Page 197 of House of Cards

It’s a riskier gamble than betting the farm on a garbage hand. But when you’re holding nothing but a busted flush, you have to go all in, or risk your opponent seeing right through your bluff.

Elonzo’s jaw clenches, eyes narrowing. “Whatchu say t’me,hijueputa?” he drawls.

Every gun is suddenly pointed at me. “No?” I shake my head. “One of your guys, then?”

Elonzo’s eyes flick around the room, scanning his men’s faces. The silence thickens around us like boiling tar. I wait, hoping I strike it lucky. Elonzo gives Miguel a double-take, like he saw something he didn’t like in his henchman’s eyes. Guilt? Shame? Fear?

That’s my cue.

“Pity. Michelle was one of our top sellers. I trained her well. Just like Zoey over here.”

Miguel only starts breathing again when Elonzo’s eyes return to me. “You tryna set us up on a date, Hutch?”

I shrug. “Call it what you want. I disrespected you, so let me make it up. Take her upstairs, sample the merchandise. If you want more, I’ve got another twenty Angels for you. Trained and ready.”

“We don’t need your girls.” Elonzo gives me a condescending flick of his eyes. “Got our own. And we can bring more over the border if we need them.”

“That why do you keep stealing ours?”

Elonzo suppresses a smile, his mouth squirming. Then he barks out a laugh, shrugging. “What can I say?”

“There’s a reason you prefer our girls. Killing her would be a waste. And that’s coming from someone who’s slit a girl’s throat because her blow job had too many teeth.”

Elonzo studies me for a moment, half-smiling like he’s remembering the punchline of a joke he heard the other day. I keep my eyes trained on him, not giving him any reason to suspect a lie. Something must satisfy him, because he shakes his head like he’s disappointed in me.

“Trading your girl for your life?” He clicks his tongue, tsking me as he shoves his gun behind his belt. “Damn. That shit’s dark, even for you,gringo.”

He goes over to Zoey, who cowers away from him with hunched shoulders. But there’s nothing cowardly in her eyes when they dart my way. They’re venomous, and rightly so. I’ve just painted a target on her back.

Better she hate me and live, than love me and die.

He grabs her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Your pussy as good as he says,mamacita?”

Zoey doesn’t even hesitate. “Go to hell, you pathetic, cockless piece of?—”

Elonzo’s punch sends her sprawling to the floor with a whimper. I beg her to stay down at the same time as I’m willing her to get up.

She pushes herself up with one elbow, glares at Elonzo, and spits blood all over his white vest.

He steps back, hands up, letting out a bemused, “Oh-ho!” as he stares down at the bloodstains.

“Twenty just like her, huh?” Elonzo shoves his gun behind his belt and points out a few of his men. “Bring her.” He gives the rest of the captives a dismissive glance, lifts his chin at his remaining men. “You know what to do.”

It worked.

Thank fuck.

A handful of his men gather around Zoey, dragging her to her feet. She tries to kick one of them in the shin, but he plants a fist in her side that makes her retch out blood and spittle.

I catalog every feature on his face, making sure I can pick him out of the crowd later.

Elonzo selected some of his best men. Luis, Miguel, two more. I guess Zoey is their reward. If I can contain the situation down here fast enough, then I can save her from the worst of it.

She’s not coming out of this unscathed, but at least she’ll be alive.

I’m hoping that watching me slaughter the men that violate her will serve as some form of apology.

Ricky meets my gaze. His face is white, his lips trembling, but his eyes are alert. He gives his head the smallest shake, and mumbles, “You fucking asshole,” low enough that only I can hear.