The publicity benefited them both. Women were envious of Venus, but they also admired the fact that at forty-something she was able to attract and keep the attention of such a virile young man.
Jorge became a known name in his own right. So much so that Calvin Klein hired him to be the face and body of the next big underwear campaign.
Jorge was on his way to getting exactly what he wanted.
Fame.
Money.
Recognition.
Love would come later.
* * *
Meanwhile, Venus met a Venezuelan avant-garde film director, who saw her as more than just a blonde and beautiful superstar sex symbol who happened to sing, dance and act. He saw her as Everywoman, an earthy creature whose incredible potential had yet to be unleashed on the world.
She saw him as the intellectual saviour she had been searching for.
Together they had big plans.
* * *
Danny and Buff got married in Oregon. The trip was a wedding present from Lucky, who felt Danny deserved some time off.
Danny complained all the way about how ridiculous it was that gay marriage was not legal in California, the most laid-back State of all.
Buff heartily agreed.
And after five wonderful days they returned to Vegas in full wedded bliss.
* * *
M.J. never did get to take Cassie on the trip he’d planned, for the night of Armand Jordan’s murder was the night she lost their baby, solving all their problems. Although deep down M.J. couldn’t help feeling that maybe she’d done something to facilitate the miscarriage.
He desperately tried to put it out of his mind, but somehow it lingered.
* * *
Fouad recovered nicely. His wife and children flew to Las Vegas to be by his side, and later, back in New York they all shared in the surprise that Armand Jordan had split his estate fifty-fifty. Half to his mother, and the other half to Fouad.
It made Fouad sad that Armand had come to such an unfortunate end, for although Armand had been an extremely difficult and challenging man, they had indeed shared many interesting times before the drugs had taken hold.
Strangely enough, Fouad missed him.
To celebrate his newfound position as head of Jordan Developments, Fouad collected all of Armand’s sex DVDs and promptly destroyed them.
He determined that Armand’s legacy would be pristine, and that his reputation would remain untarnished.
* * *
Peggy Dunn was all set to organize a spectacular New York funeral for her only son. She had Fouad contact the King and tell him the sad news in case he wanted to attend. The King responded by saying that he wished the funeral to take place in Akramshar. It would be a State funeral, and his people would make all the arrangements.
Peggy agreed, and it was then that Fouad revealed that Armand had a wife and four children in Akramshar.
At first Peggy was horrified and shocked. How could Armand have a family she knew nothing about? Why had he never told her? It was unbelievable.
But as the news settled in, she experienced a strong feeling of excitement and anticipation.
She had grandchildren. Four of them. She was not alone, she had a family.
Peggy couldn’t wait to meet them.
On the plane to Akramshar, sitting beside Fouad and his lovely wife, Alison, she reached into her purse and took out the envelope from the DNA sample lab. She had not opened it, and now she decided she never would.
In her mind Armand was a Prince, may he rest in peace.
* * *
Ace returned to Big Bear, where he hooked up with a young, pretty waitress who came from a similar background to his. He tried to forget Max Santangelo. She wasn’t for him – why had he been fooling himself? They lived in two different worlds, and much as he’d tried to fit in, he’d finally realized it was never going to happen.
* * *
Kev became rich, or relatively so, for Ellie’s pictures caused a bidding war amongst the tabloids, and – true to her word – Ellie cut him in for half.
But Kev wasn’t happy. He’d betrayed his friend, and not only that, he’d stayed hidden in the bushes like a coward as the dude with the knife had started attacking everyone. He hadn’t even emerged to help Billy, and the guilt was killing him.
He took his money and slunk off to New York.
* * *
Ellie sold her pictures to the tabloids before talking to the police. As a potential material witness she was sternly warned that she should have come forward instead of concealing evidence. She never mentioned that there was someone with her. Kev had begged her not to say he was present, so she’d complied.
Eventually she’d hired a lawyer, pleaded innocence and handed over all her photos.
All her photos except one.
