Page 15 of Gamble with Me
"What's going on, brother?"
Malin's voice stirred me, and I turned to him. We were in my massive office on the top floor of the Starlight building, and I was mindlessly staring at the city before he walked in. He plopped down on the black couch and placed his feet on the glass coffee table, watching me through narrowed eyes. He was dressed in a black leather motorbike suit and fitted perfectly with the surroundings.
I liked dark colors, mostly black. It provided comfort and calmness. In my office, the walls were covered with dark wood, and the table, couch, armchairs, and even the floor and ceiling were black, complemented with many lights and lamps. A few glassy accessories and white cushions were the only colorful things around. It was my cave, and I loved it.
"This is the list of twelve people behind the fraud." I handed Malin a piece of paper, and he took it, scanning the names. I intentionally left out Chester's name because if what Donald said was right, I would deal with him myself.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked, his eyes glowing with excitement. It was his area of expertise, his playground.
"Come up with some ideas," I suggested, pouring us a drink. This was the kind of conversation when my brother would say more than three words in less than five minutes. I always enjoyed it.
"I would start with the most powerful ones," he began as he took the glass. "I would keep the decorum and leave wives and daughters out of it. But sons are great targets."
"Okay." I nodded, sipping my drink, thinking about it. It could work, but I didn't want dead bodies. "Just don't kill anyone yet."
"Oh, no." He chuckled darkly, and I smirked. He was fucking insane, and he was proud of it like no one I’d ever met. "I would beat the crap out of Artemis Queid, and then I leave him in front of the hospital with a paper attached to his chest saying, ‘Pay your debt, Lazarus.’"
"Seriously?" I laughed, and he grinned, swallowing the liquor.
"Yes, and then I would catch," he looked at the paper, and his sinister grin widened, "Eden Altmeier. What about forcing him to dig his own grave and bury him only with his head above the ground? I can send his father to save him, right?"
"You're sick," I groaned, almost choking on overpriced whiskey. "Do it."
"Yes, boss." He winked at me and took his helmet from my desk. "And one more thing, brother. Valeria Kellerman will work for us tonight." My eyes widened in surprise, and my heart skipped a few beats. What excellent news! "You have a reservation at the VIP poker table." He flashed me a wicked grin and left me alone, stunned and confused.
This day was only half gone, and I’d already been shocked more than I had in a long time. But I would be lying to myself if I claimed Malin's words didn't excite me.
I would see her tonight, and I couldn't wait.
-9-
Valeria
Iwas washing the dishes when the news on TV caught my attention. Zara was coloring unicorns, and Chester was stretched on the couch, playing with his phone.
None of them was watching the damn thing, but it had to be turned on, or my husband would burst through the roof. I hated his stupid habit of always having some noise in the background. The casino environment and slot machines probably caused it. There was never silence, so his brain also demanded noise when he was at home.
However, this time, it was different because my eyes were glued to the screen, and my mouth was wide open. A pretty lady was talking about a massive fire on a farm in Texas, where three people died. According to unconfirmed information, it was Adam Rivers, his wife, and his father.
My body tensed, and the mix of shock, guilt, and a weird emptiness took hold of me. I grabbed the nearest chair so I wouldn’t collapse on the ground and sat down, doing my best not to throw up.
Three people died because I disclosed their whereabouts to the crazy killers. Even if Adam was guilty of something, his wife and father shouldn't have paid for his mistakes. Why did the Zhumagulovs murder all of them?
"Mommy, are you okay?" Zara's soft voice cut through the memories of me with the brothers, and I looked into her big, almost silver eyes. Her long auburn hair was in a high ponytail, showing her cute, concerned face.
"Yes, sweetheart." I gently took her hand, pulling her to me. "Everything is fine." I kissed her forehead, and she smiled at me, instantly melting my heart.
"Are you sure?" she asked, her innocent expression giving me the strength to nod and pretend I didn't feel responsible for three murders. Thankfully, she bought my act and ran to her room to finish her homework.
"You look like you saw a ghost," Chester pointed out, and I snapped my head in his direction. He stood and watched me worriedly while I blinked rapidly to push back the tears. A loud, painful shriek threatened to escape my throat, and only the knowledge of my baby girl being at home stopped it from ripping me apart.
"Valeria," Chester hissed, quickly closing the door to the kitchen and crouching before me when my breathing quickened. Noisy sobs almost pulled my chest to pieces. I couldn't hold myself together. My entire body shook violently, and I couldn't say a word to explain. Guilt took hold of my heart, and my stomach turned to knots. Everything around me was blurry; only the contours of my husband's scared face were deciphered by my wet eyes. I pushed my fist into my mouth to stop the booming sounds coming out of me, and when he embraced me, I hid my face in his chest, muffling my screams with his body.
"For Christ's sake, Valeria. What is going on?" Chester mumbled into my hair, squeezing me tightly. I shook my head and wrapped my arms around his torso, forcing my lungs to take in some oxygen. My head spun, and my heart almost gave up. I never felt so blameworthy.
"Calm down, baby doll. Just calm down," Chester whispered soothingly, but his words didn't make me feel better. I presumed Zyon or his brothers would do something violent, yet this exceeded my expectations. I finally understood why the people around them were so frightened. They were lunatics!
Slowly, I pulled away from my husband, still shaken by the news, but I couldn't stay around him. I needed to be alone. The feeling of shame flooded my body, and I couldn't even look at his face. If he knew how much I’d fucked up, he would be disgusted.
