Page 2 of Savage Game
Byron lifted the corner of his cards and peeked at them again, feigning indecision.
“It’s your turn, Nolan.” Liam swirled his scotch and the ice cubes in the amber liquid rattled in the otherwise quiet poker room as he waited for Byron to answer his challenge. “Don’t make us wait all night!” His host smirked, his arrogance palpable in the air.
The guy was too smug for his own good, and after a few hours in their company, Byron regretted going into business with his new partners.
Byron eyed the large stacks of chips in front of him and the diminished piles before the other play partners. Time to raise the stakes.
“Raise.” Byron threw in four black chips and lifted a challenging brow.
His host called, leaving him with only a handful of blue chips, two green, and one black.
“I’m out.” Connolly folded, tossing his cards down on the table. After he abandoned the game, he rose and got his third cigar.
Dennehy called, took the turn from the stack, and revealed the ace of hearts.
Wordlessly, Byron called by dropping his chip.
Randall tossed in a twenty-five-dollar chip. “Bet.”
The fool should have checked first, but it was his funeral.
Byron called. Dennehy folded, collected the chips, and placed the river card.
Something in Liam’s cheek twitched, and he shoved two blue chips forward. “Call.”
Two black chips landed heavily in front of Byron. Deliberately, he took another sip and stared his host square in the face. “Raise.”
Liam’s ruddy face was sweating but his beady eyes were greedy. Liam’s eyes dropped to his cards, he licked his lips and eyed the chips. “I can’t call.”
“Hmm.” Byron stroked his chin. “We can work something out.”
“I… I…”
From the way Liam’s face scrunched up, it was obvious his host was trying to think through his booze-fogged mind.
Liam’s face cleared. “I have a Rolex. It’s worth more than what’s on the table here.”
“I’m not interested in your watch.” Byron pulled back his sleeve and revealed the titanium Seamaster Diver on his wrist. “I prefer Omega.”
“Oh.” Liam swallowed and his shoulders slumped.
Byron struck like a cobra. “If you lose, I want a month with your wife, to do with her whatever I please.”
Who said kicking a man when he was down wasn’t fun?
1
Day One
Dressed in a pencil skirt and a light-blue blouse, Charlotte exited the taxi. Shaking in her three-inch stilettos, she accepted the wheeled suitcase from the driver. She tipped back her head and stared up at the high-rising skyscraper with the bluish-tinted windows. Squinting against the sun, she wondered what kind of job she would get. Liam had been vague about the arrangement, but she guessed he’d told her employer she didn’t have any work experience.
Who hires an employee for a month anyway?
Charlotte pulled the suitcase behind her and walked toward the imposing entry with her head held high. When dealing with an unknown challenge, it was important to appear confident after all. She was so out of her depth, it wasn’t even funny.
But I will survive. I always do.
After fifteen years of marriage to Liam, she’d perfected her mask and could blend in like a chameleon. Not good enough to avoid the occasional abuse, though. Whatever the job requirements were, it could hardly be worse than the demands Liam placed on her. Right?
