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Poker

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Chapter 26: Poker (Dante's POV)

The next week flew by, and with it came work, arguments, and sex. Then more work, arguments, and some more sex. Anastasia and I were still partners, after all; partners who were being forced to work together, hence the arguments never ceased. 

Sure, we liked to fuck each other but work together? Not so much, and no amount of sex could change that. 

With a week having passed, we were anticipating another invitation to a bloody art showcase once again, and with nearly no leads, our last option was to delay it as much as we could. 

"What about Anastasia's suspect?" Marshall asked. "No leads on him either?" 

With a shake of my head, I replied, "None." Lifting a hand out of my pockets, I pushed the black-rimmed glasses further up my nose. 

"How is that possible? How can he be a ghost?" he demanded. 

I paused for a beat before tucking my hand away instead of doing something irrational like giving him the finger. "For starters, we don't have much to go off of. No last name, just... Ethan. Not to mention, there was no Ethan on the guest list." 

He opened his mouth to argue, of course, but I beat him to it. "The only Ethan on the list was Ethan Clifford, and he doesn't match the description Anastasia gave. She says the pictures don't match the man she saw." 

"What if she was mistaken?" he questioned. 

My brow arched up. "I think we both know better than to doubt Anastasia. She knows what she saw, Marshall." 

Barely stifling a sigh, he threw the evidence photos onto his desk and rose in frustration. "What do you suggest we do then, Dante? Just sit here, waiting for the culprit to give us the next invitation to the blood bath he or she created?" Pacing back and forth behind his desk, he pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"I suggest we steal the spotlight," came Anastasia's voice. I glanced over my shoulder as the door swung open, and she stood in the doorway. "Can I come in?" 

"Please," Marshall nodded, gesturing for her to have a seat. 

Her eyes cut to mine before she braced her hands on the chair and stood beside me. "Should I explain?" she asked. 

Marshall replied immediately, "Yes."

Anastasia took a breath as she turned to me. "Would you like to do the honors, Mr Rossi?" 

The corner of my mouth twitched in amusement. "It's your idea, Ms Vitalio, please go ahead." 

She faced Marshall again. "There's no denying that we're at the killer's mercy. We don't know enough, and we have no control over when he or she kills again and hosts another grand show. But... what we do have control over is the pool of people the killer has access to." 

There was a beat of silence before a hint of approval washed over Marshall's face. "Continue." 

"What we can try to do is delay the event. So far, every event has taken place on a Saturday night. If we get an invitation out for a different event, we might be able to put it off and delay the murder. It's not guaranteed, but it could buy us some time." 

"And how do you plan to do that?" 

With slight hesitation, Anastasia answered, "Well... I asked for some help. I asked an acquaintance to host an event. The guest list is ours, he's just playing host." 

She certainly hadn't told me that... 

"And pray tell, who is this friend?" Marshall voiced the question in my head. 

She cleared her throat and stole a glance at me. Then she said, "Kai." 

Silence flooded the room, enough for you to hear a pin drop. 

"Kai? Kai Warner?" Marshall echoed.

"Kai?" I asked. 

"Yes," she exhaled, "Kai Warner." 

Marshall turned to me. "Last time I checked, you and Kai weren't exactly friends." 

"Well, you never failed to put us up against each other at the agency... but with both of us no longer being official agents, we're civil." Until we weren't. Yes, the last time I spoke to Kai, it had all gone well. We'd agreed to be civil and grant each other a favor once in a while. 

We weren't friends per se, but we certainly weren't enemies. He fell somewhere between the gray area of my radar. The fucker loved to gloat and compete, his pride would be his downfall one day. Or perhaps it already was years ago when he walked away from the agency. 

"Why Kai?" Marshall questioned. 

"He's infamous for his poker parties, he hosts one every year," she shrugged in response, "he knows everybody, and everybody knows him. He's smart, keeps his composure in crowds, even a little cunning. Actually, too cunning for his own good." 

"Hmm," I mumbled, turning to face her, "I wasn't aware you and Kai were so close." 

"I wouldn't say we're close, but he intrigues me. He's intelligent," she replied. 

I nodded slowly as I repeated, "Intelligent." 

A blink of confusion and then the ghost of a smirk on those lips. "Yes, intelligent," she confirmed. Turning to Marshall, she lifted her brows. "What do you say? If you give me the go-ahead, I'll ask him to send out invitations tonight, and he'll host tomorrow." 

