Page 4 of Forever Desired
Chapter Two
“Mr. Ludovici, it’s an honor to make your acquaintance,” the hotel manager, Bill Cooper, gushed, thrusting his hand out to Sorin who brushed past him in disgust.
The human had a sour odor to him. As if he were unclean. Even though the man was dressed in an expensive suit, Sorin could still smell the foul scent. Bill would forever be safe from Sorin. With an aroma like that, the human would never be drained by Sorin.
Vampire he was.
Sorin Ludovici had walked this earth for a very long time. Born in sixteen fifty-two, he gave off the appearance of a man in his late thirties or early forties. Over the centuries, his wealth had grown. He could afford whatever he wanted. Price was never a concern for Sorin. His business ventures had certainly paid off. He took his centuries of experience in business and had built an empire.
The only thing that would make Sorin’s life complete would be to find his mate.
His vampire bride.
Someone who he would spend eternity with.
He’d spent centuries scouring the earth to find her and failed.
Sorin had all but given up that she was even out there. He bit back a snort.
Maybe she wasn’t born yet.
“I’ve been the general operations manager for a year, and it’s nice to finally meet you.” Bill’s words broke through Sorin’s thoughts.
If he wasn’t a brilliant man with numbers, Sorin may have thought of replacing him. Finding humans that he trusted to run his operations was hard to come by.
“This is not a social call, Mr. Cooper,” Sorin snapped. He strode through the front doors of the Turin Casino with his team and the manager trailing along behind him.
The hotel was one of the most luxurious in all of Las Vegas.
And he owned it.
“I understand. Is there something in particular you need me to show you?” Bill asked, keeping up alongside Sorin.
Sorin came to an abrupt halt and turned to Bill.
“Do I need to have a reason to walk through my property?” he asked harshly.
His assistant and head of security came to stand beside him.
“Of course not,” Bill sputtered. He ran a shaky hand through his hair.
“Mr. Ludovici doesn’t have much time for this visit. He’s traveled a long distance and would like to quickly make his way to his suite so that he may rest,” Devin, his assistant, clipped. She turned her hard eyes to the human. Most of the communication with the management team of the hotel went through Devin. “You have done well since we brought you on. We have noticed that profits in the Murazzi have skyrocketed above the other venues in the casino. That is one place we’d like to visit.”
Sorin glanced around the entryway, and pride filled his chest. The Turin Casino was named for a town in Italy where he was born. Located in northwest, it was a town that had blossomed over the centuries. It was well-known for beautiful architecture, the arts, and foods.
When Sorin had built the casino, he’d wanted to bring a part of his culture to Las Vegas. The hotel was grand and exhibited all of what Turin stood for. There was another hotel on the strip that boasted Italian heritage, but nothing was as authentic as the Turin.
“I’m going to go meet with the security team for updates,” Linkin, the head of his security detail, murmured in Sorin’s ear.
Linkin Galano was a longtime friend and trusted confidant. Not that Sorin wasn’t able to protect himself if need be, but it paid to have someone who he trusted to watch his back.
Sorin jerked his head in a nod.
Linkin brushed past him and blended into the crowd. The tall vampire disappeared in the direction of the service elevators that would take him down below to the security helm.
Top security was imperative in an establishment such as the Turin. Each guest deserved to feel safe when visiting. That included the wealthiest of guests down to the middle-class couple on a vacation from home. They all should be able to gamble and experience the Turin without having to worry about danger.
“Please. Follow me. We can head down to the Murazzi. We have made some slight changes—”
