Page 117 of Diamonds

“Isn’t it?”Rouge’s lips twitch as she switches her gaze between me and Maddox.Her eyes finally land on Pia.“And it appears you’ve adopted another royal into your deck tonight.A Jack of Diamonds, perhaps?Or in this case, a Jacqueline?”

Pia wrinkles her nose.“Perhaps I’m vying for the Queen’s title myself.”

Rouge raises her dark-red eyebrows.“A challenger.How exciting.”

I glare at Pia.“I’ve won more hands than you this evening.”

“There is more than one way to become a Queen,” Pia shoots back.“Sometimes you just have to marry a King.”

My first instinct is to shut this woman down by ignoring her taunts.

Then I realize that this could create the perfect distraction for Maddox to slip away.

I twitch my eyebrows toward him, hoping he understands.

I turn to Pia.“Listen, bitch.Maddox Hathaway is mine, and if you think you’re getting within two inches of him tonight, think again.”

Pia drops her jaw.“The kitty has claws.”

“You bet your arse she does.”I pick up my glass—still half full of tonic water—and throw it in her face.

People in the crowd gasp.Several women clutch at their necklaces.

Maddox gets to his feet.“Ladies, please.”

I look up at him.His lips are twitching upward.He knows this is a ruse.

I rise, staring Pia down.“How about you get the hell out of here?”

“I was about to say the same to you.”She grabs my arm, digs her long fingernails into my flesh.“My friend and I had the loveliest time with your so-called boyfriend just a few weeks ago.It was a cold January night, but we warmed his bed right up.”

That actually hurts.

Logically, I know that I have nothing to fear from this woman.At least, I know she’s not a threat to my relationship with Maddox.In terms of whether she could beat me into a pulp, she could be.

I grab her hair and pull it.

She screams.

Rouge grins.She’s enjoying the spectacle.It probably isn’t often that a brawl breaks out at Aces.

Clearly, she wants a show.And a bloody show I’ll give her.

I tackle Pia to the floor, and the crowd circles around us.She tries to get a punch in, but I keep her arms pinned to the ground, kicking at her legs with my feet.

I wore high heels tonight.I stretch my leg up and dig the heel into Pia’s thigh.

She cries out in pain.

Finally a strong pair of arms is on me, lifting me off the ground.

I turn to it, about to chastise Maddox for not taking this chance to go into Rouge’s office.

But it isn’t Maddox who’s pulling me off Pia.

It’s Chet.

I look around.Maddox took my hint.He slipped away while I was fighting with Pia.