Costello brims with delight at the grip he’s given.
“It’s good to finally meet a man who shakes hands like a man. Maverick, I’ve heard a lot about you... both good and bad, but with a handshake like that, I see you as a positive addition to our businesses.” He then smirks at him. “We’ll just have to see how you fair at a game of poker with some of the best players I’ll only ever deal with.” He drops his hand away and steps back, turning to face me. “Are we playing for keeps?” he asks me, his eyes darting from my face to indulge upon the sight of my ample breasts in my skintight dress. “Because I’d sure like to make you a bet you can’t decline.”
I clear my throat, choking down upon the lump forming. “It’s money and nothing else,” I counter, admonishing his advances as I feel the heat radiate from both Zane and my father. “You’ve been trying for years to get what you want from under my father’s name, but I’m fiercely loyal to him.”
Costello snorts with laughter.
“I know, I know,” I agree with him, not allowing him an opportunity to take advantage of my father’s standing. “My track record with my father isn’t stellar,” I comment, deliberately taking a step back to stand before my father. My lies are tinkering on the edge of my lips, waiting to be set free. “But we’ve worked through our issues and I know where my loyalties stand. Roberto, you think the Abbiati women want you, but you’d be sadly mistaken. We just like to get an arousal out of you.”
“You’re a little spitfire,” he comments, more turned on than disappointed apparently. “Doesn’t lessen my affection for you in the slightest, Amelia.” He then grins at my father. “She’s definitely Tori’s daughter more than yours.”
My father’s face hardens furthermore at the sound of my mother’s name, but he manages to cover it up with a momentary roll of his shoulder and an overwhelming grin. “I always hoped she would be the epitome of her mother, and I can’t be unhappy that she is. It just means she’s a cause of distraction for men like you, Roberto, while I steal the game.”
“I deliberately wore this dress to help the cause,” I goad, putting my arm around my father’s to show an alliance with him. I give Zane a wink and see him relax a little. “Now, I have my whiskey and I have my money. All I need now is a seat and dealer.”
“Right this way,” Costello speaks, gesturing me over to the table. “Maverick, it’s two card poker, are you familiar?”
“Haven’t played in years,” Zane comment, a worrisome tone taking him over.
“We’ll get you up to speed,” my father announces confidently, giving Zane a wink.
I release my father and take a step forward, brushing deliberately up against Zane as I walk past him. I notice how everyone’s eager to play, so I take my seat and wait for the rest of them to take their own. Disappointment sparkles within as I see Zane has been butted around the table until the only seat he can take is between Andrew Rossi - sex pest extraordinaire – and Costello himself. We all set our drinks down and while some of the men smoke, Enzo and Carlo are watching me intently from across the large table. I try to withhold the urge to grin playfully because they know all about my tactics with distracting men enough to fold or worse – fuck up.
I take a moment to calm down, looking at the others around the table. It seems the same crowd has gathered and none of them are impressed with Zane’s sudden appearance at the high flyer’s table. I know they think he’s some insubordinate who’s all but married his way into power, but I know Zane; he has one of the best poker faces possible.
As we’re all dealt out two cards and we all take our money, Costello clears his throat.
“I say we start off with a smaller wager,” Costello comments, reaching into the inside of his pocket. He pulls out his own wad of cash, all of which appear to be one hundred dollar bills. He looks at Zane. “Can you keep up, Maverick? Or do we need to break out the kiddie table?”
“Nah,” Zane chuckles and reaches into the inside of his own jacket. “I like that we’re not taking this slow.” He pulls his own money out, looking quite pleased with himself.
“Let’s start with a grand as the token bet,” Costello announces and throws his money in. “I know we usually start bigger and blow it all, but let’s just build some anticipation,” he trails off, not emphasising.