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"It seems I've won the round again, gents." I tried to hold in my smirk when I laid down the last tiles in my hand and pulled the pile of winnings toward me. I had toyed with them for the first couple rounds, losing as though I were unfamiliar with the rules. I fumbled with which matches I could make and barely held in my amusement as the men tried to break it down for me. I could only play with my food so long, but I figured I would enjoy it while it was still fun. For me. My opponents were having far less fun and that fun was ruined further when I stopped letting them even think they could win.
Corbin slammed his fist on the table with a vicious growl. "Bullshit! You cheated!"
I sat back comfortably and grinned at him. "I assure you, Corbin, I never cheat. It's the one lesson my father taught me before he disappeared."
"No one suddenly gets that good that fast."
"You gentlemen explained things so clearly. I'm a fast learner." I finished my glass of blood wine and poured the last of the bottle into my glass.
Corbin narrowed his eyes at me. "One more round."
I gestured to my winnings. "I don't really think you have anything else to lose, Corbin. You literally lost the shirt off your back."
He stood and loomed over me. I made sure he was aware how little he intimidated me by putting my boots on the chair next to me. He grabbed the chair and threw it over. "You're new around here. Maybe you haven't heard the rumors about what I did to the last guy that cheated me out of my money."
"You mean Peter?"
Some of the heat left his glare, replaced by confusion. "How did…?"
"I came here to meet with him. You see, he was the one who I was supposed to meet here tonight. He told me if he didn't show up, it was the fault of a gambler named Corbin." I took a sip from my glass and let my words sink in before continuing. "I know what you did to my father, Corbin, and if you don't want me to go to the sheriff, I advise you walk away."
He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. "You conned me."
"I was just taking back the money you stole from him. I know that's where the money you gave me to play with came from. Gambling with stolen money is bad luck, right?" I began counting my winnings.
"I want another round. Winner takes all."
"All what, Corbin? I know you don't have anything material to bid. You own nothing besides your pants and boots and they don't look like they'd fit me very well."
"I'll bid anything you want for a chance to get my money back."
"Anything?"
"Anything."
Easy target if ever I saw one.
"Tell you what, Corbin, how about you meet me at Peter's cabin for one more game of fifteen rounds? I'll make a list of things I'm willing to take from you as payment in exchange for a portion of my winnings. If you can fairly win at least nine rounds, I'll give you the whole pot. If I win at least nine rounds, you lose everything on my list. Sound like a deal?" I offered him my hand.
"Deal." He grabbed hold of my hand almost before I was done speaking. He jerked his hand away like he had the last time.
"Something wrong?"
"N-no. I'm fine."
I stood and collected my winnings in my bag. "Good. I will meet you at the cabin tomorrow at sundown. Have a good night, Corbin." I strolled my way up to my room with a confident smirk.
"You certainly wiped the floor with those sharks."
I was surprised to see the woman I'd spoken to outside my room lounging on my rented bed. "It was my goal. How did you get into my locked room, Rose?"
She laughed as she sat up. "You think we don't have keys to all of the rooms? It's a dangerous world, Sylvester. Can't have my resident ladies and lads getting trapped by overzealous clients."
I raised an eyebrow. "Your residents? Does Reibus not run that side of the business?"
She laughed musically. "Reibus is a sweet man, but he wants no part in selling pleasures of the flesh. He's willing to give us a safe place to conduct business as long as I pay full rent for all the rooms my residents reside in and we keep things clean. A more than fair arrangement for the prices we can charge in a town like this. So, is your business done, Sylvester?"
"For the evening, but I have another meeting with Corbin tomorrow night for a high stakes game of tiles."
She glanced at the overstuffed bag slung over my shoulder. "Can I keep you company for the night? Lighten that bag for you a bit?"
I laughed and put the bag in the chair next to my bed. "I appreciate the offer, but I can't part with any of this before my deal is over tomorrow."
Her smile faded and she eyed me cautiously. "You in the business of making deals, Sylvester?"
"On occasion, but only worthy causes. I do not deal on my own behalf."
"Contract dealer?"
I tilted my head. "How do you know about my kind of dealings?"
She made her way to the door. "You learn a lot of things in my position."
I sat on my bed which seemed to relieve some of the tension between us. It wasn't as though I was less dangerous sitting than I was standing, but I found it fairly universally eased the worries of normal people. "I have a fairly good understanding of that. I've been in your position before. That was a lifetime ago, but I still remember what that life was like."
She opened my door and stood silently in the frame for several seconds before giving me a kind smile. "You have a nice night, Sylvester."
"You can actually call me Sy. It's what my friends call me."
She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Are we friends?"
"Not yet, but I thought I would lay the groundwork. If my deal goes my way, you're likely to see me frequently. Have a nice night, Rose." She gave me a small nod before closing my door behind her.