Read Online Fortune's Risk: A Star Thief Novella (Star Thief Chronicles #1.5) by Jamie Grey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jamie Grey
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her cards, along with the two other men at the table. Viktis kept his face expressionless, but he’d won the table. Easily.
“Who’s lucky tonight?” Kitty asked. “That’s quite a hand.”
“Let’s hope it keeps up,” he replied with a smile. “Luck is a fickle thing.”
She ran her fingers down his arm, stroking the back of his hand. “Indeed it is.”
His gut clenched. The expression in her eyes was savage. And not just because of the tournament. Every instinct screamed that there was something wrong, something he was missing, but he had no idea what. He’d have to stay the course for now and hope he could stop her before whatever she was up to went too far.
“Next hand,” the dealer announced.
After a quick glance at their cards, the players placed their bets. And Viktis won again.
And again.
After the fourth time, his hands started to sweat and he furtively wiped them on his tuxedo trousers. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He’d programmed the hack to only let him win enough to stay in the game, not to obliterate everyone in every game.
Beside him, Kitty smiled slyly. “I had no idea you were such a shark, Mr. Zero.”
“You must be my lucky charm,” he replied breezily.
Keva shifted her weight, glancing around the room nervously as the crowd started whispering. The noise swelled louder than the sound of the slot machines, but Viktis blocked it out, focusing on his next batch of cards.
A royal flush. Shit.
There was nothing to do but play it.
The noise crested higher, and the other players at the table studied Viktis with narrowed eyes. He took a sip of the champagne at his elbow to chase away the sudden acid burning at the back of his throat.
Behind him, Keva coughed. He glanced back at her. And then at the trio of casino officials approaching.
The man who’d kicked off the evening shindig glared at him. “Mr. Zero, we have some serious concerns regarding your wins this evening. Would you please stand up and place your hands face down on the table.”
Viktis’s swallowed as he stared at the men. “I assure you, gentlemen, I haven’t been cheating.”
“We’ll determine that for ourselves. On your feet, sir.”
Two casino guards approached and Viktis scrambled to stand up.
“Search him,” the Conyara ordered.
Viktis held up his hands. “Is that necessary?”
“Cheating at this casino will not be tolerated. Men, search his pockets.” The two guards approached and Viktis backed away, bumping against the table. His frantic gaze fell on Kitty Cordoza, watching him calmly from her seat, and his stomach dropped to the floor as it hit him.
She’d framed him.
“Not so lucky after all, Mr. Zero? Or whatever your name is.” She leaned back, her dress spilling open to show off her long legs. “I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to figure it out once I win here. You won’t be going anywhere for a very long time.”
One of the guards grabbed his arm, while the other shoved a hand into the pocket of Viktis’s tux. He struggled, but the guard pulled out a small electronic device and held it out to the tournament official.
“Looks like a transmitter of some kind.”
Where the hell had that come from?
“Yes. I’ve seen these before. Take him to the security office and lock him up. We’ll deal with him after the tournament.” The official shook his head. “It’s disgusting that someone would try to cheat at a charity tournament. Only the worst kind of criminal would steal from these children.”
Rough hands grabbed Viktis by the arms and dragged him away from the table. He met Keva’s worried gaze, his skin turning icy. For the first time in his life, he was completely at a loss as to how to get out of this one. If he attacked the guards, hundreds of people could get hurt. If he played along, he’d find himself in a jail cell at Kitty Cordoza’s mercy. Neither option appealed to him.
“I’ll call your lawyer,” Keva shouted over the catcalls and jeers from
“Who’s lucky tonight?” Kitty asked. “That’s quite a hand.”
“Let’s hope it keeps up,” he replied with a smile. “Luck is a fickle thing.”
She ran her fingers down his arm, stroking the back of his hand. “Indeed it is.”
His gut clenched. The expression in her eyes was savage. And not just because of the tournament. Every instinct screamed that there was something wrong, something he was missing, but he had no idea what. He’d have to stay the course for now and hope he could stop her before whatever she was up to went too far.
“Next hand,” the dealer announced.
After a quick glance at their cards, the players placed their bets. And Viktis won again.
And again.
After the fourth time, his hands started to sweat and he furtively wiped them on his tuxedo trousers. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He’d programmed the hack to only let him win enough to stay in the game, not to obliterate everyone in every game.
Beside him, Kitty smiled slyly. “I had no idea you were such a shark, Mr. Zero.”
“You must be my lucky charm,” he replied breezily.
Keva shifted her weight, glancing around the room nervously as the crowd started whispering. The noise swelled louder than the sound of the slot machines, but Viktis blocked it out, focusing on his next batch of cards.
A royal flush. Shit.
There was nothing to do but play it.
The noise crested higher, and the other players at the table studied Viktis with narrowed eyes. He took a sip of the champagne at his elbow to chase away the sudden acid burning at the back of his throat.
Behind him, Keva coughed. He glanced back at her. And then at the trio of casino officials approaching.
The man who’d kicked off the evening shindig glared at him. “Mr. Zero, we have some serious concerns regarding your wins this evening. Would you please stand up and place your hands face down on the table.”
Viktis’s swallowed as he stared at the men. “I assure you, gentlemen, I haven’t been cheating.”
“We’ll determine that for ourselves. On your feet, sir.”
Two casino guards approached and Viktis scrambled to stand up.
“Search him,” the Conyara ordered.
Viktis held up his hands. “Is that necessary?”
“Cheating at this casino will not be tolerated. Men, search his pockets.” The two guards approached and Viktis backed away, bumping against the table. His frantic gaze fell on Kitty Cordoza, watching him calmly from her seat, and his stomach dropped to the floor as it hit him.
She’d framed him.
“Not so lucky after all, Mr. Zero? Or whatever your name is.” She leaned back, her dress spilling open to show off her long legs. “I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to figure it out once I win here. You won’t be going anywhere for a very long time.”
One of the guards grabbed his arm, while the other shoved a hand into the pocket of Viktis’s tux. He struggled, but the guard pulled out a small electronic device and held it out to the tournament official.
“Looks like a transmitter of some kind.”
Where the hell had that come from?
“Yes. I’ve seen these before. Take him to the security office and lock him up. We’ll deal with him after the tournament.” The official shook his head. “It’s disgusting that someone would try to cheat at a charity tournament. Only the worst kind of criminal would steal from these children.”
Rough hands grabbed Viktis by the arms and dragged him away from the table. He met Keva’s worried gaze, his skin turning icy. For the first time in his life, he was completely at a loss as to how to get out of this one. If he attacked the guards, hundreds of people could get hurt. If he played along, he’d find himself in a jail cell at Kitty Cordoza’s mercy. Neither option appealed to him.
“I’ll call your lawyer,” Keva shouted over the catcalls and jeers from
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