Thank you to vilevillan, Robin.D, Momoftwins1970, and Angel897 for the reviews on the last chapter. You are all amazing. Also thank you to everyone who has followed and favorited so far. We're still just getting started. Enjoy.
Two hours, six hands of Texas Hold 'Em, and $500 dollars later Chibs is still trying to figure out exactly how River is correctly determining the outcome of every hand. Three scotches ago he'd been convinced it was just good people watching but now he's pretty sure the woman is a witch. He's tested her too, changing up the bet from who's going to win to who's going to fold and when in the hand it happens but so far, she's only missed the mark once and it was on a side bet not the real deal. The dollar figure had gotten so high they'd started a tally on spare piece of paper.
He's also trying to figure out how he's going to explain the fact that he now owes their prisoner a solid chunk of green to Clay when Happy abandons the table for a redhead across the room.
"Chibs you want his seat?" Jax is watching him from across the green felt as he speaks and Chibs is about to answer when River waves her hand for his attention. She points at her own chest and then nods to Happy's empty chair. Lass has had too many beers he thinks but she's insistent.
"What, does she want to play?" Tig sounds incredulous but at his question River makes a noise in the back of her throat and nods.
"With what money?" Kozik asks but Chibs is relieved at least his blond brother sounds amused by the idea. River snatches up the notepad at the question and then ducks her head to write before holding the paper out to Chibs. He already knows what it's going to say.
Pay up bookie.
He groans and drops his scotch on the table to reach for his wallet.
"You going to bank roll her Chibs?" Opie is teasing and Chibs rolls his eyes.
"Lass and I had some side action going. She's holdin' me down for half a grand." He ignores the low whistle from Bobby and peels off the crisp bills putting them into River's waiting hand.
"Quite the shakedown, girl." Bobby is nodding along and Chibs doesn't miss the way all eyes are on Clay.
"Never played poker with pussy before but now you assholes can't say I don't try new things." Clay kicks the free chair out from the table as he talks and River glides forward to take the seat. "Someone get this bitch a new beer." The joking shout from Clay cuts what's left of the tension and the brothers laugh as Phil comes forward carrying a cold bottle to River. "New player deals"
Clay passes River the cards and for a moment Chibs worries for her still healing fingers but his concerns are unfounded. She picks up the deck and he watches as she cuts the cards one handed before shuffling them with the efficiency of a Vegas pit boss. The cards snap against each other sharply and every man at the table sits up a little straighter.
"Oh shit, we've got a live one." Kozik lets out the words on a laugh and elbows Jax as he talks.
Chibs watches as Bobby carefully trades the new bills River pushed to the middle of the table for chips from the bank. River tosses out the hole cards with speed and Chibs wonders what he's accidentally unleashed on the men at the table.
He scans the room as they make the first round of bets and calls. It hasn't gone unnoticed that River is at the table and Chibs can see a few hangarounds peering over at the game in interest. The clubhouse has gotten loud while they've been watching the game and there are several visiting NOMADS plus Juice talking up a group of women on the other side of the room. Happy has retreated to a dark corner with his redhead. The present Old Ladies are gathered at the pool table playing doubles.
He turns back to the table in time for the flop and he watches River. She looks impossibly calm. She's got $200 in the pot and she matches Bobby's raise to add another $50 when her turn comes. Her hole cards sit face down on the felt in front of her and her eyes are carefully taking in the other players. His brothers, for their part, are engaging in their usual poker talk and he knows they're underestimating her.
"So, I've got this blond bent over the bed and we're going at it…"
"Was she still alive at this point?" Tig is cut off by the dry question from Bobby and the men laugh as River lays down the turn. The betting continues and he watches her stack of chips as she carefully pays in every call but doesn't raise. Bobby, Kozik, and Opie drop out before she lays down the river and Jax folds before the last round of betting but Clay and Tig take it to the showdown.
"You sure you don't want to step back there darling?" Clay keeps his eyes on River as he talks but she just picks up her cards and shrugs. "Okay then."
