Five of Hearts

Chapter 13

When I got upstairs to my room, my mind was racing. Thane did not look happy. As soon as Hudson and I had seen him, he turned and disappeared somewhere in the house.

I couldn't really blame him.

As soon as I saw him, all I could think of was the fact that he had been waiting for me to say the word. For me to want to kiss him back. And instead, he finds me kissing Hudson. I just hoped that he would stick to his word and wouldn't make too much of a deal of this.

It wasn't like I didn't want to kiss him. I did. Badly.

When I shut my bedroom door to shower, I found a black velvet dress on my bed and heels sitting on the floor. I admired it for a minute. Deep v-cut neckline and straight body with a slit over one leg.

Forty-five minutes later, after a shower and application of some tasteful make-up, I slipped it on. It hugged my body perfectly, like it had been made for me. I wondered briefly if someone had taken my measurements while I slept. Just as I finished pinning up my hair, I heard a soft knock at my door.

"Yes?"

Keegan stuck his head in.

"Are you almost re-" He stopped talking, his eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. "God damn. You look sexy as fuck, baby doll."

I rolled my eyes and blushed at his deep, lustful voice. "Thank you. And yes, I'm ready. Is Atticus ready for us?"

He shook his head comically, trying to remember what we were supposed to be doing. "Yeah, let's go."

I followed him out of my room and when we walked into the living room, he placed his hand on my lower back, his face confident. Hudson looked up and smiled at me while Thane just stared at his phone. He wore an all black suit that looked incredible on him. Cash sat on a couch across from Hudson and Thane and turned to smile at me when I walked in. Keegan led me to one of the armchairs and sat on the arm of it. Atticus came in a little bit later and stood in front of the TV to give us the rundown of the night.

I couldn't help but stare at him for a minute. Atticus looked ridiculously attractive. His shirt, pants, and dress shoes were black and the jacket he wore was a deep, dark red color, unbuttoned. The top three buttons of his shirt were undone, showing the end of one of his scars. I struggled to pay attention to what he was saying.

Basically, we were moving into the richer circles of Middon and one of the men we were playing with owned the club. The men who would be there tonight were the type that were married, with air quotes. Lots of escorts would be present and because of that, and it being my first game, I was to be "with" Atticus for the night. They didn't want anyone trying to mess with me this time. Just to be a distraction.

None of the other players knew that we all knew each other. Everyone was invited separately. Thane was the best player, so he had to focus on winning. Cash and Keegan would be playing as well and Hudson would be staying in the club in case Mario showed up. Since we were moving in on his turf and all.

I didn't mind the set up, but I wished I had the chance to talk to Thane before we left. I had no such luck. As soon as Atticus finished, everyone got up and headed to their separate cars. I wasn't surprised that his was the Audi R8. Sleek and dark, just like him.

Atticus and I drove for a while in silence. I didn't mind, because I felt anxious and couldn't stop thinking about Thane. And Hudson. Plus, when I sat down, the slit in my dress rode up. Like, a lot. Ugh.

"Are you nervous?" Atticus asked after a while.

"A little. I've got a lot on my mind," I muttered.