Vanilla and Vice (Empire Sevens Book 1)

by Tabatha Vargo

  I wasn’t thinking about her and her dead eyes.

  Some people used prescription meds and alcohol.

  Some people used illegal drugs or cooked cleaning supplies.

  I used work.

  It was the healthier alternative.

  And when I wasn’t working on the business, I was working on my body. I had a gym put in my penthouse six months ago; another thing that contributed to my healing process.

  Sex addiction was no fucking joke, and I would do whatever it took to keep myself straight.

  As the sun moved behind the buildings on the Vegas Strip, I had the driver take me home. I welcomed the sight of Empire Sevens, knowing my bed was on the top floor awaiting me. Also, I was excited to get back to work in the morning.

  Technically, Kade and I didn’t need to work anymore. Things ran themselves, and anything that didn’t run itself was handled by our operations manager, Kennedy. That still didn’t keep me from watching our patrons toss their money on the tables and into the machines on the casino floor.

  Nine years earlier, I had been penniless and starving on the streets of Vegas with a little sister to take care of. She was the reason I turned to the dark side. I would do anything for my sister. So when she was caught stealing bananas from the grocery store, I decided it was time I stepped up and took care of business.

  I gave in and began doing what I was best at.

  Crime.

  Corruption.

  I started working for some of the dirtiest bastards in the city until one day I looked around and I was the one everyone feared. I was the one running things. The men I once worked for now worked for me, and I did what needed to be done to climb to the top.

  Taking care of business.

  Making money.

  The things I did for money would sicken other people, but thankfully, I had a good head on my shoulders, and instead of staying in that life of crime and corruption, I contributed to a future where I would no longer have to answer to anyone ever again.

  Everything I made on the streets doing the dirty deeds that most couldn’t stomach went back into my future. Running the tables with my knowledge of the games and doubling my money every day, I gambled until finally, I was living the penthouse life and owned a casino of my own.

  It was dirty, but it got the job done.

  Word on the street was that people still feared me, my name still whispered in the back alleys and underground gangs, and that was exactly how I preferred it.

  Fear me.

  Respect me.

  The lobby was teeming with people, the night picking up as the sun settled and the moon rose. A group of troublemaking drunks stumbled toward the blackjack tables, and I nodded at Jerome, the security member closest to me, directing his attention toward the group. I had a feeling he would be clearing them out within the hour.

  He nodded back, letting me know he understood, and discreetly spoke into his wrist, warning the others to be on guard. Kade and I ran a tight ship. Bullshit wasn’t tolerated, and I could sense the assholes a mile away.

  I turned toward the elevator and waved my access card before pressing the button for the top floor. The green glass side of the elevator allowed me to look down over the casinos and bars as I rode it to the penthouse floor. The doors opened to Kade’s and my own personal lobby space, which was a sizeable masculine space between our two top-floor penthouse condos.

  Dark leather furniture filled the space, looking out at a wall of windows framing the Vegas skyline. I moved through the lobby to my door, and I waved my access card to unlock my door.

  Pushing the heavy door open, I was welcomed by the dark comfort of my home. Not wasting any time once I entered my place, I went into my massive master bathroom, stripped naked, and took the coldest shower I could stand, washing away the grime of my travels and shocking my primed body with a blast of cold.

  When my hard cock softened, I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t sure how long I could continue this way, starving my body of the things it desired, but I feared the moment I folded and had to start my time over again.

  By the time I climbed into my king-size bed, the city outside the wall of windows was ablaze with the lights. Resting my arms behind my head, I gazed out at the night around me until finally, sleep swept me away, and I was able to find real relief in my dreams.

  4

  EDEN

  KENNEDY TOOK ME BACK to the shopping center where I had left Allen’s Oldsmobile only to discover the café it was parked in front of had it towed.

  Great.

  It ended up in an impound lot owned by the tow truck company, and at first, I thought maybe that was for the best. It would be one less thing I needed to worry about. Even though having my own car to drive around town and get to and from work would have been nice, I didn’t need to hold on to anything from my past.

  It was Allen’s car, and it needed to stay in the past—right where my mom and Allen himself needed to stay.

  Not to mention, there was always the chance he could trace the car back to me somehow or report it stolen. Then again, Allen wasn’t the kind to bring the police into his affairs. If he wanted to get to me, he would do it without the help of the law since he was sure to do something illegal.

  No.

  It was probably for the best that I didn’t keep it with me.

  Then reality kicked in, and I knew I needed that damn car. I highly doubted Allen would kick up a fuss over the stupid rust bucket, which was probably stolen anyway. And I knew I couldn’t expect Aunt Kennedy to drive me around town all the time.

  Sure, I could walk most places in Las Vegas. It looked as though most people did walk, but when I needed to go farther than The Strip, I would need a car.

  The tow truck driver seemed shady enough to let me get it out even though the car wasn’t in my name, but I knew he would not let that happen for free. So until I had a few crisp hundred-dollar bills in hand, the car would have to remain in impound. Aunt Kennedy offered to get it out for me, thinking the car was mine, but I refused.

  The car wasn’t a necessity right now, but it would be, and by then, I would be able to get it out on my own.

