Page 131 of Gathered Sparkle

“God,” Annabelle murmurs under her breath, her smile still firmly in place for anyone watching. “He’s an absolute slimeball.”

I let out a shaky laugh. “You’re telling me. But damn, Belle, you were incredible back there.”

She grins, squeezing my arm. “Please. That was all you, babe. That lift? Flawless.”

One down. One to go.

We weave through the tables, her heels clicking confidently against the marble floor. I keep my steps quieter, my pulse already quickening as we approach Blackwood.

He is built like a tank, his face set in a permanent scowl, seated at one of the larger tables, chips piled neatly in front of him, his fingers toying with his phone like it’s a lucky charm.

Fuck.

Annabelle doesn’t hesitate, sliding gracefully into the empty chair beside him. Her charm switches on again like a spotlight.

“Mind if I watch?” she asks sweetly. “I’ve always wanted to learn from the pros.”

I’m proud of her for going straight at him. Even I would be intimidated to chat him up.

Blackwood glances up, his dark eyes taking her in. For a moment, his stoic expression holds, but then it softens into something more of amusement. “Sure, sweetheart. But don’t expect me to give away all my secrets.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it,” she coos, leaning in slightly as she crosses her legs. “Just watching is already a privilege.”

While Annabelle works her magic, I sit down on his other side, careful to stay unobtrusive. My eyes lock on the phone in his hand. His grip is loose, but his fingers dance over the screen every few seconds, never leaving it idle for long. His hand with the phone is right next to his stack of coins, and I can already tell this is going to be impossible.

I glance over at Ace, standing a few tables away, his posture casual but his attention razor-sharp. When his eyes meet mine, I try to convey the problem without words. He furrows his brows, his expression questioning, and I let out a slow breath. I do a subtle forward-circling motion with my forefinger.

We have to move fast.

His brows briefly knit before he nods once, understanding. Annabelle keeps Blackwood’s attention as she asks him about his strategies, leaning into his ego. Blackwood chuckles, his hand finally moving away from the phone.

Now.

My fingers have barely brushed its edge when Blackwood’s hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His dark eyes narrow at me, and I swear the entire room tilts for a moment.

“I wasn’t…” I start but trail off.

Fuck, he’s massive.

“You’re after my coins?”

Before I can figure out what to do, Ace stumbles into the scene, a pint glass of beer in hand. He trips forward, spilling the entire drink onto Blackwood’s lap, my dress, and the table.

“Shit! I’m so sorry, man!” Ace slurs, his movements clumsy and exaggerated, like he’s had one too many.

Blackwood’s attention snaps to him as he lets go of my wrist. “Fucking idiot!” he roars, pushing back from the table. He grabs Ace by the forearm. “Do you have any idea how much this suit cost?”

Ace’s jaw tightens almost imperceptibly, but he doesn’t drop the act. “Ah, jeez, I’m really sorry,” he slurs again, swaying slightly. “Let me, uh… let me clean that up for you.”

I don’t waste the opportunity he’s given me and snatch the phone. I glance over my shoulder to look for Sylus and see he’s already approaching from the bar. He’s a shadow, passing close enough to me that I barely have to move to slip the phone into his hand. He’s gone in a flash, disappearing into the crowd as if he was never there.

My attention snaps back to Ace, who’s still holding up the drunk tourist act, even as Blackwood’s grip visibly tightens on him. I can see it now, the faint tremor in Ace’s other hand, the way his shoulders are braced…

This must be hell for him, but he doesn’t let it show.

Not yet, at least.

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