5. Vitorio
On the stage, the host announces that it is time for the players to start making their way upstairs to the room that has been set up for the game.
There are cameras everywhere in that room and the game will be broadcast live to this ballroom where the pre-party has been hosted.
Tension begins to rise. The energy levels increase drastically.
I smile down at Nicki. I am about to tell her that we should head upstairs, when my brother arrives on the stage, taking the microphone away from the host.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen and thank you for coming out to see this magnificent, exciting poker game tonight. We all know it is going to be an intense game. But - I am here to let you know that things will be even more exciting as the evening progresses."
I frown, wondering what he is up to.
"Tonight, my brother, Vitorio, and I, have a friendly bet going on. The winner has the pleasure of an evening with the most beautiful woman in the world. Nicki? Where are you, sweetheart?"
A spotlight shines down onto where Nicki and I are standing. She smiles awkwardly and waves. I do my best to hide the anger in my own expression.
Luca continues his announcement to the eager crowd.
"But, I have decided, that instead of just limiting this bet to my brother and myself, all of the families, every don who has entered into the match, should be allowed to have a little fun too. So, this is no longer a private bet between Vitorio and me. The winner of the poker game tonight wins an evening with Nicki as their exclusive date. How does that sound?"
He holds his arms out, encouraging the crowd to cheer. And they don't hold back. The entire room erupts in excited clapping and cheers.
Anger seeps from my skin.
My brother has changed the rules of our agreement, and I know exactly why he has done it.
"What the fuck?" Nicki whispers in shock, still smiling, as the spotlight is still on her.
She waves at the crowd, as gracefully as ever, and no one in the room would know how furious I can see she actually is.
When the light moves off her, and my brother climbs off the stage I pull her close to me again.
"My brother is changing the rules because he knows I am a better player than he is. He would rather see you with someone else than with me."
"So he is just throwing me to the wolves?" She snaps angrily. "I didn't agree to that. There are only mafia dons playing tonight -- the head of each family. They are ridiculously dangerous and sorry for my bluntness, cruel men. I don't want to end up having to spend an evening with any of them."
She looks like she is fighting to keep her emotions under control. Her eyes are glittering brightly with the threat of tears. Or fear. I can't tell.
"Nicki, you are going to have to trust me. I have played poker against all of these men before. I am better than them."
"But it is a game of chance as much as it is a game of skill." She whispers.
"Trust me," I say, holding her face in my hands and staring right into her eyes. "Can you do that?"
"I don't know." She says nervously.
"Well, you don't have any choice, Nicki. I promise you I am going to do everything I can to make sure you end up with me." I lean down, and with my lips against her ear, I whisper, "Everything is going to be ok."
Her fingertips brush over my chest and I feel my body responding ferociously to her touch. I will win. She belongs to me. And I will keep her safe.
"We had better head upstairs to the game room," I say, taking her hand in mine. She nods, looking stressed. "Let's play his own twist against him. Don't let him see that he has upset you with this." She nods again, and I watch her entire demeanor change from panic to self-assurance. A sweet smile spreads across her face, and she takes a purposeful breath, pulling herself together. When I lead her through the crowds, towards the elevator that leads up to the game room, she looks confident, bold, and elegant all over again.
As we pass people they whisper about how beautiful she is, and I smile.
She is beautiful. And I am going to win.
Upstairs Nicki quickly catches the attention of every mafia don who has entered the game.
Some of them eyed her from a distance, looking eagerly over her beautiful figure. Others come over to introduce themselves.
"Nicki, my name is Dominic, I look forward to our evening together when I win."
Dominic takes her hand in his and kisses it. She smiles and nods her head politely. "Good luck." She says, with a wide smile.
"Dominic, you haven't won in three years." A tall man, around my age pushes his way towards Nicki. "I am Rafael. Don't even pay attention to these other guys. I won last year. I will win again this year. I will take you to the most extravagant restaurant in the entire city." He leans over and whispers something in her ear that causes annoyance to flash briefly across her face.
"Who are these men?" She asks, turning her back to the room and speaking directly to me.
Dominic is no threat at all. He is a small fish in a big pond. He runs a vehicle smuggling business at the docks. Rafael is a good player, but the only reason he won is because I was not playing last year. He is a dangerous man though. His business is in illegal substances, and he tends to deal violently with those who piss him off."
"And the man standing at the table staring at me?"
"That is Leonard. He is a damn good player, ruthless actually, but we will keep an extra close eye on him as he has been suspected of card counting before."
"Aren't these men all enemies?" She asks, shocked.
"Yes, some are, some are allies."
"How can they all be in the same room together without a war breaking out?"
"Tonight, for this once-a-year high-stakes poker game, we mutually agree to a ceasefire to engage in the game. This is an agreement that is not taken lightly, and there are serious consequences for anyone who breaks the rule."
"So, one verbal agreement is stopping all of these men from turning into a room of pit bulls and tearing each other apart?"
"I guess that is one way of putting it."
"I don't like this." She whispers.
"Nicki. I told you to trust me."
"Yes, when it was just you and your brother, it was a lot easier to do that."
I laugh. "I am still the best player here," I reassure her.
"Vitorio, stop acting as though you have already won, and keeping the prize to yourself," Fabio complains, gesturing for Nicki to step away from my side.
Nicki turns to face him with a bold, confident smile on her face. "I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you yet?" She says, holding her hand out towards him. He beams with delight. "I am Fabio, the best player here."
"Well, so far everyone I have met tonight is the best player here." She giggles. "Tell me, Fabio, how do you know Luca and Vitorio?" She moves away from me and I feel a coldness at my side where she is standing. "Luca and I are in business together," Fabio says, leading her further away. "Is that so, and what kind of business is that? Has he been keeping you busy?"
