No Mercy -

Elias thought of his family, sleeping soundly in a house that no longer belonged to them if he lost this hand. He looked at Thorne’s eyes—cold, blue, and utterly devoid of pity. Thorne didn't play for the money; he played for the moment of breaking another man. "I'm in," Elias said, his voice steadier than his heart.

Elias felt the world tilt. He waited for the mockery, the gloating, or perhaps a small sliver of a second chance. Instead, Thorne stood up and adjusted his coat. No Mercy

"You knew the rules before you sat down," Thorne said, turning toward the exit. "Don't look for a hand to pull you up. I don't give them." Elias thought of his family, sleeping soundly in