the first three hands if you lose. But if you lose the tenth hand, you have to leave the hotel tonight without her. Not even a goodbye. Not even a phone call. And you may never contact her again. But if you win the last hand, even if you lose the first three or she accepts my offer, then I’ll back off."
I’m silent as I weigh my options.
"Decide, Asher. Your time is ticking."
"OK,” I reluctantly agree. I know he’s setting me up, but I’m too worked up over Grace to see how. I just need to get the fuck out of this room and go find her. The thought of walking away and never seeing her again… well, shit. I can’t let that happen. But I can’t let Li take her away either. That last offer was pretty sweet. “Deal."
"Place your bets," the dealer calls. "Hand number seven, Mr. Asher. Lucky number seven."
I put one hundred grand on the bank.
Li matches me like he promised.
The dealer deals the cards.
"Win to the bank!" the dealer calls. "Congratulations, winners! Place your bets. Hand number eight, players. Hand number eight, what will it be?"
Li moves his three hundred grand to bet the player, and I do the same.
The player gets dealt a three, the bank gets dealt a seven, the player gets dealt a five, and the bank is dealt a ten. "Player has eight, bank has seven, player wins! Congratulations, winners!"
"It seems," Li says as the dealer doubles our chips, "we might make a lucky team." He winks and I scowl.
"My turn to bet," I say.
"Hand number nine, Mr. Asher. Only two more left, make it count!"
I put all my chips, all six hundred thousand dollars, back on the bank. Li copies me with a satisfied smile.
"You really don’t like to take risks, do you, Asher? You’d make a horrible businessman."
"Don’t kid yourself, Li. This whole night has been a risk for me and I run more businesses than you’ll ever know."
"No more bets!" our animated dealer calls out. Like there’s anyone else here making bets. She deals the player and the bank their two cards and adds up the scores. "Three for player. Eight for bank. Bank wins! Congratulations, winners!"
“Holy fuck. We just made one point two million dollars."
Li grins up at me. "We could win a lot more, Asher." He pushes his chips to the top of the table and then stands back a little, like he’s proud of himself and needs to take it all in for a moment.
"You have got to be fucking with me." There are only three ways to bet in punto banco, the version of baccarat that we’re playing here. You can bet the player wins and double your money. You can bet the bank wins and almost double your money. Or you can bet that there will be a tie and make eight times your money.
You are more liable to win betting on the bank than the player. Only a fool bets on the tie because the odds are heavily against you. And only a fool with nothing to lose bets one point two million on the tie.
I am not a man with nothing to lose, I realize. I am a man with everything to lose.
Li is silent, watching me.
I look at the dealer and she shrugs. "You guys are lucky."
"We are lucky," Li says. "Together at least. Bet with me, Asher. Let’s pool our luck. You have to anyway, it was part of the wager."
"How about I just give you the money, Li? If we win the tie, the payout is eight hundred percent. I will give you all that—almost ten million dollars. I will pay you ten million dollars to let me get the fuck out of this room and go find Grace Kinsella."
"Put your chips in the tie bet, Asher," he says without emotion. "Have a little faith."
"Faith in what? Stupidity? That your purpose here is to fuck up my life?"
"You said she was yours when you arrived at the craps table. Well, prove it. If she’s yours, certainly the universe knows of your claim."
"Your hour is up, Mr. Asher," the nosy dealer says. "But you agreed to play ten hands so as soon as you finish, you can leave."
"I can leave, but if I lose this hand I have to walk away."
"I thought you liked games, Vaughn?" His use
I’m silent as I weigh my options.
"Decide, Asher. Your time is ticking."
"OK,” I reluctantly agree. I know he’s setting me up, but I’m too worked up over Grace to see how. I just need to get the fuck out of this room and go find her. The thought of walking away and never seeing her again… well, shit. I can’t let that happen. But I can’t let Li take her away either. That last offer was pretty sweet. “Deal."
"Place your bets," the dealer calls. "Hand number seven, Mr. Asher. Lucky number seven."
I put one hundred grand on the bank.
Li matches me like he promised.
The dealer deals the cards.
"Win to the bank!" the dealer calls. "Congratulations, winners! Place your bets. Hand number eight, players. Hand number eight, what will it be?"
Li moves his three hundred grand to bet the player, and I do the same.
The player gets dealt a three, the bank gets dealt a seven, the player gets dealt a five, and the bank is dealt a ten. "Player has eight, bank has seven, player wins! Congratulations, winners!"
"It seems," Li says as the dealer doubles our chips, "we might make a lucky team." He winks and I scowl.
"My turn to bet," I say.
"Hand number nine, Mr. Asher. Only two more left, make it count!"
I put all my chips, all six hundred thousand dollars, back on the bank. Li copies me with a satisfied smile.
"You really don’t like to take risks, do you, Asher? You’d make a horrible businessman."
"Don’t kid yourself, Li. This whole night has been a risk for me and I run more businesses than you’ll ever know."
"No more bets!" our animated dealer calls out. Like there’s anyone else here making bets. She deals the player and the bank their two cards and adds up the scores. "Three for player. Eight for bank. Bank wins! Congratulations, winners!"
“Holy fuck. We just made one point two million dollars."
Li grins up at me. "We could win a lot more, Asher." He pushes his chips to the top of the table and then stands back a little, like he’s proud of himself and needs to take it all in for a moment.
"You have got to be fucking with me." There are only three ways to bet in punto banco, the version of baccarat that we’re playing here. You can bet the player wins and double your money. You can bet the bank wins and almost double your money. Or you can bet that there will be a tie and make eight times your money.
You are more liable to win betting on the bank than the player. Only a fool bets on the tie because the odds are heavily against you. And only a fool with nothing to lose bets one point two million on the tie.
I am not a man with nothing to lose, I realize. I am a man with everything to lose.
Li is silent, watching me.
I look at the dealer and she shrugs. "You guys are lucky."
"We are lucky," Li says. "Together at least. Bet with me, Asher. Let’s pool our luck. You have to anyway, it was part of the wager."
"How about I just give you the money, Li? If we win the tie, the payout is eight hundred percent. I will give you all that—almost ten million dollars. I will pay you ten million dollars to let me get the fuck out of this room and go find Grace Kinsella."
"Put your chips in the tie bet, Asher," he says without emotion. "Have a little faith."
"Faith in what? Stupidity? That your purpose here is to fuck up my life?"
"You said she was yours when you arrived at the craps table. Well, prove it. If she’s yours, certainly the universe knows of your claim."
"Your hour is up, Mr. Asher," the nosy dealer says. "But you agreed to play ten hands so as soon as you finish, you can leave."
"I can leave, but if I lose this hand I have to walk away."
"I thought you liked games, Vaughn?" His use
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