They lay them down and the table erupts as River drops a straight flush. She barely smiles as she takes in Tig's 3 of a kind and Clay's full house before pulling the chips to her seat. Chibs takes a long pull on his drink and watches as she carefully stacks over a grand in chips into neat little columns before pushing the dealer button to Kozik on her left.
"She's a fucking shark" Tig looks absolutely thrilled at this turn of events and Chibs watches as the lanky man cracks his knuckles getting ready for the next hand.
"Lucky hand." Clay looks less than amused and Chibs does not appreciate the dark look in his president's eyes. "Deal Kozik."
River folds on the turn in the next hand but she wins the third hand to a table of folds with 3 of a kind in her hand. Jax and Opie drop out laughing after the fourth hand, another pot to River, to get home to their kids and the clubhouse is getting rowdier as the clock strays closer to 1am. Chibs is on his seventh scotch and he knows they're not going to make it back to his house tonight at least not without laying down the bike.
Bobby is dealing and Chibs can see Clay is silently seething. River is sitting on almost $3,000 in chips and she looks at home with a beer in one hand the other holding her hole cards face down.
"She's fleecing them." Juice's voice surprises him and Chibs turns to look at the younger man. "How'd she get the seat money?"
"She fleeced me firs'." His accent is thick with drink and he slings an arm around Juice's shoulders. Juice is watching her and Chibs turns his head to do the same. Her eyes are unreadable and when her turn comes to throw in she ducks her head and peels the chips off a stack. Throwing in the call and a raise with what appears to be a practiced move before taking a long pull off her beer.
"She looks so familiar." Juice's voice is far away and Chibs realizes the boy is sloshed. Not that he can really judge.
"Yeh know who should look familiar? That girl Karen. She was asking about you last week Juicy-boy." Chibs nods across the bar towards the dark-haired croweater who is clearly making eyes at the mowhawked man. "Go get yer dick wet." Juice lets out a barked laugh at this order.
"Yes, sir." Juice slurs the words and Chibs watches the younger man stumble off towards welcoming pussy before turning back to the game.
His shoulders tense as he realizes Bobby has just laid down the river and it's down to just River and Clay. A small crowd has gathered while he was busy with Juice. Clay raises the pot by $300 and for the first time since she sat down River seems uncertain. Chibs watches her pick up her hole cards and read them and then her eyes slide up to his face. He can see the question there and even with his drink addled brain he knows to shake his head a silent no. She doesn't react to him but turns back to Clay meeting the older man's eyes before sliding her cards forward, folding.
The small crowd claps and a few of the women hoot laughs. Clay stands to accept a high five on his win from Tig and it's an unspoken sign that the game is over. Brothers gather their chips and turn to Bobby to get their cash out of the bank. Chibs watches as River stands and quickly gathers up the cards from the table her folded hole cards disappearing into the stack. He has no doubt she would have won the hand. He steps over to join her, scotch in hand.
"Had a few lucky hands there didn't she?" Clay speaks directly over her head to Chibs and the Scot knows the disrespect is probably intentional.
"Yea, she did." Chibs nods along as he speaks. He's not sure where this conversation is going.
"You still good keeping an eye on her? Shouldn't be for too much longer." It feels like a trick question from Clay.
"Aye, when she's not tricking me out of my pocket change she's easy. No fuss." Chibs clips his words, trying to sound like he's discussing something casual.
"Don't get too attached brother. Still Cartel property, right?" Clay smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes and Chibs laughs to break the tension.
"Never forget it, brotha." He holds out his glass for a cheers and Clay relaxes into the familiar gesture, his hard eyes going soft.
"Have fun then." With the parting words the president wanders off and Chibs looks down to see River watching him. She mimes smoking a cigarette and he nods.
"Aye lass, but let's just smoke in the dorm. I'm not going to be upright for much longer." To emphasize his point, he downs the last of his drink and clumsily slams the glass onto a nearby high top.
She nods and even drunk he doesn't miss the way she leaves her chips on the table before turning towards the dorms. He follows her trying to pretend that he can't see how tense her shoulders are.
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