Page 15 of Tangled Lies

“All I have to do is play by the rules? I don’t even have to win?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Play by our rules, and I’ll make sure tonight's tip is bigger than any you’ve seen.”

I rolled my eyes.

He knew damn well this wasn’t a normal thing for her. We’d been trying to get to her for the better part of two years and finally figured out the friend was the way to go.

“Okay. Here.”

She laid her cards down.

“I think I have a pair. Which means I already lost, I think.”

Ronan didn’t say anything as he laid his own cards down and hell.

“How in the hell do you end up with a straight? Well, princess. What’s first to go?” I asked.

Jett was damn near drooling, but when she reached for a clip in her hair? Well, shit. She was playing by the rules though, wasn’t she?

“There. No one ever said where to start. Now, deal the cards. Someone’s going to ruin my uncle’s plans as well as my fiancée’s pride. Or at the very least,” she paused and turned to Ronan, “someone’s going to show me what it’s like to make my own choices.”

No one spoke.

I started to deal another hand, but even I could see the smoke rising.

The crack of a bottle as it fell to the tile floor was the only warning the pretty little princess got before Ronan lost his shit.

I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth watching the way his face grew red as the devil he hid inside came out. It was the four of us and her, and I could tell at least three of us were interested in her. None of us would fight each other though.

She was over his shoulder before I could ask.

“Get in the fucking car,” he yelled to us as he headed for the door.

The boys and I grabbed our jackets. Jett grabbed his beer downing it as we hurried after Ronan.

“Was this on anyone's bingo card?” Knox asked.

I smirked as I quickened my pace. The car was in the garage below the casino and we were all taking the same fucking elevator, but whatever made Ronan happy, I guess.

The doors to the elevator dinged open, and thank fuck there was no one else in there. The elevator only served the penthousefloors, but in a casino there were enough high rollers that these floors were never empty.

Once the doors closed, I looked over. “So, my friend formally known as the corpse king, what’s with this little show of emotions?”

He didn’t look at me. In fact, he was scarily still while the little package over his shoulder was not.

“My bag. It’s still in the room. I need my clothes.”

Jett ducked around us and popped up in her face.

“Pretty girl, you’re wearing clothes. I know because I was really excited to see what they looked like on the table.”

The movement was so fast we heard the grunt from Jett’s lips before realizing Ronan had just elbowed him in the gut.

“You’ll get the bag back later.” That was all Ronan said as Knox pulled his phone out, no doubt texting one of our guys to take care of the retrieval.

“No. I can’t go home without it. You don’t understand. My uncle–”