She’d captured the image of a tall African-American man in a black suit, slipping quietly into the villa as Randy emerged.
Was she the only one to see him?
Apparently so.
She placed the photo in a safe deposit-box, and wrote a note to her significant other that if anything happened to her it should be given to the police.
Ellie was nothing if not street smart.
* * *
Sam’s movie came out and was a big hit. Hollywood wanted him, and was prepared to pay for the privilege.
He still sent Denver the occasional text, but she had yet to visit him on the set.
In Sam’s mind, there was always tomorrow.
* * *
Gerald M. took off on a European tour with a Swedish blonde he’d met in Vegas. He was proud to have her visit London, Paris, and Berlin with him, countries where he was still a certified superstar. The fans appreciated the smooth soul that was the sound of Gerald M. They worshipped at his feet.
He asked Cookie if she’d like to accompany them.
She declined. Having the run of the Bel Air house all to herself was a far more tempting prospect.
Since moving on from Frankie, and hitting the street with a sexy new hairstyle, Cookie had discovered there were far more interesting prospects out there than a coked-out old loser like Frankie.
Cookie decided she wanted to be an actress, and enrolled in acting class.
Young, hot would-be actors were everywhere.
Soon Cookie was having herself a fine old time.
* * *
Dumped by a truculent, spoiled teenager, Frankie Romano drove back to L.A. determined not to sleep with any girl under twenty-one. He was part of the Hollywood club scene, for crissake. Pussy abounded. He was a star in his own world.
His drug business was out of control. Supply could not keep up with demand. He’d partnered up with a young Colombian, Alejandro Diego, who had big family connections back in Colombia, and who assured him he could keep the supply coming. Now the money was really rolling in.
Frankie loved his life. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
* * *
Max and Billy. Caught on camera for all to see. Cover of the tabloids along with MURDER AT VEGAS HOTEL – as most headlines screamed. Billy came across as the hero of everyone’s dreams. This super-hot movie star had gotten his handsome face cut defending his young girlfriend. Although his PR team immediately denied that Max was his girlfriend – in spite of the intimate photos that appeared everywhere. According to his reps, she was merely a family friend he’d been protecting.
Billy was rushed to the emergency room, and the finest plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills was flown in to consult on his damaged face. The cut on his cheek turned out to be a surface wound, and within weeks Billy was back to his handsome self, a handsome self whose advisors (lawyers, PR people, the studio, etc.) had warned him to stay under the radar until his divorce from Venus was finalized, and not to see Max.
Reluctantly he’d agreed it was for the best. After all, he was getting a divorce from an icon, and already carrying on with a teenage girl was not the image his people wished him to project. �
�The public can turn on you like a dime,’ they warned him. ‘Do not screw with a brilliant career. Not at this time.’
He spoke to Max on the phone and told her they should cool it for a few weeks. She wasn’t heartbroken, too much was going on and she needed to get her head straight. She was a big girl now. Eighteen. And although Lucky had decided the right thing to do was cancel the Vegas party, she’d been okay with it. Especially when Lucky suggested that they take a family trip to the South of France instead.
Her mom had turned out to be way cooler than she’d ever thought. Lucky didn’t berate her about Billy, she’d merely shrugged and said, ‘We cannot help who we fall for. But maybe Billy wasn’t the best choice.’
Max still thought about Billy.
She thought about Ace too.
Ace had left her such a thoughtful gift and a sad little note. She knew he had to have seen the photos of her and Billy, and it tore her up imagining his reaction.
Ace had always been her rock, and she’d let him down, but as Lucky said, ‘We cannot help who we fall for.’
* * *
After giving in to the L word, Denver and Bobby returned to L.A. and settled into the new house Bobby purchased. ‘No huge mega-mansions,’ Denver had warned him. ‘Something manageable, please. And not in any fancy area. I like normal.’
Normal turned out to be a one-storey house in the Hollywood hills with three bedrooms and a panoramic view of the city. It had a reasonable-size garden and a simple lap pool. Amy Winehouse was in dog heaven!
