Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $9.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Ante: Russian Cardroom, #1
    Ante: Russian Cardroom, #1
    Ante: Russian Cardroom, #1
    Ebook113 pages1 hour

    Ante: Russian Cardroom, #1

    By E.M. Shue

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Award winning author E.M. Shue brings you the start of a new dark Russian Bratva series based in Las Vegas.

    The cards are laid out. As the Boss of this town, most men wouldn't go up against me, but he won't fold. He's desperate to win. And desperation leads to drastic measures. As I'd hoped, he bets his last thing of value…her. I've bided my time waiting for her to come of age, and now she has.

    I can't lose.

    I won't lose.

    I'll cheat to win her.

    She's the ante, but I'm her match.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherE.M. Shue
    Release dateSep 8, 2023
    ISBN9798223844761
    Ante: Russian Cardroom, #1

    Read more from E.M. Shue

    Related authors

    Related to Ante

    Titles in the series (2)

    View More
    View More

    Related ebooks

    Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Festival

      Sep 15, 2018

      My husband, who loved festivals, who was a great fan of festivals, wanted to get to the square in time for the first band at eleven o’clock. From bed, the dog and I watched him dress. He tried on various T-shirts, declaring some of them too tight and

      13 min read

    • Article

      Philip Roth

      Jun 4, 2018

      Philip Roth
      25 min read

    • Article

      Finding Peace—and Briefly, Freedom—at My Grandfather’s Funeral

      Oct 11, 2019

      “Saying goodbye with the people who loved him—and me—I remember that I am not the tomb that imprisons me.”

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Identity Parade

      Feb 2, 2019

      The Identity Parade
      9 min read

    • Article

      Haunted

      Sep 27, 2023

      Haunted
      6 min read

    • Article

      Shame Is Ever-Present When You’re Sitting in a Cell

      Oct 23, 2020

      Between a strained relationship with my family and the death of a good friend, I’ve struggled to feel like I’m worth something.

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Bystander

      Jan 7, 2021

      The Bystander
      5 min read

    • Article

      The List

      Mar 10, 2024

      “So, who’s on your list?” Nick looks eagerly at me. I take a sip of my coffee. “What list?” “You know. The list.” He shovels a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “She’s on mine.” He nods toward the TV. “Keira Knightly?” I ask. “Yeah.” “I still have n

      18 min read

    • Article

      Birthday Surprise

      Sep 17, 2021

      Birthday Surprise
      5 min read

    • Article

      I Proposed to My Girlfriend From Prison

      Feb 8, 2019

      Several years ago on Valentine’s Day, I was sitting in my cell when I remembered it was my cousin’s birthday. When I gave him a ring, he was getting his hair braided at the salon. As we talked I heard a woman’s voice in the background. Her voice made

      5 min read

    • Article

      Me & Davey Waters

      Jan 15, 2023

      Me & Davey Waters
      4 min read

    • Article

      Good Guysfinish Last

      Oct 6, 2020

      Good Guysfinish Last
      3 min read

    • Article

      A Hard Man To Forget

      Jan 8, 2024

      A Hard Man To Forget
      4 min read

    • Article

      Fall From Grace

      Jan 23, 2020

      Tentatively popping the wine cork, I was grateful when my boyfriend, Samuel Ford, 24, took over the pouring duties for me. ‘I’ve always been a bit clumsy and you’ve got white carpets!’ I explained with a laugh. Samuel smiled and leaned in to give me

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Inner Chamber

      Feb 2, 2023

      The Inner Chamber
      6 min read

    • Article

      ASK e JEAN

      Jan 12, 2020

      My wonderful boyfriend, at the tender age of 39, has realised he doesn’t enjoy sex. He’s handsome, silly, honest and kind, so he still engages in the act to keep me happy, but it’s just not pleasurable for either of us. The cuddles afterward, however

      3 min read

    • Article

      LOVE, Virtually

      Feb 16, 2020

      LOVE, Virtually
      5 min read

    • Article

      I’ll Burn You Alive

      Aug 19, 2021

      I’ll Burn You Alive
      5 min read

    • Article

      To Live a Little

      Oct 3, 2022

      To Live a Little
      13 min read

    • Article

      Righteous

      Jan 22, 2019

      Righteous
      8 min read

    • Article

      Coming To Terms

      May 25, 2021

      Coming To Terms
      14 min read

    • Article

      Why, Dad? Why?

