Then, as though an actual angel heard her anguished pleas, she remembered she did have options. She could choose not to give in to her fear. She could remember who she was. Master Han told her many times: Your size is only a disadvantage if you make it so. It is the size of your spirit that is the test. She remembered her father, all through the years, the racial slurs, the whispers behind his back. But he never gave in. He never lost his dignity. And finally she thought of Gabe. Strong, powerful and cunning. All those men believed in her. As they pulled up in front of a large impressive house nestled in the trees, Ana promised herself. No matter what happened tonight, she would leave with her dignity intact. No one could take it from her — and she would never give it away.
The walk from the carriage to the house was a blur. She barely noted the winding stone path. The sound of music and men’s voices filtered through the cool night air. By the time they reached the steps to the entrance, she was calm, focused and far away. In the carriage she decided that she would escape to the canyons, to safety. And wait for Gabe to come and get her.
~~~
A tall Chinese man greeted her at the door. He introduced himself as Nancho indicating that he was Mr. Dominic’s butler. “Good evening, Miss Li. The gentlemen are waiting for you inside, but we will wait here for Mr. Dominic.”
The hallway was lined with exquisite paintings from traditional portraiture to avant-garde impressionism. From her study of art, she knew there was a small fortune hanging on the walls. She was so intent on the artwork she didn’t hear the man beside her speak.
She turned to see a small impeccably dressed man with a thin mustache and goatee. He looked familiar. “I beg your pardon. Did you speak to me?”
He nodded. “Yes, Ana, I did. I don’t know if you remember me. I was at your party the other night. I know your father. My friends call me Dominic.”
When Ana nodded but didn’t reply, Dominic said. “I couldn’t help but notice your interest in my paintings. Do you know art?”
“Yes, I do. If you know my father, you are aware that he has a significant collection, particularly of the Impressionists.”
She saw him looking at her with what seemed like regret. If she didn’t know better she would think he looked unhappy, not pleased to see her.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry my dear, but we need to go in and meet the other guests.”
She felt a flash of fear at his words and apologetic tone. She remembered her promise and raised her chin in the dignified gesture she had seen her father make all of her life.
Boisterous laughter and hearty male voices greeted her as she walked to the doorway of what looked like a game room. There was a poker table in the center and a serving bar on each end of the long room. Across from the poker table was a small elevated stage. Ana purposefully refused to make eye contact with any of the men standing in the center of the room. Instead she focused on the cadre of Chinese servants in front of each of the bars. Their familiar features and mannerisms comforted her. They looked as dignified as her father. Their presence bolstered her courage. She had been so intent on her perusal that she only then became aware that the room was silent. All of the men in the room had stopped talking… and every one of them was staring at her.
Ana lifted her chin and met each of their gazes without flinching.
A huge red-haired man stepped forward. The copious amounts of gray peppering his hair and the web of deep lines on his face told his age. He was almost as tall as Gabe, but heavier, a protruding gut hanging over his belt. His once handsome face marked with bright red splotches pointed to a lifetime of heavy drinking and other excesses. His most remarkable feature was his eyes. If Ana hadn’t promised herself she wouldn’t be afraid, his eyes would have terrified her. She couldn’t remember when she had seen a colder, harder man. She instantly knew that she hated him.
“Well, well, well. If this isn’t a nice surprise. You’ve outdone yourself Dominic.”
The big man circled her then flipped his hand in a twisting motion. When she stood still, he practically shouted, “Turn, turn around! Let me see your ass.”
Ana was so startled she almost stumbled, but a tiny voice inside said, courage. Lifting her chin in the air she turned in a slow circle.
He roared. “I’ll be fucked. A haughty uppity little bitch. All the better. The kind who needs to be taught a lesson.”
The men around him laughed uproariously, as though he had said the most amusing thing. It reminded her of the men who crowded around her at parties, begging for attention like little puppy dogs. It was hard to contain her disdain.
She was grateful when Dominic stepped forward. “May I suggest that we be seated, gentlemen? We have a long night of activity ahead of us.”
