Chapter 4
Chapter Four
“This isn’t funny.” Charlotte’s low, angry voice.
“I get that you enjoy playing your games and being outrageous.” She still sat in his lap, a position that he quite enjoyed, but she was tense and obviously furious.
Her scent teased him. Passion and Candy.
She huffed out a frustrated breath. “But you can’t bet me. ”
“I’m afraid that he did just that,” Ares announced. “Pierre, why are you hesitating? Show all the cards.”
Charlotte’s golden eyes blazed as she fired a glare at Logan. Blazed both with fury and…surely that wasn’t fear in her eyes?
Did she think he would lose her?
Or…share her?
Not happening.
But he was in the middle of a game, and the stakes were rather high so Logan tightened his hold around her waist as he held her on his lap.
She then proceeded to squirm and try to get away from him.
Logan brought his mouth near her ear. “Don’t.” That was all he said. But there was an edge of steel in his voice that wasn’t normally there.
She stilled.
Pierre flipped over all his cards.
Nine of Hearts. Ten of Spades. Jack of Spades. Queen of Diamonds. King of Clubs.
Sebastian let out a whistle. “Someone was sitting on a Straight. Got to say, I did not think you had jack shit.”
“Neither did I.” From Carmichael.
A broad grin curved Pierre’s lips.
Freya didn’t change expression.
Harper just looked extra worried. That woman should not be at my game.
“That’s good,” Ares allowed. “But not good enough. Sorry, malakas.”
Logan felt Charlotte stiffen in his lap as Ares began to very slowly—and very dramatically because the Greek tended to be one dramatic sonofabitch—turn over his cards.
First card…Seven of Clubs.
Second card…Seven of Spades.
Third card…
Ares paused to grin.
Third card…Seven of Hearts.
“Hardly impressive,” Pierre grunted. “You’ve got three of a kind. From where I sit, I beat you, mon amie.”
Obviously, Pierre needed to work on his Greek. Because Ares had called him malakas which basically translated to dick. Or, you know…a dumbass who masturbated a lot. In response, Pierre was calling Ares…my friend.
Such a mistake.
In Logan’s opinion, Ares wasn’t a friend to anyone. He was, in fact, a very, very dangerous enemy to have.
And Logan fully intended to piss the man off that night.
You aren’t getting Charlotte. And you never, ever should have brought her into our bet. Ares had done that for one reason and one reason alone…To get under Logan’s skin. To search for a weakness. To see if Logan really cared about his new personal assistant.
And I had to take the bait. Because I do fucking have a weakness.
He’d known that having Charlotte at the private game would be problematic. He’d tried to keep her out. Then she’d come in and everything had gone to hell because he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off her.
I wasn’t the only one.
If he and Charlotte got out of that room without him killing someone, it would be a miracle.
“You haven’t seen all my cards yet,” Ares announced. His lips twisted with satisfaction.
Two cards remained concealed.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Carmichael exploded. Patience had never been his strength. “Either you have something else great or you’re out. Flip over the cards, man!”
Harper leaned forward, trying to see. The heiress to a one of the world’s biggest hotel chains had no business swimming with sharks that night. Logan had invited her brother. He’d been the anticipated guest. Only Harper had shown up instead.
Oh, well. He’d deal with that problem, later.
For now…
Ares flipped over his fourth card. Ten of Clubs.
Pierre laughed.
The fifth card…Ten of Diamonds.
Pierre stopped laughing.
“Damn.” Carmichael reached over and slapped Pierre on his shoulder. Hard. “That’s a full house. That beats your straight. Sure hope you made some good memories in that villa because it is gone.”
Pierre’s face flushed dark red.
Ares quirked a brow at Logan. “Guess it’s just down to us.”
It had always been down to them. He’d known exactly what hand Pierre would reveal.
“This night turned out to be surprisingly interesting,” Freya declared. “Logan, you always provide me with the very best entertainment.”
“Glad to be of service.”
She chuckled.
Meanwhile, Charlotte barely seemed to be breathing.
Her fear needed to stop. The others would be able to practically smell it. Well, not Harper. But everyone else would detect her fear the way a shark could pick up blood in the water.
They are predators straight to their core.
And a CIA operative should have shown better control.
He brushed back a lock of her hair, tucking it behind her ear.
Her head swung toward him. Their gazes collided.
He winked at her.
Charlotte’s lips parted. “You…”
“Flip over the cards for me, sweetheart. One at a time. Nice and slow, if you please.” It would be far more fun that way.
Also, he really liked having her in his lap. A mental note for later.
Her hand reached out. He caught the faint quiver in her fingers. Was that real? Or for show?
