Page 55 of Savage Outlaw

Butcher:Thinking of you, Cookie.

Roux:Me too. X

The table got going and for the next four hours, Roux focused on nothing else other than her cards and discovering the tells of the people around her.

She dismissed six of the players as men with too much money and not enough skill. She’d be happy to take it from them.

She won a few and lost a few. As was her way. It was unwise to go into any table game too cocky. She acted like the girl she was, she fumbled and dropped her cards, she faked her tells.

And when it was time to win, she went in for the kill.

Sharing a glance with the cartel wife, Roux tossed her bet into the middle. The two of them were about even for wins but if Verónica Garcia Ruiz thought she could intimidate with her husband’s reputation; she was out of luck.

One by one the table grew shorter, bodies dropping out.

The adrenaline flowed through Roux. She was so fucking juiced; she tasted the next win as she glanced at her cards without a facial tick and placed them face down. She hit the table with a finger to the dealer and he slid a card over.

She won.

“You’re having quite the good streak,niña.”

“I could say the same for you.”

“Rico, bring our friend a fresh drink.” She called over to her bodyguard.

“I’m fine.”

“I insist.”

Roux shrugged and stacked her chips to the right of her hand. Intent on one more game and then she was going home … well not quite home.

“Tell me,niña, what is your secret, huh? You slip into a table; you clean it out and then you leave.”

“Isn’t that the point? What else would I do, tap dance?”

A male voice laughed behind her.

It was only the two of them at the table now and Roux’s spider sense was tingling like crazy. She could skip the last game, call it quits while she was ahead.

“I’ve been watching you for a while. You are incredibly shrewd, watching everything but saying very little.”

“I’m flattered.” Roux lied with a smile.

Never let an enemy see you sweat, was always her dad’s advice.

And the woman with the vivid red lipstick and black hair was, in a sense, an enemy. She certainly wasn’t afriend.

“I cannot tell if you’re reading cards.”

Roux slit her gaze and drummed her metallic green nails on the table.

“Only a sore loser accuses their opponent of cheating. I have no need to. I’m fucking good.”

Verónica Garcia Ruiz smiled the kind of smile you’d see on a snake right before he loosened his jaw.

“I would not like it if you were cheating at my husband’s game,niña.”

Surprise stopped Roux’s tapping. “This is your husband’s?”

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