Page 36 of Vex
He raised his hand and fired his blaster.
Everything went black.
18
Another thousand credits lost.
The chips clattered against the felt as Vex pushed them forward. Around him, soft murmurs mixed with distant slot machine chimes from the main casino floor. This was the first time since arriving that he was actually losing.
He didn't care.
The cards might as well have been blank. Every number, every suit blurred as his mind replayed the confrontation in their suite. Luisa’s voice, small and defeated, admitting to a past she'd hidden. The way she'd looked when he'd told her she was done, like he'd struck her.
Luisa was a liar. A thief.
Rage and hurt clawed at his chest. The betrayal burned through every moment of trust they'd built. Every breathless sound she'd made beneath him—had any of it been real? Or had she been manipulating him the same way she manipulated security systems?
She'd used him, let him believe she was something she wasn't. The memory of her hands on his skin, the way she'd whispered his name, now felt tainted.
And why did he care so much?
He'd worked with dozens of operatives over the years. Professional partnerships were exactly that—professional. When they ended, he walked away without a backward glance.
She wasn't his first partner. She wasn't even the first one to betray him.
Did she really betray you? a voice in his head asked. It sounded suspiciously like his mother's calm tone.
Yes.
But had she?
His rational mind began picking apart his anger. He wasn't owed every detail of her past. She didn't know his details either—that he was an operative for his king. He'd never considered telling her.
Would he have said something if he'd met someone who might compromise the mission?
A player across the table laughed, the sound grating against his nerves. He shoved more chips forward.
He didn't know.
The cards were dealt, but Vex barely registered them. His thoughts churned, anger and guilt and longing fighting for dominance. Maybe she'd just been trying to survive, the same way he'd been trying to complete his mission.
She hadn't chosen her past any more than he'd chosen his noble blood. Yet the hurt remained, because, somewhere in the last few days, he'd started thinking of her as … more. Not just his partner or temporary lover, but as someone he wanted to keep.
Who was Luisa to him, anyway? They barely knew each other. Once he sent her home, he'd never see her again.
No.
The word echoed with absolute certainty. His dragon stirred beneath his skin at the thought of her facing danger alone. Whatever was between them, he couldn't just walk away. Couldn't send her back to a life where people like Tallyer could threaten her.
Damn it.
A cheer went up around the table as he lost again.
The celebration felt distant. His fingers drummed against the table, matching the agitation in his chest.
Maera Daxkar slid into the chair beside him, a pink drink in her hand. She gave him her shark's smile. "A bit of a losing streak, my lord?"
He folded. "The cards give, and the cards take away."
