Page 9 of Wild Ace

And then there’s this woman, who practically runs away from me to the sanctuary of the woman’s bathroom, not sure if a night with me would be worth it despite this inexplicable thing we have going on between us.

That thing makes me want to know her even more.

Rubbing my chin, I take a sip of my whiskey.

I was standing at the balcony up here when I saw her walk down the stairs, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was like a ray of fucking sunshine I had to follow, and once I had her in my arms, she burned me in the best possible way. I’ll burn until I’m ash if I get the chance to feel her under my hands again.

Looking over at Nico, I can’t help but smile and raise my glass an inch in salute before taking another sip. My girl’s friend is beautiful and looks like just the right amount of uninhibited self-assuredness and crazy for my brother that will keep him on his toes.

My girl, though, she’s beautiful beyond anything I’ve ever seen. She has long dark brown hair that I want to wrap around my fist and pull to tilt her head back to give myself all the access I want to her lips and neck. Then I want to run my fingers through it while she’s lying across my chest after I’ve fucked her until she actually can’t tell me her name.

I haven’t been to Royals in a few months, and only came because Nico is in town and he needed to blow off some steam. He wanted to go to Dark Horse, the strip club we own here in Atlantic City, where all we’d have to do is crook our finger at who we want and she’d eagerly take us to the back room for a private show. But I wasn’t in the mood for easy pussy.

I haven’t been in the mood for easy anything when it comes to women the past six months or so. Easy gets you whatever you want, but not what you need.

My eyes immediately find their way to my girl when she emerges from the restroom, but her angelic face is stricken with worry, as if she’s seen a ghost.

She walks right to her friend. “Cassie, we need to leave,” she says urgently, and her friend’s head snaps up, coming out of the bubble she’s in with my brother.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s in the hospital.”

Her eyes widen and she untangles herself from Nico to stand. “Let’s go.”

“What’s going on? What’s wrong?” I ask, stepping closer to her. Who’s he?

“I have to go,” she tells me without bothering to look at me. She loops her arm with Cassie’s and goes to step away, but I grab her wrist like I did before. Lightly, but still enough pressure to stop her in her tracks. “I have to go,” she repeats, this time meeting my eyes that are already waiting for her.

“What happened?” I ask again, taking on a more serious tone, no longer flirting.

“There was a robbery at the deli and my grandfather got hurt. I have to get to the hospital.”

“I’ll drive you,” I say instantly.

“That’s not necessary. We’ll just call a cab.”

“Not a chance. I’m taking you.”

“You really don’t–”

“I’m coming with you,” Nico says, cutting her off and lifting his chin to me. “You take the front, Vin.”

“You both really don’t have to do anything. I’m not looking for any favors. We can take a cab.”

My eyes turn to slits. “It’s not a favor. I want to take you and I’ll get you there faster.”

“Fine,” she concedes, sighing.

I lead them out of VIP and through the casino, feeling her eyes on me the entire way. When we make it to our private elevator, I punch in a code, press my finger to a small screen to give my print, and then wait to have my eye scanned. Our security is intense, and sometimes annoying when I have to stop and do all of this, but it’s necessary to keep our lifestyle under tight control. Security is our family’s number one priority. Especially after what happened to my dad and uncle.

No one says anything on the short ride down to the garage, and I lead us over to one of the blacked-out Range Rovers that will fit us all. I open the back door for my girl and her friend, and she doesn’t even look at me. I can tell her mind is elsewhere.

I get us to the hospital in record time and park outside of the ER, hopping out right away to open the rear door. A security guard comes rushing out, ready to tell me I can’t park here, but with one look at me and Nico, he clamps his mouth shut.

“I’ll be back to move it soon,” I clip, walking right past him and straight inside to the ER desk. “We’re here for Frank Manzato. I need to know his doctor’s name and what room he’s in.”

“I’m sorry, but are you family?” the receptionist asks.

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