  Once we left the tow company, we went to Aunt Kennedy’s place, which was a luxury condo a mile or so down The Strip from Empire Sevens.

  Her place was beautiful and clean, which was unlike any place I had ever stayed at before. I had no idea my aunt was living so richly, and I had a feeling it had to do with where she worked.

  It was a lavish complex with all the amenities. And unlike Empire Sevens, which was swathed in all things green and gold, Aunt Kennedy’s place was without color. Everything was white and clean, streamlined with simple furnishings and no personal pictures to speak of.

  Secretly, I had hoped I would see a picture of my mother and me somewhere in her home, but every place my eyes touched was flawless and impersonal. It was as if she was trying to forget, and honestly, after the past two years I had, I couldn’t say I blamed her.

  Somehow, though, her cold condo still managed to feel more like a home than the rust bucket of a trailer I had left behind.

  Of course, she lived in the penthouse, which was two stories and large. A bank of windows looking out over the desert city covered an entire wall, filling the open floor plan of the living room and kitchen space with the glistening lights of the Vegas Strip.

  “Wow, this is …” I let my sentence hang, unable to find the words to describe the neat and tidy place.

  Aunt Kennedy chuckled. “I know. It’s not very homey, but I plan on buying a house soon. There’s no need to personalize this place since it will be going on the market soon.”

  That made sense, I supposed.

  “Come on,” she said, waving me toward her. “I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  The tour consisted of the open living room and kitchen, followed by two bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a balcony off her master bedroom that I deemed my favorite spot in her place.

  After giving me
a tour, I followed behind her to a small hallway where she opened a door and began pulling out fresh linens for me.

  “So are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked, pulling a blanket from the linen closet.

  She didn’t look at me, but I could see her lips tight with worry. The least I could do was relieve her worry a bit since she was kind enough to help me and give me a place to stay for a bit.

  “I couldn’t stay there anymore, Aunt Kennedy. Mom’s different now, and …” I stopped, not wanting to relive the past two years. “Things are just different.”

  She finally looked up at me, watching me for a second as if she was waiting for me to crack and spill the influx of drama flowing through my exhausted brain. Once she realized I wasn’t going to say any more, she handed over the blanket and didn’t push any further.

  I appreciated that about her.

  She never pushed.

  She allowed me to come out on my own time like an abused kitten hiding in the bushes.

  She knew I would talk about it when I was ready, and at that moment, I wasn’t even close to being prepared. I was still coming to terms with the fact I had left my entire life, including my mother, behind. It hurt knowing I had essentially deserted her, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to survive, and I believed if my mother were the woman she used to be, she would want me to do just that.

  “Do you want to shower or nap before dinner?”

  In my head, I was jumping for joy. “I’d love a shower.”

  Aunt Kennedy smiled. “I thought so. This will be your room and the bathroom right in there. Shower and I’m going to go order food. I’m still a terrible cook.”

  “I don’t mind cooking.”

  “Don’t be silly. We’re ordering in.”

  I laughed. “Okay. Thank you for this, Aunt Kennedy,” I said when she turned to leave me in the room alone.

  She smiled, her smile reminding me so much of my mother it hurt. “We’re family, Eden. I don’t know what’s going on with you and your mom, but I’ll be here for you no matter what.”

  With that, she left me in the room alone as a tiny tear made its way down my cheek. I hadn’t felt so much relief in all my life.

  I had done it.

  I had left my situation for what I hoped was a much better one.

  I stood in the room, looking around and feeling so much relief. It had been so long since I’d had a quiet, clean space all to myself. The room was beautiful with a big white bed in the center of the room and a simple table and lamp on each side. The walls were mostly bare except for the gorgeous picture of a lily just above the bed.

  A dresser rested against the opposite wall, empty and ready for clothing I didn’t own, and across from that was yet again another wall of windows looking out over the corrupt city.

  Walking into the bathroom, I wasn’t surprised that everything was crisp and white. With the shower water as hot as I could stand it, I stepped into the marble shower and began to wash away the dirt and grime of the open desert from my skin.

  Once I was clean, I stood under the spray and closed my eyes, somehow feeling as if my soul was also being cleaned.

  I was getting a fresh start. It was an opportunity few people in my predicament got, and I would not ruin it or waste it.

  Once I was dressed, I gazed out over the city. Tomorrow would be a new day—a new beginning—and a chance to be someone different. I would grab the opportunity with greedy hands and turn it into something amazing.

  It was my time.

  I would change my life.

  After dinner and a ton of laughing, something I hadn’t done in a long time, I fell asleep with a smile on my lips and my brain feeling empty for once.

  There was no fear.

  There were no worries that my mom and Allen would leave a cigarette burning and torch the trailer.

  No thinking about the possibility of Allen’s loser friends creeping into my room.

  I closed my eyes and sighed, knowing that if only for tonight, I was safe.

  I slept better than I had in years.

  5

  EDEN

  I WOKE THE NEXT MORNING to the smell of bacon and the sounds of movement in the kitchen downstairs. Stretching, I welcomed the morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. Peeling the blanket from my body, I climbed from my bed and headed downstairs.

