Page 30 of Lord of Vice

Then there was the woman sleeping in my suite.

Christ. Why couldn’t I get my mind off her? It wasn’t simply because she’d saved my life. My unusual reaction was more about the fact she obviously had no clue who I was. How couldanyone work in this town for months and not have a clue? Maybe that’s why I wanted to peel away her layers, finding out if she really was so sweet and innocent on the inside. I rolled my index finger under my nose, still able to capture the desire she’d felt during the spanking.

And afterwards.

Seeing her glistening pussy had almost done me in. It had taken far too much control, which I usually didn’t need to worry about, not to take her right there on the couch. I wasn’t known for being a gentleman but in a town where women flaunted themselves like the ultimate gambling prize, I hadn’t needed to. I’d had my choice, often more than one.

And none of them I’d wanted as much as I had a girl caught stealing food. While my father had engaged in numerous affairs over the years, he’d always gone home to my mother, the woman grounding him.

Maybe that’s what I needed, someone to settle down with.

Eyes continued to remain on me, women licking their lips and the men appearing slightly uncomfortable. Even the way Penny had acted about women in my life bothered me. Why did her opinion matter to me in the least? Was this all about the fact she’d saved my life? I didn’t buy it.

Before I made it to the bar, a drink has already been placed on the surface for me. As soon as I wrapped my fingers around the thick crystal, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“I’ve missed you,” the purring voice said.

Sighing, I remained scanning the club, observing all the activity I could see from where I stood. “Veronica. It’s been over betweenus for months.” I wasn’t a relationship kind of man, which was why my earlier thoughts should disturb the fuck out of me. Veronica had been a good choice to parade around when necessary, the kind of arm candy any man would want to have. Smart, gorgeous, good in bed. As well versed in politics and the entertainment world as she was in fashion and jewelry. That had allowed my boredom to stay at bay for the few months we’d dated on and off.

“Come now, darling. You’re not going to allow the little thing with the ring to get in our way of something special. Are you?”

I finally turned my head toward her. “You purchased yourself a fifteen-carat diamond engagement ring, Veronica, even taking it upon yourself to tell your friends we were getting married.”

“That’s because I thought that’s what you wanted.”

When I looked at her, I could easily tell how uncomfortable I’d made her. “Go back to your date, Veronica. I’m certain you’re here with a rich client belonging to your father, hoping he’ll be the one to pop the question. You shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

I could be cruel when I needed to be.

She took the opportunity to toss the rest of her drink in my face, her cheeks now flaming red. “How dare you.”

As she walked away, the bartender immediately handed me a towel. I watched her trailing away, wondering what I’d seen in the woman in the first place. People rarely tried to make a fool of me in public, including women I’d dated. While I wasn’t in the habit of harming women, Veronica’s actions would normally warrant tossing her from my club permanently.

Instead, I allowed her to walk away, her hips swaying.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Dima heading in my direction. He was in charge of security in all the resorts, only staying close tonight given the recent grand reopening.

“What is it, Dima? Did you find something out about the man who tried to attack me?”

“No, boss. But it’s something you should see.”

Sighing, I realized that after all the years spent working almost seven days a week, I’d grown weary and bored. How could I be bored when no two days were the same? Maybe that was the issue. I wanted sameness, the ability to know exactly how every day was going to go instead of constant and unwanted surprises.

With my drink still in my hand, I tossed the towel and trailed after him into the security room.

“I think we found the asshole selling drugs.” He nodded to one of six technicians who worked diligently to watch every public room in the resort, checking for crimes or other issues. It always struck me as strange given my brutal reputation that anyone would dare consider committing a crime or accosting a woman when they knew who owned the hotel. Sadly, there were usually at least three incidents a week of sheer stupidity.

And it had nothing to do with the men and women who believed themselves to be card counters. I couldn’t care less about their activities, doing nothing more than running them out of the hotel.

When a still shot was brought up from less than fifteen minutes before, my blood might have turned to ice, but fire was already exploding in my core.

“I wanted you to see this since it’s a political nightmare.”

Dima wasn’t prone to dramatics nor was he the kind of man to care about celebrities or other influential people. To us, they were a dime a dozen. But in turn, everyone had a secret. Seeing the young man doling out tiny gray pills as if handing out Tic-Tacs, the half-dressed women he was with giggling before popping the dangerous pills was repulsive enough.

Knowing that the young man was the only son of who some considered the most powerful man in Las Vegas didn’t make for a bright spot in my evening. Sheldon Peterson was a wealthy and usually legitimate businessman, owner of several upscale resorts himself, and had managed to win the mayoral election with over eighty percent of the votes.

While Sheldon’s campaign had been won on the promise of controlled development and providing more benefits to the needy, he’d yet to come through with a plan. Still, he was a man holding just enough power he could ceremoniously shut down any casino, any business, and any organization without batting an eye.

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