Joker: A Bad Boy Biker Romance (New Devils MC Book 2)

by Jade Kuzma

  I bowed my head and excused myself from his office.

  As soon as I was alone, I pulled my phone out and called Hunter. It took him a few rings before he finally answered.

  “Hey… How are you feeling?”

  “Like I fuckin’ drank too much… Why didn’t you stop me?”

  I laughed at the sound of his groggy voice.

  “You looked like you were having a good time.”

  “Yeah, well… I guess I’m paying for it now.”

  “Listen. I talked to Alvarez. He agreed to let you into Nirvana this weekend.”

  “That’s good news. I can take it down easy. No sweat.”

  “There’s just one other problem though.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that…”

  “You have to come up with your own buy-in.”

  “Of course…”

  I listened to him sigh over the phone.

  “I’m sorry. But I think I have enough money—”

  “No. I told you from the beginning that this was my problem. You’ve already done too much. I’ll fix this shit.”

  “But you said you just lost all of your cash to Alvarez. Where are you going to come up with that kind of money?”

  I waited in anticipation for Hunter’s response. It wasn’t just about hearing Hunter’s solution to his problem. I was genuinely curious how he could possibly come up with 10-thousand dollars in less than a day.

  “I know what to do.”

  “Hunter—”

  “This isn’t the first time I’ve ever had this kind of problem.”

  “That doesn’t exactly inspire a feeling of confidence…”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure I can get the money. I know just the person to get it from.”

  “I hope the person you’re talking about is reasonable.”

  “I’ll make ‘em see reason. If they’re the kind of person I think they are, they’ll see that they have as much to gain from this as I do.”

  Chapter 16

  HUNTER

  “It’s called Nirvana. It’s a big poker tournament. Bigger than all of the small tournaments they usually host. A lot bigger. Prize pool is gonna be so big that all I would need is a piece of it. You’d get your money back, no sweat.”

  I looked at the two men sitting across the table at me. One of them I’d seen before. A friendly facade even though I knew the motherfucker was capable of more. Cain might’ve smiled like he was a nice guy but he was a criminal just the same as every other club member I’d ever met.

  The other guy… It was easy to tell that he’d been locked up. The bastard looked like he was pissed that someone had taken away his freedom and now he was looking to take it out on someone.

  “Why us?” the other man said. “Why the Devils? There are other MCs in Ivory you could talk to.”

  “I figured I’d have a better chance negotiating with the Devils. Seeing as how there’s only two of you, I think that I’m right.”

  I glanced down at the patch on his chest and back up at him.

  “Vice president,” I said. “You must be doing pretty good for yourself. Then again, you’re a club with only two members…”

  “What did you say this guy’s name was?” he said as he turned to the man next to him.

  “Hunter Jacobson,” Cain replied. “He’s from the big city. That’s what he says, anyway.”

  “Hey,” I interrupted. “Do I look like the kinda guy that would lie to either of you?”

  They both turned and raised an eyebrow at me.

  “What’s your name?” I asked the other man. “Rock, is it? Listen, Rock. I know what club members are like. You’ve got some shit goin’ on, no doubt. One-percenters are always looking to beat the shit out of people who cross ‘em. And you’re lookin’ at me like I’m one of those motherfuckers.”

  “Are you not?”

  “In most circumstances, I would be. But not this time.”

  Cain leaned forward and propped his elbows up on the table. He didn’t say anything though. He just stared at me and let the silence continue to fill the room to the point of annoyance.

  It wasn’t the first time I’d ever been alone in a room with a few club members. Rock and Cain seemed like the kind of bastards who wouldn’t have a problem stepping to me. But now wasn’t the time to get into a pissing contest. Right now, it was just about the bottom line.

  “Let me get this straight,” Cain said. “You wanna ask money from us… for a poker tournament?”

  “I’m not asking you for it,” I responded. “I’d be borrowing it from you. You’ll get it back.”

  “Get it back?” Rock replied. “You just said it’s the biggest tournament the casino has ever held so far.”

  “That’s right.”

  “How the hell can you be so confident that you’ll finish in the money? That means everybody’s going to be playing.”

  I shook my index finger at him.

  “That’s just it,” I said. “This isn’t some local tournament. Emerson knows how big this is for his casino. That’s why they’re gatekeeping with the buy-in.”

  “What’s the buy-in?” Cain responded.

  “It’s 10 grand.”

  “You’re asking for 10-thousand dollars—”

  “I’m not asking, I’m borrowing…”

  “You want 10 grand to enter a tournament and you’re not even sure you’re going to make it back?”

  “I am sure. There won’t be more than a few hundred people in this tournament. That right there should let you know it’ll be easier for me to make the money.”

  “How high do you have to finish for you to pay us back?” Rock asked.

  “Top 10-percent.”

  “How much would that be?”

  “I’d make about 30-grand. You’d get your 10 back—”

  “And you’d have 20.”

  The two club members looked at one another.

  “What do you think, Seabass?” Rock said. “You trust this motherfucker?”

  “I trust this motherfucker about as far as I can throw him,” Cain said.

