Blood Cruise: A Deep Sea Thriller (10 page)

“Call and raise,” Ben said. “Twenty thousand.”

He threw in the chips and looked at Lane. Lane shook his head and threw his cards away. Tony did as well and Ben was actually surprised. Jessica watched Ben for a second then shook her head and added her cards to the muck. Carlos did as well, pushing his big blind in with his cards.

“Hope you didn’t waste a high pair on that move,” Jessica said.

“I don’t know,” Ben said. “Are aces high or low?”

“Cute,” Jessica said.

Carlos shuffled and dealt as Ben took his meager winnings of the big and small blinds. He looked down as the cards landed in front of him, picked them up, and did everything in his power not to smile. Not that it was hard since he’d been playing poker for most of his life. A pair of aces weren’t going to make him whoop and holler like a rookie.

Spades and clubs. That was what he had. Two aces. A pair of bullets.

Niya called, Ben called, Lane folded, Tony raised it ten thousand, Jessica called, Carlos folded, and Nick raised it another ten thousand. Niya folded, Ben called, Tony called, Jessica folded, and Carlos burned three cards then showed everyone the flop.

King of spades, queen of spades, king of diamonds.

Not a good flop for Ben. He kicked himself for not pushing hard with a pair of aces in his pocket. Having two kings show up on the flop meant that anyone that stayed in with a king was doing better than he was. He only had three to a royal flush, so it wasn’t like he had great options.

Niya checked and Ben threw in thirty thousand before her cards settled on the felt. Tony called immediately and Ben’s gut twisted. Tony had a king. No one would look at that flop and call a twenty thousand bet without having the king. Either you fold or you raise. Calling meant Tony wanted Ben in the game.

Everyone else was out. Cards were shoved into the muck and Carlos burned a card then dealt another. Jack of spades.

Ben had four to a royal flush with two aces in the hole. Or a rock and a hard place since he couldn’t beat three kings, if Tony had a third, and he didn’t actually have a flush, royal or not. With only one card left to see, the odds were not favoring Ben and he knew it.

He almost checked to see what Tony would do, but then Tony sniffled. It wasn’t anything special, just a normal sniffle if you had a slightly runny nose. Except Ben knew for a fact Tony hadn’t been sniffling at all the whole evening. He would have caught something like that.

“Fifty thousand,” Ben said, tossing his chips in.

“Raise fifty,” Tony said right off the bat.

“Call,” Ben said just as quickly.

Tony gave him a sharp look and Ben knew what Tony’s tell was. A sniffle. He wasn’t sure what the man had in his hand, but it wasn’t another king. Every instinct in his body told him Tony didn’t have the third king.

Carlos turned over the last card, the river, and it was the king of hearts. The odds of Tony having a king hidden in his hand dropped exponentially with that reveal.

“Check,” Ben said.

“Fifty,” Tony said.

It was a small enough bet to instantly make Ben think it was a trap, which he knew was exactly what Tony wanted him to think. It would draw Ben in or make him fold. But why? Ben thought about it, actually putting some effort into figuring out the bet instead of just pretending to. Then it hit him.

“I raise fifty,” Ben said.

“Call,” Tony said and tossed in his chips. “Let’s see what you got.”

“Aces,” Ben said. “For a full house, kings over.”

Tony looked at Ben’s cards and his face flushed, but not in a way that would allow him to beat the hand before him. He started to turn his cards over then stopped himself and tucked the unseen cards into the muck.

The look on Tony’s face was close to pure rage. Ben knew that the man had something good. He replayed the hand over in his head and grinned as Nick started to shuffle and deal.

“What the hell are you grinning at?” Tony snapped. “You got my money, no need to gloat.”

“Sorry,” Ben said. “I wasn’t gloating. Honestly.”

“Then answer my question,” Tony said. “What the hell are you smiling at?”

“Your two queens,” Ben said.

“My what?” Tony growled and started to stand up.

“Need to pee, Tony?” Nick asked, his hand in mid-deal, hovering over the table with a card about to be tossed. “If not then sit your butt down. This is a friendly game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. That time you lost. Let it go.”

“Was I right?” Ben asked as Tony settled back into his chair.

“Benny Boy, leave it be,” Nick said.

“Why?” Ben replied. “Everyone came to see me play, to meet the poker blogger and legendary screw up. It’d be false advertising if I didn’t flex my muscles a little.”

He looked Tony square in the eyes.

“Am I right?”

Tony only smiled in response, his lips pulling back to show a couple of gold caps spaced between blindingly white chompers. It was like a shark raised in Jersey had decided to sit down and play some cards.

“How many rebuys?” Tony asked.

“Really?” Nick laughed. “Third hand and you’re already thinking of rebuying?”

