I walk over and take her hand. “Come on. He doesn’t deserve a second of your time, not one more fucking word from your lips, not anything.”
While she’s hugging me and crying, the owner of the bar brings over her cash. “Three hundred forty thousand dollars for a girl who calls herself ‘Hard Knocks.’ I don’t think that fits you anymore. After our cut, you have three hundred thirty-three thousand two hundred.”
“Give him three hundred thousand.” She points at Monte. “Now, you bastard, now I have paid you back for the seven years that you think I owe you. Tell me I have your word that you and I are even.”
“You trust his word?” I laugh.
“Yes. In business, his word is good. Monte, look at me and tell me my debt to you is paid in full.”
“It’s all here. We’re square. Have a nice life with this fucking player. He’ll leave you for someone who’s more his type, and you’ll wish you were still warming my bed. But you never will again, you whore. When he drops you for some bitch that’s not so low-class, you’ll be trying to find the next warm bed—”
“Baby, go outside; my brothers are waiting. I’ll be out as soon as I kick his ass.”
Hesitantly, Hailey leaves as I move to the next round. I am placed at the table to play Monte and Wheels.
“You ever look at her again, and I will poke your fucking eyes out. If you talk to her like that again, you lose your tongue. She paid you a debt that was complete and utter bullshit. Now you leave her the fuck alone.”
“I have receipts for everything I paid for, so there is no bullshit involved. She never worked a day in her life and had the world by the balls—”
“Then you fucked around on her and lost the only fucking thing that matters—family. Someday, your little check-and-balance sheets will be all paid up, and no one will ever have to deal with your sorry ass again. Then what will you be left with?”
“Why, Marisa of course,” he says in a malicious tone.
“Bullshit. Hailey just ensured—”
“If she wants to walk with my kid, she needs to pay the kid’s tab, too. If not, I’ll see them in court.”
“You sick son of a bitch.”
“The kid’s tab isn’t as much. Two hundred seventy-five thousand is all.”
“Then I’ll buy that one right here, right now.”
“You don’t have the chips, Aces.”
“I’ll go get the rest,” I hiss, and start to stand.
“No, sit your ass down and earn it. This will be the last game you ever play.”
“It’s not about playing the game anymore. It’s about winning it all.”
The stakes have never been higher. Hailey bought her way out, but the little one is still on the table. Her daughter is the prize, and Hailey didn’t even know it. If I have my way, she’ll never have to know just how low her ex really went.
In the first hand, the motherfucker calls my bluff, and I lose it all. How? I played a game. I wasn’t the game; Marisa was.
As I stand to leave, Wheels stops me.
“Man, I know you got two Gs in your pocket, so play it.”
“It’s not how I play the game.”
“The game is different now, right?” He is pleading with me. “Man, don’t lose hope.
I put my chips on the table and lose, but so does Monte. Wheels is rolling in it, and in a situation that wasn’t involving a kid’s future, I would have done cartwheels for him. But I was fucked.
The dealer looks at me. “You in or out?”
“Fucker’s out of money.” Monte laughs.
“I have a house.”
“You’re pussy-whipped,” Monte taunts. “I don’t want your house. I want your money and your game.”
I ignore him.
“How much for the house?” Wheels asks, looking at his stack of chips.
“Two hundred seventy-five thousand dollars,” I answer without hesitation.
“How much is it worth?”
“Three hundred fifty,” I tell him.
He looks down. Monte looks pissed.
“Furnished, it’s worth three hundred seventy-five, minimum. It’s in a gated community, and I owe nothing on it. Neither will you, Wheels—”
“I’ll take it in trade.” Monte laughs.
“Fuck you,” I hiss. “You don’t deserve it.”
“And he does? He doesn’t deserve a house that can profit him a hundred grand. You’re no player,” Monte spits out.
“The game’s changed.” I keep my eyes on Wheels.
“Deal,” he says.
“Deal?” I raise my eyebrow at him.
“Yeah, man, deal. Wait, throw in the car.”
“Wheels man, I swear you’re killing me here. Best fuck pad ever, but the car, she’s mine.”
“Fine.” He laughs. “Damn. Damn. Damn! When can I move in?”
“We can go get the legal shit done tomorrow.” I grab my phone out of my pocket and hand it to him. “Send yourself a text so we have each other’s contact information.”
“You gonna hand him that kind of cash on his word?” Monte sneers.