Duke set a worn backpack on the table. “Two hundred grand. It’s what I have left from our last game.”
“Two hundred grand?” Riley shook her head, fearful if she said more, she’d lose her temper.
Duke unzipped the backpack. “For every dollar I put in, the Shark staked one hundred. I had only five grand in New Orleans.”
“And my life to risk,” she said.
Slowly, Duke unpacked the money and set it on the table in neat stacks. “The plan was to turn it into half a million and save you. And I did it, Riley.”
The Shark snapped his fingers. “I’ve got twenty million to cover that bet.”
Duke carefully removed his watch and set it precisely beside him. Riley wondered if the act were a ritual from his gambling days.
The dealer gave the Shark and Duke twenty poker chips, each representing $1 million. Each player was then dealt one card that remained facedown. Neither player would discover the card’s value until the last moment of the game. The second card was dealt faceup.
Duke’s second card was a queen of hearts; the Shark’s was a nine of hearts. The Shark had the lowest-ranking card, so the rules required he bet first. He pushed in five chips. With no expression on his face, Duke matched the Shark’s bet.
Riley shifted in her seat, doing her best to focus on the fact that Duke was off to a good start.
Duke’s third card was an ace of clubs; the Shark’s was a seven of hearts. Because Duke had the two best cards, it was his turn to bet. He wagered four chips. The Shark matched him and raised him another four chips. Duke accepted the challenge, and now both players had staked $13 million.
Riley could barely breathe. Duke was pulling better cards, but that could all change.
Duke’s fourth card was a queen of diamonds. The Shark received a ten of hearts. Still holding the better hand, Duke bet three more chips. The Shark matched him. The pot was $16 million.
Riley studied Duke’s calm face. He appeared to be in total control, as if he expected to win. A part of her dared to hope the game would go in their favor.
The fifth and final cards were dealt. Duke got the queen of clubs, the Shark the eight of hearts. Duke pushed his remaining four chips into the pot. The Shark matched the bet. Both were all in at their limit.
All that remained was to turn over the first card. Odds were overwhelmingly in Duke’s favor. The Shark would have to produce a six or jack of hearts to win.
Duke turned over his card. Queen of spades. He had four of a kind.
Riley held her breath.
The Shark tapped his finger twice on his card and paused for a long moment. He smiled at Riley before turning it over. Jack of hearts.
“A straight flush,” the Shark said. “I win. Riley dies.”
The blood drained from Duke’s face.
She gripped the towel, which she twisted around the ice until it was a hard ball. Her mind still could not fully process this. Yes, Duke had bet her life twelve years ago, but he didn’t know her then. Surely, now after all this time, he would find a way to save her. He had to be pretending, playing along with all this until he found a way to save them.
Duke did not rise from his seat. He sat frozen, his fingers clenched.
“Time to pay up,” the Shark said.
Duke curled his fingers. “I can’t do it. I can’t.”
“If you don’t, I’ll have a few of my associates visit your house and they’ll skin your wife alive while you watch.”
When Duke looked up, tears glistened in hard eyes. “Riley and Hanna have nothing to do with this.”
The Shark rose and circled around Duke. “We played. Lady Luck chose me. Now you have to pay your debt.”
Duke looked in Riley’s direction but didn’t make eye contact. “I’m sorry.”
She faced the Shark. “Hanna can walk away from this unharmed?”
He nodded. “I am a man of my word.”
Her grip tightened on the towel. A strike to Duke’s temple would hurt like hell and might buy her some time, but then what? There were three candelabra on the sideboard. Get to those and she had a weapon. “You’re not going to kill me. My God, Duke, you’ve been like a father to me.”
The Shark said nothing as he reached for his phone. “Maria will die so slowly.”
Duke stood but didn’t move forward.
The Shark dialed. “I’m calling my man stationed outside your house.”
Duke’s jaw tensed as his eyes sharpened with a desperate panic.
The Shark spoke clearly and slowly. “Are you outside of Duke’s house? Good. Instead of starting with Maria, start with Jo-Jo, that girl from the streets. I want Maria and Duke to hear her screams first.”
“Stop!” Duke pushed away from the table, his hands clenched as he moved toward Riley.
Riley stood up. “Duke, you will be no better than him if you do this.”
“I can’t worry about that.” As Duke reached for her, she swung the ice cloth and caught him on the jaw. He stumbled back, holding his hand to his stubbly chin. She pulled the ice pack back and twirled the towel, ready to strike again.
The pain energized Duke, heating the fire in his eyes. He rubbed his chin, and cursing, he lunged forward with more speed than she anticipated. She readied to swing when the Shark came up behind her and hit the side of her knee hard with his cane. Her knee buckled as pain shot up her leg. Her leg crumpled, and she hit the ground hard.
She blinked, trying to fill her lungs with air and clear her head. She managed to roll onto her side and push herself halfway up before Duke shoved her in the chest and slammed her flat against the carpeted floor. Her heart raced as she fought pain. She would not die this way.
Duke straddled her, sitting hard on her midsection and knocking the wind from her. She tried to gasp in air and reach her boot, but he pinned her arms with his knees. She managed a feeble punch to his side, but he didn’t seem to notice. He quickly pulled a long cord from his pocket and wrapped it around her neck.
“Please don’t fight,” he said.
She spat in his face.
“You thought Duke was so noble,” the Shark said. “Who do you think killed Jax and Darla?”
Riley searched Duke’s gaze, expecting some kind of denial. But she saw none. “Duke?” she rasped.
Duke tightened the rope. “Yeah, I killed them both. They didn’t deserve to suck up any more oxygen on this planet.”
“Think about it, Riley,” the Shark said. “Why did he really help you?”
She looked into Duke’s eyes, unable to pull in a breath to speak.
“Shut up, old man,” Duke said.
The Shark towered over her. “You deserve to know why he really put you on that bus. He gambled that I’d want a rematch. He gambled that I’d come looking for you and he’d get another chance to win big again. You were nothing more than a walking poker chip.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to wedge her fingers under the rope. But her movements were slowing. Her vision was graying.
For the second time in her life, she teetered close to the abyss. With her last breath, she screamed.