by Jan Bowles
He knew he’d end up taking her inheritance away. No wonder she’d laid into him. Maybe he deserved it.
Anyway, as far as he was concerned, it was all water off a duck’s back. He’d been in this situation many times before. It came with the territory. It was part and parcel of the job. Casino bosses were never going to be popular with guys who owed them a lot of money. It was business, pure and simple. No need to take offense. Only her angry words had cut deep into his psyche. What the hell do you know about grieving? I’ve only known you for half an hour, but I can already see you’re nothing more than a cold, soulless man. He knew all about grieving. He’d closed himself off for years. How could she know about the long lonely nights he’d spent in his penthouse suite? All that time wishing he had the power to turn back the clock, and bring Hannah back to life. Over the years he’d amassed a small fortune. He didn’t need to worry about money, he had enough to last him a dozen lifetimes, but even that wealth couldn’t save his beloved Hannah. She’d died, and since then, he’d died a little more with each passing day. All those wonderful plans they’d made together had been buried with her. The irrepressible life force he’d always carried with him had slowly withered and died after her sudden death. Lia Constantine had been right. All that was left was a cold, soulless man. He was nothing. Just a lonely vessel wandering the halls of his casinos. An empty man, living a barren, dead existence.
He found it unsettling that he could go for years without a thought for himself, or anybody else, for that matter. Yet it had taken one slender girl with an uncanny resemblance to his dead wife to alter that. He looked across at the young woman who’d reached him in just the matter of a few minutes. She was now sitting upright, and sipping from a glass of water. She’d invaded his comfort zone, wrecking his status quo. Jake grimaced. Yeah, he’d take her home and then get on with the rest of his fucking miserable life.
“Let me take you home,” he offered softly, when the last of the color had returned to her beautiful face.
“No it’s okay, I’d rather—”
“Please. It’s the least I can do for causing all this distress.” He knew she’d resist.
She opened her mouth as if to protest again, but Madeline cut in. “I’d accept, darlin’. He used to be so generous, but just lately he’s like a bear with a sore head.”
“You could have fooled me,” Lia readily agreed. Her green eyes held his. “Very well. I shall inconvenience you. Just like you’ve inconvenienced me.”
Madeline laughed. “That’s the spirit, darlin’. Don’t let the bastards grind you down. That’s my motto.”
Jake shook his head and walked across to his desk. He knew better than to protest. Madeline had a viper’s tongue on her. That was for sure. Another good reason for keeping her employed as his secretary. She could fend off the most determined of crazy gamblers. Just the other day, she’d stopped a high roller Arab sheik from entering his office with a badly charred steak, determined to make him eat it. Apparently, he’d wanted it well done, and a disgruntled chef had served up a burnt offering instead. Just the slightest thing could set off a highly strung gambling man. This particular guy regularly spent seven-figure amounts of money at the tables, but Madeline knew exactly how to sweet-talk him. Needless to say, the chef was sacked. As compensation the high roller was given the best suite of rooms in the casino hotel free of charge for a week. They also paid for a private jet to take him back to Dubai. All this came to hundreds of thousands of dollars. A drop in the ocean compared to what the guy lost at the tables. Jake had been so impressed with Madeline’s ability to smooth the situation, he’d given her a raise.
Jake picked up the telephone. “Frank, bring the car around. I’m on my way down.”
Chapter Five
Lia reluctantly followed Jake from his private office and stepped into the waiting elevator. Still a little unsteady on her feet, she leaned against the interior wall. She hadn’t fainted in years, but then the knowledge that she would lose her inheritance was hardly an everyday occurrence.
“I hope you’re not feeling too bad, Ms. Constantine.”
“No need for the small talk, Mr. Benetti,” she curtly advised him as the elevator doors closed. “As soon as I’m home, I can forget all about you and your seedy club.”
“Very well,” he answered, his face hardening into granite. He kept his gaze firmly from hers. If she didn’t know any better, he seemed reluctant to look at her. Well, good, the feeling was mutual.
