Page 159 of The Faking Game
“Shut up,” comes a tired, cultured voice. James takes the seat between Rafe and West and puts a bag on the table with a clink. “Let’s get this over with.”
“The enthusiasm,” Alex says. “It’s heartwarming to see, really. You love us so much.”
“I put up with you all,” James says, “because I must.”
West glances from person to person at the table before looking at me. “There’s a buy-in. It’s not our earned chips, though.”
“It’s much better,” Rafe says. “You buy into the game in one of two ways. Wager a one-of-a-kind object of high value… or share a secret. Something the others will want to hear.”
James tips the pouch and out falls a thin diamond necklace. It settles snakelike on the table. “Heirloom. It’s priceless, et cetera and so forth.”
“No secrets for us this time?”
“No.” James crosses his arms over his chest. He’s gotten a tan during our days here, his skin not as pale as his hair. “I enjoy the fallout from yours far more.”
I stare at the diamonds in the center of the table. That’s worth… I can’t even fathom. And an heirloom? Was he joking? If the buy-rate iseithersomething that priceless or a secret, the secret must be good.
“You guys are sadists,” I say. “Or masochists. I can’t decide.”
“Alex’s the masochist, James’s the sadist,” Rafe says. “I’m also buying out of the secret this time. Here.”
He offers up an Artemis watch from an old collection, and I stare at it. How many of those do we have left? It’s one of the originals, from when our grandfather started the small Swiss clock shop. Before it became a giant and that giant was turned into an empire.
Alex drums his fingers against the table and looks around at us all. “Right. My turn, then, and I’m going to preface it with… I’m sorry.”
“Here we go,” James says. “If either of you gets so angry that we don’t finish the game, I’ll stop servicing your planes for a full year.”
Alex looks over at West with a single shrug of his wide shoulders. “Sorry, mate. So, Vivienne’s last party? The Paradise Lost themed one that only Calloway could attend? He took Nora as his date, and I’ve heard that they looked real cozy next to the poker table.”
“Alex,” I whisper.
His blue gaze slides to mine, and there’s a real apology there. “Sorry, lass. There are no secrets here, I’m afraid. And I do very much want to win.”
West is staring at my brother with a steady, unfazed expression on his face. Like we haven’t done anything wrong. Like my heart isn’t pounding out of my chest.
“You took her,” Rafe says in a low voice, “to one ofViv’sparties?”
James groans. “And that’s why you should have brought a physical item, Alex.”
“I forgot.”
“My cousin was there, and I wanted to send a signal,” West says evenly. “She was safe the entire time.”
“It was just a party,” I tell Rafe. “It was fun.”
He keeps looking at West. “Looked cozy?”
“You wanted us to fake date.” His voice is cool and controlled. Like we might as well have been talking about the weather. He reaches out and grabs his chips. Stacks them with one large hand, deft fingers shifting. “So we pretended to date. You know who goes to those parties, Rafe. People talk.”
“That’s what we wanted. For people to talk,” I remind my brother. My heart is still in my throat, and the threat of a confrontation hanging in the air tastes sour. Maybe I haven’t gotten as used to arguing as I thought.
Rafe sighs. “It was a risk.”
“Marginally,” West says. “Nora can speak for herself too. She just told you she had fun at the party.”
“I did, and the stalker is my problem too. I don’t want to avoid parties just because of some asshole,” I say. My tone is placating. “Let’s play.”
My brother hesitates only a second before nodding. “Fine. Just two more buy-ins. Calloway?”