  “Well, you do look pretty strong from where I’m sitting,” I said.

  I gave both of them a smirk but neither one of them was laughing. My fault for trying to lighten up the mood.

  “It’s your call,” Rock said. “You’re the president of this operation.”

  “I know, I know,” Cain sighed.

  Cain looked me up and down. I’d seen it before. Motherfuckers were always eyeballing me to try and size me up. They figured they could get a read on me just by staring at me. I guess I couldn’t blame him, considering I did the same thing when I was playing cards. I had nothing to hide though. My cards were on the table for both men to see.

  “Sixty-percent,” Cain said.

  “What?” I said, slightly confused.

  “If you want 10-grand, you give us 60-percent of your winnings.”

  “I’m the one playing the cards.”

  “And we’re the ones taking all of the risk. You give the club back 60-percent or you can go find your money elsewhere. I’m sure the banks would just love to give a man like you a loan so he could enter a poker tournament.”

  Cain smirked at me, knowing that he had me right where he wanted me. I couldn’t help but admire the bastard. He did the exact same shit I would’ve done.

  I looked around the room I was in. I’d been in places like this before but this one was noticeably more fucked-up. It didn’t matter how clean it was because it still looked like it was falling apart just like the rest of Hades.

  “From the looks of things, you need the money more than I do,” I said. “It’d be nice to put it toward a renovation for this place.”

  “It’s good to hear,” Cain said. “We’re grateful for your contribution to the clubhouse.”

  “Hey. I’m a man of charity. It’s the least I can do.”

  “So… You get us 60-percent of your winnings and we’ll fund your buy-in into the tournament
. We got a deal?”

  Cain stood up from his seat and walked over to me. He held his arm out proudly, showing off the tattoos all along his sleeve.

  I got up from my seat and looked over at Rock. He was staring at me intensely like he could snap at any moment. I almost hesitated getting into a deal with men like this.

  What choice do I have?

  I’d made too many mistakes. I’d lost track of how many chances I was given. I closed my eyes and thought about it for a moment.

  Faye…

  This wasn’t about me. This was about making things right for her. She’d already done too much. I couldn’t let all of her hard work be in vain.

  “A deal with a Devil,” I said. “That’s… something.”

  I gave Cain a firm handshake. Before he pulled his hand away, he tugged on my arm and pulled me closer.

  “Don’t even think about running away with my money,” he said. “If you do that, I’ll find you and I’ll kill you.”

  His threat wasn’t enough to scare me. All it did was make me smile.

  “Have you ever dealt with the Yakuza before?” I asked. “No… No, I don’t suppose you have. They’ve got guns just like any other gang. Cartel. Triads. MCs. Mafia. Yakuza are never that simple though. They have to add their own little flair to problems they solve. It usually involves sharp blades, lots of bleeding and hours of agony before you meet your end. You know why they do that?”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because they have to make a point. It’s a warning to everybody else who thinks about crossing them.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “If I don’t come up with your money, I expect you to kill me. You’d be doing me a favor. Whatever brutal way you do it wouldn’t compare to what Takahashi plans for me.”

  Cain softened his grip on my hand and finally pulled away. He smirked and patted me on the shoulder.

  “We’ve got a saying in the club,” he said. “Life is Hell before you get to Heaven. It looks like you understand that as well as anybody.”

  “I think I do,” I said. “But I kinda like Hell. I’m gonna stick around for as long as I can.”

  “You want my advice?” Rock chimed in.

  “No, I don’t,” I said. “But go ahead and give it to me anyway.”

  “This isn’t about you,” he said. “It’s never about you. Enter that tournament and remember that you’re not just playing for yourself. You got it?”

  I didn’t have to think long to know what he was getting at. I smiled knowing that I’d gotten what I wanted from them.

  “Sixty-percent,” I said.

  Chapter 17

  HUNTER

  The 10-grand buy-in was steep when you compared it to other poker tournaments. But it didn’t keep out most people like you would think. Sure, there were the rich assholes you would expect. They let it be known that ten-thousand dollars wasn’t shit to them with the gaudy jewelry and overpriced suits they wore. When it came to high stakes, these guys just came with the territory.

  Then there were the other players. Just regular, unassuming guys who put together their winnings and came to the casino between Holt and Ivory. Maybe it was a lot of money for them. Maybe it wasn’t.

  Regardless of where these guys came from, I couldn’t take any of them lightly. This wasn’t just wasn’t about making money. Everything was riding on it.

  “It’s on you, sir.”

  The dealer looked at me. I glanced at the man across from me and examined his hand. He was a mean-looking motherfucker. Some fat oaf who looked like he shaved in the dark. He stared at me, trying to intimidate me with a cold stare. Shit like that never worked on me but I had to pretend like it did.

  I sighed and tossed my cards into the center of the table.

  “Ha! I knew it!”

  The bastard gave me a shit-eating grin as he scooped my chips to his side of the table. The entire table was quiet except for him.

  “I know your type,” he said to me. “Leather jacket. Messy hair. You’re just too cool for school.”

  Keep talking, asshole.

