Blood Red Roulette
Page 18
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I was going to ask you that.” Henri stomped over and shoved him.
Luc shoved back. “What are you talking about?”
“You know. Your sluts from the Ghost.”
“You fucked up my stuff because you’re jealous.” Luc laughed. “Are you kidding me? You spend all day thinking I’m a fag and making me miserable about it. Now that you have proof I might like women, you’re pissed. Get the hell out of my room.”
“As if you’re sleeping with women that hot. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but it ain’t funny.”
“They’re my friends. Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Because you wouldn’t know what to do with women like that, and they are dripping with money. So’s that dude too. So what are you up to? Working them till you get something from them, or is he already paying you to suck his dick?”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m still living here, putting up with your shit. I’m hooking for Giancarlo. The ladies, too, because they couldn’t get any man they wanted. They need to pay me.” Luc tried to force his brother toward the door, but Henri slipped past him. He grabbed Luc’s gym bag off the floor in the corner, swinging it at Luc, making him jump back.
“It’s heavy.” Henri yanked on the zipper. “Got toys for your party girls?”
Luc felt his stomach drop. What he did have in the old bag was something he didn’t want his father to see. He should never have brought it there. “Exactly, so give it to me.” Luc lunged for the bag.
Henri jerked it away, spilling it over the bed. The GED workbook tumbled onto the mattress. Henri chuckled, snatching it back. “Are you kidding me? Da will love this. You’re so stupid. Do you really think you can pass this test?”
“Give it back.”
Henri did, jamming the spine of it into Luc’s face. It caught him on the bridge of the nose, blurring his vision. Luc grabbed for the book again, but Henri ran out of the room. Luc chased after him. Henri locked himself in his room. Luc knew better than to try to break it down. He never could take Henri in a fight.
“Hey, you have some twenties hiding in this book too. Mine now,” Henri crowed from behind the door.
Luc ground the heel of his hand against his eye, willing himself not to cry. Henri would hear and love it. He spotted the phone on the living-room table. He desperately wanted to call Arrigo again, but he probably had the phone off for the night. He argued with himself about calling for a good five minutes before giving up and going back to his room to lie low. Maybe Da wouldn’t think he wanted his GED in order to escape him. Maybe, for once, he’d get lucky.
Chapter Twenty-One
LUC’S QUICKLY whispered voicemail saying a time had opened up for the shark feed if he was serious about it surprised Arrigo. In spite of being mostly asleep, he’d texted back he’d be there. Arrigo rolled onto his side, wishing he was more in a date mood after the previous night. It had been a long night and a short sleep. Washington and Shani called him in for yet another talk. He doubted they fully believed he had stumbled on that dead girl and had no connection to her.
He could hardly blame them. Her injuries matched Taabu’s and the other three, and in Vegas, what were the chances of simply stumbling across anything? Arrigo couldn’t tell them he was fairly sure this girl represented a mere snack and someone fun to kill for Eleni, and the girl had been culled from his territory, hoping to mess with him. Shani told him a task force was being formed, labeling Eleni a serial killer. If they only knew. He hoped they never crossed her path because she’d leave none of them alive. The only good of it would be increased patrol cars in the neighborhoods he had listed out for his Normal friends. The Veer had layers of security, so Arrigo declined any extra help guarding him just to keep the cops out of the line of Supernatural fire. He had talked Taabu into letting Michael install some wireless cameras that allowed them to use their phones to monitor the outside of her home. Not even Shani could talk her into allowing them inside the place. He and Michael planned to look into putting some up around Luc’s place if possible. It might be tough in that neighborhood. Once the task force determined if publicizing the pictures would drive the killers underground or not, Craig would be forced to send more help because it was impossible with what Arrigo had at his service. He’d already made a complaint up the chain at the Chiaroscuro so he might be getting reinforcements even if Eleni’s picture didn’t make it on TV.
He had done all he could at the moment and didn’t want to keep Luc waiting. Eleni knew about Luc, making Arrigo want to stick as close as possible to protect him. Arrigo still felt a little stunned to get Luc’s text. Almost everything they had done together had been at Arrigo’s initiation. He had horned in on the idea of feeding the sharks as a date, but he hadn’t thought Luc would go for it in spite of what he’d said. The curtain separating his bedroom from the bath—such a strange design concept—opened, and Siobhan peered into his room.