His expensive aftershave reached her nostrils in the close confines of the elevator. It annoyed her that she actually enjoyed savoring the intoxicating scent. It seemed to surround her. Out the corner of her eye she covertly studied him. She guessed by his surname and dark looks he came from Italian stock. He was much taller than she’d originally thought. At least six three and broad, too. Jake Benetti looked like a man who took care of himself, and as a personal trainer, she should know. He wore a white, short-sleeved shirt, and had his suit jacket folded across one arm. Covered in masculine hair, his forearms showed the prominent veins of a man who indulged in hard physical exercise. His upper arm development pressed provocatively against the linen sleeves. A gold Breitling watch circled his wrist. No doubt he could afford anything he wanted.
His face remained passive and unmoved. Yet she could just glimpse the faint traces of laughter lines etched around his eyes and mouth. Perhaps he’d been happy once? According to his secretary, Madeline, he hadn’t always been the selfish prick he was now. What had caused him to become so unhappy?
When the elevator reached the ground floor and the doors parted, the noise from the casino hit her. Jake Benetti slipped on his suit jacket. “Allow me,” he said, cupping her elbow in his palm as he began guiding her from the elevator. A jolt of electricity flowed through her arm at his surprisingly gentle touch.
For the first time in her life, Leah stepped into a casino. It wasn’t the opulent, air-conditioned interior that first grabbed her attention, but the sheer noise. Hundreds of slot machines were busily working away. The sound of their infernal bleeping echoed around the large hall. People were transfixed. Their eyes glued to the spinning reels and messages that flashed before them, as the machines ravenously swallowed their hard-earned money. “Dumb idiots,” she whispered to herself.
Someone must have won, because an overweight, middle-aged woman shrieked with delight as her slot machine vomited up huge quantities of coins. There was so many, they spilled out onto the lush casino carpet.
As they crossed the floor, Jake was stopped several times by people eager to shake his hand. She figured he was well liked and respected.
“Mr. Benetti, let me touch you for luck.” An elderly lady with purple hair approached him. She looked genuinely pleased when he shook her hand.
“Good luck, Libby.”
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Benetti. You’ve made my day. I can’t lose now. I’m on a roll.”
As they continued walking Lia commented, “Does that happen often?”
“All the time,” he replied. “I don’t know why they think I’m gonna bring them luck. For Christ’s sake, I’m the guy who hopes they lose.”
A large man with a ruddy complexion walked toward them. He held out his arms. “Boss, good to see you.”
“You, too, Paulie.” They vigorously shook hands before parting company.
“Who’s that?” Lia asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
“That’s Paulie, the floor manager. The best guy in the business. He’s been with me since the beginning.”
Lia observed him smile and make small talk as they continued their progress. Although she never once saw the happiness from his smile reach his eyes. Whatever had caused his melancholy, it was deep rooted. Stop taking so much interest in this guy. Jake Benetti was going to separate her from her rightful inheritance. It was something he’d probably done to a number of people. She guessed he wouldn’t lose much sleep over it.
A well-dressed doorman pushed open a lar
ge glass door as they reached the entrance. “Good morning, Mr. Benetti.”
“Good morning, Sam. How’s Rose? Not long to go now.”
“Real soon, Mr. Benetti. It’ll be our third. I’m hoping for a boy this time. As you know, we’ve got two girls already.”
“Yeah, Sadie and Jessica must be growing up fast. If you need time to be with your wife, you just let me know, Sam. Right?”
“Sure thing, and thanks, Mr. Benetti.”
A stretch Mercedes limo drew up under the entrance canopy. Sam stepped forward and opened the rear door.
“Allow me, ma’am.”
Recognizing a chance to air her feelings, she commented, “Thank you, Sam. You’re very helpful. I’m so sorry, I can’t give you a tip, but your boss has just taken me for every cent I have.”