He motioned to the waiters, who snapped to attention. As the men began to take their places, Ana could see the pecking order. The big man sat down first then one by one the others took their places. The ones sitting next to him were clearly his lieutenants. An older man with a white shirt and string tie stood off to the side. Ana assumed he was the dealer. In minutes, bottles of whisky and glasses appeared. The servant placed small tables laden with smoking paraphernalia between each pair of players.
As the men settled in their chairs they began talking and laughing as they had before she entered. Ana eased back against one of the serving tables trying to disappear. There was an empty chair at the table. For one silly moment she wished she could play but she knew without asking that she would not be included.
The big man whose name she learned was Red had already filled his glass twice. He shouted to Dominic. “Where’s the little prick? I thought you said he was coming.”
Dominic pulled an impressive watch from the chain at his waist. “It’s not 9:30 yet, Red. He may have had difficulty with directions.”
Red glared at him. “You’re leaving a shit load of money on the table, Dominic, if that fucker don’t show. You know that, don’t you?”
Dominic bowed slightly. “I’m quite aware of the agreements.”
For the first time since she arrived, Ana was afraid. Without hearing his name, she knew the empty chair was for Gabe. All of her bravado, her promises, deserted her when she thought about facing this night without him. The anguish that swept her would have brought her to her knees but one of the servants behind her grasped her arm and held her up.
At that moment Red turned and glared at her. “What the hell are you doing standing there, girl? Get the hell up on that stage and be quick about it!”
Ana was stunned. He couldn’t mean it. Please god, no. That stage can’t be for me. Please, no.
Red glared at her and raised up in his chair. “What are you? Deaf and dumb? You hear me, girl. And don’t you be swingin’ that chin at me unless you wanna feel my fist.”
Ana took a deep breath and pictured her father. She remembered stories of him walking down the street between columns of white men shouting ugly curses and epithets but never once bowing his head.
Without looking at the man muttering behind her, Ana squared her shoulders and walked toward the stage. When she reached the steps one of the Chinese men stepped forward. He bowed slightly and held her hand guiding her up on the stage.
Red leaned back in his chair and puffed on his fat cigar. “Now that’s what I’m talking about, girl. Get your ass up there so we can all see what we’re playing for.”
A wave of horror swept over her. No, God. Please no. By sheer force of will, Ana kept her knees from buckling.
Red laughed a deep ugly sound. “Hell yeah, that’s a lot better. She don’t look so haughty now, does she men? But hell honey, don’t lose that. I like a little bitch with spirit. Like ‘em when they put up a fight.”
Ana struggled to breathe. She wasn’t sure she could.
Her fear egged Red on. “Now turn around one more time, nice and slow. I wanna get a good look at that ass of yours. It’s givin’ me all kinds of ideas. How about you, men?”
Cutting through their lewd chuckles and outright laughter, Ana heard a calm voice.
“I see you’re as big a bully as you ever were, Red. Kicked any puppy dogs lately?”
Chapter 35
Red reared up in his chair. His face flushed a dangerous dark scarlet color. He glared at Gabe, his eyes flashing with anger. With an obvious effort he pasted an ugly grin on his face.
“Well, I’ll be fucked. If it isn’t the little prick himself. Gabriel McKenna. And as arrogant as ever. Come to teach the big boys how to play poker, kid?”
Gabe gave him a brief smile. “I wouldn’t presume, Red, that I could teach you anything. What’s that saying about trying to teach old dogs new tricks?”
Red growled. “You cocky son of a bitch. You haven’t changed a bit in twelve years, have you?”
Gabe gave him an appraising glance. “I imagine there have been some changes, Red. Not as noticeable as yours, however,” he said lifting his head to eye the big man’s protruding gut.
A couple of the men at table chuckled, but quickly stopped when Red glared at them.
Gabe looked up with a pleasant smile, nodding to a couple of men across the table. “Greetings, Mike, and you too, Pat. I see you’re still hanging around with the old man here.”
Both men glowered at him and didn’t answer.
