nument to the kind of men who thought luck was real, who believed, deep down

ever

se alwa

key and burning cigars barely masking the stink of sweat and bad decisions. Dice rattled against green

opes, past the stone-faced security guards who nodded without a

ered around the tables. He wasn't just watching the gamblers-he was watching Dom, the w

booths and dim lighting, the real gambling happened-not with cards or dic

man's life was

Powe

despite the perfectly calibrated air conditioning. He was a man who had

his whiskey glass down with a deliberate clink.

ying him like a man considering whether

, like a man trying to convince himself he w

ing his drink. "We?" he echoed. "

on probe. They're looking at campaign donors, backchannel deals

s drink. "Then I guess yo

ering his voice. "I n

the silence stretch. This was the moment-when a m

y, Dom

n District," he said. "Loves ho

inked, pr

e the paperwork. The Feds get distracted. You go back to

was visible. "

do that. And next time you come to me?" He let the words hang, his gaze lo

lowed hard

ed, watching

ng n

Studying

and Vinnie stood by the bar,

drink. "He thinks he's in control, but the second h

om. He wasn't looking at the gamblers. H

ay you'll be the one swea

ther sip. "I don't gambl

e can lose, Dom." His voice was smooth, thoughtful. "You ru

ce, but before he could resp

her in t

d of the bar, half-hidden in the neon glo

t drinki

s wat

rough the casino, the way men like Orsini

saw V

hovered, soak

nals and politicians h

w drag from his ciga

m down. He shoul

ovel, Calderone had to ask himself-was

ust the onl

watching as Vinnie stepped closer to

Calderon

he one t

ift in

Rizzo, one of Dom's lieutenants, a

sking questions," Rizzo m

rs, Rizzo. Half this city would sell t

e didn't

smooth. "Smart men clean hous

u worried about

ed, too eas

, amused. He'd kno

e was

ays ha

n't

lled. "Find out who's been talking," he s

"You sure that's

Dom hearing about a rat before you got proo

ed. "I'll

e shoulder. His grip wa

, Vinnie wasn't ju

givin

se Alwa

t alone in the VIP loung

and losers, men throwing down everything they had in the

had f

ne was

.. Vinnie w

irling the last

ns, Senator," he had

still sitting at the tabl

was already stacking