She started on the left, as he’d suspected she would. The first card she flipped over…
Ten of Hearts.
No one spoke.
The next card…
Jack of Hearts.
“Holy shit,” Sebastian swore, his southern accent becoming a bit more pronounced.
Charlotte turned over the third card.
Queen of Hearts.
Immediately, her head whipped back toward Logan.
He could see the stunned surprise in her eyes, and, seriously, it was insulting. Logan had to ask, “You really thought I’d ever risk you?”
She licked her lips.
Because they had an audience, a very avid one, he leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. “I protect what is mine.” Then he reached around her and turned over the last two cards.
King of Hearts.
Ace of Hearts.
“No!” Ares flew to his feet. “Impossible!”
Logan remained seated. One arm stayed around Charlotte.
The other still extended toward the cards.
“Oh, it’s entirely possible. Just happened so…
yep, possible.” He stared up at his opponent.
“Before you leave tonight, my guards will take you into the casino’s main office, and you will sign over my new property to me.
” His gaze tracked to a stunned Pierre. “Both of you.”
“The hell I will!” Ares thundered around the table, fists clenched. “You cheated! You cheated!”
“Now you’re just going too far. Insulting a man in his own home…” Logan let go of Charlotte.
She scrambled out of his lap.
Logan rose. Ares was almost on top of them, and the guy had a fist swinging out. That fist had better not hit Charlotte!
Logan roared. He grabbed Charlotte, yanking her body against his even as he spun. He curled his body around hers and felt Ares drive a fist into his back.
Fatal mistake, you prick. Fatal.
“Logan?” Charlotte squeaked out his name.
“Stay back,” he gritted.
Then he let her go. He spun. Drove his fists at Ares in fast succession. One hit, two, three, four. Over and over and Ares didn’t fight back because he was too stunned. Logan pounded the bastard, driving him to retreat until Ares slammed into the wall behind him.
Now you are trapped.
A wall behind Ares.
Logan’s flying fists right in front of him.
You swung when Charlotte was there? You nearly hit her? You thought you’d make a bet and take her?
“Logan!” Hard arms grabbed him.
Sebastian.
And…
Logan’s own guards. Men who’d been just beyond the door of the back room and had no doubt come running when they heard his roar.
That roar was never a good sign, and they knew it.
He turned his head, blinked past the rage that still consumed him, and saw Terrance and Jesse.
Both men were pulling on him with all their might.
“He’s done, boss,” Jesse told him. “Done.”
His attention shifted back to Ares.
The jerk was spitting up blood. Curled in a semi-fetal position against the wall. Blinking blearily.
“He’s not done.” Logan flexed his fingers. Rolled back his shoulders. “He’ll be done when he signs over his property. Because no one goes back on a bet in my house. Take him.” He stepped back.
Charlotte stood close to Logan. Which meant she was close to Ares, too.
If she was stunned by the violence that had erupted so quickly, she showed no signs of it and—
Ares yelled. He yanked a knife out of his boot and lunged upright.
He should have been searched. Jesse and Terrance always search anyone who enters a private game. He should have been thoroughly searched.
Logan reached for Charlotte.
She…
Kicked the knife out of Ares’s hand. Then she brought up her own knife. And put it right against the Greek’s throat.
What the fuck? Is no one being properly searched any longer? Do my guards completely suck?
“It’s my second favorite knife,” Charlotte snapped.
“I had to leave my very favorite knife in my room because it was too big, but my second favorite? Oh, it was just the right size. Perfectly easy to conceal.” She pressed the blade harder against his throat.
“You do not try to attack my boss, is that clear?”
Oh, it seemed pretty clear to everyone. All eyes were on her.
Carmichael slapped a hand over his heart. “I may be in love.”
Get over that shit. “She’s a phenomenal assistant,” Logan announced to no one in particular.
“Totally worth her weight in gold. Or, you know, definitely equal to a villa in France and a new casino in Greece.” He clapped his hands together.
“Gentleman…those transfer papers won’t just sign themselves. Let’s get going. Game. Over.”
More of his guards rushed inside.
Good. He would have been annoyed if they hadn’t appeared. He had standing orders that whenever Terrance and Jesse entered, immediate backup was to follow.
Terrance and Jesse took control of Ares.
Charlotte slowly lowered her knife. Her breathing still came a bit too fast.
“Fabulous time,” Freya cooed as she waved in Logan’s direction. “As I said, you always do provide me with the best entertainment.” She air-kissed in his direction. “Do tell your grandmother that I send my love. It’s been ages since we’ve seen one another.” Then she whirled and headed for the exit.