After a few minutes of silence, Marshall gave his verdict. "I don't see a reason to refuse. Kai is intelligent, he works with logic and precision. Go ahead." 

Anastasia nodded and said thanks before spinning on her heels and walking out, giving me one last glance. 

Amusement danced in Marshall's eyes. "I take it you two didn't discuss that," he mused. 

"No," I admitted, "but he's intelligent." 

"Let it go." 

"No. He's intelligent," I scoffed, turning around and walking out the door. Only the minute I did, I crashed right into someone. 

Her body fit right against mine as I caught her by the waist, steadying both of us. She inhaled sharply, grabbing my arms to brace herself. 

"Kai?" I questioned. "Really?" 

A tiny chuckle escaped her. "He's the right choice for something like this, and you know it. I would ask Tristan if he and Amara were in New York. They're on vacation, I can't bother the lovely couple." Sliding my hands off her waist, she took a step back. "Tell Marshall I left." 

I caught her hand, tugging her back. "Where are you going?" 

"Home," she exhaled, "I need to go see Dad." 

After that, I didn't see Anastasia until the next evening. I thought of calling her. Fuck, I even thought of taking myself to her apartment, but I figured she wouldn't appreciate me intruding on father-daughter night. 

Twisting the emerald cufflinks on my wrist, I waited at her door to pick her up and drive us to Kai's party as we'd agreed. As I waited, I glanced down at my attire, straightening out the cream tailored-fit suit, fixing the watch sitting on my wrist, and then running a hand through my hair yet again. 

"For fuck's sake," I muttered under my breath seconds before the door swung open. 

Anastasia took in a breath as her eyes collided with mine. "Hi," she greeted. 

"Hi," I replied, "ready?" 

"Mm-hmm," she nodded before glancing down at Kenji, who hovered behind her, peeking out to get a glimpse at me, then delivering one sharp bark at me. 

A sigh of annoyance and defeat escaped me. "Really? Still?" I asked. "You've been seeing me all week, I'd figured we'd be friends by now." 

Anastasia shifted her weight and blocked my sight. "Don't befriend him. He's meant to protect me." 

"From me?" I mused. 

"From everybody," she replied, stepping forward and closing the door behind her. "Even you, even me." 

I paused, staring down at her. "He protects you from yourself?" 

"Sometimes," she shrugged. 

Before I could question her words, she brushed past me. "Come on, let's go. We'll be late." 

My gaze drifted to her back as she sauntered to the elevator, and my breath hitched in my throat for a moment as I took in her dress. The white satin gown flowed down to her heels, the fabric sitting on her body with such grace and elegance, hugging each curve and giving her skin a bronze glow that looked stunning. 

With a light cowl neckline, two straps went over her shoulders, widest at the top of her shoulders, then narrowing at her back again. Her back was left bare and on display, the cut dipping down to her lower waist while three diamond chains went across her back diagonally from her left shoulder to the right side of her lower back. 

"You coming?" she called out without turning to glance at me. 

I entered the elevator and stood beside her, my jaw ticking as I struggled to maintain my focus, struggling to keep my eyes off of her, let alone my hands. 

"Stop staring," she taunted, turning to me. 

"Careful, Mia Cara, or we won't be going anywhere tonight. Only back upstairs." 

She bit down a small laugh. "You sound desperate," she said. 

"I haven't been able to touch you in three days. Between work, arguments in the office, and running around investigating, you truly have no idea how desperate I am, Anastasia." As I faced her and took a step forward, ready to let everything go to hell tonight, if it meant I could touch her, kiss her, taste her... the elevator doors opened. 

My head fell forward as a groan died in my throat while she sashayed out with an extra sway in her hip. 

Oh, she'll be the death of me. 

The drive wasn't too long since the party was hosted on Wall Street, hence within fifteen minutes, we'd arrived at Enigma Hotel, one of the several places Kai owned amongst other similar ones. Hotels, clubs, office buildings. 

His family had been running Warner & Co. for years, even though Kai's contribution to it was minimal despite being on the board. 

By the time we arrived, a few other guests had, too, already playing their own poker games on the tables stationed around the room, circling the large rectangular table that sat in the center of the hall. 

I spotted Kai the moment we entered the room. If Anastasia felt my grip tighten around her waist the way I knew it did, she didn't comment on it, didn't even stiffen under my touch. She let me. 

