features contorted. “I thought I heard...” He turned toward Marion and back.
“You heard incorrectly,” I said with a smile. “Patrick and I have been married for a long time. Good luck, Julius. You’ll need it.”
“Well,” he said with a nod. “Congratulations.” He turned his attention back on me. “This is one of my favorite tournaments. I don’t recall seeing you here before?”
I shook my head.
“The post-tournament entertainment is…” He took a deep breath. “Probably not for ladies, if you don’t mind my warning.”
“Interesting. I have no desire to stay after I collect my winnings.”
Julius flashed his all-too-white smile. “Best of luck to you, Madeline.”
I turned to Patrick with a questioning look. “Entertainment?”
He shook his head. “We’re out of here.”
Sterling and Mason had made their way through the growing crowd to a small bar at the side of the room. Despite the increase in people, I was able to pick Sterling and Mason out by their height. “Are you going over to them?” I asked Patrick.
“I’m not leaving you until you’re seated.”
Like daggers piercing my exposed skin, I looked up to see Marion’s stare focused our direction.
“We can leave,” Patrick said.
I took a deep breath, seeing the white of my dress. “No. I need this. I won’t live in fear of that man or any.”
“You’re safe as long as we’re here.”
A few minutes later, the woman from the top of the stairs appeared. Stepping upon a riser in the back of the room and speaking with a microphone, she said, “Ladies and gentlemen.” She smiled my direction. “I am Elizabeth, and it is with great pleasure we welcome you to Boston Club’s annual poker tournament.”
While in other situations, her announcement may be met with applause, tonight there were smiles, murmurs, and raised glasses.
Elizabeth spent a few minutes reminding the players of the club’s rules. They were standard playing rules, yet it was all part of the show. Next, she began the seating draw. The second name called was Marion Elliott. Tipping his hat, he made his way to his seat.
I held my breath at the next name.
It wasn’t mine.
It wasn’t until his table was filled that I finally released the air burning hotter by the second within my lungs. Patrick squeezed my hand.
“He may live to see another day,” he whispered.
The second table had three players when Julius’s name was called. The last seat was assigned to me, Madeline Miller.
With a parting squeeze of my hand, I stepped away from Patrick and made my way to the chair beside Julius. While I’d never been a fan of his and rightfully told Ruby that he could be a jerk, I was pleased to be seated next to a familiar face.
“We meet again,” Julius said with a grin as I took my seat.
Once we were all seated, the remaining viewers made their way to the spectators’ chairs. Patrick and his friends were as near to me as the seating would allow.
“Gentlemen…and lady,” Elizabeth’s voice came through the speaker. “Play will now begin.”
Club workers appeared with trays of chips, each representing a million dollars. Each player was presented with a tray and time to arrange our chips as we wished.
I looked up as our dealer appeared. Surprisingly or not, she was a scantily dressed woman.
If it was a distraction technique, it was lost on me.
Mostly, I hoped she wasn’t cold.
“Good evening,” she said with a bright smile. “Shall we begin?”
The ceremonial cutting of the deck was followed by the first deal.
For a roomful of people, the noise level diminished.
Over time, the pot before me dwindled and grew. I was up for the evening. My big break came as the man at the far end from me, Dr. Lindsey Bolton, decided to risk half a million on what he undoubtedly felt was a winning hand.
Full house, jack high.
It was a nice hand and up until my last card, it would have won.
Four of a kind, fives.
Thankfully, the face value of the card didn’t matter. It was the quantity.
I’d been the only one to see his raise.
That win refurbished my pot. This wasn’t a tournament I planned to start slow. My goal was winning it all and with such a small field, I had no incentive to hold back.
Time passed.
Dr. Bolton was eliminated.
The final hand was dealt.
With four remaining players at our table, the opening bid was $25,000. It would be another twenty-five to see the game through. No one was in a hurry to raise. I certainly wasn’t as an ace-high hand was staring back