The Gambler Marvel Novels & Stories

I’m supposed to be picking the right fighter, making sure his hundred grand doesn’t burn—but Knox’s hands are dragging my focus everywhere but the screen. My body is arching, greedy for more. His mouth presses heat into the skin just below my ear, and I can't think anymore. I just act. My finger taps Goliath—the thicker of the two men in the ring—just as his image flashes again. A second later, the screen blinks. Bet placed. Knox just gambled away six figures. Rich people are weird. I would comment on that any other day, but right now, my core is pulsing with a need I don’t know how to contain.

"But it is, Luna. Don't you understand how gamblers think?" Mela shot back, and I didn’t bother answering her rhetorical question. I was sure she already had her own answer. "What are you getting at, Mela?" "What do I mean? You’re a smart girl, Luna. You should get it!" Mela's smirk grew wider, and she took a deep breath as if she was about to drop another bombshell. "A gambling addiction can drive a man to do crazy things, like sell his wife. What's a million dollars then? To an addict, that money could vanish in a day."

It's just an angry thought arising in the back of her mind. You're not so different from your father. You bet big when you decided to cheat Reviello, and now you're going to lose everything. Are you sure you're not a gambling addict? You broke a clause in the contract, knowing that he could put a leash around your neck and drag you away like a fucking dog. You like the thrill. Furthermore, you like to challenge your odds, even when the stakes are high. The blood is strong, after all. — SHIT, STOP THINKING. STOP THINKING, STOP...

“Sir York, every single Great Gambler is hand-picked by our family. “Not only are they skillful when it comes to gambling and luck, but they’re also extremely loyal to the family. “We treat them very well. They live pretty lavish lives with lots of bodyguards keeping them safe. “These people would never betray the family under these circumstances.” Harvey nodded lightly. “Your Great Gamblers might not have betrayed you before, and they might not betray you in the future, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t betray you now.” Fabian froze. “What do you mean?” Harvey stared at the eyes of the middle-aged man. “Have you paid attention to his sluggish eyes? He seems like a person who just woke up,

I leaned back against the light pink walls of my bedroom, completely at odds with what my next actions should be. I had already decided not to go back to the arena that often because I knew I was beginning to get strange looks, and I would hear whispers that the kingpin was looking for The Gambler. It had taken me quite a while to realize The Gambler was me, but not much to realize the Kingpin was the man who ran all the underground arenas. I didn't want to catch the eye of someone like that, but if I continued visiting the arena, I would definitely keep his eye. But what could I do? I had little money left, and I didn't want to touch my savings except for emergencies.