Driskell looks pale now. That’s right, I meet his eyes across the table. You should be scared.
Skimming from the boss is a dumb move. Keeping me around to talk like this is even dumber.
And Driskell may be a psychotic asshole, but he’s not dumb.
“One day, huh boss?” I continue, making sure he understands. “If I stick by you, I’ll make it. The longer I’m here, the more I learn.”
I pause, glancing down at my bad hand. “All in.”
Driskell looks at me dead on. I can see the calculation in his head, but there’s no contest. He wants to lord it over me, but he wants to keep his own ass alive even more.
He nods imperceptibly.
“I guess I fold,” he says, sitting back.
Relief crashes through me. I grip the table, my head spinning, not sure I’ve heard him right. Tegan grips my shoulder, she doesn’t believe it either, but Driskell is already getting up with a scowl.
Kolchock whistles. “Looks like you had another lucky streak, kid.”
Luck has nothing to do with it.
He tosses over a roll of bills and nudges Driskell. “Pay up.”
Driskell hands over the cash with a deadly look in his eyes. “You’re heading out now, aren’t you?” he says quietly.
I nod, freedom so close I can taste it. “You won’t see me again. I don’t want any problems,” I add in a low voice. “Not for you, and not for my family.”
He nods. It’s a deal. My silence, in exchange for him forgetting I ever existed.
I know this time he’ll stay away. I have leverage now, and he won’t take the risk—not when it’s his own future on the line.
I take Tegan’s hand and yank her after me, striding for the exit before he can change his mind. We burst out onto the busy street in a cluster of tourists and drunken revelers.
Tegan grips me. “I can’t believe you did it! Your cards were terrible, I thought for sure he’d win!”
I pick her up and spin her around, dizzy with freedom. “It wasn’t about the cards.”
I set her down and kiss her, reveling in the taste of her lips. “I’m never leaving you again,” I promise her.
“Good.” Tegan grins, lit up with joy. “Because you know I’ll only hunt you down and drag you back again.”
I laugh, kissing her again. “Your stubbornness has some benefits then.”
She giggles. “So what are we going to do?”
I yank her closer. “I can think of a few things…” I dip a kiss into the hollow of her neck. She shivers.
“I meant, with the money!”
I pause. I wasn’t paying attention to the bets; the stakes for me were so much higher. Now I realize, I have money in my pocket, and the rest of my life in front of me.
Our lives.
“You’re free now. You can do anything now, go anywhere.” Tegan looks up at me, a question in her eyes.
I hold her tightly, breathing her in. There’s only one place in the world I want to be. A house in the country by the coast, with a front porch made for long summer evenings, and a yard for the kids to play in, one day.
A future that will rebuild the wreckage, and set those old ghosts to rest forever. Brighter, better, more joyful than the past has ever been.
I pull Tegan close. My future. My forever.
“I’m taking you home.”
THE END
Skimming from the boss is a dumb move. Keeping me around to talk like this is even dumber.
And Driskell may be a psychotic asshole, but he’s not dumb.
“One day, huh boss?” I continue, making sure he understands. “If I stick by you, I’ll make it. The longer I’m here, the more I learn.”
I pause, glancing down at my bad hand. “All in.”
Driskell looks at me dead on. I can see the calculation in his head, but there’s no contest. He wants to lord it over me, but he wants to keep his own ass alive even more.
He nods imperceptibly.
“I guess I fold,” he says, sitting back.
Relief crashes through me. I grip the table, my head spinning, not sure I’ve heard him right. Tegan grips my shoulder, she doesn’t believe it either, but Driskell is already getting up with a scowl.
Kolchock whistles. “Looks like you had another lucky streak, kid.”
Luck has nothing to do with it.
He tosses over a roll of bills and nudges Driskell. “Pay up.”
Driskell hands over the cash with a deadly look in his eyes. “You’re heading out now, aren’t you?” he says quietly.
I nod, freedom so close I can taste it. “You won’t see me again. I don’t want any problems,” I add in a low voice. “Not for you, and not for my family.”
He nods. It’s a deal. My silence, in exchange for him forgetting I ever existed.
I know this time he’ll stay away. I have leverage now, and he won’t take the risk—not when it’s his own future on the line.
I take Tegan’s hand and yank her after me, striding for the exit before he can change his mind. We burst out onto the busy street in a cluster of tourists and drunken revelers.
Tegan grips me. “I can’t believe you did it! Your cards were terrible, I thought for sure he’d win!”
I pick her up and spin her around, dizzy with freedom. “It wasn’t about the cards.”
I set her down and kiss her, reveling in the taste of her lips. “I’m never leaving you again,” I promise her.
“Good.” Tegan grins, lit up with joy. “Because you know I’ll only hunt you down and drag you back again.”
I laugh, kissing her again. “Your stubbornness has some benefits then.”
She giggles. “So what are we going to do?”
I yank her closer. “I can think of a few things…” I dip a kiss into the hollow of her neck. She shivers.
“I meant, with the money!”
I pause. I wasn’t paying attention to the bets; the stakes for me were so much higher. Now I realize, I have money in my pocket, and the rest of my life in front of me.
Our lives.
“You’re free now. You can do anything now, go anywhere.” Tegan looks up at me, a question in her eyes.
I hold her tightly, breathing her in. There’s only one place in the world I want to be. A house in the country by the coast, with a front porch made for long summer evenings, and a yard for the kids to play in, one day.
A future that will rebuild the wreckage, and set those old ghosts to rest forever. Brighter, better, more joyful than the past has ever been.
I pull Tegan close. My future. My forever.
“I’m taking you home.”
THE END
