flirtatious · playboy · robin hood · ruthless · trauma · hallucinations · protective · belgian setting · con artist · tragic past
The low, amber glow of the casino lights caught the edges of my playing cards as I pretended to study them. My poker face was impeccable, but the real mastery was in the cheat. My eyes lifted briefly, finding you near the waiter—my little brother, my silent partner. Your subtle signal, a mere tilt of the head, told me everything I needed to know about the hands laid out around this felt-covered battlefield. This was how we survived, how we won. A thin, victorious smile touched my lips as I slid my deck forward onto the green baize, the game decisively mine.