Sam nodded politely, but didn’t respond to her comments. “Pleasure is all mine, ma’am.” Lia thought she saw a hint of amusement in his eyes. She hoped her cutting remarks would become common knowledge with all Jake Benetti’s employees.
The incessant noise of the casino suddenly vanished when the limo door closed behind her with a satisfying thud. She took a moment to enjoy the luxurious cream leather interior. A glass privacy panel slowly closed, separating her from the driver. The car oozed wealth and status, something she would never be able to enjoy. Not now that she had to settle her father’s debts.
Jake took the seat beside her. “You didn’t have to tell Sam your life history. He’s a loyal guy, been with me eight years. Knows from experience I’m not the bad guy you seem to think I am.”
“Just letting him know the type of boss he works for. And just so you know, I have a very low opinion of you and your trashy lifestyle, Mr. Benetti. I’d rather we didn’t speak. I’d sooner we remain silent.”
Jake shook his head and mumbled something she couldn’t quite hear as the driver smoothly maneuvered the limo away from the casino entrance.
“Did you say something?”
“Either you want a conversation or you don’t.” He seemed irritated.
“Jesus, no need to take offense. Your secretary was right. You’re like a bear with a sore head.”
He breathed in, then said more calmly, “May I call you Lia?”
“No, you may not.”
He smiled broadly for the first time that day. He had perfect teeth. “Lia, please believe me, I’m sorry for the way things have turned out.”
“Sorry? You’re not sorry at all.” She knew her words carried venom. “You make the excuse that certain things are beyond your control. According to you, everything comes down to profit and keeping your shareholders happy. But I don’t believe that for a moment. I can see that you’re clearly your own man, and could easily write off the debt if you really wanted to.”
They drove along in total silence for a few minutes. She absently glanced through the window as the car sped down the Strip. Casinos littered both sides of the road. Very quietly, in almost a whisper, she said, “Funny how Vegas looks so gray and dreary during the day.”
“Vegas is a nighttime, good-time city. It can be a city of dreams. So many ordinary people working for minimum wage want to change their lives. That’s why they play the slots and the tables. They hope that maybe, just maybe, they can hit the jackpot. Even when they lose, most of them still enjoy the glitz and the glamour, and the sense of occasion we offer.”
“The slots in your establishment didn’t look remotely glamorous to me when we just walked past them.”
“You need to see the tables. That’s where the thinking gamblers tend to congregate. The slots are just pure luck, most of it the casino’s.”
Lia shook her head. “I just can’t see it. Wasting all that money, and for what?”
“They’re paying for the buzz, the thrill and excitement. People don’t always have to win to enjoy themselves.”
“Mr. Benetti, I was brought up to believe that hard work was the key to a better life. Not simply sticking a dollar in a slot and hoping to become a millionaire. I’m sorry, I can’t change the habit of a lifetime. It’s just the way I am. In my opinion casinos are crass, seedy joints that should be closed down to save gullible people from themselves.”
“Jesus, lady, you should hear yourself.” Jake shook his head and chuckled. “You’re a grown woman. You don’t need your parents’ permission anymore. When you’ve been inside a casino, that’s when you can make those kind of judgments, and not before.”
“I’ve just seen the inside of yours, and I didn’t like it.”
“You’ve seen jack shit, lady.” She heard the annoyance in his voice.
He took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself as the limo pulled up outside her home. Jake turned in his seat and looked at her. His pale blue eyes were piercing in their intensity. “Lia, I truly liked your father, and out of respect for him, I’m gonna look once more at the paperwork, to see if there’s anything I can do to cut your losses. On one condition, mind.”
“Which is?”
“That you have dinner with me tonight at the casino restaurant. I’ll show you around. It’ll give you a better understanding as to why your father spent so much time there.”
