Page 32 of A Promise of Peridot
A pair of aces. Excellent.
I appraised Crawford. He had been drinking all night, slowly bleeding coin to the rest of us, and had just crossed his thick arms in thought—a sign I had discovered hours ago reflected a mediocre hand. This was the moment I had been waiting for all night.
“I’m all in,” I crooned, shoving heavy stacks of coin and women’s accessories into the center of the table.
“I’ll call.” Crawford’s eyes were cool, even as anxious anticipation flashed in them. He turned his attention to Arwen, the only other player in the hand. “And what about the lady?”
Arwen considered her cards, then looked up at us. “All I have left to wager is my dress.”
“You had a good run.” I couldn’t help myself. Flirting with her was the most pleasurable thing I had ever done. “I’ll win your lacy underthings back for you.”
A challenge flickered in her eyes. “I’m in.”
“Arwen, you’ll be naked,” I nearly sputtered.
“Bleeding Stones,” Ryder spat out, before tossing his cards into the center to fold.
“But I want something more than your coin for my final piece of clothing,” Arwen said to Crawford, ignoring us both.
He lifted a menacing brow. “Anything for the daring maiden.”
“What can you offer me?” Seduction crept into her voice.
“Rubies? Diamonds? Name your price.” Crawford ran an eye along Arwen’s neck. A game now to him.
“Hmm.” She tapped her finger to her lips in thought. “I travel with a king, so have no need for more jewels. Maybe Iunderestimated your reach? I was hoping for something a bit more... special.” She frowned down at her cards and waited.
A huntress setting a trap.
“My reach is unlimited. What would excite you? Texts? Weapons? Something less... refined?”
Arwen’s mouth soured at Crawford’s implication.
I was tempted to shear the skin off the man right then. To inflict as much agony on him as he had on others. On the Mer girls. It was beyond an injustice that he would never pay for his crimes in full.
But Arwen covered her revulsion with a weighing frown. “What kind of weapons? Anything impressive? Please don’t bore me with a shiny sword.”
Crawford leaned in from his side of the table. “I have just the highly sought-after prize you seek. But it’s worth a lot more than one naked woman.”
Griffin stiffened in his seat beside me.
“Careful, Crawford,” I murmured. I didn’t care if he had the blade in his breast pocket—the pig didn’t deserve to look at Arwen, let alone insult her.
But she just sat back, the picture of calm. “No, King Ravenwood. He’s right. Maybe I could just... see such an item?”
Crawford grinned. “That can be arranged. If you win.”
“Let’s play, then.”
Rhett dealt the cards out to Crawford, Arwen, and me.
A spread ideal for a flush—four of the five were spades.
My aces of diamonds and clubs rendered worthless.
Crawford’s eyes had gone viciously black. “Flush,” he said, laying out his king and ace of spades. “Sorry, pretty.” Venom crept into his grin. “Nowstripfor me.”
If Arwen so much as stood to undress, I’d reduce this room to kindling before she got a single cotton layer above her knee.
