Call My Bluff

by Elizabeth Knox

  Sparx looks our way. “I don’t think anything will change his mind. He has his father’s stubbornness and my heart. He loves fiercely. He won’t budge when he’s made his mind up. Viper, I’m not sure how we’re going to fix this.”

  Grace flips her hair over her shoulder and exhales. “Guys, he loves her. I’ve never seen Vex so worked up over any woman like this before. I’m playing the devil’s advocate here, but maybe we should let him have his happily ever after. It’ll change him. He’ll be a better man if he gets to claim the woman he’s been so desperately trying to have.”

  We approach the reception desk as I narrow my eyes on my cousin. “You know him better than anyone, Grace. You honestly think we should let him do this? Even with the shit that will rain down on the club?”

  “There will always be another option, another way out. We need to find it. Just because Isabella was promised to Nio, doesn’t mean Nio loves her. He wants her to marry into his family, which will bring power to the merger of the Andretti and Caparelli families. That’s all. It’s simply business for him.”

  I furrow my brows. “You seem to know a lot about this, Grace.”

  She shrugs. “Just because I’m not a part of the brotherhood, doesn’t mean I don’t take notice of the shit that’s happening around me. I’ve been a part of Defiance as long as you have, Beau. Don’t underestimate me.”

  All our eyes bulge at her sassiness. I have to admit, Grace normally sits in the background, reserved and quiet. Maybe she does that on purpose because she’s watching, listening, and taking everything in.

  “Noted. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  We check-in then head up to our rooms. They’re fucking over-the-top, especially for bikers. Luckily, we’re all on the same floor and pretty much next to each other, which is damn convenient. So, after I put my bag away and freshen up, I call everyone out into the hall with a loud whistle. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not the ‘done’ thing, but fuck if I care.

  “Okay, I think the best way to go about this is for Grace to call Vex and tell him she’s here for the wedding, for him to tell her where he is, and then we’ll go visit and assess where his head’s at.”

  Everyone nods as Grace pulls out her cell, dialing his number. She puts it on speaker, so we all hear, and he answers soon after.

  “Hey, twin, you coming to Vegas?”

  “Actually, I’m here. I’m in my hotel room ready to come find you and Izzy.”

  He exhales. “Knew you of all people would understand. You don’t know how much this means to me, Gracie.” He takes in a large, deep breath. “We’re at the pool. Can’t wait to see you.”

  “Love you, twin,” Grace offers, her eyes closing.

  She feels guilty.

  I can see it in her expression.

  I get it.

  “Love you, too.” Grace ends the call.

  Sparx pulls her in for a hug. “You’ve done the right thing, honey.”

  “He’s going to hate me…” She sighs loudly. “And I don’t blame him.”

  “Hey, he loves you, Grace. He could never hate you,” Trax insists.

  Grace gnaws on her bottom lip, and I signal to everyone to head down to the pool area. We enter the elevator, and it stops on a floor halfway down to let more people in.

  The doors open.

  My heart thumps in my chest.

  A waft of fruity-smelling perfume invades my senses as a woman wearing a dealer’s uniform enters. Her brown hair is tied back with a red bandana, her plump lips painted bright red to match. Her eyelashes are curled to frame her big brown doe eyes as she stares aimlessly at her cell.

  She steps in carelessly and bumps into my side. “My bad,” she mumbles under her breath.

  Her voice is silky smooth and utterly enchanting. Her fruity perfume overwhelms the elevator as she stands beside me still staring at her cell. She has no idea she’s in an elevator full of bikers. This woman is oblivious to the world around her, but fuck if she isn’t the sexiest thing I’ve seen in as long as I can remember. Her frivolous attitude and the whole vibe she has going on right now is such a turn on.

  My cock jerks against the seam of my jeans as I stare, taking all of her in. I want to reach out and touch. I want to talk to her, find out everything about her. But in a confined space with all my brothers—my family—in here with me, it’s more than a little awkward. The elevator halts on our floor. I hate to leave without saying anything to her, but the doors open, and my brothers all start filing out of the small space.

  I hesitate.