“Was that beep more trouble?” She rubbed her eyes.
“No, a voicemail from Luc. He wants me to come meet him for that shark date.” Arrigo smiled, stretching. He contemplated what hung in his closet. He needed to look his best.
Siobhan let the curtain fall back as she strolled into his room. “So problem solved there.” She cocked her head. “You going or just lying here taking things into your own hands first?”
He held both hands above the sheets. “Dirty old woman.”
Siobhan flopped on the bed, wrapping her arms around him. She kissed his cheek. “I’ve known you for nearly two thousand years. I’m familiar with your habits.”
Arrigo chuckled, covering one of her hands with his. He’d been only about a hundred years old when they’d met on opposite sides of a war; she with Boudicca’s camp, and he with the Romans, naturally.
“How am I supposed to go meet him if you’re pinning me to the bed?”
Siobhan pushed him so hard, Arrigo nearly tumbled off the mattress. “Go.” She nestled into his spot on the bed. “I’ll put in another call to the regent and tell him to stop being such a dick.”
“He won’t even take my calls, so I’ve called Craig’s boss,” Arrigo said as he walked into the bathroom. “There has to be something between him and Michael or Hanako.”
“She was dating Craig, and now she’s dating Michael. I made Hanako tell me. Betting he’s hoping they get killed here.” Her voice rang rich with disgust.
“Perfect.” Arrigo sighed, taking a piss. He’d have to rethink the modern open-concept style next time. It was weird to pee with nothing but a curtain he’d put up between the master bath and his bedroom when he had company. He washed up and dressed.
He thought Siobhan had gone back to sleep until she said, “Enjoy the sun,” and burrowed deeper into the covers of his bed. That was another problem with dating mortals. They liked being out in the day. Still, it wasn’t like he was going to turn down an invite to go out with Luc. He backburned his rage against Craig and his shitty leadership as he hiked down the Strip. Being Vegas, not a single cloud stood between him and the sun, so hiking only lasted until he got to the first bus stop. It was a quick jaunt to Mandalay Bay.
Luc waited outside the aquarium, probably in his best clothes, a pair of khaki trousers and a blue polo shirt, which brought out his eyes: those nervous, quickly flicking eyes.
He smiled seeing Arrigo. “Oh, good. I wasn’t sure you could get here fast enough.”
“No problem. Got my ticket online.” Arrigo didn’t particularly like smartphones, but sometimes they were sure as hell handy. “I was surprised, though.”
“Yeah, probably should have planned it better.” Luc went inside. “My brother found my money, but he didn’t find it all. I figured I’d better spend it before he stole it. At least Da wasn’t as mad about me studying for the GED as I thought he’d be, at least not after I told him I wanted it so I could get a business degree at the community college and we could open our own bar. Sad, huh?”
“Heck, I’m happy you wanted to spend so much to do something like this. I mean, it’s more my thing, right?” Luc glanced at him.
“I’m up for new things. It keeps life exciting.”
Luc’s face lit up, and Arrigo realized it was one of the first times he had really seen Luc happy. That happiness carried them through the hour they spent with the Shark Reef aquarist. The adventure proved more than Arrigo expected. Not only did they get to feed the zebra shark, they watched the aquarists feed the bigger sharks and rays. They learned more about sharks than Arrigo had imagined. It was like being inside an Animal Planet segment. The excited gleam in Luc’s eyes as he used the tongs to flip food to the sharks made all of Arrigo’s worries fade away. Thrilled he had some small part in making this happen, Arrigo let himself relax more than he had since learning Eleni was in town. It was a shame the shark dive option was so much more money, because he would have liked to gift that to Luc. The eighty-dollar feeding was one thing, but the dive was too expensive. Afterward they wandered Mandalay Bay, neither of them ready to leave quite yet.
“I’m a little hungry if you can imagine.” Luc chuckled. “You?”
“I could eat.” Arrigo tried not to look at Luc’s carotid.