Had Jake Benetti just given her a lifeline? Maybe she’d made him realize that actions had consequences. The cynic inside her knew it would probably amount to nothing, yet she’d be a fool to turn him down. After all, it was only dinner. It wasn’t like he was making a pass. The guy hardly looked at her. From the photograph he’d shown her in the office, her father seemed to actually like him. Perhaps she should give him a chance.
Realizing for the first time that he might be trying to help her, she answered matter-of-factly, “Dinner will be good.” Without another word, she started to slip from the car.
He touched her arm, briefly halting her progress. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
When she reached her front door, she turned and looked. A flash of silver glinted in the sunlight as the stretch limo disappeared around the corner. A small thread of hope seemed to be drawing them together. She had to admit Jake Benetti was an extremely good looking and charismatic man, but she still didn’t like or trust him.
Chapter Six
Later that evening
When his driver turned the car onto Mount Drive, the street where Lia lived, Jake had to admit he was looking forward to seeing her again.
He shook his head. Goddamn it, who was he kidding. He’d barely thought of anything else. The entire day he’d relived their meeting over and over in his head. It was a wonder he’d managed to do any work. Madeline had noticed that he’d had something on his mind, but then she never did miss a trick.
Jake felt his pulse quicken as the car drew to a halt outside her home. He desperately needed to see her again. Did she really look like Hannah, or had he just imagined it all?
The brick-faced, double-fronted property looked imposing, very much like the home owned by Jeff Bridges in the film Arlington Road. Pretty, white-painted windows sat on either side of a neat porch with white marble pillars, while the well-groomed yard gently sloped down to the road. Fred Constantine had done well for himself, considering he’d only run a grocery store. For a moment he wondered why the guy had bet so heavily and lost it all. Whatever, he’d left a shitload of debt for his daughter to clean up.
Anyway, for some reason he didn’t yet understand himself, he’d offered Lia a lifeline. He had to do something. Knowing that he had the power to take everything she owned made him feel guilty as hell. If there was any way to salvage some of her inheritance, then he would.
Jake shook his head as he stepped from the car. See what had happened by becoming emotionally involved? Fred Constantine had been a friend. By meeting his daughter face-to-face to ease the situation, he’d humanized the debt. This was something he’d never done before.
“Wait here. I’ll just be a few minutes, Tony,” he instructed his driver as he began walking up the drive. The porch light cast a soft, homely glow over the ground, g
uiding his way. The small stones crunched satisfyingly under his shoes. It was a nice feeling, one that brought back happy memories of when Hannah was still alive. His thoughts drifted to their home out in Summerlin. Their property sat high on a ridge with breathtaking views over Vegas. He hadn’t set foot there since Hannah died. He preferred to live in his penthouse suite, conveniently located on the fiftieth floor of his casino. Occasionally, he’d send one of his men over to the house, to check that everything was okay. He just hadn’t had the heart to sell it. Not when they’d shared so many wonderful, precious times together. Three years ago the house had been mothballed along with his life.
No sooner had he rang the bell than Lia opened the door. She wore a bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her head. He hadn’t been dreaming. Lia still looked like Hannah—every dammed beautiful inch of her.
Her chin jutted out defensively. “I know I’m running a little late, but before you say anything, I worked for an extra hour today to make up for the time I was in your office. My boss wasn’t very impressed with me, so I offered to take the last aerobics class of the day.”
“If it’s my fault, then I can’t complain.”
“Good.” For a moment she just stood there looking at him. “I really should make you wait outside, considering you want to take this house away from me, but I just can’t be bothered fighting any more. It’s bad for my emotional constitution.”
She led the way to the living room. “Take a seat. There’s some of father’s liquor on the coffee table. He was a bourbon man, in moderation, of course. Help yourself.”
“I’m fine,” he said as she walked quickly from the room. Even from behind she reminded him so much of Hannah. Goddamn it, her ass swayed so fucking sexily.
Jake turned his attention to less provocative thoughts, and studied his surroundings. The room was conservatively furnished. Modest, even. That figured. Fred Constantine was a regular guy.