“I have to talk to Jackson,” Jessica says. “This is ridiculous.”
“The game isn’t over yet,” James says with a smirk. “Maybe her father will win.”
He passes her a pair of binoculars, and she raises them to her face to better see the card game below.
The dealer shuffles the cards over and over and flicks them across the table to the gamblers. The back of each card is red and black, with Oliver’s seahorse crest on it.
Gabrielle watches the gambler’s hands as they wait to look at their cards. Some people drum their fingers on the tabletop, and others twist their jeweled rings, but her father’s hands are perfectly still. Each player has one chip, representing their family member.
“Please, Dad, just tell me what’s happening?” she whispers. “I don’t remember anything, and I’m scared.”
She can see Anthony’s shoulder muscles tense, but he doesn’t turn around to look at her. She wants to tug on his jacket or tap on his shoulder, but the bodyguards have tied her hands behind her back. The rope cuts into her wrists, and she wriggles her hands behind, trying to find a comfortable position.
“Seriously, Dad, please talk to me,” she whispers.
Anthony slams his palm against the table and says, “Shut up and don’t make a sound—I need to concentrate if I want to win.”
“I’m the quietest person in here,” she complains. “How am I distracting when there are dozens of people standing around and making bets among themselves about who will win?”
Dozens of spectators stand as close as the bodyguards will allow them. They point at the players and whisper behind their hands. Gabrielle sees them passing money and ch.i.p.s to each other as they bet on the outcome of the game. Under the dim casino lights, their faces seem monstrous and cruel.
Gabrielle’s heart hammers in her chest, and she looks around for Leilani—she can’t find her anywhere. Then out of the corner of her eye, she sees Leilani. Though it’s only afternoon, every other woman in the casino is wearing an evening gown or a c.o.c.ktail dress; their jewel-colored clothing sparkles and shimmers under the chandeliers. But Leilani is wearing a simple white sundress, and her face is almost as pale as the fabric.
Andrew Clifford stands close behind Leilani and wraps his arm around her waist. Gabrielle feels her face go hot. How dare he touch her like that, she thinks. And where is Waylen? Why is he letting Andrew take liberties with my sister? Did Dad lose Leilani in some other bet?
The gamblers lift the edges of their cards and peek. Leilani tries to see her father’s hand, but he slams the cards down on the table. She looks around at the gamblers’ faces. It’s hard to tell how they feel about their hands—they’re all trying to look as calm as possible. She wishes she could see her father’s face.
He can’t lose, she thinks. Leilani said Jackson would take me if Dad loses, and I can’t let that happen—he’ll torture me. I wish I’d killed Jackson when I had the chance. If I hadn’t been so weak before, I wouldn’t be in this situation now.
“It’s time to place your bets,” the dealer says.
Anthony hesitates, and Gabrielle starts to feel dizzy. The room is unbearably hot, and the smokestacks in her lungs, making it hard to breathe. The spectators point and stare at her, and her bound wrists throb in pain. What will happen to me? She wonders. What will Jackson do to humiliate me? Will he make me put on a bunny custom like the serving girls, or will he make me do stripteases in the bar? What if he keeps me, prisoner, in his room?
The room spins, and she rocks back and forth on her feet. She tries to keep her balance, but her knees start to bend beneath her. Black dots flicker in her vision, and the noise starts to fade. A rough hand grabs her shoulders and jerks her upright. The bodyguard assigned to her shakes her violently, and she bites her tongue hard.
“Everyone needs to finish placing their bets,” the dealer says. “Sir, that includes you. If you don’t make a bet, you forfeit the game.”
A man in a white tuxedo sneer and says, “Come on, Anthony, hurry up. You know you can’t win, but you’re slowing the rest of us down.”
Anthony laughs and tosses his chip into the middle of the table. Then he flips his cards over and throws them onto the pile of ch.i.p.s—he has the king of spades. The other players go silent as they realize they’ve lost. Gabrielle doesn’t know much about poker, but she knows it’s almost impossible to beat her father’s hand.
“Congratulations, sir,” the dealer says. “You have won this game. You’re the only player who may continue on to the next round.”
