Loathsome Brothers

Poker & Secrets

Narrator's Pov

"Gio we're playing poker, you wanna play?" Xander asked as Gio and Eleanora were playing tic tac toe in a corner.

"Nora you know how to play poker?" Gio asked Eleanora.

"Know how to? I'm the best at it" Eleanora said giving him a playful proud look.

"Ok then. Xander we're both playing" Gio said as he took Eleanora's hand and sat on the carpeted floor with her on his side.

He handed Eleanora a thousand dollar to bet, she decided to give it back to him along with any winnings of the night after all it was his money to start with.

Although the twins and Sandro didn't want her there, intruding in their family time. They still didn't say anything, knowing well that Gio would mind that and Andrei and Aaron might scold them as well.

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"How?" Xavier said in disbelief as he looked at the 'straight flush' Eleanora just placed on the table, winning the game for the fifth time in a row.

Throughout the game everyone has gotten so engrossed in it that every now and then they would make conversation with Eleanora without realizing.

Eleanora was smiling the whole time, she loved that her brothers had included her in there family activity.

She knew she shouldn't but she can't help but feel like she is a part of them. She has won a total of six thousand dollars that too contributed to her great mood. 

"How are you so good at it Nora?" Gio asked Eleanora, mentally chuckling at Xavier's reaction.

"I used to play with mom and her friends. Well it was mostly her friends because ten minutes in the game, she would pass out" Eleanora replied with a small laugh while collecting everyone's cards and handing it over to Xander.

She was so overjoyed that she didn't even realize that she just said something that she shouldn't have.

When their mother Isabella was living with the brothers, she used to go to parties and get drunk while playing poker. It was her favorite activity.

The brothers were well aware of the type of company their late mother used to hang out with before her divorce. So it peaked their interest as to what type of people Eleanora was once near.

"She played at home?" Aaron asked what all the brothers were wondering.

"Ya. We used to play whole night. Her friends would mostly stay back because they were too drunk to drive" She casually replied, mentally laughing thinking back to all the times her mother's friends embarrassed themselves being out of control.

"You know the biggest pot I won was of 8 thousand dollars. Initially I used to lose alot and if I won it was by luck but then Steve taught me some tricks here and there then it was pure talent once I mastered my poker face" She continued and chuckled lightly.

"Who is Steve?" Sandro asked as Xander started dealing the cards again.

A thought came into their minds at the same time. Maybe Steve was the reason she took the pregnancy tests?

The brothers could feel that right now she wasn't thinking before speaking. She has gotten too comfortable throughout their game session.

They all were now completed focused on her and silently decided on interrogating her about the topic on hand and get as much information as they could from her.

They would deny but deep down each one of them want to know about her past. They want to know how Isabella was with her. Maybe they also want to know how their sister lived all these years?