Page 14 of Underground Prince

Theo nodded in answer, though he kept assessing me. Everywhere.

“Let’s begin, then,” Kai said, pushing off the bartop. He glanced at me before heading to the table. “Good meeting you. Helps to get friendly with the dealer. Ha ha—joking,” he said, lifting his hands as he spoke to Theo. “All in jest.”

Smiling, I moved so I was at the center of the bar. Kai was a sunny counterpoint to this dimly lit manhole that I found myself sinking into. I especially liked people whose mouths got away from them. But my smile fell once I noticed Theo was still beside me.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Me?”

Good one. Of course me, you idiot.

“After what happened, I wasn’t sure if you’d come back,” he said.

“Oh, that.”

Another meaningful response.

“I’m okay.” I tried to think of something incredible to respond with. “It was nothing.”

One brow lifted with a question, a move that raised him from good-looking to rakishly hot. “I wonder what’s considered something, then.”

I faltered—literally stumbled—against the bar, my smile plummeting into its depths.

He moved to steady me, but I righted myself before he could. “Did I…?”

“It’s not you.” I fumbled to grab a handful of nuts from the bowl on the bar. “Not enough to eat.”

“You sure?” He was close, so present that all he had to do was tip his chin and his lips would be on my ear.

“Yes,” I said, too quickly. But I had to do something to hide the tremble—in my voice, my body.

Except the bastard did exactly as I feared. He spoke close to the shell of my ear. “You’ll tell me if you don’t feel okay, and I’ll make sure you get home.”

“I will,” I said, high with perkiness as I busied myself with stacking cups.

Brows pulled in, he nodded. “Good.”

Theo drifted away to the table, his movements as smooth as his voice.

I scratched absently at my cheek, his heat dissipating, painful memories and my current situation toiling for space in my head. To quell them, I recalled Theo’s face when he asked about my well-being.

His gaze was alert, and for a small time, there was a tempering. His harsh angles had leveled out with concern, but it didn’t hide the realization that rippled underneath.

Verily had to be wrong. In Theo, I didn’t see danger, or sense a threat.

In those eyes I saw the tragedy of my past, reflected right back at me.

6

LADIES WHO WHISPER

I had no idea how to win a pile of multicolored plastic.

Placing my chin in my hand, I committed to figuring it out. It was either that or start drooling again.

After a while, I discovered that “check” was the verbal equivalent to a double-tap of fingers on the table. It was an indication of a player’s action, and by stating this they were passing on betting, yet still staying in the hand.

Chicken Wing Guy was having issues. Sweat dotted his brow and his left hand frayed the ends of the napkin tucked into his pants, a mix of grease, hot sauce and sweat sagging the tissue. He continually reached into his pocket for a wad of crumpled cash and exchanged it with Kai for more chips. Though Kai remained straight-faced, the energy around the table heightened every time the man threw in more cash. I even saw a few subtle grins.

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