by Sienna Snow
We found a spot along the table and waited for the other places to fill.
"Place your bets," the dealer called.
I set all my chips on black thirteen and grinned at Pierce.
"Figures you'd put all your eggs in one basket. Do you ever pick any other number to start?"
"Nope. It's lucky."
"It wouldn't have to do anything with the black sheep of the family whose favorite number is thirteen."
"Perhaps."
"No more bets." The dealer dropped the ball onto the roulette wheel.
I focused on the ball spin and then looked up to find Hagen watching me.
My heartbeat accelerated. It should be illegal to look so good. Hagen wore a black-on-black custom-fitted suit that did nothing to disguise the honed body hiding underneath.
He sipped a familiar red liquor with one large round ice cube.
His eyes blazed with lust. I licked my lips, feeling my cleft swell and grow damp.
"Black thirteen," the dealer called.
Hagen lifted his brow when he saw the dealer push my winnings in my direction.
I shrugged my shoulders and mouthed, "Beginner’s luck."
He set his glass on the tray of a nearby server and stalked toward me.
"I see big brother is here, and now I'm chopped liver."
Hagen stopped a bare foot from me and then said over my shoulder, "Get lost. Your services are no longer needed."
I turned toward Pierce. "Thanks for showing me around."
"See you later, shorty." Pierce kissed my cheek.
When I looked back at Hagen, he was frowning.
"What?"
His hand gripped my waist. "You're mine."
"Yes."
Hagen gestured to a man standing in the corner. In the next minute, he was gathering my chips.
"Your winnings will be delivered to the lounge."
"Are we going somewhere?"
"Yes. I learned you have a thing for pastries. Let's go have dessert." His lips quirked up at the corners, and I knew his mind went to his version of dessert we'd engaged in not so long ago.
"Damian told you."
Instead of answering, he held out his hand. I slid mine over his and let him lead me to the patisserie. As we neared, a well-dressed woman in a chef’s coat and hat approached.
"Mr. Lykaios, we have a table ready for you. I hope you enjoy." She smiled as we passed her and moved in the direction of our table.
"Is that…"
"Yes.” He answered before I finished my question. “This is her patisserie, after all."
I was obsessed with Micola Trudeau and her unique cooking style. She had a French and Greek background that created a taste that was not exclusively Greek or French but a combination of both.
"I am so going to beg her for cooking lessons before I leave."
He paused midstep and faced me. "Are you planning on going somewhere?"
"Well, I wasn't sure if you were serious about me staying long term."
Shit, why'd I confess that?
"Starlight, as I said, the only way this ends is if you end it."
"That's a lot of power you're giving me."
"I know." He kissed my forehead. "Time for dessert before you meet your opponents."
"You make them sound like I'm about to go against a band of mercenaries."
"Close. The men and women you'll meet tonight are the best in their fields. So, needless to say, they play poker the way they do business."
"So do I."
"That is why I knew you'd fit in."
We took our seats, flirted, and made small talk while we ate. It was as if we were on a date, and I loved it.
Just as a server refilled my coffee, Hagen said, "I want you to know as much as possible about the people you’re playing with. They will have researched you and won’t hesitate to use any advantage.”
“Okay. That’s to be expected.” I lifted my cup, taking a sip. “Tell me the deets.”
Hagen set his saucer down and leaned back. “Hector Cortez runs all the fruit and potato exports out of Peru. He has an ancient mindset about women and their place in the world.”
“I’ll try not to stab him with the heel of my shoe if he pisses me off.” I smiled up at him, and he shook his head.
"Jason Sev,” Hagen continued, not hiding his amusement at my statement, “is a Norwegian aristocrat. He likes to party and lives the typical wealthy European jet-setter lifestyle.
"Kacee Hightower is a Texas billionaire. He’s rough, tells it like it is, but is the kind of man you want to have your back. Out of all the players, he’s the one I think you'll like the best.
"Navin and Ming Seif are twins who do nothing without the other. They are tech industrialists. They rarely, if ever, talk, but will think nothing about betting a few million dollars if there is even a remote chance of winning the hand.
"The last player is Briana Amici. I think you two will get along. She is the heiress to an olive oil fortune. She could fill her days traveling and engrossed in fashion but prefers to spend her time in the olive fields."
"So what did you tell them about me?" I asked after I swallowed the last bite of my pastry.
"That you're gorgeous beyond belief, have brains to match the beauty, and can drop-kick a man if he pisses you off enough."
"I'm serious."
"They know you are the Kipos heiress and my girlfriend."
"So in other words, they think the only reason I'm at the table with them is because I'm sleeping with you?"
"They all will know you’re smart with your degrees. But they will assume it was nepotism that got you your position at Kipos and made you successful. It’s your job to let them underestimate how intelligent you truly are. Isn't that what you've mastered over the years?"
"I guess." I frowned. "With Dara, I had no choice."
"Think of tonight like you did that first game with Tweedledum and Tweedledee."
"I'm not sure Pierce and Zack would approve of your description of them." I paused. "Am I your girlfriend?"
"You're more than that, but for now, we'll call you my girlfriend."
"Then what are you to me?"
