Page 6 of Bullet

After paying our respects to Blackhawk, the rest of the Suicide Kings and I went back to the shop to unwind. Even though she was off-limits, I couldn't get the redhead out of my mind since I'd laid eyes on her. She was barely legal and Apache's daughter, and for some reason, that made me want her even more.

The sound of poker chips and rowdy laughter greeted me as I opened the door to the back room of my shop. I ran an auto body shop in the heart of Laughlin, and all club business was handled there.

“Deal me in.” Pulling out a chair, I sat down, then fished a couple of hundred-dollar bills out and threw them down on the table.

Our treasurer, Dimes, took my money and gave me the corresponding amount in chips. I'd had our own custom chips made with the Suicide Kings club logo on them since we played regularly. I also had two custom poker tables made for our game, and the action could get pretty juicy. Not to mention it was better than going to the casino and losing money to the house.

We had two pool tables and three dartboards in the back room, plus a couple of flat screens to enjoy whatever sports were on. There was also a fridge stocked with cold beer and liquor. The crew spent most of their time in that room, so I wanted it to be as comfortable and fun as possible for my brothers.

“Did y'all see Blackhawk's granddaughter? That's a fine piece of ass if I ever saw one,” Hook, our secretary, said.

I wasn't sure why, but my blood started to boil as some of the other guys chimed in their agreement. If she was off-limits for me, she was definitely off-limits for my crew. I cleared my throat, raising my voice. “That's enough! Blackhawk's ashes have barely touched the ground and y'all are talking about his granddaughter like she's a piece of meat. Have some respect.”

The men were quiet for a few moments before our sergeant at arms, AK, quipped, “So she's off the table then, huh?”

I knew he was trying to break the tension, and I didn't want them knowing I had a hard-on for the young redhead, so I played it off with a chuckle. “Yeah, off the table. Ain't no bitch worth the drama.”

The other guys broke out into laughter, and talk went back to the cards. Fucking Apache's daughter would definitely have consequences, and we had enough problems with the Forsaken.

So why did that make me want to do it even more? I guessed I enjoyed the thought of getting under Apache's skin.

Glancing down at my cards, I saw that I had a pair of queens, so I raised. Most of the guys folded, but I got two callers. I smirked as I darted my eyes back and forth between the two. My road captain, Kojack, and my enforcer, Dead Man. Easy money. Both were loose players who I could usually bet out of a pot.

The flop came out with a king of spades, queen of hearts, and ten of diamonds. I'd flopped a set, but there was a possible straight out there. I needed to bet strong to get any straight chasers out of the pot. I tossed forty bucks in as my bet.

Both men called, and the dealer turned the next card, a six of clubs. A low card like that probably didn't help either of them since they both had called my previous bet. I bet again. “Fifty.”

Dead Man called my bet, but Kojack raised it. “Raise. A hundred.”

All heads turned to me. I took a few seconds to think, pondering whether Kojack had better than me. The only hands that could beat me would be a set of kings or a straight, but I didn't think that was likely.

“Call,” I replied, putting in the extra chips.

Dead Man folded. “I'll let you two battle it out.”

The river card came out a ten of hearts, pairing the board and giving me a full house. I felt like I had the win in the bag, so I bet another hundred.

Kojack blew out a breath of frustration. “Got there, didn't you?”

I glanced up from the cards, meeting his eyes. “Bubba, I was there on the flop.”

He chuckled, holding up his cards so only he could see. “Don't know how I can let this go. Damn river card.”

A couple of minutes passed as he debated whether to call or fold. “Fuck it, I call.”

I proudly turned over my pocket pair, and Kojack cursed as he threw his cards face up on the table. Ace Jack of spades.

A few gasps and curses sounded from around the table. Kojack had flopped a straight, and technically, I sucked out on him since he had me beat until the river card.

I shrugged as Dimes shipped me the pot. “Sorry, brother. That's the game sometimes.”

He muttered, “Yeah, I know. I knew it, but I had to see it.”

I chuckled as I stacked up my newly won chips. “I think we've all been there a time or two.”

My VP, Cowboy, came over and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “We got a problem.”

The smile from my win faded from my lips as I made eye contact with him. “Let's go to the office.”

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