Page 12 of Wild Card (The Trident Trilogy 3)

Millie, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 2020

“There ain’t a chance you got that other queen, Millie.” Butch relaxes back in his chair, spreading his legs wide. He nods his head casually at me while he gnaws on a toothpick. He’s the picture of confidence except for his right eye. It’s twitching. I would think a SEAL would know never to play poker with a CIA interrogator. We pick up on everything.

“Yeah, so you’ve said about twenty times. If you don’t think I have it, then call, and let’s get on with our lives.” He has a full house showing with three aces. I have three queens showing. The only way I can beat him is with four of a kind. I’m holding his other ace. He’s not holding the other queen.

“Mason! Tame your woman!” Butch spits out the toothpick as he snarls in Mason’s general direction.

“Not a chance,” Mason says from behind me where he’s sitting with Dad and Chase. “I like her wild.”

I hear Dad’s low growl. “Haven’t I asked you repeatedly not to say things like that in front of me?” I turn around to find him shaking his head at Mason whose eyes are fixed on me.

“You have, brother. You have.” Chase pats Dad on the shoulder.

I turn back to Butch. “Good lord, Butch. I hope it doesn’t take you this long to make a decision in the field.”

Bryce laughs from the seat to my right. “There’s a reason we never let him go into a room first.”

“Rookie, you know you better keep that mouth shut unless you want Uncle Butch to give you an ass-whooping.” Butch is still trying to read me. He hasn’t gotten close all night. No one has. Bryce and Hawk folded two rounds ago.

“I’m not the rookie anymore, dumbass. Matt’s been with us for almost a month. Try to keep up.”

Butch finally moves his eyes off me and looks behind him where Matt’s sitting with Ty and Mouse by the fire pit. “Young Matthew, you graduated from college. Bring some of that fancy book learning over here and tell me what to do.”

Matt doesn’t move anything except his eyes which shift to me. “Wasn’t she a CIA interrogator?”

“She was,” Butch says slowly.

“Then don’t you think she can probably read you way better than you can read her?”

“That is not helpful at all.” Butch looks at Hawk. “That’s why the youth should be seen and not heard.”

Hawk shakes his head. “You’ve got to pull the trigger, brother. Call or fold.”

Butch looks over my shoulder. “Mack, you know her best. What do you think?”

“I think your rookie’s smarter than you and it’s not even close.” I’m not looking at Dad, but I can tell he’s smiling proudly at me.

“Fuck!” Butch throws his cards on the table. “I fold. Show me the queen.”

“You’re looking at her,” I say as I flip my two cards face up—an ace and a ten. No queen.

“Damn!” Bryce slaps his hand on the table. “She bluffed you right out of your shorts.”

“I hate you so much right now,” Butch says, glaring at me.

“That’s rude,” I say as I push my chair back.

“And hateful.” Hawk pats my hand.

“Yes, and hateful. Thank you, Hawk,” I say, gently wiping away non-existent tears. “Now, I believe you threw your watch into the pool last round. Should we get it from your car before you forget?”

Butch stands up slowly. “Does someone want to come with us to make sure I don’t kill her?”

“Naw,” Mason says as he pulls me down to his level for a kiss. “The way she just whipped your ass, I’m guessing she can beat you in just about any fight at this point.”

“Let’s go, Millicent,” Butch says, pulling me away from Mason.

“Okay, Gabriel.” Butch snaps his head around to me. “What? You don’t think I know what your real name is?”

---