Denver finally introduced Bobby to her family, not without a great deal of trepidation. Surprise! They all loved him! And as her mom said, ‘What’s not to love? He’s a great guy.’
Yes, Bobby was a great guy, and she was happy that they’d moved in together. She was also happy with her new position in the Drug Unit. Working closely with Leon was a kick, and they had a lot going on. Leon had been tracking a Colombian drug lord, Pablo Diego, for months, and they were near to closing in on his U.S. connections. Pablo’s son, Alejandro, was one of their main targets, along with all the dealers he supplied. A series of arrests were imminent.
Denver was well aware that one of their upcoming arrests would be Frankie Romano. Ethics prevented her from mentioning this to Bobby. What he didn’t know he couldn’t do anything about, and even though Frankie was no longer his close friend, Bobby had an innate sense of loyalty, and could possibly try to warn Frankie, enabling him to skip town.
This could not happen, so silence ruled.
Denver loved Bobby so much. She’d even attended a few of his family events, and managed to forge a warm relationship with Lucky – who was not as intimidating as she’d imagined. She also adored Lennie, who was so smart and acerbic in a delightfully clever way. And she and Max were warming up toward each other slowly but surely.
All in all Denver felt nothing but positive thoughts about her future with Bobby.
* * *
Things were going so well that Bobby had a plan. He’d pulled off buying a house and moving into it with Denver, and now he was thinking he wanted more. Denver was so damn special. Beautiful, smart, sexy, his best friend. What more could he look for in a woman?
He wanted to ask her to marry him, but instinctively he had a feeling she’d turn him down. It had taken him forever to get her to move into a house with him – marriage could send her running.
Or not.
He didn’t know.
Help was needed, so he secretly met up with her best friend, Carolyn, who was now part of an extremely content lesbian couple, and asked her advice. Carolyn’s advice was sound. ‘Do not rush her,’ she said. ‘When the time is right for both of you, you’ll know it.’
In the meantime Bobby went to Tiffany’s to purchase a seven-carat engagement ring which Denver would probably think was way too flashy. But what the hell – it was his prerogative to spoil her.
He put the ring away, and waited patiently for the right time.
* * *
Lucky Santangelo Golden and Lennie Golden. True soulmates. Who said marriages in Hollywood didn’t last?
They dealt with the Max/Billy situation in the only way they knew how, and that was with understanding, love and a non-judgemental attitude.
The South of France trip turned out to be exactly what everyone needed. They stayed with French friends in a magnificent villa above Cannes, and Max hit it off with the son of the family, a twenty-two-year-old aspiring screenwriter. Nothing serious, just fun. Lucky realized that’s exactly what Max needed right now, some mindless fun.
Meanwhile, Lennie had plans of his own. ‘We’re driving to Saint Tropez for the day,’ he informed his wife. ‘Just you and I.’
‘Let’s go,’ Lucky said, for she knew exactly what he had in mind.
And so it was that they relived the first time they’d made love. They went to the same beach and swam out to the same raft. Making love on it was just as amazing – if not better – than the first time.
Lucky still revelled in Lennie’s touch. The excitement between them was still as passionate and intense. But everything had to come to a crashing halt when a couple of kids swam toward the raft and hauled themselves aboard.
Giggling as if they were teenagers themselves, Lucky and Lennie took off, plunging in the sea and swimming back to shore, where they collapsed on the sand still giggling hysterically.
‘Love you,’ Lennie muttered, when they calmed down.
‘I know,’ Lucky replied, her black-as-night eyes gazing into his.
They were two people who had found each other, and nothing and no one would ever split them apart.
Two reckless, passionate people, filled with sensual zest and a hearty thirst for living that would take them wherever they wished to go.
Lucky and Lennie. Two of a kind.
Table of Contents
Cover
Half-title page
Also by Jackie Collins
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five
Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Epilogue
Goddess of Vengeance Page 40