Gabe glanced around the table then allowed himself to look at the stage. His heart pounded so hard it was a wonder it didn’t jump out of his chest. He leaned back in his chair and took out his cigarette case, desperate to hide the pain flooding him. Using the cover of smoke he glanced up at Ana, wanting her to know that it was going to be okay, that he would get her out of here. She trembled and her face flushed. He thought his heart might break when he saw the shame and embarrassment in her eyes. Jesus, what he would do to put his arms around her and tell her that she was the bravest woman he’d ever known. But he had to content himself with the knowledge that shortly every goddamned one of these sons of bitches would be dead.
He glanced over at Dominic and nodded up at the stage. “Who’s she, Dominic?”
Red jumped in as Gabe knew he would. “Why, Mr. McKenna, I thought you knew. We’re havin’ ourselves a little celebration. Sort of an auction. It’s what we call in my gang ‘Virgin Night.’”
Ana’s gasp was audible across the room.
Gabe covered for her, wanting to give her a chance to recover. “Hell, Red, I don’t know how to tell you this, but it’s been a long time since you were a virgin.”
A roar of laughter filled the room. Even Red chuckled a little.
“C’mon, Gabriel, you gotta remember way back, how much fun it was to break through those tight little gals.”
“Red, really. You know where I grew up. I don’t think there was a virgin among those little Irish lasses over the age of twelve. Including your daughters, if I remember right.”
Red rose up, his face verging on purple. “You fucking son of a bitch. I’m gonna kill you for that, McKenna.”
Gabe took a drag off his cigarette. “Why don’t you see if you can beat me at poker first, Red. Which bring me back to my question. What’s she doing up there?”
Mike broke in, “Let me fill the little fucker in, Red. Don’t let him get to you. He’s just tryin’ to rile you. Throw you off your game. In case you don’t know, McKenna, we’re playin’ for that little gal up there. But the guy who set it up made it a little more interesting. There ain’t gonna be no losers. Excepting maybe her.” A hearty round of guffaws greeted that remark.
Pat jumped in. “Here’s the deal, Gabriel. Every man who wants a piece of her puts twenty-five thousand dollars in the ante pot. For that small piece of change he gets a number. That number is the order we fuck her in.”
Gabe stared at him and took another drag off his cigarette. He didn’t look at Ana. He knew if he did he would be at her side in a moment and probably get them both killed.
Pat continued to drone on as if he was organizing a lottery at a church social. “So you got, that, Gabriel, the person with the highest card gets her second and so on down.”
Gabe flicked the ash off his cigarette. “Who gets her first?”
Mike said with a grin, “The guy who is the big winner tonight.”
There was a growl from across the table. “In case you don’t understand, asshole. That would be me.”
Gabe grinned. “Who’s the cocky son of a bitch now, Red?”
Red eyed him. “Just so you know, kid. In twenty years of playin’ poker with my gang, I ain’t lost yet.”
Gabe chuckled. “Did you ever think, Red, it’s not that you’re a good poker player but that the rest of them are horseshit.”
A loud rumble of angry retorts greeted that remark.
Gabe decided it was time to push the point. It was important that he get them all to commit or get the hell out. He needed to hear from every man at the table that they planned to gang rape Ana.
“One more question, fellows. Who gets the pot of money in the middle?”
Red’s voice was smooth. The ignorant immigrant Irish was gone. In its place was the man who was the scourge of the east coast gangs. “Why, Gabriel, you really are a neophyte. As in any poker game, the man who ends up with the most chips wins. In this case, the chips, the pot, the bitch and the bragging rights, Angel.” His emphasis on the last word was a clear signal. Red knew exactly who he was and had come to take him down.
Mike reached in his jacket pocket and tossed a pouch on the table. “I’m in.” Nodding to the dealer, he added, “Give me a card.” The frown that crossed his face said it all. “I don’t care. I just don’t wanna come after Erick. By the time he finishes they’re bleedin’ out of every hole so bad, it ain’t sanitary.”
Gabe refused to look at Ana. He couldn’t bear to see the pain on her face. He took his time lighting a cigar and filling his glass. He watched through narrowed eyes as one by one the men around the table threw in their money and took a card. And, not incidentally, dug their grave.
When it came round to Gabe, he shook his head and smiled at the dealer. “Good evening, Charlie. Good to know we have an honest dealer tonight. And no, Charlie, I won’t need a card.”
Mike frowned. “You don’t want a piece of that ass up there, Angel?”