  Dammit! I have more important shit to do right now and have no choice but to leave her. So I turn walking toward the exit, but as I stroll out, I spin around taking one last look, glancing down at her name badge—Ember.

  I pause, staring at her badge letting it sink in. Her name literally means heat. That’s what she’s done from the moment she walked into the elevator, she’s ignited my body. My eyes wander up to take in her face. As if to sense me watching, her attention shifts from her cell to me. Her eyes widen while taking me in. Then they wander up and down my body while the doors start closing. I take a step forward, and our eyes connect. Tension filters through the small space between us. We stare at each other, neither of us saying a word. My heart rapid fires. A slow smirk crosses her lips just as the doors completely close taking her away from me.

  What the hell just happened?

  Did we have a moment?

  Or am I imagining shit?

  “Viper, c’mon, man,” Socket calls out.

  I turn, and they’re all headed toward the door for the pool deck.

  I take a deep, centering breath getting my head back in the game.

  Ember is a dealer.

  If I want to find her, at least I know she’ll be in the casino.

  But for now, I need to deal with Vex.

  So, I spin on my heels, taking off to catch up with my brothers.

  Chapter Three

  VIPER

  The pool looks every part like I thought a Vegas hotel pool would, even at night. The city lights are sparkling, lighting up the sky in the background. The music from the street echoes around filling the atmosphere with a buzz. The weather is hot for this time of year, it’s 81°F in Vegas tonight, so needless to say the pool is an excellent choice.

  People are lying around the edge sipping on their cocktails as women in scantily clad bikinis float in the pool. It’s a paradise, if I’m honest, but that’s not why we’re here. We need to search for Vex.

  “Okay, let’s find them,” I instruct, moving out together to go in search of the couple we need to find right now. As we walk, people take notice. I guess a group of bikers casually strolling around the pool deck searching for someone is a little on the suspect side, but we can’t help that.

  “Found him,” Grace announces. “Over there…” She points. “By the bar.”

  “Of course, he is,” I scoff.

  We all march over. He’s sitting shirtless wearing board shorts, while Isabella is relaxing in the shallows sporting a black and diamante encrusted bikini. Her eyes are closed, and she’s wearing a ridiculously oversized sunhat. It’s close to nine at night. She doesn’t even need a hat.

  Trax grips my shoulder narrowing his eyes on me, so I gesture for him to proceed. He steps forward cautiously. “Vex,” Trax calls to his son from behind him.

  Vex chuckles, taking a sip of his beer. “I knew you’d be here, too, Dad.” He spins on his stool, a cocky smirk lining his face, but then when he spots all of us, his cheery expression falls.

  “Fuck!”

  Isabella opens her eyes, focusing directly on Vex. He flares his nostrils as she gnaws on her bottom lip.

  “I told you they’d come,” she murmurs.

  Vex rubs the back of his neck, stands, and moves to get in the pool next to Isabella. He wraps his arms around her pulling her to him. “We’re not leaving until after the wedding.”

  I step forward, anxiety creeping through me like a whirling to
rnado. If we don’t find a way to rectify this situation, there will be hell to pay. I hate that I have to ask, but know I must. “Vex, are you taking your meds?”

  He glares at me. “Fuck you, Viper. I’m not having a damn episode, and for you to even think that is insulting as shit.”

  I raise my hands in surrender, taking a deep breath. “Vex, Isabella—”

  “Izzy! Nio calls me Isabella. It’s so formal, I hate it. I might appear prissy. I understand I come from money and a tight-ass family, but honestly, Viper, I’m not as stuck-up as I look.”

  Okay then.

  Letting out an exhale, I grimace. “Izzy, I know you and Vex care for each other—”

  “Do you? Do you really know what it’s like to be in love? A love no one understands or is rooting for? Because the only man I will ever want is Vex…” She trails off and takes a deep breath. “I swear I don’t want any part of marrying Nio. It’s my father who wants me tied to his family, and while you might think I’m not a good fit for your cousin…” she gleams at Vex with nothing but adoration and love oozing from her, “… I’m utterly in love with Vex. Have been for longer than I’ve even known Nio Andretti. Vex and I getting married is a natural progression for us. We’re not rushing into this because there’s a deadline attached to it, we’re doing it because the time is right for us. I don’t care that he is bipolar, I don’t care that you guys see it as a flaw in him. To me, it’s simply a part of him that makes him even more caring and amazing. Vex is nothing like Nio. I love Vex, and I will do everything in my power to make him the happiest he’s ever been.”