      Oct 2, 2022

      Why, Dad? Why?
      7 min read

    • Article

      Love, Lust, and More

      Feb 12, 2020

      Fleetwood Mac was singing She is dancing away from you now, and I squirmed in my seat. Kabir was rubbing my thigh as he drove, a gesture I once thought was reserved for me. Bah! I also used to think he only took naked selfies in bed with me, but then

      11 min read

    • Article

      Mature Adults In Your Area

      Aug 8, 2022

      I would say that I don’t normally do this kind of thing, except that on and off over the months and years, I’ve done “these kinds of things” too many times for that to be true. So yeah, I go on dates from time to time. This recent guy wouldn’t choose

      6 min read

    • Article

      Begin Again

      Jun 14, 2022

      My grandfather came to live with me. There was nowhere else for him to go. What had happened to all his children? Death, decay, exile—I hardly know. My own parents died of pain. But I must not be too gloomy, at the beginning, or you will leave me, an

      6 min read

    • Article

      Thirteen

      Jan 30, 2020

      Thirteen
      21 min read

    • Article

      When Naming Isn’t Enough

      Aug 31, 2018

      When Naming Isn’t Enough
      16 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Ante

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Ante - E.M. Shue

      Prologue

      SPARROW

      Taylor Swift blares through my headphones as I sing along and clean the room. I hold the stick vacuum up like a microphone on the pole when the song hits the chorus. I’m energized and several rooms ahead of my counterpart today.

      I strike a pose in the mirror across from the bed and scream when I look up. There’s a man standing in the doorway behind me. Yanking my headphones from my ears, I turn around and hold the vacuum in my hands as a weapon. He doesn’t miss the move and his lips tip up slightly.

      His eyes move down my body from my head to my feet. I’m used to men staring at me. It’s Vegas, where most men think every woman is available for a price.

      Even housekeeping.

      I’m not though.

      I’ve never even been kissed before. Never had a boyfriend. I had to drop out of school when I was fifteen. The only things I’m allowed to do are go to work and home. Even my volunteering is closely monitored. But something about this man affects me. He makes my heart beat faster, and yet he also calms me. Maybe I could let him kiss me just so I would know how it feels. He looks like a man who could kiss a girl like they do in the books and movies.

      I take him in more. He’s dressed in an expensive-looking all-black suit, nothing like the one my brother pulls out when he’s trying to get another loan. He’s taller than me by probably a foot. His long legs carry him toward me. He has no speck of color except for the glint of silver on his belt buckle. His dark brown hair is brushed back and hangs down his neck. He has a trim mustache and beard on his angular chin, but it’s his eyes that I can’t stop looking at. They are such a pale blue they are almost gray, and laser focused on me.

      Who are you? he asks me. His voice is deep and heavily accented. It sounds French, but it has a hint of something else to it too. Something I can’t place. I pull my full bottom lip between my teeth and bite it.

      He shouldn’t be in this room. I look over his shoulder and see two equally big, if not bigger, men blocking my only escape. My brother has warned me not to trust men such as these. He says they’ll steal me…for my virginity. He calls them made men, says they are part of the underground. I’m trained not to talk to strangers in general, especially men. They just want to hurt you. My own father and brother have proved that to me my whole life. They’ve beat it into me over the years. I lost my mother because of a man I was supposed to trust.

      I asked you a question, little one. Answer me, he growls. He’s now standing directly in front of me, and I have to look up at him.

      Sp-Sparrow. My voice catches and I swallow. Sparrow McCall. I don’t know why I give him my full name, but some little voice tells me not to push this man. He has a dangerous vibe to him; however, something deep inside me says he wouldn’t hurt me. It’s as if I’ve known him forever.

