Chapter 298: I Don''t Remember Everything


    The dealer shuffles the cards over and over and flicks them across the table to the gamblers. The back of each card is red and ck, with Oliver''s seahorse crest on it.


    Gabrielle watches the gambler''s hands as they wait to look at their cards. Some people drum their fingers on the tabletop, and others twist their jeweled rings, but her father''s hands are perfectly still. Each yer has one chip, representing their family member.


    "Please, Dad, just tell me what''s happening?" she whispers. "I don''t remember anything, and I''m scared."


    She can see Anthony''s shoulder muscles tense, but he doesn''t turn around to look at her. She wants to tug on his jacket or tap on his shoulder, but the bodyguards have tied her hands behind her back. The rope cuts into her wrists, and she wriggles her hands behind, trying to find afortable position.


    "Seriously, Dad, please talk to me," she whispers.


    Anthony ms his palm against the table and says, "Shut up and don''t make a soundI need to concentrate if I want to win."


    "I''m the quietest person in here," sheins. "How am I distracting when there are dozens of people standing around and making bets among themselves about who will win?"


    Dozens of spectators stand as close as the bodyguards will allow them. They point at the yers and whisper behind their hands. Gabrielle sees them passing money and chips to each other as they bet on the oue of the game. Under the dim casino lights, their faces seem monstrous and cruel.


    Gabrielle''s heart hammers in her chest, and she looks around for Averyshe can''t find her anywhere. Then out of the corner of her eye, she sees Avery. Though it''s only afternoon, every other woman in the casino is wearing an evening gown or a cocktail dress; their jewel-colored clothing sparkles and shimmers under the chandeliers. But Avery is wearing a simple white sundress, and her face is almost as pale as the fabric.


    Andrew Clifford stands close behind Avery and wraps his arm around her waist. Gabrielle feels her face go hot. How dare he touch her like that, she thinks. And where is Evan? Why is he letting Andrew take liberties with my sister? Did Dad lose Avery in some other bet?


    The gamblers lift the edges of their cards and peek. Avery tries to see her father''s hand, but he ms the cards down on the table. She looks around at the gamblers'' faces. It''s hard to tell how they feel about their handsthey''re all trying to look as calm as possible. She wishes she could see her father''s face.


    He can''t lose, she thinks. Avery said Jackson would take me if Dad loses, and I can''t let that happenhe''ll torture me. I wish I''d killed Jackson when I had the chance. If I hadn''t been so weak before, I wouldn''t be in this situation now.


    "It''s time to ce your bets," the dealer says.


    Anthony hesitates, and Gabrielle starts to feel dizzy. The room is unbearably hot, and the smokestacks in her lungs, making it hard to breathe. The spectators point and stare at her, and her bound wrists throb in pain. What will happen to me? She wonders. What will Jackson do to humiliate me? Will he make me put on a bunny custom like the serving girls, or will he make me do stripteases in the bar? What if he keeps me, prisoner, in his room?


    The room spins, and she rocks back and forth on her feet. She tries to keep her bnce, but her knees start to bend beneath her. ck dots flicker in her vision, and the noise starts to fade. A rough hand grabs her shoulders and jerks her upright. The bodyguard assigned to her shakes her violently, and she bites her tongue hard.


    "Everyone needs to finish cing their bets," the dealer says. "Sir, that includes you. If you don''t make a bet, you forfeit the game."


    A man in a white tuxedo sneer and says, "Come on, Anthony, hurry up. You know you can''t win, but you''re slowing the rest of us down."


    Anthonyughs and tosses his chip into the middle of the table. Then he flips his cards over and throws them onto the pile of chipshe has the king of spades. The other yers go silent as they realize they''ve lost. Gabrielle doesn''t know much about poker, but she knows it''s almost impossible to beat her father''s hand.


    "Congrattions, sir," the dealer says. "You have won this game. You''re the only yer who may continue on to the next round."


    Anthony stands slowly and swaggers to the next table. The crowd of spectators parts to let him through, and he smiles at each and every one as if they are his fans. The bodyguard shoves Gabrielle in the small of her back, and she stumbles and walks forward.


    They stop at a roulette-style game. Instead of numbers, there are three patterns: sun, moon, and stars. If the ballnds on the sun, you win. If itnds on the moon, you get a second chance. But if itnds on the stars, you lose, and the game is over.


    "If you win the first three rounds, you win the game," a girl in a bunny costume exins. "If you''re feeling lucky, you can continue ying. But if you''re done, you may cash in your reward after the first three rounds are over. Understood?"


