Author's note: Welcome back! And once again, thank you for your patiences with me. I hope you enjoy chapter 26 (:
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"All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere"
Mad World - Michael Andrews and Gary Jules
...
I have been patted down for weapons and given a key in exchange for my cell phone that will be locked away while I am down here.
Maybe I should be glad Tanya is here, if something goes wrong she's the only one who knows where I am.
I am still pissed she is here and the fact that she kept in touch with someone involved here.
This is my mess to clean up and I don't want anyone involved.
My only plan is to play the game and end my time with Aro.
My body feels heavy as I walk down the stairs that lead into the basement that has been transformed into a small casino.
The walls are covered in red, satin curtains that connect to an all gold chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. The floors are all black matching the accent decor and furniture.
On one side of the room is an open bar while on the other there is a glass lined booth where a man and woman take money from bets or cash out their winnings.
In the middle of the room is a large table where two men currently hash out their leader's argument behind money and cards. In a few minutes, I will sit there too and solve whatever issue that Aro has bet so much money on.
He knew when I decided not to go to Italy with him that he would be missing out on a lot of money. He had other guys who could play but not as well as I did.
Blackjack is a simple game since the point is to get to twenty one but it's more than a guessing game if you need to be good at it. I needed to be good at it to make money on my own and it turned into something so much more.
It is more than just a card game or gambling addiction.
When I sat down at the table, surrounded by rich people betting their money on me, I felt a sense of power. That feeling only grew with Bella around and we fed off that feeling of power together.
That feeling never ended when we did. It's why I am here and Aro called me over everyone.
I can guess their next move then I can choose mine. I don't need to count cards, I count how many times my counterpart blinked before looking up from his cards. I watch them eye the dealer, hoping they will give some kind of hint on whether they should hit or stand. I can tell when their minds were so focused on how much money they could possibly win or how drunk they were and they didn't care about the money at all.
After the past six months with Bella and a year outside of the underground, I can feel an inner struggle that is pulling me between the two.
I have not felt in control of anything since reconciling with Bella. I let her direct our relationship because I knew earning her trust and forgiveness would not be easy.
But the urge to let a monster that has been hiding is pounding on my insides demanding to come out. He controls everything. He will control this night. But he also has the capability to send me back into this world of addiction and illegal money exchanges.
"Right this way, Cullen." Felix motions for me to follow him. We walk through the crowd of people watching and cheering as one of the men finally wins by reaching the debt first.
The rules in the underground are slightly different.
The point is to be the first to reach the set debt made by the families challenging each other. The players still choose how much money to bet each deal. You can win in fifteen minutes or two hours if you play your cards right.
The people who come to watch can place bets on which player they think will win. Some people use it as a way to pay their dues while others use it to show off how much money they have until all of their credit cards are maxed.
Aro and his brothers will put a high wage on my name to win tonight. If I win, they will walk out of here and I will walk away as a free man.
"Mr. Cullen, we are so glad you could make it." Aro's brother, Caius, speaks first while his other brother, Marcus, nods his head in agreement. Aro sits in between them smiling wide at me.
Aro is short in stature while Caius and Marcus are tall and scrawny. Caius slicks his blonde hair back with gel while Marcus wears his dirty blonde hair long and wavy. Aro's hair is pitch black and straight down his face, outlining the sharp jawline his brother's lack. Caius has sky blue eyes while Marcus and Aro's are dark brown. If you didn't look close enough, you wouldn't think these three are brothers.
But their love to taunt, spend money and show up an opposing family gives them away.
Except they aren't the ones actually doing the work, they have people like me to do it for them. But not after this.
"What's my number?" I ask, trying to get straight to the point.
I am not here for chit chat or to become friends with the family. They're only glad I am here because I will do their dirty work.
Caius pushes a square piece of white paper in front of me. It's the cash in ticket with my number on it.
My face scrunches at the number and I chuckle believing it is a joke. I count the amount of zeros behind the one over and over but each time I come up with the same amount.
"One trillion?" I read it aloud, flickering my eyes between the three of them.
I have played for years but never for this much, only a couple million and sometimes a billion depending on the families that are playing and the stake between the two.
One trillion means that something important and no doubt illegal is happening.
"Who's the mark?" I demand to know who I will be playing against tonight, what I am going against. Doing a game like this will continue to put my life on the line. If I win, I risk being a target for the opposing family. If I lose, I risk being in debt to Aro.
Caius smirks like he is up to no good. "The Romanians."
The Romanian family is led by brothers, Stefan and Vladimir, who are known underground traders. I had never played them but both of them have been accused of being cheaters and tricksters enough to know that they don't play fair. Not many families want to play with them in cauti, they would get played out of their money or a fight would start.
I am curious to know why Aro has accepted a game with them and why he accepted it here in Seattle.
I had played many games for the family in Seattle and other major cities but like I said, none of them were for as much money as this one. Whatever they have bet on tonight's game must have something to do with the city itself.
"There's a new medication." Aro holds two fingers in the air and bends them when he says the word medication. "It's being made, somewhere in this city by someone who has an associate with access to a port and boat we need."
Whatever drug they are trading between countries must be worth a lot because Italy and Romania are on the opposite side of Washington state. There is no direct path between them so I don't understand why a port in Seattle would do them any good but I choose not to ask more questions. Regardless of how this night turns out, I do not want to know more than I need to.
I have aided in many drug trades before working for Aro, but this time is different. I used to thrive on the adrenaline that I was chosen to work for Aro but right now, I feel disappointed that I ever allowed myself to work for him. This time, I am focused on finishing this chapter of my life and getting back to Bella.
"After this, I am done." I stare at Aro so he knows I am serious.
I watch as his eyes darken and his lips curl into an intrigued smile as if he is not surprised by my words. He shifts his body so he is sitting up more straight and he clasps his hands in front of him.
Caius and Marcus shift their eyes between us but say nothing.
We stare at each other waiting for the other to back down.
"Edward, they are ready for you," Felix interrupts, signaling for me to follow him.
Aro chuckles, finally breaking the contact first. "Good Luck, Mr. Cullen."
My nostrils flare and I clench my teeth. "This is it." I reiterate and walk away before he can respond.
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Author's note: Aro didn't seem to take that news well. Let me know what you think in the reviews!