Page 130 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family
The first few hands were light work, with nobody getting too reckless, just feeling out the table. The usual shit talking started early, mostly Yair trying to throw people off their game while Kades was quiet. His expression never gave away much which pissed us all off.
Baylyn played smart. She didn’t bet high unless she had to, which was why she was creeping ahead. Rachelle, on the other hand, was aggressive as hell, betting like she needed to be in Gamblers Anonymous.
I was neutral, watching their reactions and using it to my advantage. Baylyn’s eyes narrowed across the table when she had a good hand and she tilted her head to the left whenevershe was debating whether to call or raise because she was unsure what everyone was holding. It was my turn so she looked up at me.
“You gonna fold again?” She arched her brow.
I dropped my eyes to hers and grinned. “You want me to stay in?”
She shrugged and flipped a chip between her fingers. “I mean, it’s not fun if you’re just watching me take all your money.”
Rachelle groaned. “Oh my God, can y’all be respectful of the single people and not flirt at the table?”
Baylyn rolled her eyes but didn’t look away from me.
I lifted my glass and tossed back the rest of my drink. “Don’t worry, beautiful. I’ll take my time making sure I win later.”
She smiled big as hell and leaned into my side.
Yair sat forward, rubbing his hands together. “Alright, let’s make this shit interesting.”
Kades sighed. “Here we fucking go.”
“We raise the stakes,” Yair continued, ignoring him. “Money’s cool and all, but let’s throw in some real bets.”
Rachelle’s eyes narrowed on him. “Like what?”
“Dares. You lose a hand, the winner gets to tell you what to do.”
Kades groaned. “This is how we always end up in bad situations.”
I smirked, setting my glass down. “I’m with it.”
Baylyn glanced at Rachelle. “You in?”
Rachelle sat up straighter. “Absolutely.”
Kades shook his head, clearly regretting being related to us. “I’m game.”
The next hand, Rachelle lost and groaned dramatically before she slumped back in her chair. “Alright, what’s my fate?”
Yair was on it quickly. “Drunk text your boss.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Type some unhinged shit and send it.”
Rachelle stared at him for a second, then grabbed her phone. She typed fast, throwing it onto the table. “If I get fired, I’m sending you my bills.”
“What did you send?” I asked, needing to know. She lifted her phone and held it up. I read the text and laughed.
“What did it say?” Kades looked at me.
Rachelle read it out loud. “If you make my check late again, I’ll shit on your desk and quit before you can fire me.”
Everyone looked at each other and fell out laughing.
Baylyn shook her head, amused. “Oh you’re definitely getting fired.”
