Page 21 of Ruined

Luca’s hand stilled on the table. He didn’t look up right away, and something tightened in my gut.

“No,” he said, voice clipped.

Vinn arched a brow. “No?”

“They playeddurak.”

Michael’s toothpick paused mid-roll. “What the hell’sdurak?”

Luca shrugged. “A Russian card game. It means ‘fool.’ You lose, you’re the fool. And they didn’t play for fun.”

The air stilled around the table.

I tilted my head. “What’d they play for, then?”

Luca’s jaw tightened. “Loyalty.”

Vinn’s smile faded. “You lose often?”

Luca’s eyes chilled as he pushed a small stack into the center. He didn’t flinch under Vinn’s stare, but tension billowed off him like a furnace.

Vinn raised an eyebrow. “Call.”

“Call,” Michael said, tossing in chips.

Alessio looked at his cards. “Fold.”

Vinn pushed in his chips. “Let’s see what the kid’s got.”

The turn card hit the table—a seven of clubs. Luca’s face didn’t change. Jesus. Even with his family, he didn’t know how to relax.

Michael whistled low, glancing at Luca. “Most guys sweat it out when Vinn starts playing with his food.”

Luca slid more chips forward. “Bet.”

Michael threw his cards down.

Tony grunted, tossing more chips in. “Call.”

Vinn smirked. Then he matched the chips and threw in another small stack. “Raise.”

Luca hesitated. “Call.”

Vinn flipped the river card. King of spades.

Tony cursed, rubbing his jaw. “Check.”

Vinn tilted his head. “What about you, Luca? Got a bluff up your sleeve?”

Luca stared at the cards, his grip tightening on them. “Bet.”

He pushed the rest of his chips to the center. A bold move. Michael sat up straighter.

“Fold,” said Tony.

Vinn slowly turned his cards face-up on the table—pair of eights.

Luca didn’t flinch. He laid two kings down.

---