"Wán de kāixīn," Kai said, the Mandarin rolling off his tongue as smoothly as it always did as he shook a guest's hand and told them to enjoy themself. Before one of us could call for him, he turned around to face us, sensing our presence. 

The edge of his mouth twitched up only for a split second as his eyes dropped to my arm around her waist, but it was gone just as fast as it was there. "Dante," he greeted, tipping his head down slightly in a nod before his eyes shifted to Anastasia. 

"Anastasia," he said. Nothing in particular changed about his voice, tone, or expression, yet somehow, the way he said her name alone was more pleasant than mine. He held a hand out for me. "How have you been?" 

I gave it a firm shake. "Good. You?" 

"Great," he said, withdrawing his hand. 

A beat passed, and then another, before Anastasia cleared her throat. "I'll go get myself a drink. Excuse me." Slipping away from me, she snuck off to the bar. 

"Relax, sunshine," he said with a teasing smirk, "I only said hello to her." 

I bit down on a reply and rolled my eyes before taking a glance around the room. 

"Where's your other half?" he asked. 

"Who?" 

"Tristan," he replied, "you two are more lovey-dovey than anyone else I know." 

"I take it your deal with him went well." 

"Of course it did," he replied, "I helped him out as best as I could." 

"And you're always the best, aren't you, Kai?" 

"Always." 

Fucker. 

Typically, at Kai's annual poker parties, his mother would attend. I didn't know much about her, but she seemed rather... overbearing. 

"Where's the infamous June Wang?" I asked. 

He shot me a blank look. 

"What? I thought we were past this, no? We're close enough for me to know just how much of a Mama's boy you are, Warner." 

"Go fuck yourself, Dante. You owe me." 

"I owe you?" I scoffed. 

"For tonight," he clarified. "You didn't believe I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart, did you?" 

"No, because that would mean you have a heart." I stifled another scoff. 

"Fine," he said, "if you don't owe me, your girlfriend does." 

Challenge accepted, Kai. 

"No, she doesn't." 

He lifted a brow at me. "Oh?" 

Clenching my teeth, I said, "No. Whatever she owes you... take it from me." 

"Hmm," he mused, staring at me for a beat. "Interesting." 

I'll bite back. 

"Did you invite Rose?" I asked bluntly. 

"Rose Chen?" His jaw ticked. 

There we go. 

"Why would I invite her?" he asked, his voice strained and hard. 

"Well, you two have history." 

"Yes, and none of it is amicable." 

At first glance, you would think Kai and Rose would get along well, especially considering how much they had in common. They both came from wealthy families and grew up in similar environments, both of them following Chinese culture, Kai, from his mother's side and Rose from her father's. 

It was rumored their families once had an alliance that went south decades ago, hence the animosity not only between Kai and Rose but even their families. 

When Marshall made the mistake a few years ago of pairing them up on a case, it ended in disaster, and it was safe to say, nobody was surprised. 

"Mind if I steal him?" Anastasia asked, cutting in as she linked her arm with mine, holding my bicep. 

"He's all yours," Kai said to her before walking away, offering me one last glare over his shoulder. 

Anastasia sighed at me. "So much for being civil." 

"He gets on my nerves sometimes. He likes it." 

"You bite back. Bringing up his history with Rose? Really? That was a low blow." 

"Sometimes, you need to get low to put him in place." 

She took a look around and then hummed slowly. "We have some time before the place fills up. Can I invite you to a game of poker? One on one." 

I stared at her, amusement settling in my eyes. "Really?" 

"You think you can take it?" she mused. "I'm game if you are." 

In response, I led us to one of the tables, where we settled, and seconds later, a dealer was there with us. "Care to up the stakes, Mia Cara?" I glanced at her from across the table. 

She lifted a brow in response. 

"If I win," I said, reordering my chips, "you're mine. All weekend." 

She hummed, a grin tugging at her lips. "And if you lose?" 

"You name it, and it's yours. But you should know, I never lose, sweetheart."

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Chapter 26

Y'all I'm sorry,  I know the updates have been slow, but we've had a lot of parties and festivities (basically poojas) going on due to Indian festivals, and now I finally have everything ready for university since I leave soon.

I'm gonna be more regular, I promise

next ch: drown

don't forget to leave comments!

PS - outfits are the first comment