Duke of Decadence (Lords of Scandal 9)

Bash did. He set them down and then quickly picked them up.

“Don’t tell me that you’re going to name all the cards that you just saw.” Vanity asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I could,” she answered as she folded her hands. This was the part she loved, and excitement skittered through her. “But you asked me to explain how I win.”

“We’re listening,” Infamy rumbled, his voice deeper than any she’d heard before.

“There are seventeen cards left. The queen of hearts, the king of diamonds, the six of hearts…” she continued, proceeding to name every one of the remaining cards.

Once she was done, she nodded to Bash. “Go on. Show us the cards that you’re still holding.”

Slowly, Bash began to turn over the cards. The first being the queen of hearts.

“Lucky guess,” Menace called. But then came the six of hearts, and one by one each of the cards she’d named appeared.

An eerie silence filled the room.

“Bloody Christ,” Infamy grumbled.

“How the fuck…” Blasphemy scrubbed his neck.

“I see where you get your name.” Eliza smiled, sitting back in her chair. “Her mind is scary, isn’t it?”

“That’s funny.” Isabella looked at her sister. “I think the same about yours.”

“Seriously,” Bash rumbled. “How did you do that?”

“I can see the entire deck in my head. As cards are played, I check them off my mental list and then I see what’s left.”

“And you win because?” Vanity asked, notching his chin down as he studied her.

She blushed. Did they think her odd like her family did? She twisted her hands under the table. “It’s a matter of probability. If I get a queen but three have already been played versus none of them, I know I am more or less likely to win. Keep the queen or toss it for a more probable winning hand.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Blasphemy said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It makes my head hurt to even think about it.”

“It’s brilliant,” Bash said next to her and she let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. His approval made her limp with relief.

“Thank you.”

Eliza laughed next to her. It was clear and bright and out of sync with the mood of the gathering. “It would also be very useful for men running a gaming hell. Don’t you think?”

Isabella’s head whipped around to look at Eliza. What was her sister doing?

Chapter Four

Bash sat straighter as Isabella’s head swam. What was Eliza on about?

He cleared his throat. “If Isabella were a man, I’d hire her in a second, pay her whatever she wished, and still make a bundle of money.”

But she wasn’t a man. And she hated it here. No offense to these men. The other patrons made her nervous. On edge. “Eliza,” Isabella hissed. “Whatever you’re scheming—”

“Not scheming.” Eliza raised a finger smiling brightly about the room. “I am simply suggesting that these men hire you to work in their club.”

Isabella gripped the table as the blood drained from her face.

A one-time trip to a gaming hell was to be nothing more than a memory of a time when she’d behaved very badly. But to come here regularly? It was as though she were flaunting every rule of society. And, if she were being truthful with herself, likely giving up a future that included a husband and children of her own.

Not that she’d thought that far ahead. Well, she’d always just assumed that would be her future. Wasn’t it every girl’s who came from a decent family?