Sweet Pain (Amatucci Family #3) - Sadie Jacks Page 0,78
as well just give me your money.”
Foster wiped at his brow. Scratched a finger at the corner of his mouth. He sighed. “Fuck.” He threw his cards down.
I laughed, leaned forward to scoop up the chips.
Mas reached out, fast as a snake. The edge of his blade suddenly between my outstretched fingers. “Not your pot, Penn.”
I blinked. “What the fuck?” I looked at Foster’s cards again. Looked at the community cards. “Dammit, Foster. Why can’t you just play like a normal human, you asshole?” I sat back.
Foster laughed. “And miss the opportunity to watch you eat crow in public?” He laughed again. “Never.” He stood up, took a bow to the Amatucci brothers’ clapping before he scooped up the chips. “And you should probably focus a little more on the game instead of pictures of Willow wearing aprons. You might have played a better round.”
“Keep your eyes on your own damn phone, bastard.” I grabbed my phone up.
The Amatucci brothers howled with laughter. “You’re playing sexy-times chicken with Will?” Rafe asked around a laugh. “Brother, I hope you didn’t bet in that game like you’re doing in this one.”
“She was a virgin. She shouldn’t be this fucking good at teasing, dammit.” I slammed my hands down on the table.
Various looks of laughter and disgust filled the mafia boys’ faces.
“What are the rules?” Foster asked.
I shook my head. I’d already said too much. I wasn’t going to potentially embarrass both of us anymore.
“Oh, come on. We’re all grownups,” Foster complained. “Besides, between all of us, we might be able to help you win.” He looked at the other men. The call to join him was evident on his face.
Turo laughed. “I’ll play. What are the rules?”
Rafe puffed on his cigar a few more times. “I’m game. But if you lose, you die alone, bro.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not telling you.”
Mas studied me. “You’re afraid you might lose,” he said, his quiet voice making the simple statement sound more like a threat.
I deflated as the reality that Willow was better at teasing than I was settled over me. “Well, I didn’t know I was playing with the goddess of sex and sin, now did I?”
Nico spat his beer all over the table. “For fucks sake, Penn!”
“Oh please. Like you’re not trying to play doctor with Jessa.” I rolled my eyes.
Nico squirmed some more in his chair.
A light bulb went on in my head. “That’s what the text was, wasn’t it? My little vixen got them all to play.” I hooted with laughter. Put the beer bottle back up to my lips.
“What are the damn rules, Penn?” Turo asked.
I eyed him. “She’s playing, too?” I almost snorted my beer up my nose. I shook my head. “I don’t think the girls should get to hang out very often.”
“I received no text,” Mas said in his broken voice.
“Me either,” Rafe pouted.
I turned to Foster. Waited for him to admit lack of action.
He gave me straight-face.
All the Amatucci men snarled. Mas got his knife back out and started twirling it through his fingers in a rapid display of grace, experience, and precision. “Our sister is not a toy to play with, Ambright,” Mas said.
“Did I say I was going to play?” Foster asked, his eyes wide.
Turo chuckled. “Don’t think the innocent and parsing game will work a second time. Treat her with respect.”
I could hear the rest of that threat as if he’d spoken it aloud through a microphone. Or die.
Foster looked at the brothers. “I’m not the one starting it. She wants to play with me, I’ll play back.”
I winced. This was not the group to try to measure your dick against. They’d chop it off, dice it up, and put it in your food. Well, Momma might do that part.
Mas threw the knife with a casual thrust of his wrist.
Foster caught it by the handle, slammed the point down into the poker table. “You shouldn’t play with knives.”
Mas smiled. “Perhaps you can play with our Tali.” His expression dropped as if it had never changed. “But if she cries because of you, I will carve each of her tears into your flesh.”
Foster nodded. “Agreed.”
“Now that we all know Ambright here does, in fact, have balls, tell us the fucking rules, Penn,” Turo demanded.
I told them. As one, Turo, Nico, and Foster grabbed up their phones. Rafe and Mas snorted and set up for the next round.
I grabbed my phone, hit the speed dial button I’d assigned to Willow.