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“What does that mean?”
“It means as soon as he got his toe in the door he tried to meddle with our well-oiled machine. Swinging his balls around, thinking he holds all kinds of power over me and others.”
She smiled at my words. “He’s quite attractive too. Got that whole biker, billionaire, dark knight thing going on.”
“You forgot bossy and demanding.”
“You mean alpha and sexy?” She knew me too well.
“Oh, you mean arrogant and spoiled.” That last one wasn’t true, Grim worked his ass off, but I needed another word.
“Sounds like he’s your perfect match.”
“Perfect match in a ring, maybe.” I sipped my lemon water and checked my phone. I waited for Salazar to let me know when he was ready to gamble. “Whatever, I’m glad you’re back, Mom. I hate it when you leave.”
“I’m back until after summer then I’m off to Hong Kong.” She ran a painted fingertip down the length of her fancy drink then delicately licked the condensation from her finger. “You can come with me if you like.” My mother is an archaeologist and often travels to far away sites to share her expert knowledge. As a child, I often was schooled on the road and experienced life in person instead of textbooks. We’d had our adventures, she and I, and a lifetime of experiences people only dreamt of having. There was a part of me that wondered if Mom had tried to keep me away from the crime side of life my father brought home, but as I got older, the trips became less frequent. Maybe she just thought I was a young adult and needed to deal with what life brought me, or maybe it was something else. I never asked because I didn’t think I wanted to know the answer.
Mom was a force to be reckoned with, as untamable as she was beautiful, and would never let anyone get in her way when it came to her passion. She often commented that I got my drive from my father, but I knew I really got it from her.
“Maybe.” I shrugged. It might be a good idea to investigate the place where Yen offered me a job. Who knew? If my world did implode, I might need to run away.
“Want to talk about why Minnie’s watching you like a hawk right now?” I looked across the club and saw Minnie as she pretended to just notice me. She waved.
“She’s just being a good friend. I brought on two clients that make me uneasy.” I shared half the truth.
“Would these clients be Sonny and Victor Conti?”
“Yes, how do you know?”
“Your father filled me in.”
“Oh. Did he say anything else?”
“Not really, he’s just excited. Is there more to it? I’m sure he’s proud of your accomplishment.” I pushed aside the little hurt that came with the fact that my father clearly hadn’t shared the roofie mishap with her. Dad truly did put business before family.
“Enough about me, Mom. How was India? Did you and Claudine have a good time at your conference?”
“It was wonderful.” She grinned and made me feel instantly better. As she told me all about her adventures, I felt some of my tension drain away. My mother and I were very close, and she was the only one who saw Dad for who he was sometimes. Difficult and scary. I never understood how he landed someone as amazing as her, but as the saying goes, opposites attract. He worshipped her, and their love was real. It was just hard, as I often felt like an outsider looking in.
Salazar: Meet me in the blackjack room.
Kenna: On my way.
“Mom, I’m sorry, but I have to go. Duty calls.” I slid off the chair as she laughed.
“I understand that one. Don’t forget dinner tonight at six. You know it’s tradition.” She squeezed my hand. “Promise me you’ll come.”
“I promise.” It was tradition to have dinner together whenever Mom returned from her trips. The idea of being in the same room as my sister didn’t appeal to me, but I wasn’t one to miss an opportunity to spend time with my mother. I kissed her cheek and hurried off toward the blackjack tables.
As I whisked through the noisy room, I waved at a few guests who were regulars at the casino. I loved my relationship with the locals and felt at home whenever they came to play. A group of showgirls fluffed their feathers at me playfully as they handed out advertisements to the gawking men.
“Hey, Kenna,” one waved a sparkly hand at me, “love your shoes.”
“You too.” I beamed at her hooker heels that flashed red lights as she walked.
Vegas was all smoke and mirrors, a constant distraction to have you look one way when you should look the other. Money, sex, booze, drugs, and fantasy were what this city was about. The shear indulgence of it all made people delirious with excitement, and I thrived on it. The chase to provide it all for my guests brought me the fix I needed, and I wanted to be the best.
Suddenly, a chill spread through me and my attention was moved to a man at the bar. He stared directly at me. When we locked eyes, he waited for a beat. He seemed to want me to know he was watching. Then he slowly turned around and paid his bill. I second guessed myself. Perhaps I’d misread the situation? Then I shivered at the thought that this man might be connected to him.
