Page 18 of Deadly Offer

“You’ll kill him.” Reuben smoothed Nikon’s jacket, a gesture that had become familiar - comfortable even. The memory of his fear of such casual violence from months ago felt distant now. “Iknow. Though next time you might want to leave some hickeys where they won’t show. These—” He gestured to his neck, “—might be a bit too obvious for someone supposedly considering switching sides.”

The walk to Dmitrii’s club gave Reuben time to settle into his role. He let his fingers brush the marks on his neck one last time, before shoving his hands in his pockets and getting into the role he had to once again play tonight. The role of a man considering his options, not one whose skin still tingled from another man’s possessive touch.

The club’s entrance hadn’t changed in three weeks; same brass handles polished to a mirror shine, same doorman with the perpetual scowl. But whathadchanged was how they treated him.

“Mr. Hoyt.” The doorman inclined his head. No ID check needed. “Mr. Miroslav mentioned you’d be joining us again tonight.”

Inside, the main gaming floor thrummed with the low murmur of voices and the soft click of chips. Dark wood paneling absorbed the amber glow from recessed lights, while vape smoke gathered in lazy spirals above the green-felt poker tables. Waitresses in black cocktail dresses navigated the maze of chairs and players, their heels silent on the thick carpet.

A perfectly legitimate front for the real business conducted upstairs.

Reuben noted the regulars as he passed. James Donovan was here tonight, at his now usual blackjack table, down at least a hundred grand, judging by his loosened tie. The Williams brothers, who always played together and always lost exactly the same amount. And there, at the high-stakes room entrance, Roman the dealer, watching him with calculating eyes.

“You’re early tonight.” Roman’s Russian accent thickened when he was nervous. “Boss is waiting upstairs.”

Interesting. Roman kept rubbing his thumb against his finger more and more this past week. This matched up with more of Andrey’s men showing up at the club. That same week, Nikon reported weapons going missing. And Andrey’s friends started betting bigger than ever.

“Good crowd tonight.” Reuben gestured at the floor below. “The usual suspects are all here.”

“Yes, yes. Very good night for business. All kinds of business.”

Roman’s thumb kept moving against his finger. Reuben nodded, kept his expression mild, even as he cataloged every nervous tic and sidelong glance.

The private poker room upstairs felt different tonight. The usual players were there; the oligarch who always sat with his back to the wall, and the New York banker who never bet on the river unless he had the nuts. But the buy-ins had doubled, and Reuben recognized three of Andrey’s lieutenants among the new faces.

“Ah, there he is.” Dmitrii’s voice carried across the room, smooth as aged whiskey and all false charm. His eyes tracked Reuben with the same obsessive attention he’d shown for three weeks straight. “Our talented young friend.”

Reuben turned, allowing himself the small smile that weeks ago would have been forced. Amazing how quickly one could adapt to dancing with devils.

“I was starting to think you weren’t coming.” Dmitrii stood too close, as always. His hand landed on Reuben’s shoulder, fingers brushing the spot where Nikon’s marks lay hidden beneath his collar.

Time to play his part. Reuben didn’t flinch away from the touch, even as his skin crawled. “Traffic was hell tonight.”

“I hope it wasn’t too much trouble getting here.” Dmitrii’s hand remained on his shoulder, thumb tracing small circles.“But I’m guessing anemployercan be rather protective of his assets.”

The double meaning wasn’t subtle. Reuben shrugged, a careful display of mild discomfort. “Nikon has his reasons.”

“I’m sure he does.” Dmitrii’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “But the question is whether those reasons align with your own ambitions.”

Before Reuben could respond, movement at the main game caught his attention. One of Andrey’s men — Yuri, if Reuben remembered correctly? — was stacking poker chips with obsessive attention to detail. The amount seemed excessive for the usual game.

“Just a quick heads up. We’ve raised the stakes tonight.” Dmitrii guided him toward the table, hand sliding from shoulder to lower back. “I trust that won’t be a problem?”

The stakes weren’t just monetary. Every player at the table represented a piece of a larger puzzle, one that had been assembling itself in Reuben’s mind over weeks of observation. The Williams brothers’ consistent losses. Roman’s increasing nervousness. And Andrey’s men showing up with suspicious amounts of cash.

“No problem at all.” Reuben took his seat, noting how Yuri’s eyes tracked every movement. “Though I hope everyone’s prepared to lose.”

The first few hands played out normally enough. Reuben folded most, played small pots when he had a position. But his attention wasn’t on the cards—it was on the patterns emerging around him.

Yuri bet aggressively whenever the New York banker entered a pot. The Williams brothers folded to any significant action from Andrey’s other lieutenants. Roman’s deals seemed to favor certain players on certain hands, his thumb-rubbing tell more pronounced each time.

“You seem distracted tonight.” Dmitrii had positioned himself behind Reuben’s chair, close enough that his words carried to no one else. “Something on your mind?”

The pieces clicked into place with sickening clarity. The money wasn’t moving randomly; Andrey, Nikon’s own brother, was laundering funds through specific players.

First came the pattern with the Williams brothers - their losses too exact, too coordinated. Then Roman’s tells grew more pronounced with each specific player combination. Finally, watching Andrey’s men move their chips meticulously like a banker counting bills, the last piece settled into place.

This wasn’t random gambling. This was a carefully orchestrated dance of money laundering, and Roman’s increasing anxiety suggested the operation had recently expanded beyond its original scope.

---