Page 134 of Gambler's Fallacy

“You’ve known I’ve had Rory Lockwood here for a while,” I say carefully. “Why visit me now?”

Leon barks out a laugh. “Earl called me frantically. He said he’d pay me back for all the money I had to spend bailing him out. He of course was happy to tell me his plan without much prodding on my part.” He discards the top card of the deck and proceeds to reveal the flop, not even bothering to place bets. “Where is Earl, anyway?”

The two cards on the table make my hand suddenly look a lot better. “Out in the desert, in a shack somewhere. I was going to send somebody to pick him up after he’d sweated a bit.”

Leon shakes his head. “If I hadn’t shown up, I’m sure you would have let him die out there.”

Yes, I mentally agree. I still have no real desire to rescue Earl, but if it’ll get Leon off our back, I’ll do it.

“Are we betting on anything?” I ask. “Or simply playing for fun?”

Leon sets his cards down. “You’re going to lose, Caleb,” he says. “You think you can outplay me? You’re nothing without me. Everything you own is by my grace.”

I meet his gaze steadily. “In that case, tell me what you want. Tell me why you wanted to see Seven, why you’ve had Trent spying on us, why Earl got it in his head to do any of this.”

“I asked Trent to find out why you’re so committed to this stupid war with the Lockwoods. This boy isn’t worth anything.”

Havoc suddenly gets up. “Shut your fucking face, old man,” he growls. “Seven is worth everything.”

“Havoc…” Vortex warns, getting up and grabbing his arm.

Seven gets up, too, getting on the other side of Havoc. He whispers something to him that I can’t hear.

Havoc’s face gets redder, but he sits down.

“If you spoke to Trent, you know why I’m committed to this,” I answer calmly. “I know the idea of loyalty is foreign to you?—”

“It must be foreign to you, too,” Leon barks. “If you aren’t aware, your boy is sleeping with at least one of those two men over there. You know what I’d do with an unfaithful whore like that?”

I clutch my cards tighter. “I know, yes. But unlike you, I am not insecure and prone to fits of jealousy.”

I’ve struck a nerve. Leon gives me a nasty sneer, and I can tell he wants to do more than simply yell at me. Men like him can’t handle the thought that they might be irrational or emotional.

“I’m not convinced protecting him is a good idea anymore,” Leon says. He discards a card and pulls another. “Tell me why I should continue with this farce.”

Negotiate from a position of power, I remind myself. I swallow and try to come up with a convincing argument, one that won’t leave us even more vulnerable. I’ve already seen how getting Trent involved had given the Lockwoods an opening.

I wish I’d had time to do research and to practice a speech.

“This casino was nothing before I took over,” I say. “The money we earn through other means would be under extreme scrutiny if not for all the work I’ve done.”

He’s heard all this before. It’s not going to convince him. I wrack my brain for something else to say.

I notice Seven heading for the bar. He catches my gaze. “Whiskey, Mas… Caleb?”

I nod gratefully. “On the rocks.”

Leon scoffs. “That means it’ll be watered down—like everything you do.”

“Christ, do you have to criticize everything?” Havoc says in annoyance. “You’re a broken record.”

“Thank you for your commentary, Havoc,” I say sarcastically. “It truly adds to this conversation.”

Seven approaches with my drink, and he hovers nearby.

“Are you going to give me back, Mr. Spade?” he asks, and there’ssomething strange in his voice that I can’t read. “Are you going to let them take me back there?”

Leon glances up at him. “If my idiot grandson can’t tell me why keeping you is more beneficial than returning you? Yes. I’ve got a call with Abigail Lockwood this afternoon.”

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