A sheepish grin crossed his face. "Your master of sin. After all, you did task me with the corruption of Persephone."
Penny
* * *
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, after brief introductions, I slipped into my seat at the poker table. All the seats were occupied except one. The people around me were studying me and each other. I'd learned that none of them had played together before, with the exception of the twins.
The dealer glanced at Hagen, who looked at his watch and gestured to wait.
A few moments later, a leggy blonde with a bombshell figure strolled in.
"Sorry, darlings. I was held up," she said in a heavy Italian accent. She wore a cat-like bodysuit with thigh-high boots. She had the dominatrix look down pat. The only thing missing was a whip.
A bubble of excitement filled me, and I nearly jumped out of my seat and ran to hug her. The first of my girls had arrived, and in the form of the Italian heiress she actually was.
"So, who are you?" Sauntering in my direction, she examined my outfit from my shoes to my head and hummed. "I like the dress."
Hagen shifted to stand behind me. "Briana Amici, this is Persephone Kipos."
She shook my hand, and I felt her slip something into my palm. I knew what it was—a tracker in the form of a ring.
"It’s nice to meet you. I love your family's olive oils. They’re a staple in my house."
"It’s good to see someone who appreciates quality over the crap they sell in the supermarkets."
She took her seat across from me and picked up the cocktail an attendant set in front of her.
Dropping my hands into my lap, I slipped the tracker onto my right ring finger.
Hagen noticed the movement and leaned over to whisper, "I take it that you know her."
"Yes."
Then h
e added, "Please tell me she isn't one of your entourage."
"Yes, she is. She's usually the team leader."
He brushed his lip against the side of my neck, sending shivers up my spine. "Only you would have the most temperamental diva around as part of your security detail."
"It's an act." I leaned into his touch.
"As I said before, you’re full of secrets."
"Let's begin," Ming, one of the twins, said.
Hagen stepped back and nodded to the dealer to start.
For the next two hours, we played. I lost the first few rounds, studying the group and gauging the little nuances that gave away their thought processes. I was pretty sure Hagen was scratching his head and wondering how I beat his brothers.
"Call," the dealer said, expecting everyone around the table to add to the pot or bow out.
The twins and Jason folded, leaving me and three others in the game.
"You sure you don't want to fold, missy? Maybe you'd be better off playing the slots downstairs." Hector gave me a condescending smile.
Hagen's warning about Hector’s stance on women was more than obvious. The man couldn't go one round without making some underhanded comment.
"No. I'm where I'm supposed to be."
"Leave the girl alone." Briana glared at Hector. "We're tired of your chauvinistic anecdotes."
Hector ignored her and leaned back to look over to where Hagen watched the game from a set of sofas in the corner.
"Your girl is pretty to look at, and I'm sure she’s fabulous in bed, but I wouldn't mistake her for a high roller."
A tic pulsed in the side of Hagen's head, telling me he was about to knock Hector into the next century.
"Sometimes first impressions can be deceiving." Hagen glanced in my direction and gave me a wicked grin that shot straight to my core. "The most dangerous opponents come in packages mistaken for harmless."
"I bet this one has nothing better than a pair. Let's see them."
I held in my sneer and couldn't wait to see the asshole’s face.
Laying down my cards, I gave no reaction but to lean back and pick up my drink.
"Ha-ha." Briana clapped her hands. "Hector, I hope you have something to beat a straight flush."
"What?" He stared down at his cards. "How the hell?"
"It looks like our little wallflower here is a killer waiting in the wings." Kacee lifted his tumbler and clinked his glass against mine. "I can tell this game is about to get interesting."
We played for another hour and a half. The twins, Jason, and Hector withdrew from the game when Hagen announced the thirty-minute mark until the end of the play.
"Fold," Kacee said as he dropped his cards to the table and shook his head. "That's five hands in a row. Tell me you had something better than two pairs."
"Of course she doesn't, darling," Briana purred while stirring the olive in her martini. "Isn't that right?"
I gave them a sheepish grin and revealed cards that would have lost the pot had Kacee stayed in the game.
"You had nothing. Damn girl, you have the best bluff I've encountered in years. Those sweet smiles are what gets a man, and then before anyone knows it, he's lost over a hundred grand." Kacee picked up his cigar, gave it a few puffs, and set it down on the ashtray. "I need you to come work for me."
"She doesn't need your money. She has a fortune of her own." Briana smirked. "Plus, a very possessive nightclub owner would be very upset if she went to work for the competition."
Kacee looked at Hagen. "You better put a ring on her finger, or I'm going to steal her."
I flushed. That was not something either of us had thought about or discussed. Hell, we'd been a couple for barely three weeks.
"I'm working on it."
What?
I whirled around in my seat and locked eyes with Hagen. There was a hint of humor in his gaze but also a touch of truth.
He couldn't be serious. Could he?
He lifted a brow in challenge.
My heartbeat pounded into my ears as did a longing to truly belong to him. For years, it had only been Adrian and me. My role was to protect him and do my damnedest to raise him while growing up myself. But in all that time, I never felt there was anyone who was mine.
Hagen implying he wanted a future with me made me nervous that I was getting carried away.