“My money,” Tony said. “Gives you suckers more chances to win.”

“You do know we’re here to have fun, right?” Nick asked. “This game is so you all can have a look at the yacht, have some drinks, eat some good food, and play the night away until you’re so in love with the Lucky Sucker that you want to take it off my hands by morning.”

“It’s a nice boat,” Tony said. “But that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to win.”

“Not why you’re here?” Nick asked. He started to say something else then shook his head. “Buy in as many times as you want. I know you’re good for it, Tony.”

“Yeah, I am,” Tony said and glared at Ben. “Your bet, Blogger Boy.”

“I know,” Ben said. “Just didn’t want to interrupt you two while you worked things out.”

“Nothing to work out,” Tony said. “Bet or fold. Pick one.”

Ben lifted up his cards and looked at a pair of twos. It was a crappy hand, barely better than a high card, but sometimes those twos paid off. He looked up to see Tony still watching him and he knew his play instantly.

“Fold,” he said as he tossed the cards away.

“That’s what I thought,” Tony said. “I raise one hundred thousand.”

Everyone folded.

The play went around and around a couple times, giving everyone a chance to deal, to lose, to win, to start to hate Ben. It was obvious from the rows of chips who the cards favored.

“Can I get another?” Ben asked after draining his glass and holding it up for Manny to see.

“What ya drinking?” Tony asked.

“Bourbon,” Ben replied.

“That so?” Tony asked, sniffing the air. “Smells fruity.”

“Does it? It has very heavy vanilla notes,” Ben replied. “Maybe that’s what you’re picking up on.”

“You saying I don’t know the difference between fruit and vanilla?” Tony asked.

“What would you like to drink?” Nick asked Tony. “Is that a gin and tonic? Need a refill.”

Manny set a glass down next to Ben and picked up the empty. He smiled at Tony.

“Would you care for another one?” Manny asked.

“I think I’ll switch it up,” Tony said, nodding to Ben’s glass. “Gimme a sip of that so I can see if it’s what I want.”

“A sip of my drink?” Ben laughed. “No offense, but we’re not that close. And I’ve been fighting off some bug this past week. You don’t want to drink after me.”

“You haven’t taken a sip yet and that’s a fresh glass,” Tony said.

Ben couldn’t think of an excuse. So he picked up his glass, looked at it for a second, then handed it over to Tony. He gripped the arms of his chairs, ready to jump up and get the hell out of the room the second Tony took a sip. He wanted to look at Nick, but he knew that would be a dead giveaway.

Tony took the glass, swirled the liquid around, then looked at Ben’s hands.

“You going somewhere?” he asked as he sniffed the glass.

“Just need to piss,” Ben said and stood up.

“Hold on,” Tony said. “Let me have a taste before you go. Don’t be rude.”

Tony took his sip and his eyes narrowed.

Ben honestly thought his fake excuse to piss was actually about to happen for real, right then, right there.

“Vanilla, eh?” Tony asked. “You either have crap for taste buds or Manny over there is dumber than I thought and poured the wrong drink.”

“Oh, uh, why’s that?” Ben asked.

“This tastes like caramel, like a real bourbon should, not like vanilla,” Tony said. “Kinda smokey too. Not peat smokey like a scotch, but burnt smokey.”

“That’s the barrels,” Manny said. “They burn the insides of the barrels to—”

“I know how bourbon is made, asswipe,” Tony said. “Do not interrupt the adults when they are talking.”

He handed the glass back to Ben. Ben took it and stood there.

“I think a pee break is a great idea,” Nick said to fill the silence. “I know I need to. Also, if anyone wants to join me, I’m going to smoke a fat joint up on deck and get some fresh air. How about we sit back down in thirty minutes? Everyone cool with that?”

There were plenty of agreements, but none too enthusiastic as Tony continued to glare at Ben.

“You going?” Tony asked.

“To smoke?” Ben asked.

“No, to piss,” Tony said. “You said you needed to piss, so are you?”

“He is,” Maggie said, taking Ben by the arm. “In our cabin. I have to go too and need to talk to him about a text from his daughters.”

“A text?” Ben asked. “It’s late for them to be texting.”

Maggie smiled and her fingers dug into his arm.

“Must have been before they went to bed,” Ben said.

“Must have been,” Tony echoed. “Get along now. I’m sure you’re dying to know what Tanni and Norma have to say.”

19.

Ben’s veins turned to ice and the only way he was able to walk away from the table was because Maggie was pulling him along. By the time they reached their cabin, Ben was close to hyperventilating.

“This is why I got out,” Ben said as he collapsed on the bed. “I can’t do this, Mags! People like that! Crazy mobsters and thugs that do their homework before they sit down. Did you hear what he said? He knows my girls’ names!”

