Page 106 of Devious Truth

Kieran wins the hand.

“Guess I had to win sometime,” Kieran laughs, scooping his winnings to his side.

It goes on like this for an eternity, or five more hands. Kieran loses only one of them, which earned me a scowl because I’d given him the okay to double a bet. I want to shake him and remind him he was supposed to win a little and leave. But he’s sticking around. And anytime I try to nudge him, he asks for another drink.

They’ve moved on from beers to whiskey.

“You really brought your luck with you tonight,” Frank grumbles as he deals the new hand.

“Yeah, guess so.” Kieran glances up at me when he makes his remark and Frank follows his line of sight over his shoulder to me.

“Can I get you anything else, Mr. Santucci?” I step forward, ready to do anything to get done with this.

“No, no. I’m good. Why don’t you go stand by the bar though. Makes me nervous having people behind me like this.” He laughs. “Besides, you’re too pretty to be stuck in a corner going unnoticed.”

I push on a smile, like I’m flattered and move over to the bar where he keeps his eyes on me.

The hand gets dealt and they go around with their bets. Kieran loses.

He stretches his arms up, then twists like he’s stretching out his back. He glares at me–– it’s quick and he’s turns back to the table, but I understood him. Get back to where I can see the hands, or Caroline will never come home.

“Can I get anyone anything? Another beer or a snack?” I ask the room at large.

“Another beer would be good. This whiskey is giving me heartburn.” Kieran presses his fist to his chest.

“Whiskey gives you heartburn? What sort of man gets heartburn from whiskey?” Frank teases Kieran, though his eyes are hard, almost like he’s tempting Kieran to speak out of turn.

It doesn’t matter that Kieran was invited to play with them tonight, he’s still the outsider. And if he doesn’t toe the line of propriety, it can turn dangerous for him quick.

“Could have been the kielbasa I had at lunch. Went to a Polish deli this afternoon, great food, but it’s talking back.”Kieran laughs as he drops his ante into the pot and discards two cards.

After the I bring a fresh stein of beer for Kieran and a glass of water for Frank, who sits opposite him at the table, so I can get a glimpse of the cards as I round the table to get to him. No one has much of anything that I can tell. Best hand is a pair of fives.

Kieran has three of a kind—tens.

“I didn’t ask for water.” Frank looks up at me.

“Oh, you didn’t? I’m sorry, was there something else you asked for?” I play the confused waitress. It’s not too much of an act. Now that I can see the guy sitting next to Frank has a set of two pairs—sevens and nines—I can’t remember if that beats a three of a kind or not.

“I see the five thousand and raise another ten.” The man sitting to Kieran’s left sees the bet of a hundred and raises it by four hundred. He has nothing in his hand, it’s a bluff.

“Nothing. Just leave the water, though; it’s fine.” Frank waves me away.

I step back from him, needing to catch Kieran’s attention to let him know what to do when it comes time for his bed.

“Go back by the bar,” Frank grouses. “You’re clingy tonight.”

“Sorry,” I mutter and make my way back. But now I’m behind Kieran.

“Your bet. You gonna see me?”

Kieran gets elbowed.

As I step behind him, I notice the man who upped the bet doesn’t have a dead hand. He’d discarded three cards before, but now he has five cards—all spades. That beats Kieran—I think.

Sweat beads at my temples, and my heart is practically choking me. If I get this wrong, Caroline will pay.

Kieran counts out his bet, he’s going to see and double the bet. It’s more than half of his winnings.

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