  Fuck.

  I glance at Trax.

  He shrugs.

  What in the hell do I say to that?

  Grace steps forward, standing taller. “I support you. You know I do. I’ve known about you guys since the beginning of your relationship. I see how much you love each other, and I, for one, think this wedding should go ahead. I think we need to wait and see if Uncle Torque can come up with anything when he discusses this with Nio’s mother, Bianca.”

  Vex’s hopeful eyes meet mine.

  I grit my teeth, close my eyes, and count to ten. I guess we have time. I don’t need to make any rash decisions just yet. “Fine! I’ll wait to hear from Torque, but until then, keep your head down, Vex. I fucking mean it.”

  Vex leans in planting a kiss on Izzy’s cheek. “I’m going to be spending all my time with my fiancée.”

  “Does this mean we can go to the casino now?” Atomic starts.

  I snort out a laugh. “Yeah, we can let our hair down for a while. But stay close together, and for God’s sake, don’t do anything stupid. You get into any kind of shit, call for back up. Last thing we need is to start some other kind of drama while we’re here.”

  “Wanna go see Elvis?” Sparx nudges Trax.

  “Renew our vows? Fuck, yeah! Grace, you coming? We need a witness.”

  Grace groans. “Man, there’s weddings left, right, and center.” She rolls her eyes. “Sure, I’m coming. Vex? We were both at their first ceremony, wouldn’t be right without you?”

  “Yeah. Wait for Izzy and me to get changed. We’re coming, too.”

  I slap Trax on the shoulder. “Have a good time. I’m heading to the casino to check it out. Make sure everything’s okay. You run into anything, you call me. Got it?”

  He nods, so I take off with the other guys by my side. They’re all excited about playing the tables. But I’m going in search of a certain hottie, who’s bound to set me on fire.

  We make our way into the casino a short time later. Atomic’s buzzing as Socket talks to him about making sure he loses occasionally. Socket’s always the level-headed one.

  Kampai nudges my side. “You look lost in thought, brother.”

  I rub the back of my neck. “I can’t tell what this trip is going to bring, whether Nio’s going to end up attacking when we least expect it, or if Torque will broker peace behind Nio’s back with his mother. I hate waiting. I hate unknowns.”

  He hums under his breath. “It is a hard game to play. But, until you hear from Torque, I suggest, when in Vegas…” He leaves the sentence open, then we walk inside and down to the casino. We enter the giant expanse, slot machines ring out, the sound crazy loud, as I shake my head at the man yelling obnoxiously into a machine. “Make it rain, you bitch!”

  I raise my brow walking past him, my brothers in front of me bouncing around like freaking teenagers on spring break.

  Maybe I do need to let my hair down, if only for one night. I mean how often do we get time to live it up in Vegas?

  I slap Kampai on the back, tilting my head. “When in Vegas!” I tell him.

  “Good, lad.” He punches my bicep as he takes off in the opposite direction for a room that’s billowing cigar smoke. All my other brothers have vanished as well. I roll my shoulders and stroll, slowly and casually, taking in the slot machines. I don’t fancy that shit. They’re basically like throwing your money in the trash can then setting it on fire. No way! I need to make my way to the tables. At least there you can use some skill, and perhaps you have a chance at winning.

  Entering a vast expanse, tables are scattered around the room, some playing poker, some blackjack, a few roulette tables, and all the other games you can think of. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a fucking ‘Go Fish’ table there are that many. It would be stupid of me to go in search of Ember. Hell, she’ll think I’m stalking her. But maybe that’s what I want to do.

  Is she a poker dealer?

  Roulette?

  Damn, I’d sure like to take her for a spin.

