Page 92 of The Passion

“Stop that right now,” I reply more aggressively than I should, but there is no way she is anything like that man.

At the same time, Rem is trying to argue the point too. “Don’t even think that. I know Cherie, and she can hold her own in that room. I would be more worried about her hurting the others in there. Plus, she never would have offered if she didn’t want to help you. She’s one tough woman, and I think she sees the same quality in you.”

I want to reach through the phone and hug Rem for his words. Coming from him, it will hit home with Felisha more than anything I say right now.

“I feel sick thinking about it.” And I’m already guessing that the rest of her dinner is not getting eaten tonight, but at least I got some food into her stomach before the call.

“Sit tight for a few hours and it should all be over,” Rem says, trying to reassure her, but I know there is not a chance that the next few hours will be easy for her.

“Thanks, Rem, call as soon as you hear anything,” I say and then we say our goodbyes.

And now we wait.

CHERIE

Ivan is protective of me and makes sure he sits beside me to my right, and the other woman is on the left of me. Ewan and Fulton end up opposite each other which could not have worked out any more perfectly if I tried.

They are so worried about staring each other down that I’m off their radar in the game at the moment.

We are three rounds in, and I have just let them all settle in. Ewan won the first game which seemed to calm the storm that was playing in his eyes slightly, but there is still something raging inside him.

Then Ivan took the second, and the woman next to me managed to fluke one win. I’m not sure how because of the cards the others must have had, but her bluff worked well for her. She cleaned up a small pot with three of a kind. One of the other five people at the table had to have had a higher hand than that if my counting was right.

She is a bit of a chatterbox, and I can tell it’s irritating to Fulton who is trying to keep his composure, but he wants to win a game. I don’t know all his background, but with the media stunt and the little I heard about him that day with Felisha, I can tell there is something brewing between him and Ewan through their unspoken words in this room.

I need to get into the game, but it has to be the right time. The cards are dealt, and we start into the next game, with thebets starting at ten thousand pounds, because this game isn’t for the faint of heart, and although I don’t have that sort of money lying around, Remington has backed me with whatever money I needed, and he told me Nic was also ready to cover me too if he hadn’t. Felisha wanted to do it, but I don’t want any direct connection to her right now; the guys are a big enough risk. My plan is to walk out of here with more than I started with, but of course, that is never a guarantee. That’s the problem with gamblers, they always think they will walk out winning.

This game is shaping up to be the beginning of the run I need, I think.

Only Ewan, Fulton, and I are left in the game, and they are oblivious to me. Neither of them wants to give in. The stakes are rising quickly, and the last bet Ewan made was a hundred thousand pounds, and Fulton matched it. Both of them now look at me, waiting for me to fold, but instead, I want to push them and gain their attention.

I push my chips forward. “I see your bet and raise you one hundred thousand pounds.” I see both of them give the slightest look of shock but only for a split second, and then they regain composure, their poker faces back on.

I know what I have, and they can’t beat it with the cards that have already come out of the deck. So, I’m calling their bluffs.

They both push their chips into the pot one after the other, both calling on the bet. Now as the last card in the center of the table is revealed, it’s time to show. Both the men lay down their cards, Ewan having two pairs and Fulton having three of a kind, but the straight I have beats them every day of the week.

Not giving them any reaction, I just lean out and scoop the chips toward me, but I can tell neither of them are impressed. Ewan more so than Fulton, who holds his finger in the air for another drink.

This went on for five more games, with me winning three of those games and folding on two of them, even though I’m sure I could have won them too. As I won the last few games, I became a little more vocal and dropped the comment, “Sorry, I’m sure it must be annoying being beaten by a woman.” Which of course brought a grunt from Ewan.

But it comes down to this hand. Fulton has just folded on the last round and has very few chips left on the table. I’m left with Ewan who has fallen for my deliberate fidgeting, thinking I’m feeling nervous about my bravado and have now backed myself into a corner.

In his gruff voice, he says the words I’ve been waiting all night for.

“All in.” He pushes every chip in front of him into the center of the table.

I try to look a little stressed and indecisive, and then after a few moments, I push everything I have into the pot too.

“I call.” My words bring a smirk to his face because he thinks I’m out of this game once we reveal our cards. I know it won’t be me, otherwise I wouldn’t have gone this far.

The dealer signals for us to show our cards.

Both of us lay them down at the same time, and I watch his face screw up in pure anger.

I can’t believe he went all in on three of a kind, that was crazy, but I know it was more about him thinking he could bluff me. Too bad for him I have a full house, and I happily pull the whole pot toward me.

“Oh, that must really be embarrassing to be beaten by me, a mere woman. And now you have nothing left to bet with. Looks like I get to walk away the victor for the night—unless you would like a loan.” I start to push to stand, knowing full well he’s not ready to let me walk away yet. He has just lost a million pounds, and yet he can’t let it go.

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