"Luca is always up to something." Fabio laughs.
I do my best to keep my distance, but I can't stop myself from following Nicki around. Her wit and feisty attitude have every single man in the room enamored with her. She is moving from group to group, smiling and laughing and keeping them all on their toes.
What catches my attention though, is how quickly she's adapted to this situation she was thrown into.
She is charming everyone, and somehow making them all believe that she secretly wants them to win. Each man she speaks to is completely captivated and almost certain he already has her.
But this is my casino. This is my game. And she already belongs to me. I will win. No other man will touch her.
I fight back jealously as I see one of the dons caress her back, his hand sliding too low for my liking. She sidesteps, laughing, moving away from his touch, but pretending like it was a completely natural move.
I watch the emerald dress sway over her hips, and how the men's eyes travel over her body.
Sizing up every man in the room, I run through my memory of how they play. It is no longer just my brother I have to beat, but everyone here.
This is not what I had intended. I didn't want to put Nicki in this kind of danger.
I am impressed with how she is handling herself though.
I wander closer and hear her mention my brother's name again.
Why is she asking everyone about my brother?
She has mentioned him at practically every interaction, in a subtle, yet specific way. As though she is trying to gather information on what he has been up to lately.
Every now and then she also asks the men if they know of someone called Leonard Dellacroce. I have heard of him before, but from what I know he died a while ago. What in the world is she talking about a dead man for?
I don't like the fact that she is asking so many questions about Luca, and somewhere in my mind I know I should stop her, I should intervene and maybe even pull her aside and ask her what the fuck she is doing. If it was anyone else, I would have already done that long ago. But with her, I find myself so intrigued, that I just let her carry on. She is fascinating to watch, and even though I hate the way the other men are pawing at her, I am attracted to her courage and intelligence.
As we move closer to the start of the game the rivals start grouping together, and tension grows. They are all sizing each other up, and the only person who is now able to move freely between them all - is Nicki. She somehow taunts them with the idea that they might win and teases them with the thought of spending an evening as her date. This allows her access to everyone, and she is handling it with grace and courage. I watch her closely, as her personality changes subtly to fit with whoever she is talking to. With one of the dons she is coy and shy, with another she is witty and feisty. She jokes with some and acts obediently with others.
She knows exactly how to handle every single one of them within a few seconds of being introduced.
I can't help but be entirely and completely captivated by her. Everything about her is enthralling. She is exactly the kind of woman I can see myself falling for, and despite her display of strength and confidence, she is exactly the person I want to protect and keep safe.
She makes it seem as though she is capable of looking after herself, but I know she needs me. And I will be here for her. Nothing will happen to her as long as I am around.
Luca slides in alongside me, with a sour smirk on his face.
"How do you like my game changer, Vitorio?"
"You never did like to play a fair match, but it is ok, I understand you had to do it because you were too scared to face me alone in this particular challenge."
"Oh fuck off. I would have killed you in this game." He snarls.
"Is that so? Then why didn't you just do that, instead of trying to hide behind all of these other players?"
"Watch your back, Vitorio. That girl belongs to me. I have been after her for a very long time, and you won't take this one away from me."
"She didn't look that excited to be here with you though, did she?" I say casually, knowing I am pushing his buttons.
"Why does it matter how she looked? What she wants doesn't factor into this. She is mine. And I will have her. She knows it. She knows there is no way out of this for her."
"Why? Because you are threatening her? Is that really the best way to get what you want?"
I am holding back a wave of disgust about the way he is talking about her. It sounds as though he has plans for her, plans that would make me want to kill him if I caught him doing any of them.
"Fuck you." He whispers, with a fake smile on his face so that the crowds don't notice the obvious tension between us. But even a blind man would be able to feel the vibes and the way the air is charged with fire.
"Instead of trying to talk yourself bigger, why don't you just save it for the game?"
I smirk, fueling that fire.
"Even if I don't win, Vitorio, and I will, but even if I don't - you don't stand a chance of having her now. Not after how the stakes have gone higher."
I don't bother responding. And after a long moment, Luca gives up waiting and storms off into the room.
Nicki is still out there, asking questions about my brother. What is going on between them? My brother acts as though she belongs to him, telling me that he has wanted her for ages, yet he treats her like shit. And Nicki, on the other hand, seems to be hunting down some information about Luca. Maybe she is trying to counter whatever he is holding against her.
Despite the ceasefire called for tonight's event, the different families are starting to throw heated glares and dangerous threats across the room. The rivalry is getting thicker as the clock ticks on. In a few minutes, the players will take their seats, and I think each man is itching to prove his worth, to prove he is better than the next.
Winning this game goes deeper than just being the best poker player, and even deeper than winning an evening with Nicki. Winning represents being the strongest, most intelligent player in a room full of testosterone-driven egos of allies and enemies.
"Can all the players please take their seats?" The host announces, and an anxious, excited murmur floods across the room.
I make my way to the table, sitting down and leaning back in my chair to observe the other men. My brother is sitting opposite me, and his stare is unwavering. I ignore it.
A girl in a tight red dress with her breasts spilling over the top leans over him. "Luca, why worry about winning that girl for a night when you can have a night with me?"
He snarls at her and pushes her away. I chuckle.
She looks dejected and moves on to the next player. Stroking her hand over his shoulders, wanting to be his mascot, hoping to get a decent tip at the end of the night if she can make him believe she is his lucky charm.
Nicki takes a seat at the side of one of the higher-ranked dons in the game. I know she wants me to win, but she also doesn't want to make it obvious to everyone. If they didn't think this was a fair game, it could turn ugly very quickly.
Over the table her eyes catch mine, I feel a deeper need to protect her, from everyone.