“I heard,” Maggie said, her voice solid and sober. Ben frowned. “But that’s not the real problem. Scary as shit, but not what we need to talk about.”

“Huh? What’s wrong?” Ben asked.

“You did get a text, but not from Tanni or Norma,” Maggie said. “It was from Bobbi. I’ve been texting back and forth with her all night.”

“Bobbi? What’s wrong?” Ben asked. “And while you’re drunk?”

“Tanni snuck out and has been missing all night,” Maggie said, “and I’m not drunk. Well, not too bad.”

“Tanni and I talked about her going out,” Ben said. “She probably didn’t tell Bobbi because she didn’t want to deal with the grilling.”

“She told Norma that she wasn’t coming back,” Maggie said. “But I think she said that because of what we said earlier about taking Norma with her.”

“Maybe,” Ben replied and got to his feet. “Probably. Is she still gone?”

“Yes,” Maggie said. “That’s why we’re talking.”

“Does Bobbi have any idea who she’s with?” Ben asked. “Did you try texting her from your phone? She listens to you, Mags. She’ll respond because she knows you won’t bust her ass.”

“Bobbi doesn’t know who she’s with,” Maggie replied. “But I do. And, yes, I have been texting with Tanni on my phone. She’s at a party, but doesn’t want to be there anymore. Everyone is too drunk to drive and she’s afraid if she tells her mom then Bobbi will try to go pick her up, make a huge scene, and embarrass her in front of Alex.”

“Alex? Is that who’s she with?” Ben snapped. “Well, tough shit if she gets embarrassed! Maybe that boy of hers needs to see what happens when he takes my daughter to a party with alcohol and gets her drunk! Bobbi’ll rip him apart, trust me.”

“I know she will, but that’s not the real issue,” Maggie said. She fidgeted and Ben saw it right off, his observation skills at their full power due to hours of poker.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Ben asked and sat down without being told to.

“Alex isn’t a boy,” Maggie said. “Alex is short for Alexandria and she’s your daughter’s girlfriend, not boyfriend.”

“Oh,” Ben said. “Oh. Oh…”

He looked up and Maggie shook her head.

“No, it’s not just an adolescent phase,” Maggie said. “This is Tanni’s third girlfriend, Benjamin. She’s gay. Your daughter is gay and is terrified to tell you or Bobbi.”

“That explains the sulky attitude,” Ben said. “More than just usual teenage BS.”

“Yeah,” Maggie said, sitting next to Ben on the bed. “You okay?”

“I have no idea,” Ben said. “Not a clue. I’ve been faking this parenting thing since I was nineteen and Tanni was born. God, we were so young and stupid, but Bobbi was rich and I was playing poker, so we learned to handle it. I haven’t done the greatest job as Dad, but at least my girls wanted to live with me after the split, so I always thought I’d done okay since they chose me over money. But now this?”

“How does this reflect on your job as a parent?” Maggie asked.

Ben sensed her anger and shook his head, placing a hand on her leg.

“No, I don’t mean that my parenting could have changed this at all, just that I should have known,” Ben said. “I should have seen the signs or something and been there to support her. It breaks my heart she is scared to tell me. Bobbi, I get. That woman would embrace it to the extreme and try to sign Tanni up on gay dating sites and crap.”

He looked at Maggie.

“Are there gay dating sites?” he asked.

“Yes, babe, there are,” Maggie laughed. “It’s the 21st century.”

“Right, yeah, of course,” Ben said. “Wow. Gay. My little girl is gay.” His brow furrowed. “Is Alex cute or kinda dykey?”

“Should I pretend I didn’t hear that question?” Maggie asked as she got up and walked away.

“Where are you going?” Ben called after her.

“I really do need to pee,” Maggie called back from the bathroom. “You should go back and find Nick. Have a toke to calm down so you can get back to playing.”

“Good call,” Ben said and stood up.

He was out of the cabin, down the passageway, up a set of stairs, and through most of the ship before it all hit him again.

“My daughter is gay,” he muttered.

“That so?” a woman asked from a chair in the corner of the lounge Ben was walking through. Ben jumped and steadied himself against the wall. “Sorry. I apologize.” The woman stood up and offered a hand. “Ashley Mulgrew. Can we talk?”

“Ashley? The hostess?” Ben asked. “Uh, you haven’t exactly been hostessing much.”

“No, not so much,” Ashley responded. “Listen, before you go back to the game, I think you should be filled in on something. Nicholas didn’t want you to know, neither did Manny, but this is my op and I get the last say.”

“Oh, okay, what is it?” Ben asked then shook his head. “I’m sorry, did you say op?”

Ashley smiled and nodded then gestured towards a chair.

“Have a seat, Mr. Clow, we have a lot to cover in only a very short time.”