Page 20 of Forbidden Empire
I walked through the corridors, tourists shuffled like zombies, their eyes darting from one glittering attraction to another. The fleeting dream of sudden wealth lured them forward, a siren’s song promising riches.
They all believed it could be their moment, a single card game, one lucky pull of the slot machine.
But those of us working behind the curtains of this neon-lit paradise knew the truth. The occasional lightning strike of fortune was a spectacle, a rare occurrence meant to fuel the myths. Real wealth in this town wasn't found on the casino floor.
It was amassed far from the glittering chaos I had just stepped into, in the shadows where deals were made and fates were sealed.
Today was different. I was a man on a mission, focused, and nothing was going to distract me. The bustling scene around me was a blur.
I ignored the elderly women bustling in and out of overpriced boutiques, their shopping bags rustling with every step. The children, with sticky fingers and chocolate-smeared faces, dripped melting ice cream onto the vibrant carpets, oblivious to the world. I maneuvered through clusters of young women, theirsequined dresses catching the dim casino lights as they sipped colorful cocktails, not even glancing their way.
A thrill coursed through me, a tingling sensation that danced along my skin.
Esme was close.
I could feel it deep within, an unshakable certainty that only grew stronger. Just yesterday, one of my men had caught a glimpse of her at the Ida, but she had slipped away, leaving him empty-handed and me seething with frustration.
Right now, fortune smiled upon me.
Ares had rung me up not thirty minutes ago. He’d seen her at the Olympus Casino, of all places, calmly seated at a poker table as if she were just any other tourist passing through.
Her audacity staggered me. It was almost admirable.
Esme, who had deceived me and stolen from her own brother Zeno, was now brazenly sitting in the very casino he owned. It was as if she dared him and every syndicate family from here to Los Angeles to come and find her.
In a twisted way, I couldn’t help but respect her boldness. She had vanished with invaluable information, having duped me into aiding her, and took with her the power to topple many influential figures.
The whispers had been relentless, though only Zeno knew what the contents of that box and USB drive held. Judging by Zeno's frantic search for her, whatever was on there was undoubtedly explosive.
I halted at the perimeter of the bustling crowd, my eyes sweeping the room with hawk-like precision.
Across the sea of people, I locked eyes with one of our men.
My gaze followed his direction, and there she was, Esme, her presence as electrifying as ever. I gasped, the thrill of the chase surging through me once more.
She sat with her chin tilted at that precise angle I remembered—the one that made her look both regal and dangerous. Her fingers tapped the edge of her cards in a rhythm I'd watched a hundred times across my sheets.
Ten feet away, a man with shoulders like a linebacker pretended to watch the roulette wheel, his gaze returning to her every seven seconds, but she didn't spare him a glance.
I moved closer, each step heavier than the last. My collar tightened against my throat.
The air between us vibrated with the same electricity that had once left claw marks down my back.
Fuck.
My mouth went dry. The memory of her taste flooded back, salt and honey and that goddamn expensive whiskey she always stole from my cabinet.
My pants grew uncomfortably tight, the fabric straining as blood rushed south to my cock, betraying me like it had every night for weeks as I'd lain awake staring at the ceiling, sheets twisted around my legs.
As I navigated the perimeter of the bustling crowd, my eyes drank in every detail of her presence. Her long black hair was concealed beneath a short wig of auburn hue, revealing the graceful curve of her neck, pale and delicate. I swallowed hard, the memory of the soft skin at the nape of her neck beneath my lips sending a shiver down my spine.
Her tight cocktail dress clung to her body, its neckline plunging daringly to expose the swell of her creamy cleavage. The vivid image of her bare breasts seared into my mind, leaving me breathless and propelling my feet to move faster.
Within moments, I was standing behind her, my mind racing as I considered my next move. Ares’s urgent phone call had propelled me here in such a rush that I hadn’t paused to formulate a plan. All I could focus on was her face, her presenceconsuming my thoughts. Now that she was within reach, I wrestled with what to do next.
Conflicting urges surged within me, the desire to both harm and possess her battling for dominance.
Here, amidst the eyes of the public, I knew I could do neither. But once we were alone? In that private moment, all constraints would vanish, and anything could happen.