Before I could react, a group of men entered the lounge followed by a few of Hagen's security and two pissed-off Lykaios brothers.
"We've come to join the party."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Penny
* * *
THE AIR in the room grew cold, and the casual mood disappeared.
It was apparent the group wasn’t welcome.
Hagen looked toward Zack. "Why are they here? I thought we had an agreement."
The men began to order drinks from the hostesses. Their accents sounded Eastern European, but which country I couldn't place.
"They decided to make an unexpected U-turn. I think you may need to have a nice chat with their boss. I really don't want any more energy expended to deal with their bullshit."
"Deal us in," said a tall man in the back as he looked everyone up and down before his attention focused on me. There was a hint of surprise and then a calculating grin.
Oh shit, that was the guy in Dara's office the day she fired me. Now that I thought about it, I'd seen him multiple times over the years—at her office, her penthouse, and on trips with her.
What was his name? Erin Kapok.
I remembered Adrian mentioning some Ukrainian lover Dara had an on-and-off thing with for the last few years. According to Adrian, he worked for a European mob syndicate.
Trust Dara to fuck a mobster to get her dirty work done.
"Hagen, that's one of Dara's lovers," I whispered.
He moved closer to me and said in a low voice, "Now this is starting to make sense. Whatever he says, do not respond."
I wanted to argue but kept quiet as Kapok stared me down. He knew I recognized him.
A few more of Kapok’s men entered the room but stayed back, remaining close to the door, watching and trying to understand what was happening. They spoke in what I could only assume was Ukrainian. They all seemed irritated with Kapok but moved to the side to watch.
"Sorry, Kapok, the game is over. We're about to have dinner," Zack said as Hagen moved to stand between Erin and me, blocking his view of me. "The lounge next door has room for a few more to join if you’re bent on playing."
"What's the buy-in?" Kapok asked, shifting to my line of sight again.
"Two hundred thousand. The same as always. If you follow Jamie, she’ll get you settled next door." Zack's voice was cold, and with the unquestionable authority he was known publicly for.
Kapok began to move but paused. "I have a question."
Everyone waited. I knew whatever he said would be an insult directed at me. He was too focused on me, and Hagen's protective gesture toward me gave away I was important to him.
"Did the Lykaios whore have the buy-in or was it paid by being on her back? According to her stepmother, she’s fucking all three of you."
The room grew quiet.
Briana jumped to her feet, and I cringed, thinking she was about to pull out her gun and shoot him. Instead, she exclaimed, "Stronzo."
"Now see here, boy. She is a lady, and you will respect her." Kacee rose from his seat, but stopped when Hagen lunged toward Kapok.
"You son of a bitch. Don't you ever call her that."
I quickly grabbed Hagen's arm and stood, moving in front of him before he lifted his clenched fist and punched Kapok.
Hagen tried to shove me behind him again, but I wouldn't budge.
This was the exact reaction Kapok wanted. There was a smug satisfaction on his face. I'd seen that same look on Dara the countless times I'd listened to her insult me.
I was not going to let the bastard get away with degrading me. If he wanted to believe I fucked all of them, fine—wh
o gave a shit?
At that moment, extra security rushed in and glanced at Zack, who nodded toward Kapok.
"Get rid of him. He is no longer allowed on any of our properties."
"Get your hands off of me." He struggled against their hold. "Admit it. Dara was right."
"Fine. If that's what you want to believe. I'm the Lykaios whore. It's better to be their whore than Dara's."
"Starlight." Hagen's eyes were filled with rage. "I told you to stay quiet."
"I was only—"
He cut me off. "Go with Pierce while Zack and I take care of this trash."
"He's not worth it, Hagen."
"Pierce. Get her out of here." Hagen's voice was ice like I'd never heard before.
Zack spoke next. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wouldn't mind vacating the room, we have a reception waiting for you."
Pierce pulled me from the room as it emptied.
"This is my fight. Dammit, Pierce."
"No, it's his. Hagen is an enforcer. It doesn't stop just because he doesn't work directly for Draco anymore."
"What’s that supposed to mean?" I jerked my hand free to enter the elevator.
"Being with Hagen means dealing with the darker side of what he does. He isn't the Prince Charming you've conjured in your mind. He’s lethal and won't hesitate to get his hands dirty. Especially when someone who knows better insults his woman."
"You make it sound like I'm some kind of liability." I folded my arms across my body as we entered the elevator.
"That is what you are. You are his weakness. Hagen has a reputation for staying calm in almost any situation. The fact he had any reaction when Kapok insulted you means you’re his weakness. People like Kapok's boss won't hesitate to use that information. If Hagen doesn't take care of it, then it will put you in danger far bigger than your issues with Dara."
"So you're telling me that Hagen is going to make it clear that if anyone messes with me, they mess with him?"
"Exactly."
"That's seriously archaic."
"That's life with Hagen. You are his, and therefore people will use you against him. Just know Hagen will kill anyone who tries to hurt you. That includes using the tools he learned at Draco's right hand." He saw me cringe. "He loves you, Penny—he always has. You need to decide if you can deal with it or not. If you can't handle it, break it off now."