Billionaires in Dark Suits: The Complete Collection (Books 1-5) by Nova Rain

CHAPTER ONE

Bryan

I looked around the room, taking in the sight of the young and the old all trying to make a lot of money with very little effort. I already had a lot of money, but I liked the thrill of taking other people’s money. Not to be mean. It was all part of the game—literally. There was an adrenaline rush when a guy won a game of high-stakes poker. Some people did drugs to get high; I gambled. Hell, all the people in the dark underground room were all chasing that same high.

I didn’t think I was an addict. I just really liked a good game of cards and I liked the challenge of playing against some of the most skilled card sharks in the city of New York. It was fun as much as it was stressful. I knew a lot of the men and women sitting around, drinking cocktails and smoking cigars shouldn’t be there. They were broke. They were gambling with money that they couldn’t afford to lose. I had learned the hard way about gambling away money I didn’t have. I’d been homeless for a stint after gambling away my rent money back when I was twenty-two, fresh out of college, and dumb as shit.

“Good evening Mr. McAdams,” one of the cocktail waitresses said with a sultry smile.

I looked at her, still standing just inside the doorway after using the secret password to get past the security guard out front. “Hi, Holly; it looks busy tonight,” I commented.

She looked over her bare shoulder. The waitresses dressed like they did in Vegas; short skirts, halter tops, and a lot of makeup. She was pretty and had a nice body, but she wasn’t my type.

“It has been. We’ve got a couple hot games getting started,” she replied.

“Good. I’ll have my usual,” I told her, my eyes scanning the room once again.

“Perfect. I’ll find you,” she said and turned on her heel, sauntering towards the bar.

One of the guys I knew well, a worthy opponent in any card game as well as a good friend, came over to stand beside me. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have enough money?” he teased.

I looked at Nico Ward and grinned. “Does anyone have enough money?”

“How’s business going?” he asked as we moved through the room, finding a red sofa to sit down on while we waited for a table to open up.

“Good. We’ve got something big in the works. I think we’re going to rival Microsoft very soon. They can take their broken-down operating systems and kick rocks,” I grumbled.

He leaned his head back, chuckling, and shaking his head. “Get too cocky and you might develop enemies one day.”

“I have plenty of enemies,” I said my eyes spotting at least two of those people.

“I’ve got your back: always.”

“Thanks. I’m going to use the restroom. I want that table,” I said, pointing to one of the tables set away from the others.

“That’s only ten grand,” he said with surprise.

I didn’t care how much it was. I saw someone I wanted to sit at the table with. Charles Avery owed me money—a lot of money. I had been very forgiving, but to see him spending more money when he owed me money, pissed me off. I walked into the bathroom, checking out my reflection in the mirror. Some people teased me about my attire. I always wore black slacks and a white long-sleeved shirt. In my mind, it was easy, and I never had to worry about matching my socks or looking for ties. I leaned forward, finger-combing my wavy black hair back into place. The gel I had put in that morning was long gone and my bangs were falling forward, giving me a dangerous look. It worked for me.

I headed back into the gaming area that was relatively quiet, the sounds of low-spoken conversations humming around the area. Charles Avery was still at the table. Nico was hovering nearby. He nodded his head to the empty seat at the table. The waitress met me there, bringing me the scotch I had ordered.

“Bryan,” Charles said with shock.

I sat down and gave him a hard stare as I sipped from my glass. “Charles.”

“We can talk after the game,” he mumbled, looking very uncomfortable.

“I think that would be a good idea. You and I have a lot to talk about,” I said in a firm tone.

He cleared his throat, sipping the whiskey in his glass.

Charles Avery was a card shark. He had been swindling people out of money for years. When I came onto the scene, he’d tried to flex his muscles. He’d tried to intimidate me. Charles Avery did not intimidate me. He pissed me off, but he didn’t scare me.

We played several hands. I won every one of them.

Charles excused himself to go the restroom. I looked at Nico who was watching the older man walk away. We both knew he was going to try and escape before paying up. It was what he always did. I got up from the table and casually followed him. When he made a move to head for the exit, I reached out a hand and touched his shoulder. He turned around to look at me.

“Oh, Bryan,” he said in a friendly tone.

“We’re still going to have that talk, right Charles?”

“Sure, sure, I was just going to make a quick run to the little boy’s room,” he said easily.

“You’re going the wrong way,” I pointed out.

He sighed, resigned to his fate.

I wasn’t a man that just went away.