His Game by B.L. Brooks
1
Mila
I’m a nervous wreck, I can hardly breathe entering the back room where a high-stakes poker game is about to take place. Stepping inside the dim room, so many eyes turn my way, my muscles lock to force my legs from giving out. It’s not lost on me what these men are staring at as I walk by, but I knew what I accepted when taking the job.
“Bourbon?” I ask, carefully serving the drink to one of the stone-faced men sitting at the table. I really can’t remember if he was the one who ordered the damn thing. My nerves are fogging my memory.
The man sends me a firm nod, giving me my clue I got it right.
I move on to the gentleman seated to the left, serving him his beer and two tequila shooters. These guys really like their drinks.
This isn’t the kind of job I would ever take but after my parents kicked me out of the house, leaving me with no options…I’ve been doing what’s necessary to survive. And I hate it.
Dressing in such skanky clothes, letting these lewd-minded men look at me with that strange glint in their eyes…it’s the worst. And the only saving grace to any of this is that my Uncle Vito is here, making me a little more at ease with a familiar face around. He’s the one I owe this job to.
After Uncle Vito put in a good word to his boss, I was hired the very next day. And with him working security, I know I’m safe here. Or as safe as I can be.
“Would anyone else like a drink?” I ask softly, watching as six men turn to look at me, cringing as all eyes glance over my legs, forcing me to ignore the embarrassment I feel on this invisible pedestal.
“Mila, baby. We’re good to get started. Why don’t you get your sweet ass over here and deal the cards. My business partner is here, so now, the games can begin,” Mr. Capo drawls, patting at the seat beside him with a grin that’s causing my skin to crawl. Sitting next to my boss is bad enough, let alone the ten pounds of cologne I have to take in from the man for hours on end.
“Sure thing, sir,” I say in the fakest voice I have—a voice cultivated over the last few weeks as it’s fueled my survival. Throwing on a small, fake smile, I make my way over to Mr. Capo, taking the seat by his side.
This is just so not my scene.
I’m the girl who goes to church every Sunday and visits her grandma...
I was even supposed to be the high school graduate who went on to get a degree in social work, helping families in need all over the world. But instead, I found myself homeless the day after graduation with not an option in sight.
So now, I’m bunking with grandma. And let me tell ya, it’s nerve wracking sneaking into a nursing home so often.
Being that I have no place to go most nights, I catch the bus to grandma’s and quietly make my way inside, knowing it’s the only option for a roof over my head. Though, if one of the staff members were to ever catch on, they would have me thrown out, forcing my grandma out along with me.
It would all be bad.
“Why don’t you shuffle the deck a few times, then cut. Play with the cards a little, Mila,” Mr. Capo suggests creepily, carrying a twinkle in his eyes that’s making me second guess sitting so close.
I feel every touch of his stare on me all thanks to the small black shorts I’m forced to wear here, matched with the tight red vest I have wrapped around my chest that brings my boobs to pop. With my fishnet stockings and heels on, I look like a call girl ready for her next client.
If I didn’t need the money to pay for grandma’s room that’s keeping us both housed, I wouldn’t be here. And then Mr. Capo wouldn’t be giving me the look he’s giving right now.
Keeping up my act, I begin mixing the deck, knowing he only wants me shuffling since every movement makes my breasts jiggle inside this vest.
Without thinking into it too hard, I glance up to distract myself and almost lose my breath; meeting a pair of dark eyes, nearly black, that are now focused on me, chilling my skin from the crawls my boss has been giving the last five minutes.
I pause, feeling something buried deep inside stretch wide awake. What is happening…
Quickly, I regain my fixed breath, continuing to move the cards as something strange begins to happen.
“That should do it. Just start the deal,” the man snarls in a husky voice filled with command, I merely obey without thinking.
What are you doing, Mila?!
The man with dark eyes isn’t my boss…he’s someone new to the game. This is the first night I’ve seen him around here and he’s done nothing but stare at me with a hunger in his eyes…I can feel it.
Just like I feel my skin on fire as I start the deal, my fingers now flowing smoothly from all those years of experience with grandma. We used to play cards more than these cruel old men.
“Well, alright then.” My boss doesn’t sound too pleased with the interjection, though it seems as if he’ll let it slide from the stranger.
Mr. Capo lifts his cards, giving them a once over as it makes me jitter as I know what’s expected of me. Glancing around the table, I watch as everyone peruses their hand, bringing me to feel guilty.
They’ve all received a terrible hand and it’s all because of me. I’m here to deal only good cards to my boss and no one else. He’s made that clear since day one.
“Alright, fellas. Let’s get this going. You in, Leo?”
Dark-eyes looks up, a grin quickly sliding across his firm lips. “I’m in.” He tosses his chips into the middle of the table as he knows his hand sucks. The other players continue, making their choices as three of them end up adding their own chips while the others fold right off the bat, cursing up a storm.
