loosened with respite. Eric couldn’t trump me, and if Declan did, it didn’t matter. It was mine.
Declan threw a nine of diamonds, and Eric threw the two of diamonds.
A giant smile edged up my lips as I brought the trick before me.
Declan smiled back. “Got our ten for two.”
CHAPTERFOUR
DECLAN
Once I’d walked away from the table, I still kept my eye on Brooke and Tommy. Her drink was gone, so I was pouring another at the bar, but at least I knew no one could slip anything in the one that sat before her.
And at least she wasn’t going home with the middle-aged biker.
“Close game?” Emory asked me.
“Little bit,” I said, eyes still on Brooke. “We set them on the first hand. They were fucked. She plays good though.”