Page 45 of Poker
I return my attention to the others. “Now, is everyone ready to get started?”
Fortunately, that incident is the only one of the night. Poker throws a few hands to appease Martin, but it’s Ms. Graven, who walks away the clear winner for the evening.
“You really know how to turn me on,” Poker tells me as we walk to his matte black Camaro after everyone else leaves.”
“You’re talking about me kicking out Ms. Rogers, aren’t you?”
He grins. “What can I say? Jealousy looks good on you.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “I’m not jealous, just possessive.”
“Hmm, me too.”
CHAPTER23
POKER
I need to get to Meri.
Meri’s armstighten around my waist as we lean into the curve. It’s her day off, and we decided to go for a ride. About two hours away from Marble Falls, we stopped in a little town to eat lunch at a small diner, then we walked down their Main Street, going from one shop to the next.
I’ve never been the shopping type, or even the exploring a new town type, but with Meri, everything is fun.
We’re fifteen miles from Marble Falls, and traffic is light, so when a dark sedan seems to come up on us out of nowhere, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end.
I wrap my hand around Meri’s thigh, reassuring myself that she’s okay, and then I increase my speed. The sedan speeds up to stay on my tail, and genuine fear slithers through me. Going out on my Harley is not something I’ve ever been afraid of, but with Meri on the back of my bike, the idea of it is inconceivable.
After two vehicles pass us going the other direction, the sedan swerves into the oncoming lane, and before I can figure out what they’re doing, the driver yanks the wheel and slams into our side.
I try to maintain control, but it’s impossible. My bike has a mind of its own. I engage the brakes, doing as much damage control as I can, but it’s too late. The bike tips and skids to a halt on the asphalt, throwing both of us off to barrel into the ditch.
Meri’s scream pierces the air, and pain shoots through my body. Fortunately, we both were wearing helmets since it was a longer ride, but there’s no telling what kind of injuries we’ve sustained.
“Meri,” I call out, unable to see her. Not only is my vision blurry, but unconsciousness threatens to take over. Somehow, my bike managed to land on top of me, pinning me to the ground.
“P-Poker?” she says, her voice shaky. “Are you okay?”
“I think so, but I’m stuck. You?”
“Pretty banged up, but I-I don’t think any-anything is broken. My head is s-spinning though.”
“Ok. Just stay calm,” I order. “I’m going to try to get to my cell and see if I can get us some help.”
I don’t get a response.
“Meri?” Nothing. “Meri!”
When she remains quiet, terror claws at my insides, making it even harder to breathe. A shadow falls over me, and for a split-second, I feel relief because someone will help us. But it’s short-lived whenever the person walks away.
I try to twist and turn to get my cell, but nothing works. Then an idea hits me.
“Siri!” I shout, hoping like fucking hell that damn faceless AI bitch can hear me. “Call Crow!”
“Calling Crow,” the robotic voice replies.
I clearly can’t hear if he answers, so all I can do is shout ‘help’ over and over, hoping he hears me. I shout it until my throat dries to the point that I can’t speak, and then the dark sucks me under.
* * *