  “Good morning,” Aunt Kennedy sang with her back to me as she cooked.

  I stepped into the kitchen space and sniffed at the delicious scent coming from her frying pan. My stomach groaned, and I rubbed at the hunger pangs.

  “Morning. Smells amazing.”

  I moved closer, hovering over her shoulder to get a better peek at what she was cooking.

  She chuckled, turning over a piece of bacon with a fork.

  “Breakfast food is the one thing I can cook without screwing up. How hungry are you?”

  “I’m pretty sure I could eat my entire weight in bacon right now.”

  Aunt Kennedy laughed as I moved away from her and took a seat at the counter. I rested my chin in my palm while she whipped up breakfast. The smell of bacon and scrambled eggs made my mouth water and my stomach rumble and beg.

  Despite the amount of takeout food Aunt Kennedy had ordered the night before, I found myself feeling as if I hadn’t had a decent meal in weeks. Sadly, I realized that was true.

  With a plate full of bacon and eggs in hand, she moved across the kitchen and sat beside me at the counter.

  “I realized I might have jumped the gun yesterday when I said you had a job at Empire,” she said as she scraped a few more pieces of crisp bacon onto my plate.

  I wasted no time, snatching up a strip and stuffing it in my mouth. I was disappointed I didn’t have a job with her, but the bacon made the blow less painful.

  “It’s fine,” I mumbled rudely around the bacon in my mouth. “I plan on job hunting all day today.”

  She frowned for a second and then laughed. “No, sweetie, you misunderstood. The job at Empire is yours. I just meant I didn’t even ask you if that’s what you want.”

  I paused, the second strip of bacon dangling from my two fingers. “Of course, I want it!”

  “Well, then, it’s yours.”

  She had mentioned the day before about my having a job at Empire Sevens, but I didn’t know if it was a done deal.

  “Just like that?”

  She nodded, sipping her coffee with a grin. “Just like that. Ever waitressed before? Kade and Zander run a tight ship over there. Do you think you can handle it?”

  Allen would never allow us to work. He controlled all aspects of our lives, which meant I’d never had a real job, but I wasn’t about to tell her that. Instead, I lied, nodding my head and looking away to let my eyes settle on anything else but her face.

  “Yes. I can handle it. I didn’t think you were serious about hiring me at Empire yesterday. I’m grateful, Aunt Kennedy.”

  “We’re family, Eden. I’ll always do what I can.” She set her coffee cup on the counter with a clink. “Finish your breakfast. Then let’s get dressed and get the day started. We’ll get you all settled at Empire before I get my workday started.”

  After breakfast, I cleaned the breakfast dishes while Aunt Kennedy went to her room and got ready for work. I didn’t have much to do to myself. Mostly, I just brushed my hair or pulled it up to keep the back of my neck cool in the heat. After that, I made sure my clothes were clean.

  When she came out, she was dressed to perfection without a hair out of place. Instead of a white pants suit, she was wearing a navy one. Her heels clicked across the expensive flooring as she walked toward me.

  “Here,” she said, tossing something at me. “Wear this.”

  Opening the emerald green fabric she had tossed at me, my eyes landed on the words Empire Sevens across the center in gold glitter. Information on Empire littered the back in black wording.

  “It’s just until we get you to the hotel and into a unifor
m.”

  “Thank you.”

  She smiled. “Are you ready to go?” she asked, her eyes shifting over my bare legs.

  All I had were cutoffs and old T-shirts. To say I was happy she had given me a shirt to wear to work was an understatement.

  My thoughts must have been written clearly on my face because Kennedy smiled and said, “This weekend, we’ll go shopping and get you some new clothes.”

  I smiled, a bittersweet feeling seeping from the center of my chest. On the one hand, I loved feeling the sense of security my aunt offered. She didn’t make me feel like I was some charity case she had picked up from the streets. She wanted to help me because I had always been a priority for her and, once upon a time, my mother.

  While I wanted to be able to take care of myself, I knew I needed her help to start. I knew once I got a steady paycheck, I would be able to save to get set up on my own and pay Aunt Kennedy back for everything she spent on me. It would be a slow start, but it was a new start, and that was all that mattered to me.

  “Thank you.”

  “Of course. We’ll make a girls’ weekend out of it. I haven’t had one of those since your—” She stopped talking, sadness moving across her expression but only for a second. “I think that’s exactly what we need. Don’t you?”

  I nodded. “I’d love that.” I held up the shirt she’d given me. “Just let me swap shirts, and I’m ready to go.”

  I walked past her, and my eyes moved over her outfit once more. She looked so stylish and beautiful, and I suddenly felt very self-conscious in my ratty old shorts. I didn’t want to embarrass myself or, more importantly, Aunt Kennedy by walking into Empire Sevens looking like this.

  “Do you think maybe you have some pants I could wear?” I asked, not looking directly at her.

  Her smile was warm. “Of course. Let’s go see what I have in my closet.”

  Her closet was massive. It was nearly double the size of my room back home. While she searched through her drawers for pants, I rummaged through everything else. Designer bags, high-end labeled clothes, shoes in every style and color, and expensive jewelry filled the space. I vowed that one day I would have a closet just like hers.