    Anthony nods and cups the small ball in his hand. He blows on it for luck and then tosses it onto the spinning wheel. The audience crowds around, pushing, and shoving each other for a better view. The wheel spins slower and slower, and the audience falls quiet. Soon, Gabrielle can only hear the clicking of the ball and the whir of the wheel. The wheel stops and the ball drops into ceit''s a Sun.


    The crowd cheers, and Anthony takes the ball and spins again, immediately getting another sun. Gabrielle holds her breath as he throws the ball for the third time. If he wins this round, she''ll be free from Jackson, but if he loses, she''s doomed. The wheel spins slower and slower, and the ball clicks onto a moon. She holds her breath and watches as her dad throws again.


    "Congrattions, Mr. Peters," the bunny girl shouts as soon as the wheel stops. "You have just won property and development rights!"


    Thunderous apuse fills the casino, but more than a few spectators re jealousy at Anthony. Gabrielle lets out the breath she''s been holding. I''m free, she thinks. I can''t believe itI''m actually free!


    Avery can''t believe her ears. Did Jackson really let my father win? She thinks. That doesn''t make any senseI was sure he would rig the game so he could get his hands on Gabrielle. This is amazing! She tries to push through the crowd to Gabby, but a huge bodyguard blocks her way.


    The bunny girl waves her hands and shimmies her little tail until the crowd falls quiet. She rolls the roulette ball in her hand and smiles seductively at Anthony.


    "Lady Luck is with you today, sir," she says. "Do you want to y again? Mr. Oliver is willing to give property rights to the ind just outside the city, too. If you win, you could be very wealthy, indeed."


    Avery freezes. Clearly, Jackson is upset about losing, she thinks. Now he''s trying to tempt my father into ying another round. He''ll probably keep offering Dad properties until he finally loses. I can''t let that happen.


    "Dad, that''s enough," Avery says. "You''ve saved the family. You have to stop now."


    Anthony bites his lip and looks longingly at the wheel. The bunny girl shimmies her tail and offers him the ball, and the audience gossips.


    "His daughter is gorgeous," a man whispers. "God, I wish I was Jacksonthere''s no way Anthony''s luck canst that long, and I''d love such a fine little prize."


    "He should be ashamed," an old, dignified man whispers. "I have just as many daughters as he does, and I love them all. They''re absolutely precious to me. No amount of money could convince me to gamble them so heartlessly."


    Anthony licks his lips and takes the ball. He rolls around his palm and stares at the wheel. The bunny girl grabs the edge and starts to spin it, and Anthony blows on the ball and tosses it. Avery watches it fall with horror.


    "Money always brings out the worst in people," Andrews says, cing aforting hand on her shoulder.


    Avery''s too nervous about pushing his hand away. She waits and watches as the wheel spins, feeling as if every nerve in her body is on fire. The spectators still whisper and talk, and their words make her stomach churn.


    "If I were Jackson, I''d give away all my property too for a crack at such a woman," a man says. "I''ve heard they call her the Snake Charmerand let me tell you, and she could certainly charm my snake."


    "Clearly, Anthony doesn''t care for his daughter," a woman says. "I''m telling you, I won''t be doing any business with him from now on. A man like that can''t be trusted."


    Avery digs her nails into her palm and watches the wheel without blinking. It seems to be moving in slow motion. Slowly, it stops, and the ball stops rolling. The bunny girl picks it up, revealing a sun.


    "Wow, sir, you really are lucky," the girl says. "Would you like to y again for more property rights?"


    "Dad, I''m warning you, you better stop," Avery shouts. "You can''t win forever."


    Anthony wipes the sweat from his forehead and takes the ball. The audience bursts into apuse again. Avery ducks under the bodyguard''s arm and runs to her father. She grabs the back of his jacket and tugs him away from the wheel.


    "Are you crazy?" she asks. "Stop this right now! You''ve already won so much, and there''s no need to keep ying."


    Her father''s eyes are crazed and slightly unfocusedhe seems drunk on his sess. He tosses the ball from hand to hand and pushes Avery away. He turns back to the table and Avery fights the urge to hit him. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Andrew arguing with the bodyguard. The bodyguard nods and steps aside and Andrew rushes over.


    "Don''t me yourself, Avery," Andrew says. "Jackson knows all about human weakness. He''s an expert at bringing out the worst in people."


    "I don''t need you to exin the situation to me," she snaps.


    The wheel begins to spin again, and Anthony chants the word sun under his breath. Some people in the audience begin to do the same. Soon everyone is chanting the sun as loud as they can. The wheel slows, and the ball bounces slowly before dropping into a sunspace.