Page 23 of Betting Blind

Emelia

Hector shifts his weight from his left foot to his right foot and scowls at the three men sitting around the poker table in the main gambling den of The Black Crown. I watch from the bar as Tobias shuffles the deck and they begin the first round of poker. “If you stare at them any harder, you’re going to put holes in their skulls,” I mutter and dry a wine glass with my rag.

He sighs and turns away from them, bracing his open palms on the bar top and leaning forward slightly. “I don’t trust them.” Hector’s voice is sharp and serious.

I can’t very well tell him that he’s right because that would open up a whole can of maggots that I don’t want to have to explain. Hector and I are close, but I’m not about to divulge that I gave Silas a blowjob in the bathroom during my last intel mission and then came home and gave myself a mind-blowing orgasm. Some things are just better left unsaid. My eyes drift from each of their faces, but I linger on Silas.

I watch his brow furrow as he concentrates on the cards in his hands. I note how he sinks his teeth into his bottom lip and rolls his jaw. How his muscles move underneath his tailored suit as he shifts in his chair. My stomach dips when he suddenlylooks up and meets my ogle. I can feel the heat rising in my face as I quickly look away, but he’s burned into my brain now. The way he tilts his head to the side in confusion and the shy disbelief in his eyes makes the corner of my lips quirk up.

“You have trust issues,” I respond haughtily with a shrug. My back is to him so he can’t see the obvious blush and dopey look on my face. I work to regain control of my face before turning back to Hector. “You didn’t trust me at first either, remember?”

He rolls his eyes in my direction before checking over his shoulder once more. “What do you think they’re talking about now?”

I look down at the device hidden under the counter and read the words as they scroll across the screen in real-time. Tobias is wearing a wire that is directly fed into my handpiece and occasionally an earpiece when I need to be hands-free. “Just details about the digital systems.” My eyes flick back to the group and narrow in on a pair of dark eyes staring right through me. I feel his gaze all the way through my soul. He looks familiar in a way that I should recognize like I’ve been on the receiving end of that piercing gaze before, but I can’t put a face to the name.

He says something to Declan, who nods but doesn’t look away from the cards in his hand, and pushes to his feet. His cards lay forgotten on the table and his eyes remain fixed on mine, boring down into the deepest, darkest parts of my soul. He buttons his suit jacket and adjusts his cuff links as he stalks toward the bar. His steps are measured, and he exudes an air of confidence, of power, of danger. “Emelia,” he greets smoothly. “Hector.”

Hector grunts a hello, and his eyes narrow into slits at the dark-haired man. “Can I help you?” he drawls and braces his palms on the countertop causing his muscles to bulge under his shirt sleeves. I roll my eyes and gag at the testosterone levels rising within the room.

“I actually came to speak to Emelia,” he admits as he continues to hold my gaze. It’s like he can see everything that I’ve hidden away behind walls and chains. Like he knows what kind of monster lurks beneath the surface of my skin, and he wants to let her out to play.

I feel heat creeping up my neck, and I feel exposed but I don’t know why. His eyes never once stray from mine. My skin prickles as his gaze makes a slow pass down my body and then back up to my face. “Would you like a drink?” I ask when I finally find my voice and pull an empty glass from beneath the bar. I need to get my shit together.

I was literally just fantasizing about one of his friends, and now my insides are quivering for more of this man. Well, all of them actually because all three seem to set my blood on fire. And who says I have to settle for just one of them? There are plenty of versions of me to go around.

“Only if you accompany me,” he counters with a smile, flashing his teeth.

Good. God. Above.

His cheeks have dimples when he smiles widely. They’re hidden when he smirks or throws out a small smile, but that cheeky smile… That’s a panty dropper. “I can’t leave the bar,” I say after I manage to restart my heart. “But I can get you something here.”

“E. H. Taylor. Barrel proof. Neat.” He arches an eyebrow as I pour the drink and slide it to him. His fingers brush mine as hetakes the glass from me and a shiver snakes down my spine. His dark eyes bore into mine and I’m lost for a split second.

Then his words catch up to me. His drink order. That’s the drink that I served the trio at the casino during the party. They’re the masked trio. Of course. I hear it now. Their masks must have voice distorters, but I can see it now. I must have made a face because he pulls the glass to his lips and looks away. “Anything else?” I ask sweetly.

“Yes,” he says quietly and looks over at Hector, who is still watching him closely. “But not tonight. Thank you, Emelia.” He turns on his heels and stalks back toward the table.

“You’re welcome, Hayden,” I respond and grin widely when his shoulders stiffen. He didn’t think I knew their first names because they’ve only been using their last names in the meetings. Silly boys. Nothing happens in my castle that I don’t know about.

“That was uncomfortable,” Hector mumbles and grabs himself a beer from the fridge under the bar. The cap pulls off with a pop.

“What was?” I mumble and scrub at an invisible spot on the counter because I can’t bear to look at him. I feel overly exposed, like a live wire that’s about to cause an electrical fire. My skin feels prickly and there is a cold sweat on the back of my neck. If he looks into my eyes he’ll know how much Hayden affected me.

“He basically just eye fucked you from across the bar,” he points out and gestures to the men with his bottle. “I mean the man didn’t even spare me a glance.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I snap and turn to unload the dishwasher, still avoiding eye contact. He can’t confirm it if Idon’t look at him, and if he can’t confirm it then maybe it will just go away.

“Little Bird,” he says softly, and his fingers wrap around my bicep in a loose grip. “He looked at you like he wanted to devour your soul. It was dark. I don’t like him.”

Another shiver goes down my spine at his words. If Hector noticed the darkness, then maybe it wasn’t just in my head, and if it wasn’t all in my head then I want it. My darkness wants to come out and play. To test his limits and see how far he can bend before he breaks. Whatever he is deep down, his monsters call to mine, and my monsters are ready to answer.

“I can handle myself, dear sir, you know you don’t have to worry about me.” I stand up on my tiptoes to restock the last glass before finally meeting his eyes. I know he can see the telltale glint in my green eyes, but I don’t have to hide it from him.

“Oh, I’m well aware, madame. I think about that night every single day. Sometimes I still hear the screaming in my nightmares.” Hector tosses the rest of the contents back and sets the empty bottle down on the counter with a dull thud.

“I don’t have the slightest clue as to what you’re talking about,” I respond with an innocent bat of my eyelashes. Of course, I am lying through my teeth. That was the night our lives changed forever, and I gained a whole new family, although it could never replace the one that was stolen from me.

“Oh, I see,” he says with a grin and drapes his arm across my shoulders. “You don’t remember the night that you saved my life from a fire and killed nearly five people?”

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