Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7)(24)

She shook a finger at me and took a large sip of booze. “I want to get my dance on. This crap is really not my idea of a good time.” She gestured erratically to the poker table with a grimace. “Come dance with me.”

I wasn’t leaving. I needed to see this poker game for myself. This kind of thing could be prone to shenanigans.

Arys gripped the back of the chair next to me. Instead of sitting down, he stood rigid, watching Jenner and Sloane’s approach. They sauntered over, beaming with self-satisfaction.

“Finished so soon?” Jenner asked with a sly grin. “I don’t recall your appetite being so easily sated, Arys.”

“No more games.” Arys shook his head, and his eyes blazed. “No more snide f**king comments. I’m done with it.”

“Oh, I see.” Jenner nodded knowingly. “You love the changes I’ve made to the place. And you hate that, huh? Figures. You always were the spoiled brother, unable to let me have my moment to shine.”

Arys huffed and shoved a hand through his hair. He stared at the floor as if unable to bring himself to look at the taunting vampire. A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Let’s just get this over with.”

With a snap of his fingers and a few orders barked at the nearest waitress, Jenner quickly had the table cleared and readied for a poker game. He took a seat and gestured for Arys to sit across from him, leaving the rest of us crowded around the side opposite the dealer.

I sat stiffly, studying each vampire in turn. They bickered over the trustworthiness of a dealer employed by Jenner. A snappy reminder from Shaz that shifters could smell a lie brought that argument to an end.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know a whole hell of a lot about poker. However, I did know enough to understand why Arys was so damn good at it. But was he better than a Las Vegas vampire who had as many years of experience playing the game?

Taking a sip, the whiskey burned, but it was smooth. Focusing on that, I tried not to entertain the fearful thought that whispered in the back of my mind, What did Jenner have planned for me if Arys lost?

No matter what happened, my friends had my back. Shaz was hovering on the edge of wolf, ready to lose it the moment the time was right. Jez’s feline gaze was narrowed, watchful of the activity around us. Of course, that would have been a tad more reassuring if she hadn’t been well on her way to Margaritaville.

I struggled to focus. My head swam as I rode the blood high. A strange giggle escaped me. The power flowed through me, a constant force that drew my gaze hungrily to the mortal occupants of the table.

Then there was Jenner. With two cards in hand, he met my gaze and winked. Didn’t he know I could have him if I wanted to? The urge to lure him in was strong. It was a damn good thing that I’d left Kale back home. I would never have been able to stop myself from playing with him.

“This is like watching late night poker on TV, but better because I have a never ending supply of cocktails.” Jez cackled, throwing more liquor down her throat.

“You so need to be cut off,” I murmured softly, but her wildcat ears easily heard me.

“And you need to join the party. By the end of the night, this place will be yours.” She shoved a shooter across the table and raised one to match in cheers.

Jenner tossed his cards down, folding. The dealer gathered the cards while Arys slid the small pot close. So far so good, but this was still just the beginning.

“Are you hens going to cluck the whole time we’re playing?” Jenner asked, tossing more chips into the center. “Why don’t you go find a way to entertain yourselves?”

Arys bet a frightfully large amount as I tried not to choke on my whiskey. “Show the ladies some respect. They’ll be the ones kicking your ass when you lose this joke of a game.”

Cards were dealt, and bets were raised. The dealer revealed the first few cards, and I held my breath. Neither vampire folded. I grabbed the shot glass before me and downed it. Tequila. Immediately I thought of Willow. It was his favorite.

When the dealer revealed the fifth card without anyone folding, each vamp was forced to show his cards. Jenner’s flush beat Arys’s three of a kind, and I felt the color drain from my face as Jenner dragged a pile of chips to his side.

“Keep talking, Arys. Keep talking.” Jenner waved over a passing waitress and without a word, bit into her wrist. Not a drop hit the table. He licked the small wound, dragging his tongue over her vein. Then he gifted her with a slap on the ass and sent her on her way.

Arys never missed a beat as the poker game continued. More than once, he made a bet that could seriously compromise his chances of winning without blinking an eye. I, on the other hand, swallowed whiskey by the glass as I tried to drown my growing panic.

For a while, it felt like nothing was happening. Cocky opening bets became small cautious bets and bluffs to feel one another out. The tension was making me ill. Dragging it out like this was growing painful though neither vampire seemed to share my unease. Jez amused herself by silently feigning death by boredom every time someone folded or took a ridiculous amount of time to make a decision. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore either. I walked away from the table with her hot on my heels.

“Holy shit, could those two possibly be more intense?” She briskly rubbed her arms. “They’re totally ruining this trip for us. I knew we should have left your vampire at home.”