“I know there’s a burger place down there. I’ve never been.” Luc pointed.
Arrigo nodded, doubting they’d be eating at the Burger Bar once Luc saw the prices, but he wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up. He wanted to take Luc’s hand as they filtered through the tourists, but he remained pretty sure Luc wasn’t ready for that step. Luc paused in front of the menu outside the restaurant, his eyes widening.
“Arrigo, does that say there’s a sixty-five-dollar hamburger?” His voice squeaked a little.
Arrigo snorted. “It’s wagyu beef, and no, I’m not entirely sure I’d spend that much to try it.”
“And I was obsessed with spending the money on the shark thing. At least I got photos to remember it by.” He wagged the souvenir pack they both received. “And I got to feed a shark. Can’t imagine spending that to feed me.”
“If it helps, I’m not a huge burger fan,” Arrigo said diplomatically. “There’s the Slice of Vegas, a pizza joint that’s more reasonable than a wagyu burger.” It was the one thing he could think of in Mandalay Bay that wouldn’t be more than fifteen dollars per person. An idea struck. “How about I get lunch this time? We could go to Mizuya.”
Luc narrowed his eyes. “That’s not the Chinese place, is it? I like Chinese, but that one had twenty-dollar soup for God’s sake. I saw that menu the last time I was here.”
“No, it’s Japanese, sushi to be exact.” Even though he was sure of the answer, Arrigo asked, “Ever have it?”
“No.” Luc shook his head. “You just got done feeding a shark raw fish, and now you want some yourself? And you say I’m crazy-crazy.”
“I never said I wasn’t. So? Want to try it?”
Luc shrugged. “Okay, but next time I’m buying lunch. Might have to be McDonald’s. Oh right, you don’t like burgers. Cheesecake at Starbucks?”
“Cheesecake counts as lunch, so does the spiked milkshakes at Bobby’s Burger Palace,” Arrigo assured him. He’d introduced Siobhan to those on her second night in town, leaving her addicted to the caramel and bourbon one.
Luc widened his eyes. “There are spiked milkshakes? How could I not know this?”
“It’s in the Shops at Crystals.” Arrigo beckoned Luc to follow him.
“Ah, that explains it. I’ve never been in there,” Luc said needlessly. “Milkshakes next time, then.”
“Sounds good.” Arrigo didn’t point out Luc just planned a next time. He sure as hell hoped he knew what he was doing because one misstep on this path might have terrible consequences for Luc.
“Yeah.” The single word sounded breathy, almost confused, as if it just dawned on Luc he had basically asked Arrigo out a second time.
Arrigo let it drop, happy to simply lead the way to Mizuya. They were seated next to the water feature, and Luc looked pretty hopeless as he scanned the menu. It certainly wasn’t cheap, but Arrigo hoped Luc wouldn’t fuss about it now that he had agreed to let Arrigo buy.
“I have no idea what’s good,” Luc said finally.
“You said you used to go shrimping, right? I’m assuming you like shrimp.”
Luc nodded. “Love it.”
“Okay, then, that makes it easy.” Arrigo ordered a tiger roll and a red dragon roll full of spicy tuna because it would be a treat for Luc. He also ordered them sake. Arrigo gave Luc a look. “I probably should have asked if you drank. A lot of bartenders can’t stand the stuff after dealing with it all day.”
Luc shrugged. “It’s okay by me. I have no idea what sake is, though.”
“A potent rice wine.”
“Oh, good.” Luc chuckled. “I might need that to take my mind off eating raw fish.”
“It’s tempura shrimp in the one roll, so it’s cooked,” Arrigo replied, tapping the menu to illustrate it detailed what was in the rolls.
“Good to know. It’s been a really good day. I’d hate to be freaked out over lunch.” Luc grinned broadly, drumming his fingers against the slim packet of photos. “Got to figure out a place to hide these.”
Arrigo nodded, feeling sorry for him yet again. There was nothing in the photos that should need hiding. No one seeing the pictures would think them anything more than two friends on an adventure, but Luc’s family would read more into it. He’d probably catch twenty kinds of hell if his father had a clue how much the hour had cost Luc, even if he never saw the photos.
