right, hotshot! No more messing around. One hundred gra

ned silence. One hundred

most people in that room

s... that's too much. Stop now, please. You've

listen to him, Tony! Show this kid who's boss! He can't have that

frantic look in them. "What's the matter, Ale

moment he thought

a lifeline, but this was a whole other level. But I a

," I said, my voice

und the room. Frank looked

le

ooking straight at Tony. "Win

nt. If I lost, I'd be deep in the hole, owing him money I didn't

irk. He thought he had me. He thought h

e dripping with condescension

n my hand. The silence in the room wa

, shook,

ed, settled. A

gru

l talk died. Only

nine. I won

d some of the relatives. Fran

is fist on the

I set a four. A h

collar suddenly looking too tight

. Tensions

. I won the

fury. He was two hundred thousand down in two rolls, on top of wh

rie loo

e next roll, he'd get everything back. If I won, I'd cl

dice from me. "M

ly, muttering under h

ting a stack of chips.

he thir

ll the cash he'd brou

hat followed