Page 29 of Between Secrets and Obsession

“A week,” I tell her, wanting to go back to bed for a few more hours before I eat breakfast.

“I’m gonna program my number into your phone. You should call me so we can do this again.” Her flirty tone is seductive, and I know I have to stop her thoughts before she gets any ideas.

“I don’t do relationships, Victoria,” I warn. “They’re not for me.”

She stands. “I don’t either. But I’m always down for a good fuck.”

The words that leave her mouth aren’t surprising, so I think I might’ve found the female version of myself. “Guess we’re on the same page then.”

“Absolutely.” She winks, grabs her shit, and leaves. I get up, close the curtains, take some of the ibuprofen I keep in my travel bag, then go back to sleep.

An hour later, housekeeping barges into my room with me sleeping butt-ass naked. She’s more than embarrassed, and I try to laugh it off as I pull the sheets up to my chest. After sheprofusely apologizes, the woman leaves, and I sit up, rubbing my hand over my face. Needing to fully wake up and wash the smell of Victoria off my body, I take a shower.

The warm water feels great and eases my hangover. I could stay in here all morning, but when my phone rings, I wrap a towel around me and rush to the nightstand. The moment I see it’s JJ calling, I pick up.

“Liam?”

“Yeah, man, what’s up?”

“The private game was moved to tomorrow. You good with that?”

He asks me as if I’m going to flake out. “Works for me.”

“Putting your name on the list then. The other game is later this morning in Bobby’s Room.”

My eyes go wide. “Bobby’s Room?” It’s one of the most renowned areas in the poker section at the Bellagio named after their CEO, who also won the World Series Poker Tournament in 1978. I’ve never been able to afford the games there because it costs twenty thousand minimum to play at one of the two tables. They deal cards around the clock, and I’ve always wanted to go inside.

“Yeah, I’ll meet you downstairs at ten.” I can tell he’s smiling.

“Sounds good.” We end the call, and I get dressed. JJ may be giddy, but I’m anxious as hell. A bank wouldn’t loan me that much, so he must be pretty damn confident, which puts a lot of fucking pressure on me.

I check the clock and realize I have an hour before I need to be downstairs. Not wasting any time, I find some food, then make my way over to the area where JJ is meeting me. He’s leaning up against a wall, furiously typing on his phone.

“You okay?” I ask, noticing the mood shift from when I spoke with him this morning.

“Yeah, I’m good. Ready to win us some money?” he asks with a toothy grin.

I nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

I’m added to the waiting list, and JJ pays for me to play a fifty thousand dollar buy-in table. The woman who wrote down my name didn’t even flinch when he handed over thousands in chips. It takes every bit of chill I have to keep my eyeballs from popping out of my head. I’ve won thirty grand before, but this is next level. I crack my knuckles and suck in a deep breath, trying to calm down.

We sit in the waiting area, and when my name’s called, JJ looks hopeful at me. When I enter, I see the two famous tables inside. A few guys look up from their cards and stare me down, and it’s obvious I don’t belong here. All these rich guys are wearing luxury suits and outrageously expensive Rolexes. Some even have diamond rings on their fingers.

I sit off to the side until the dealer adds me to the next hand, and I’m immediately aware I’m not playing with amateurs. The stakes are high, the bets are higher, and I play cautiously as I learn every person’s quirk. I fold more than I play until I’m more comfortable, which takes about an hour.

One guy pushes his chips forward, and I’ve figured out that when he’s bluffing, he twists the ring on his finger and rubs his earlobe. My pair of jacks isn’t the best, but it’s something, so I go for it. Everyone else slides their cards to the dealer because the pot is valued at well over ninety grand.

Flipping our hands, we watch as the dealer lays out the rest of the cards. He’s got a pair of nines, and when another jack is flipped, I hold back the urge to hoot and holler. Three of a kind beats his low pair. The chips move toward me, and I quietly stack them with my other winnings. A pit boss walks around, making sure the rules are followed and everyone’s behaving. I hold back my victorious grin.

The next round, I lose thirty grand but still have triple that. I glance at my watch, and after I’ve been in the room for nearly eight hours, I call it quits. I get up and take my chips, worth a hundred and fifty thousand, but I don’t know what to do with them. Nervously, I tuck them into my pockets and carry what won’t fit in my hands. When I exit the room, JJ is eagerly waiting as if he’s been standing there the whole time holding his breath.

“How’d you do?”

“Not too shabby.” I grin, handing him seventy-five thousand dollars.

“That’s your half.”

JJ’s impressed and pleased. “Good fuckin’ work, Liam. Easiest money I’ve ever made.”