Page 31 of Keller

"Yeah."

"Tuesday's game. Walk me through the lineup."

There's a pause. West knows me well enough to catch the shift in tone. He doesn't comment on it.

"We've got the usual six. Plus the new guy. The one from Abu Dhabi."

"Tell me about him."

"Minor royal with a courtesy title. He travels under a diplomatic passport, but he's not an official anything. Discreet holdings in Europe. Showed up in Monaco twice last year. No defaults. No political noise."

"Temperament?"

"Drinks but doesn't get sloppy. He usually has at least two women on his arm. Plays aggressive when he's up and folds fast when he's not. Local vouch came from Sinclair."

Sinclair's solid, so that goes a long way with me.

"Who's watching him?"

"I am."

"Good. Keep him on the south side of the table. Never next to Hollis. And I want Wells to pull his financials before Tuesday to make sure he can put the money where his mouth is. TheseMiddle Easterners always like to act like they are big rollers, but are one-and-done. I don't want that kind of player at our tables."

"Already called him and he's on it."

"What about the buy-in?"

"He wired it on Friday, and it cleared Monday morning."

I adjust my glasses and stare out at the rooftops. The numbers and logistics settle into place. Risk is manageable when you know the variables. People are harder to predict, but money always follows patterns.

"Anything else?"

"No. That's it."

"All right."

West hangs up without another word. I set the phone back down and breathe out through my nose.

Work steadies me. It always has. The tables, the players, the calculations. That's where I'm in control. Where things make sense.

Quinn is what doesn't make sense.

I grab my keys off the counter and head for the door. I need to move. Staying here just means staring at my phone and making up narratives that aren't there. I'm not sure where to go yet, but I'm going somewhere.

The elevator ride down is silent. I step out into the parking garage and unlock my Range Rover with a beep. I climb in and throw my phone in the cup holder.

I adjust the radio to The Ten Spot, just as my phone rings. I grab it, not sure who I hope it is. I'm disappointed to see it's my brother, Cain.

"What's up, Bro?"

"Checking on my big brother. I was wondering if you had an open space on your tables."

"Hell, no. Not for you. You don't have enough money."

"Shit. You know I'm good for it."

"No, not this week. Hey, what are you up to? Was thinking about dropping in on you."