  “It doesn’t matter how cool you try to play it. You might think you’re some pro but I know you’re not. I’ve waited too long for an opportunity like this. I’m not about to let some punk like you beat me.”

  The tournament had only just started but I could feel myself on the verge of a massive headache. I ignored the man in front of me and searched for a waitress to get me something to drink.

  The bastard in front of me was just one of hundreds. If we were being exact, it was 279 players. That put the pot at about 2.8 million dollars. If I finished in the money, the least amount I would get would be around 30,000. The Devils would get about 18,000. I’d have about 10 leftover for Takahashi and a little change to live off of. All I’d have to do is finish in the top-30.

  Most people would’ve thought it was a daunting task but I’d been in this situation before. I was more than capable of getting to where I needed to be.

  Tournaments were a long, slow grind. This one would be even worse with as many competitors as there were. I had to stay focused. Even with someone heckling me from across the table.

  The dealer dealt the cards and everybody splashed their bets into the center of the table. I examined my hand before tossing it into the center.

  “Look at that,” the man with the bad mustache said. “Another mucked hand. Pussy is too scared to go up against me. I don’t blame you.”

  He cackled and amused himself. I let him have his fun, already knowing that a man like him wouldn’t last long.

  Another hand was dealt and the bastard scooped up even more chips to his side of the table.

  “Come on, you pussies,” he said to the rest of the table. “Are you gonna play a hand or what?”

  “Sir, if you don’t calm down, I’ll have to ask you to leave the table,” the dealer explained to him.

  “Okay, okay,” he said as he put his hands up. “I’m just saying… We’re all here to play poker, so let’s play some fuckin’ poker.”

  Everybody else was here to play poker. Not me though. I was just here to make some cash.

  An hour went by and players started to drop out. I kept my head above water, not drawing too much attention to myself. I won some small hands and kept my losses to a minimum. Sometimes, you just had to let your opponents beat themselves.

  The bastard in front of me had the same energy since the beginning. Even though his stack of chips wasn’t getting much bigger, his confidence hadn’t wavered.

  I looked down at my latest hand and saw my hole card.

  Ace of diamonds.

  My other cards were an ace of spades, a king of diamonds and a four of diamonds.

  “I call,” I said as I put my chips into the center of the table.

  Everybody else at the table folded. The action moved to the man right across from me.

  “Finally,” he said. “The smug prick found his balls. I raise.”

  He grabbed two stacks of chips and shoved them into the center of the table. He was showing two jacks. Hearts and spades. And an eight of clubs.

  “I call,” I said again.

  The dealer gave each of us another card. My opponent got another jack.

  “Look at that,” the man said. “My lucky card.”

  I looked down at my card and saw the ace of hearts.

  “It’s on you, sir,” the dealer said to me.

  I examined my hand to make sure that it was right.

  My hole card, the ace of diamonds.

  Ace of spades.

  Ace of hearts.

  King of diamonds.

  Four of diamonds.

  Three of a kind.

  My opponent was showing a similar hand.

  Jack of hearts.

  Jack of spades.

  Jack of clubs.

  Eight of clubs.

  Then there was whatever his hole card was.

  From what I could see, I had him beat. Aces o
ver jacks. The problem was whatever the fuck he had hiding as a hole card. An eight or a jack and he’d have me beat.

  I stared across the table at the man. The smirk grew on his face as he started to taunt me.

  “Well, well, well… Looks like he doesn’t know what to do. Three jacks. You know you don’t have me beat. You don’t know what I’m hiding. Another jack… Another eight… Full house. Four of a kind. It’ll beat whatever you got—”

  “I check,” I cut him off from rambling.

  The grin on his lips grew even wider, showing off the yellow teeth he was hiding.

  “That’s what I thought,” he said. “I’m all in.”

  He shoved the rest of his chips into the center of the table. At this point in the tournament, just a single hand would be all I needed to last for a long time.

  “Back to you, sir,” the dealer said to me.

  I closed my eyes and thought about it.

  Does he have it? Does he have it? Don’t mess this up, Hunter…

  “What’s it gonna be, prick? You got any balls or not?”

  I opened my eyes and stared at him. I didn’t blink as I examined him. I couldn’t see his hand but I could see him. There had to be something there.

  I kept staring at him, waiting for him to give it to me.

  Then he did it.

  Most people wouldn’t have noticed it but I wasn’t most people. His eye twitched for just a split-second. You flinch even just for a moment.

  That was all I needed.

  “You don’t have it,” I said. “I call.”

  I flipped over my last ace to show my three of a kind. The bastard’s eyes widened. The motherfucker looked like he was about to explode.

  “Sonuvabitch!”

  He jumped out of his seat and stormed off. I would’ve been surprised if I hadn’t seen some shit like that before. Guys were always getting pissed over poker. Couldn’t blame ‘em. There was too much money on the line not to let your emotions get the best of you.

  For me, I stayed calm as I moved his chips to my side of the table.

  Hours went by. I kept chopping away at the chip stacks around me and adding to mine. A few hands here and there and before I knew it, I’d done it. My place in the top-30 was secured. The tournament was suspended for the night.