Page 4 of Gambler's Fallacy

Caleb smiles at Trent, but it’s one of his business smiles. “Of course. I know how strong your marriage is.”

In other words, it isn’t strong at all, and the asshole is probably cheating on Alice.

I don’t point that out.

“Did you want to join us for lunch?” I ask in my best proper voice. “Food should be here any second, though.”

“I wish we could, but I need to finish giving Trent the tour,” Caleb says diplomatically. “He’s been settling in the past few days, but tomorrow he’ll have to manage all his general manager duties without me.”

“Oh, not entirely without you!” Trent says, smiling. “Your executive assistant—Philly, right? I assume she’ll be able to answer my questions when you’re out.”

There are so many names going around, and I don’t really want to remember them all. Trent is setting me on edge, and I’m glad Caleb declined lunch.

Havoc coughs. “If you’re not staying, maybe move out of the way so the server can get to the table?” He points to the waitress waiting behind Caleb and Trent.

Caleb nods and squeezes my shoulder again. “I’ll see you both later. Have fun at the… thing.”

“We will,” I say, still smiling like everyone else.

The smile drops when Caleb and Trent move away from the table, and I wait until the server has set down our food before getting up and moving to sit directly next to Havoc. I grab my plate so it’s right in front of me.

“I don’t like him,” I tell Havoc. “And not just because he’s cheating on his wife.”

Havoc snorts in amusement. “Yeah, he’s a creep. The smarmy act reminds me of how my step asshole was before the mask dropped, though.”

I frown at him. “The mask?”

Havoc tenses and quickly takes a few bites of his food. I wait, wondering if he’s going to answer at all. But I understand not wanting to talk about family or the past, after all.

If I push him, it’ll give him the idea thathecan push me.

“He seemed nice, at first,” Havoc finally says. “My stepfather. But after the marriage… probably before that, too, but I was trying to pretend he wasn’t so bad.”

“Oh,” I say softly. I reach out to touch his arm before deciding to rest my head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

I know a lot about masks—and about what’s behind them.

Maybe I understand more about Havoc than I thought.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” I tell him. “We can eat, then we can go to a museum or whatever you think sounds fun.”

I don’t know that a museum trip sounds like the most interesting thing in the world, but it meansfreedom. It means getting out of the Roi de Pique for the first time in weeks — though I guess the last time hadn’t really counted.

Avoiding being kidnapped doesn’t really count as an outing.

“Yeah. There’s an art museum, or the local history museum…” Havoc lays out potential plans for me, then texts Vortex to come meet us.

When we walk past the gaming tables on our way to the car, I only feel a small twinge of desire to play.

Meeting Trent was unlucky, but going out is lucky.

I was right that the scales have to balancesometime.

TWO

SEVEN

I stareat the painting in front of me. It has got colors, and splotches, and lines that could resemble something. I don’t knowwhatthey’re meant to resemble, but there’s a sign next to the painting that explains the significance of the piece and the artist’s intention about…

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