The waiter returned quickly with their sake, pouring the first cups for them. Arrigo lifted his. “It can be served warm, room temp, or cold depending on all kinds of factors. Being Vegas and hotter than hell out there, I figured cold would be best. Per cent’anni.”
Luc raised his eyebrows.
“It means good luck for a hundred years, more or less,” Arrigo said. He wagged his free hand from side to side in emphasis.
Luc’s smile grew. “I’ll drink to that.” He sipped the sake, pursing his lips. “Oooo, strong-strong.”
“Yes, a little.”
Their sushi rolls arrived. Arrigo couldn’t wait to dig in. Vampiric taste buds delighted to salty foods and the nori wraps with their oceanic tastes reminded him of blood. Some vampires were addicted to the high salinity of canned soups, which definitely put him in mind of a sanguine feast. To Arrigo’s delight, Luc enjoyed them. He liked the sake quite a bit too. Maybe a little more than he should, given how loose he was when they left the restaurant. Luc didn’t even fuss as Arrigo slipped a steadying hand around his waist as they walked through the casino.
“I have to go back now.” Luc sighed, suddenly far more sober. “I don’t want to, but Henri’ll make the misère for me even if I’m on time. Jesus help me if I’m late.”
Arrigo tightened his grip on Luc. “I’m sorry you have to go.”
Luc pushed the door open to go out in the sun. Arrigo blinked rapidly. It felt like a knife in his eyes. “Me, too, but Henri’s pretty pissed with me as it is. He’s all jealous over your lady friends. Every time he looks at me, I think, man he’s gonna give me more than a bleue this time.” Luc rubbed his arm over a fading bruise to illustrate his point. “I’m not sure Da likes it either. He’s being strange about them.”
“That sounds like a—”
“Mal pris.” Luc nodded.
“A very bad situation,” Arrigo agreed. “Luc, you don’t have to stay there.”
Luc groaned, then stabbed a finger toward where the Veer Towers and the Aria rose skyward. “I’m not sure I belong there, Arrigo.”
“I’m not sure belong is the right word, but fair enough. You could always crash a couple days on
the couch in the office. Taabu wouldn’t mind. I’m serious, Luc. If you’re afraid for your safety….” Arrigo pulled him closer, but that was the wrong thing to do.
Luc squirmed free. “Don’t… I have something bad to tell you that I should have said at the beginning of the date. I was afraid you’d leave, and I just wanted to enjoy this time first. Selfish couillon.” He tapped his chest.
Arrigo took his trembling hand. “Tell me.”
Luc grimaced. “I don’t know how. They want me to do something bad…” His chest heaved. “To you.”
Arrigo tightened his grip. “Let me guess. Your family wants you to get my money somehow.”
Luc jumped back, pulling out of his grip. “How?”
“I’m rich. It won’t be the first time someone was after my money, Luc.”
“I told them I would try, but I wasn’t gonna. I just didn’t know how to tell you or what to do next.”
“Let me think about this, okay? I’ll talk to my friends.” Arrigo decided not to mention they were cops because he wasn’t sure how Luc would take that. “I bet we can trap them without you getting your ass kicked again because you refuse to rob me.”
Luc dropped his gaze. “Yeah, I like that. I’ll try to talk Da out of it, but yeah, we might have to.”
The wariness in Luc’s tone suggested he was afraid of what would happen to him if left on his own. Arrigo doubted Luc knew how to make his own way. He’d have to convince him he wouldn’t be alone.
“It’ll be all right, Luc.”
Luc shook his head before meeting Arrigo’s eyes. “Also, Henri destroyed that picture. I had a quick look on Siobhan’s phone. Wish my phone could download pictures, but it can’t.”
“I’ll be sure you get another,” Arrigo said, letting the other matter drop. “Are you sure you want to go back home, Luc? Taabu and I both have room.”
Luc held up a hand. “I’m fine. I have your number and Taabu’s. I’ll call if I have to. Thanks. I better get to the bus stop. Geez, I’m half-kicked in the ass too. That sake stuff was strong! You walking back?” He effectively ended the line of conversation.