Page 80 of Diavolo

Elyse let this wave of exasperation guide her next move, fueling her determination. She needed to find something to strengthen her standing in front of these women and earn their respect so they'd think twice about fucking with her down the line. They saw her as an outsider right now. She wanted in.

Her mind began to spin. Mrs. Vitale was high as a kite. Elyse decided to take advantage of the woman's inebriated state. Elyse turned back to the older blonde. "Why don't we wager on… trust?"

Mrs. Vitale's dilated eyes grew wide and quizzical. "What?"

"An exchange of favors."

"I am sorry. I do not follow."

In a burst of recklessness, Elyse went on to suggest something outrageous, something that she wouldn't even think about suggesting if Mrs. Vitale was sober, "If you win, I'll owe you a favor. As a surgeon. No questions asked. No expiration date. I'll do anything that doesn't go against the Hippocratic Oath. If Iwin, you'll owe me a favor. As the matriarch of the Vitale clan. No questions asked. No expiration date. Anything that doesn't go against your code of honor."

Mariposa and Cara's heads whipped toward Elyse with surprise.

Mrs. Vitale's reply came quickly, "I do not have anything to gain from this exchange. I imagine the favors I am capable of delivering will be far more valuable than what you can provide from your little bag of surgical tools."

This was exactly why Elyse had suggested this gamble. She challenged, "Are you scared of losing?"

Mrs. Vitale's beautiful features contorted with rage. The coke was making her moody and agitated. She spat, "I am not afraid of anyone!"

"Then," Elyse urged, "let's play."

"Fine," Mrs. Vitale huffed with glassy eyes.

They were each starting with about $20,000 worth of chips. As the small blind, Elyse was dealt her cards first.

A two and a seven.

This was a shit hand. Arguablytheshittiest hand of time. They were the weakest cards in the deck that couldn't make a straight.

"Fold," Elyse murmured.

Mrs. Vitale smirked and collected the $300 pot.

A moment later, a new hand was dealt. This one was better. A pair of tens.

"Raise to $1,000."

"Call."

The next three cards, the flop, were dealt.

Two, three, eight.

Elyse bit back a smile. Nice. This meant she had an overpair.

Elyse was about to raise again when a soft female whimper interrupted their game. Elyse glanced up. Her mouth parted in horror. Right beside her, Cara's eyes were rolling to the back ofher head. Before anyone could catch her, the redhead toppled from her chair to the marble floor with a painful-soundingthud.

A collective gasp sounded through the room.

Elyse leaped into action, rushing over to Cara's aide without a second thought. She immediately went to work, assessing Cara's condition to the best of her ability without her equipment. All signs were pointing to the bitch taking one too many whiffs of cocaine. Drug overdoses weren't Elyse's specialty, but she'd been forced to study up and adapt to many different kinds of medical emergencies when she was working for Stefano.

The woman's skin was burning up. Most likely due to hyperthermia. Cara's heart rate was also going through the roof. She needed a sedative. Elyse cried out, "Why are you all just standing there? We need to get her to a hospital!"

As she hovered by Cara's side, both Mariposa and Malina pulled out their phones, but Mrs. Vitale stopped them.

"No, no," she murmured, "not yet. I want to see what Dr. Romero can do for poor Cara. I want to see if I will be getting my money's worth when I win our bet."

Elyse snarled at Mrs. Vitale, "Fuck the bet. Ms. Berlusconi is overdosing right now. She could die if we don't stabilize her!"

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