  I chuckle to myself but keep walking. Then the hairs on my arms stand up, while heat creeps over the back of my neck. I turn, and Ember’s watching me from behind her table. A blackjack dealer. Ember passes out the chips, working them through her fingers effortlessly without even looking at them. She’s been doing this for a long time. Her eyes bore into mine. I stop, staring right back at her. All the noise, the music, the chatter evaporate while I watch her.

  Ember’s talking as the two men at the table place their bets. But her eyes don’t leave mine for a second. A slow smile creeps up my lips. Her soft lips stretch, not quite reaching her eyes, but it seems so genuinely sweet that an unexpected rush of warmth passes through me, and then she winks.

  The fucking vixen winked at me.

  Ember’s eyes leave mine, focusing back on the table as she deals out her hand. My cock strains in my jeans as I rub the back of my neck. She’s sassy, got to give her that. I can’t not go and talk to her. Ember is full of fire, and I need to see if there’s a spark.

  I stride over to the table standing right in front of her.

  She deals out the cards so fast, it’s like she has lightning hands. “You need to be seated to play,” Ember says so nonchalantly without even looking at me.

  Pulling my seat out, I sit, my lips turning up at the corners.

  I’ve missed this round as she deals out the hand to the other two guys, who are going through the motions, but I watch her the whole time.

  She doesn’t side glance me once.

  “Dealer has twenty. House wins.” She drags both the men’s chips in.

  They grumble, then walk away from the table.

  I slide a hundred across to Ember. Her eyes meet mine as she takes the money, then hands me a pile of chips. I want to reach out and touch her hand, see if she does, in fact, set me on fire, but I don’t.

  She deals me a hand, and I tap the edge of my card thinking out my game plan. “Please don’t touch the cards. Not until the house has dealt their hand.”

  I smirk as she slides her card upside down over to herself, then an eight up the right way.

  I love her sass. “You always this bossy?”

  Ember’s eyes meet mine. The chocolate color has flecks of gold making me think the fire inside is trying to fight its way out. She’s a damn firecracker.

  “You always breaking the rules?” she argues back.
<
br />   I narrow my eyes. “Have you seen the cut? It’s the very definition of breaking the rules.”

  “Is that supposed to impress me?” she quips and quickly follows with, “Would you like another card?”

  I glance at my two fives, then tap the table.

  She slides a king over placing it next to my ten.

  “Impressed? No, keep you on your toes… maybe.”

  “Hmm, well, I’m sure I like my feet firmly on the ground. Hit or stand?”

  I peer down at my hand, adrenaline flowing through me. “Stand. Maybe you’re just too used to being on the level.”

  “Player has twenty.” Ember turns over her upside-down card to show a ten. I smile wide, just what I was hoping for. “Dealer has eighteen. Player wins.” She slides my winnings over to me, then grabs my cards taking them away.

  “Beginner’s luck,” I murmur, pushing a stack of chips equaling fifty dollars into the white circle.

  She tilts her head at me. “Big spender or big ego?”

  Is she like this with everyone?

  “You really have a smart mouth, Ember.”

  She shrugs. “I guess I have to keep you on your toes, Mr. President.”

  I narrow my eyes on her.

  She’s doing what I did. Read my name badge, or in my case, patch.

  She slides my card over to reveal an Ace.

  I waggle my brows at her. “If I get blackjack, will you give me the presidential treatment?”

  Ember rolls her eyes. “Please… that was the worst one-liner ever. And trust me, commando, I’ve heard them all.”

  Commando? Maybe she saw my dog tags.

  Damn! She’s a hard nut to crack.

  But hell, if her attitude is doing it for me.

  I love her fight. Her sass. She’s a minx, and I want to spend as much time as I can with her tonight.

  “I have plenty more one-liners, but you’ll have to deal the card you’ve been dealt.”

  A dimple crinkles in her cheek as she beams. “Fucking hell… Dad jokes now? Are you trying to impress me or make me laugh at you?”

  I smirk, as she slides me another card. “Both.”

  She shrugs. “It’s working, commando.” Ember winks at me again as she slides my card over. Excitement builds inside me while an image of her wrapped around my waist while I fuck her on the blackjack table flashes through my mind. My cock hardens until it’s almost painful while a low growl reverberates in my chest.