10
King
King generously filled the tumblers halfway with his father’s best brandy.
He knew it was dangerous, and that there was more to the phone calls than what Effie was saying. He hated to admit it, but he kind of hoped the drink would open her up. King desperately wanted to hear that she was done with Thorne for good.
He didn’t know what might come of that news. But for the first time in years he was high on a kind of hope he hadn’t felt since high school.
“What are we drinking to?” he asked as he handed her the glass. She sniffed the brandy and wrinkled her nose.
“I don’t know if I’m in a toasting mood,” she said. “Why don’t we play a game instead?”
“Poker?” he asked. “That’s pretty much all we have here. With the naked lady cards.”
“Sure.”
He felt her eyes on him as he reach