Anthony stands slowly and swaggers to the next table. The crowd of spectators parts to let him through, and he smiles at each and every one as if they are his fans. The bodyguard shoves Gabrielle in the small of her back, and she stumbles and walks forward.
They stop at a roulette-style game. Instead of numbers, there are three patterns: sun, moon, and stars. If the ball lands on the sun, you win. If it lands on the moon, you get a second chance. But if it lands on the stars, you lose, and the game is over.
“If you win the first three rounds, you win the game,” a girl in a bunny costume explains. “If you’re feeling lucky, you can continue playing. But if you’re done, you may cash in your reward after the first three rounds are over. Understood?”
Anthony nods and cups the small ball in his hand. He blows on it for luck and then tosses it onto the spinning wheel. The audience crowds around, pushing, and shoving each other for a better view. The wheel spins slower and slower, and the audience falls quiet. Soon, Gabrielle can only hear the clicking of the ball and the whir of the wheel. The wheel stops and the ball drops into place—it’s a Sun.
The crowd cheers, and Anthony takes the ball and spins again, immediately getting another sun. Gabrielle holds her breath as he throws the ball for the third time. If he wins this round, she’ll be free from Jackson, but if he loses, she’s doomed. The wheel spins slower and slower, and the ball clicks onto a moon. She holds her breath and watches as her dad throws again.
“Congratulations, Mr. Peters,” the bunny girl shouts as soon as the wheel stops. “You have just won property and development rights!”
Thunderous applause fills the casino, but more than a few spectators glare jealousy at Anthony. Gabrielle lets out the breath she’s been holding. I’m free, she thinks. I can’t believe it—I’m actually free!
Leilani can’t believe her ears. Did Jackson really let my father win? She thinks. That doesn’t make any sense—I was sure he would rig the game so he could get his hands on Gabrielle. This is amazing! She tries to push through the crowd to Gabby, but a huge bodyguard blocks her way.
The bunny girl waves her hands and shimmies her little tail until the crowd falls quiet. She rolls the roulette ball in her hand and smiles seductively at Anthony.
“Lady Luck is with you today, sir,” she says. “Do you want to play again? Mr. Oliver is willing to give property rights to the island just outside the city, too. If you win, you could be very wealthy, indeed.”
Leilani freezes. Clearly, Jackson is upset about losing, she thinks. Now he’s trying to tempt my father into playing another round. He’ll probably keep offering Dad properties until he finally loses. I can’t let that happen.
“Dad, that’s enough,” Leilani says. “You’ve saved the family. You have to stop now.”
Anthony bites his lip and looks longingly at the wheel. The bunny girl shimmies her tail and offers him the ball, and the audience gossips.
“His daughter is gorgeous,” a man whispers. “God, I wish I was Jackson—there’s no way Anthony’s luck can last that long, and I’d love such a fine little prize.”
“He should be ashamed,” an old, dignified man whispers. “I have just as many daughters as he does, and I love them all. They’re absolutely precious to me. No amount of money could convince me to gamble them so heartlessly.”
Anthony licks his lips and takes the ball. He rolls around his palm and stares at the wheel. The bunny girl grabs the edge and starts to spin it, and Anthony blows on the ball and tosses it. Leilani watches it fall with horror.
“Money always brings out the worst in people,” Andrews says, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Leilani’s too nervous about pushing his hand away. She waits and watches as the wheel spins, feeling as if every nerve in her body is on fire. The spectators still whisper and talk, and their words make her stomach churn.
“If I were Jackson, I’d give away all my property too for a crack at such a woman,” a man says. “I’ve heard they call her the Snake Charmer—and let me tell you, and she could certainly charm my snake.”
“Clearly, Anthony doesn’t care for his daughter,” a woman says. “I’m telling you, I won’t be doing any business with him from now on. A man like that can’t be trusted.”
Leilani digs her nails into her palm and watches the wheel without blinking. It seems to be moving in slow motion. Slowly, it stops, and the ball stops rolling. The bunny girl picks it up, revealing a sun.
“Wow, sir, you really are lucky,” the girl says. “Would you like to play again for more property rights?”
“Dad, I’m warning you, you better stop,” Leilani shouts. “You can’t win forever.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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