      McCall? He looks over his shoulder at the men behind him, and one of them nods. You’re related to Brett? he asks, looking down at me again.

      I nod and swallow deep before I answer him. He’s my brother.

      He rears back like he’s been slapped then advances on me. I step back and hold the vacuum up between us. Is this man here because my brother owes him money?

      Don’t come any closer. I’ll scream. My voice trembles. I’m not so much scared as concerned about what he’s going to do. I turn my head to the side, waiting for the slap to come. I should stand up for myself, but I just can’t. The reaction is too ingrained in me. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to talk back. If he owes you money, I can pay. Please don’t hurt me, I beg him.

      His hand wraps around my chin and tips my head up to look him in the eye. His grip is firm but gentle, something I haven’t felt in a long time. His long fingers caress my cheek. He smells like spicy cigars. The aroma is enticing, not like the yucky ones I’m used to smelling. The scent along with the deep wood and cinnamon fragrance of his cologne pulls me in. It’s clean and I like it.

      "Who has put their hands on you, malen'kaya ptitsa?" His voice is so soft but still deep and rumbling.

      I don’t know if I could lie to him. Something deep down inside me makes me think I won’t be able to. But I can’t stop myself from trying. I look down. No one. His grip tightens ever so slightly.

      "Don’t lie to me, ptitsa." There is a bite in his voice. He could tell I was lying when I wasn’t even looking at him, just like I worried. My brother can’t tell when I’m lying to him while looking him right in the eye. Maybe it’s because I learned to lie to him when I was small due to the fact he’d hurt me if I didn’t sometimes. Who am I kidding? Brett would hurt me all the time if he could. He hates that I was born and our mother loved me so much.

      I can’t tell you. I’m honest this time because if Brett ever learned I gave this man his name, he’d beat me worse than he already does.

      "Ptitsa. He leans over me, his face drawing closer to mine. How old are you, Sparrow?" he asks. My name is a sigh on his breath. He is so close to my lips I feel the puff of air from each word against them.

      Seventeen. I practically moan, and he pulls back.

      Tell me when.

      When what? I draw my brows down, not sure what he’s asking me.

      When you are legal.

      September. I don’t know why I’m giving him everything he asks for. "What is ptitsa?" I try to say the foreign word just like he does, but I know I slaughter it.

      He smiles as he looks down at me with his hand still wrapped around my chin. Even his hands are big.

      Bird. He releases me and turns to walk away. He stops and looks back at me when he reaches the door. You have until then to get yourself ready.

      Ready for what? My voice sounds breathless.

      Me, he growls. "Don’t let any man touch you. Any part of you." The last bit of his statement has a bite to it. He walks out and leaves me standing there confused.

      I rush to the door and look down the hall. But I don’t know you. I raise my voice so he can hear me, but he keeps walking.

      You don’t know who that is? a voice says from behind me. I turn to see one of the other housekeepers watching him walk away with a look of appreciation in her eyes. I feel like smacking that look off her face, but I don’t.

      No. Who is he?

      That, little girl, is a man. A very important man. Her hand goes to her hip, and she bats her eyes at me. She’s constantly trying to pick up men. The urge hits me again to smack her for looking at him like that.

      Okay, so what kind of important man?

      That is Andrei Morosov, the head of the Bratva. She turns and walks away from me with her hips swinging. I know about the Bratva. My brother has told me terrible things about them.

      I step back into the room, and for the rest of my workday, I think of Andrei over and over.

      One

      ANDREI

      Iwatch her from my seat in the blacked-out SUV. The windows are tinted so dark people don’t know I’m back here. It’s one of the reasons I liked the Escalade. I normally have Mikhail and Dmitri drive me around in my Maybach, but ever since Sparrow came into my life in January, I’d rather be in this vehicle. I can watch her without her knowing I’m there, and others don’t know I’m there either.

      Three more months until I’ll be able to

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1