But everyone doesn’t win at the G-Ring. That’s the nature of the beast.
They bet against the house…and that’s me. I almost always win, in the end. It’s the lack of desperation. I want to succeed, but most of my clients have their daddies’ money on the line. They need to win.
On the off chance that I do lose? I have the overhead to pay out the winnings. Saved up from four years of running this ring. At twenty-four, I have more money to my name than most men my age can claim, especially for someone without a college degree.
Cash that I made myself, not money at the other end of my Daddy’s credit card.
Yeah, the Ring is my baby. I’ve loved it, nurtured it, raised it up right. Glancing around this room, I’m filled with a sense of pride that comes from something you’ve built on your own.
Borg catches my eye from his post against the wall beside the tables. It’s time for me to make my rounds.
I’ll check in on the poker tables, set my sights on the games for a while. Borg strolls through the room with me as I observe my ring in action. As we walk toward the table, something catches my eye, an expression on one of the player’s faces that sends warning bells to my brain.
“Borg— ”
One of the jade-green poker tables upends as the player stands with a roar, scattering the contents of the game table like ashes in a gust of wind.
“You fucking cheater!” His voice is a loud bellow, his face a deep purple. The man’s chest heaves with fury as his hands ball into fists.
In a second, every eye in the room is laser-focused on the scuffle. Throwing himself over the fallen table, the aggressor lunges for another player, grabbing him around the throat.
They both go crashing to the floor. A clumsy cluster of thrashing arms and legs.
Every muscle in my body tightens; my fingers flex as I ready my hands. The only thing I want to do right now is launch myself into the fray.
Fighting comes naturally to me. It’s how I grew up, the way I was raised. When I was in school, I fought all the time until I found another outlet to channel my aggression. Once I figured out that I had a head for math and economy, I turned all my attention toward my classes. I could excel academically, something I’d never realized before.
I used to be pissed at the world for the cards I’d been dealt. Until I figured out that I could change them.
With a hand pressed hard against my chest, X blows past me toward the fight.
“Stay put,” he mutters, pushing me backward.
Yeah. It’s a part of the deal. If I’m gonna run a profitable business, I can’t exactly engage with the Neanderthals who occupy my games. I clench my hands into fists, rolling my head around to release some of the tension building there.
“Break it up, assholes.” X’s voice is calm as he takes on the aggressor. Borg already has his hands on the other fighter. The victim wheezes, clutching at his neck with wide eyes.
“He…came at me...for...nothing!” Each word out of the poor guy’s mouth is a dusty wheeze.
I step over to the table, my feet crunching over scattered poker chips as I approach. I don’t stop until my nose is right in the face of the wheezing player.
I poke a finger in his chest. “Were you cheating?”
His eyes flick to the left before meeting mine again. His mouth sets in a line, but his pupils dilate slightly in his light blue eyes before he answers. “No.”
Liar.
I lift my chin toward Borg. “He’s out.”
With a grunt, Borg drags the cheater, probably a card-counter, toward the door of the warehouse.
“That’s not fair!” The cheater’s yell is hoarse as he’s dragged out of my ring. “I didn’t do anything!”
I scan the eyes of the players now watching me. “My ring: my rules. I don’t tolerate cheaters. And—” I nod toward X, who hefts the attacker up by his collar— “I don’t tolerate fights. Not in my ring.”
There’s a young woman standing beside the attacker; I hadn’t noticed her until then. She’s pulling at both sides of her long auburn hair, her skin pale under a sprinkling of freckles. I scan her body: long legs, creamy skin, a designer dress and shoes taking up residence on her slight frame. I flick my eyes back toward the attacker.
“You’re out.” Borg drags him toward the door.
“But you, love…” I stop the woman from following her date with a hand on her wrist. “Don’t have to go with him. The seat beside me is open tonight.” I shoot her a smirk. The dirty kind that lets her know I’m not a nice guy. A night with me won’t be dinner and roses.
Her eyes flicker with interest, but then her gaze darts toward the door as the Neanderthal yells, “Aubrey! We’re outta here. Now!”
With one more heated gaze in my direction, she scurries after her meal ticket.
Not my type, anyway. I need a woman with a backbone.
I survey the room. Everyone is still shooting furtive glances my way, wary apprehension on their faces. I gesture toward the door.
“If you’re a cheater, might as well give up your two G’s and follow them out. If you wanna stay and play fair, stop eyeballing me and start watching where your money’s going.”
That’s all it takes to force everyone’s eyes back to their games. With a deep sigh, I head for the bar. I might have ice water flowing through my veins, but right now, a cold beer is calling my name.
X throws me a smirk
