Free A Double Dose of Billionaire: Part Four by Rachel Ellis Page A

gasp next to me. “Seriously? That’s five freaking thousand dollars.”
    “Don’t worry, I got this.” The Luck God apparently favored me, because I drew a straight flush. What were the chances?
    I had been on a lucky streak all night. When I went to the ATM to draw some money, I found out the twins had deposited thirty thousand dollars into my account. I drew out a thousand to spend, deciding to act against reason. After that, it was winnings after winnings. That thirty thousand was stingy, for billionaires, but enough, at least until the child came.
    I still wasn’t going to abort it, not after having grown attached to my baby after an entire month. I might have to fight for child support, since finances were tight. Thirty thousand wasn’t nearly enough for a kid.
    The rest of the table folded, and it was just the dealer and me. A confident middle-aged fellow who didn’t change his facial expression. “ All in.”
    Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I stood a chance. Haughtily, I revealed my cards, thinking I had already won.
    I saw the dealer smirk for the first time that night, and it made my blood churn. It sent nausea to my head. He’s calling a bluff. But then, what reason did he have to do so? The time ticked by twice as slow when he laid his cards onto the table. My stomach sank. Tonight’s winnings and my initial one thousand dollars—gone.
    Bastard got a royal flush.
    That was nearly four months’ worth of rent.
    It was only in my mind, but I could almost feel the condescending stares of everyone in the casino on my back.
    Kristie threw a hand onto my shoulder. “Oh, no. How in the world did that happen?” She left her mouth gaping open in disbelief.
    Still in mid-shock, I responded, “I don’t know.”
    The smug woman sitting next to me let out a soft chortle. I eyeballed her, ready to punch her till her nose bled. I was in the worst mood I’d ever been in in my life. Strangling her till she choked nearly sounded like a valid option.
    “Let’s get out of here,” Kristie said, pulling me away by my arm. “I think we’ve had enough gambling for the night.”
    I had alloted one thousand dollars to spend, and with that gone, I had to go. “I thought I’d won.”
    Kristie had burned her fingers at the slot machines, losing fifty dollars—a reasonable amount compared to my losses. “I know, sweetheart, but these things, you can’t control them. Try to play it safer next time.”
    We walked to the parking lot with me practically dragging my feet against the ground. I was wrong about the Luck God after all. He, or she, hated me, and couldn’t wait to crush me like an insect. “Maybe this is all karma. Why the hell did I decide to steal my neighbor’s mangoes when I was younger?”
    Kristie laughed. “Are you getting superstitious? I thought you weren’t into that crap.”
    “First, the twins dump me for some stupid reason, and now I lose five thousand? What’s next? My apartment catches on fire? I’ve been down on my luck all this time.”
    She patted my back. “Don’t think too much about it, sweetheart. Think about the five thousand as extra. It was really only one thousand, and that was money you were willing to spend.”
    I scoffed, “Yeah, like that makes it any better.”
    “The casino was a bad idea, wasn’t it?”
    “Maybe. Alcohol?”
    She frowned. “Not tonight, young lady. That’s enough destructive behavior for one day. Think about your baby. You’ve got to start taking care of yourself.”
    “Probably. I can’t stop thinking about Ryan and Riley, you know? They’ve been stuck in my head all this time. I’m on a downward spiral, Kristie.  I try to tell myself that if I get into enough shit they’ll start to care, and maybe if they love me enough, they’ll put those stupid pictures behind them.”
    “That doesn’t sound…”
    “It sounds stupid, that’s what. Irrational bullshit. But I can’t help it, you know? I’m an emotional train wreck now. It