But Leo…he keeps his eyes on me the whole time, almost as if he knows what’s happening.
And every passing second with his stare in sight, thoughts begin flashing through my mind as I picture this large hulk coming over my body, his dark hair smoothed over as he’s made to perfection and all I want to do is—
Stop!
I cut the thoughts off, trying my best to ignore the feelings unfurling within as I really don’t have the time or experience to be thinking like this.
I’m here to do a job and if I do it right, I get to keep working and won’t have to stress myself to the brink of combustion as I worry over money. Mr. Capo pays me well to deal cards. All I have to do is play dumb when I hear certain comments and be sure to make Mr. Capo’s hand a winning one, no matter what.
A good hour passes by as I continue to distribute the cards, feeling like a fraud as the men at the table steadily lose, their chips dwindling by every hand. And by the time my boss starts talking business, I’m sweating, squirming…a restless ache now causing my body to burn and shiver under the intense stare I feel coming from Leo.
I know for a fact if I dared to look at him, I’d find his eyes still pinned on me, completely neglecting his cards and the game we’re wrapping up.
“So, Leo. About the building,” Mr. Capo begins, his tone one of business as I remember Uncle Vito said to keep it hush-hush, but apparently tonight’s game is for the sole purpose of acquiring some building from Mr. Capo’s partner—aka the handsome brute staring me down. Apparently Leo refuses to give it up.
According to my Uncle, Mr. Capo intends to use tonight’s game to cheat his partner out of a bet, and unfortunately, that’s where I come in. I’m in place to help him win but now…all I want to do is disappear as I finally look over to Leo, finding his dark eyes narrowed in on my boss.
“Isn’t for sale, Capo. I’ve already told you, it’s personal. Valdita will not be leaving my portfolio. It’s mine,” Leo’s rough voice barrels out. It’s obvious they’ve had this talk a time or two.
“You continue to tell me it and it continues to not make any sense. That building is a fucking waste under your control. You don’t use if for a damn thing and if you hand it over, you’ll be even richer than your old ass is now,” Mr. Capo returns, the sound of his irritation causing my nerves to flare up.
“I don’t need the money. And you’re aware the building belonged to my grandfather before me. It’s staying in the Vendetti family, end of story. Take Oxworth.” Leo’s mouth twitches as he offers another solution, though Mr. Capo scuffs, shaking his head.
“We both know I want Valdita. It’s prime location for my next venture. So, tell you what,” Mr. Capo starts, his mouth curving into a sly smile. “You win this next hand and I’ll stop bugging you for the place. I win, and you let me buy you out below market price.”
Even though the offer sounds genuine, I know better. And as Leo’s eyes whip my way, I feel like he’s looking right into me, finding my sins laid bare...he knows what’s going on. I know it.
If I do what Mr. Capo asks of me, then the man whose eyes I can’t escape from will end up losing a place obviously important to him. And if not, I lose my job here when I’m already a month behind…what a pickleI’ve wedged myself in.
“I’ll take that bet,” Leo grunts, his tone forcing me to look his way again as I wonder why he would go for something he knows is rigged…is he testing me? Or does he really not know?
Looking at him now, I take everything in I can get my eyes on, finding it hard to look away this time as something about him is just so…hot. The guy is clearly older than me, maybe late thirties to my eighteen. Dark hair cut short at the sides, styled on top as he brings in a sexy look with nearly white strands resting at his temples.
He looks at me like he’s the kind of man who knows all about life—all the secrets to mastering it. Those dark eyes of his bore into me as I roam his face, finding myself lost in a daze. His ruthless edge is making my blood rush, causing me to see what it is I’m feeling right now…a feeling of arousal.
Oh, God…the first man I’ve ever looked at and wanted like this is here sitting in an underground poker game. Why did we have to meet this way?
As I ready myself to deal the cards, I know what I’m going to do…what I have to do.
“Excellent,” Mr. Capo grates. “Well then, Mila. Go ahead and deal, baby.”
Baby...yuck. He can stop anytime now with the nickname.
Mr. Capo looks over to Leo. “Let’s get this over with so you can come join me in the private lounge and relax. I have some good girls working tonight,” he says all proudly as if running a prostitution gig in the back is something to smile about.
I cringe just thinking of the lounge.
The only reason I didn’t end up in there, despite Mr. Capo’s initial request for me to, is because my Uncle wouldn’t hear of it. He’s quite aware of what’s expected from the girls in there.
I’ve never had to step foot in the private lounge, but I know what happens…and the thought of Leo Vendetti spending his night with those women…it’s sickening me.
My hands are trembling as I’m torn between fear and heartache, both of which I shouldn’t be feeling as I deal the next hand, doing something I know is going to screw me in the end.
I deal Leo the winning hand.
