you’re funny?”
I sat back in my chair, exhaling heavily. This was pants. “I think I’m baffled . I lost all my chips. Even if we were counting cards, we’re not exactly good at it, so I can’t quite suss out what we’re doing here.”
“The best counters let themselves lose sometimes. You think by counting you’ll only ever win?”
I sighed, leaning forward, my elbows resting on my knees. This was going nowhere with the continued rhetorical questions. “Can I tell you a secret?”
Hammer looked surprised, straightening. “Go.”
“I’ve never played blackjack in my life before tonight. This one?” I said, nodding to Bennett. “He negotiates drink prices when we’re sitting at a table and they’re already free . He doesn’t fucking gamble .”
Snorting, Kim said, “And yet here you are, in a two-deck pitch, you stand on s-seventeen, double after split.”
Bennett leaned forward, genuinely curious. “Was that English?”
For the first time since we walked in here, I saw the corner of Kim’s lips twitch as if repressing a smile. Or a snarl. I couldn’t actually be sure.
“I’m going to give you two choices,” Hammer said. “One, I break your fingers. Or two, I break your face.”
I blinked, feeling a brief moment of pride that I had correctly predicted our punishment. But something felt off . Just because I hadn’t played blackjack in Vegas before didn’t mean I had been living under a rock. Finger-and face-breaking seemed a touch off-protocol for a couple of guys suspected of counting cards.
“Let’s see your hands,” Kim said, patting the table.
“You’re delusional,” Bennett replied, laughing incredulously.
“I’ll start with the pinkie,” Hammer said, lips twitching. “No one needs their pinkie.”
“Get stuffed, all right?” I growled, feeling a disorienting mix of impatience and righteous indignation building in my chest. “Forget the accent, I’m a fucking American citizen, you arseholes—I know my rights. If you’re going to start talking about getting violent, get a fucking cop or lawyer in here.”
The door swung open, and bloody Will entered,clapping slowly. Ice trickled into my veins, and I leaned back in my chair with a harsh exhale.
“Oh, you wanker,” I sighed.
“It was perfect!” He smiled at Hammer and Kim, and I groaned, dropping my head onto my arms on the table. I should have known. “You were angry, but convincing,” he said to me. “You might have thrown in an indignant fist slam for full effect, but I really like what you did with the American-citizen bit. Really got me right here.” I looked up just as he tapped his chest, over his heart, eyes soft and praising.
While Hammer and Kim stepped to the side, laughing, Bennett stood, walking over to Will. For a second I wondered if he was going to punch him or maybe just kick Will in the goolies, but then I realized he was smiling. He looked Will in the eye for a count of about three, and then patted his shoulder before simply walking to the door. “Well played,” he murmured before disappearing down the hall.
Hammer and Kim moved to me, hands extended and smiles full and easy now. “Sorry, man,” Hammer said, laughing. “Mr. Johnny French called. Said we needed to help your friend Will even the score. Apparently you deserved some payback for acting like pussy-whipped little babies earlier?” He held his hands up, shrugging in a way that made me wonder whether he was officially associated with the mob. “We just wanted to fuck with you a little.”
“Seemed the easiest way to get you away from the ladies,” Will said, rocking on his heels.
I sighed, rubbing my face and feeling my heart rate slowly return to normal. All said, this was a pretty brilliant prank. “Well, while you had us back here, I’m pretty sure Chloe was out there cleaning up.”
“She did pretty well,” Will agreed. “Few thousand at least.”
“Come on,” Kim said, helping me up and slapping my back.
I sat back in my chair, exhaling heavily. This was pants. “I think I’m baffled . I lost all my chips. Even if we were counting cards, we’re not exactly good at it, so I can’t quite suss out what we’re doing here.”
“The best counters let themselves lose sometimes. You think by counting you’ll only ever win?”
I sighed, leaning forward, my elbows resting on my knees. This was going nowhere with the continued rhetorical questions. “Can I tell you a secret?”
Hammer looked surprised, straightening. “Go.”
“I’ve never played blackjack in my life before tonight. This one?” I said, nodding to Bennett. “He negotiates drink prices when we’re sitting at a table and they’re already free . He doesn’t fucking gamble .”
Snorting, Kim said, “And yet here you are, in a two-deck pitch, you stand on s-seventeen, double after split.”
Bennett leaned forward, genuinely curious. “Was that English?”
For the first time since we walked in here, I saw the corner of Kim’s lips twitch as if repressing a smile. Or a snarl. I couldn’t actually be sure.
“I’m going to give you two choices,” Hammer said. “One, I break your fingers. Or two, I break your face.”
I blinked, feeling a brief moment of pride that I had correctly predicted our punishment. But something felt off . Just because I hadn’t played blackjack in Vegas before didn’t mean I had been living under a rock. Finger-and face-breaking seemed a touch off-protocol for a couple of guys suspected of counting cards.
“Let’s see your hands,” Kim said, patting the table.
“You’re delusional,” Bennett replied, laughing incredulously.
“I’ll start with the pinkie,” Hammer said, lips twitching. “No one needs their pinkie.”
“Get stuffed, all right?” I growled, feeling a disorienting mix of impatience and righteous indignation building in my chest. “Forget the accent, I’m a fucking American citizen, you arseholes—I know my rights. If you’re going to start talking about getting violent, get a fucking cop or lawyer in here.”
The door swung open, and bloody Will entered,clapping slowly. Ice trickled into my veins, and I leaned back in my chair with a harsh exhale.
“Oh, you wanker,” I sighed.
“It was perfect!” He smiled at Hammer and Kim, and I groaned, dropping my head onto my arms on the table. I should have known. “You were angry, but convincing,” he said to me. “You might have thrown in an indignant fist slam for full effect, but I really like what you did with the American-citizen bit. Really got me right here.” I looked up just as he tapped his chest, over his heart, eyes soft and praising.
While Hammer and Kim stepped to the side, laughing, Bennett stood, walking over to Will. For a second I wondered if he was going to punch him or maybe just kick Will in the goolies, but then I realized he was smiling. He looked Will in the eye for a count of about three, and then patted his shoulder before simply walking to the door. “Well played,” he murmured before disappearing down the hall.
Hammer and Kim moved to me, hands extended and smiles full and easy now. “Sorry, man,” Hammer said, laughing. “Mr. Johnny French called. Said we needed to help your friend Will even the score. Apparently you deserved some payback for acting like pussy-whipped little babies earlier?” He held his hands up, shrugging in a way that made me wonder whether he was officially associated with the mob. “We just wanted to fuck with you a little.”
“Seemed the easiest way to get you away from the ladies,” Will said, rocking on his heels.
I sighed, rubbing my face and feeling my heart rate slowly return to normal. All said, this was a pretty brilliant prank. “Well, while you had us back here, I’m pretty sure Chloe was out there cleaning up.”
“She did pretty well,” Will agreed. “Few thousand at least.”
“Come on,” Kim said, helping me up and slapping my back.
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