There seemed to be two queue's formed outside - a short one to the right, and a longer one down the left. I assumed the short one was for VIP's and the longer one for regular people. We were students, so I expected us to head to the left.
We went neither way. In fact, we went straight forwards towards the bouncers.
They looked up at Alice as she approached and nodded her straight through, Tess and I following in behind. Weird.
The inside was dark and luxurious, a long bar down one side of the space and lovely richly colored booths stretching down the other, with other free-standing tables in between. We moved straight on through and towards an area at the back, cordoned off from the main section by a rope and guarded by another menacing looking bouncer.
Again the bouncer opened the rope and stepped to one side on seeing Alice, a look of recognition on his face. Within I could see a well dressed group of young people, all sitting around a large circular cable. Alice bounded forward immediately as a young man stood and hugged her.
He had medium length wavy hair and a square jaw. As he smiled his cheeks deepened to reveal dimples, his eyes flashing blue. He was, for want of a better word, gorgeous. As a couple, they were stunning.
After a short but passionate kiss Alice stepped back and turned to me.
“Elle, this is my boyfriend Kyle.”
He smiled as he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek, his eyes set deep but sparkling in their sockets. I couldn't help my heart from fluttering at the sight of him.
“Come sit down,” Alice said, taking me by the arm and moving me toward the table, “you can meet the rest.”
Tess had already perched herself near another blazingly good looking young man. He had similar features to Kyle, his hair slightly longer and more ruffled, his eyes a dark shade of green.
“This is Kyle's brother, Zack” she said.
No kidding! They really did look alike.
“And that's Zack's twin, Cade, and his girlfriend, Gem.”
I looked up to see another guy sitting at the back of the table. His hair was different - straight and lighter in tone - but his face was almost identical to Zack's. Clearly he'd made a conscious effort to alter his appearance so that they didn't look so alike. At a glance it made a difference, but their faces could be mirror images of each other when you took a proper look.
I sat down at the table, in between Tess and Alice, not quite knowing what to say. I'd been thrust right into the middle of a social situation that was completely against my instinct to find comfortable.
I could see Tess immediately saddle up close to Zack, pouting her lips and tousling her hair. She was an obvious flirt, I'd noticed that as soon as she met me.
Across the table Cade and Gem were locked in a serious conversation. There seemed to be a tension between them, their body language uncomfortable, their expressions slightly glum. They took little interest in me, or anything else for that matter.
My initial impression of Alice, however, had been way off base. She'd seemed frosty at first, owing, as she'd admitted, to her reluctance to accept a new room-mate. I guess knowing that she had a boyfriend made that even more understandable. Any privacy she might have enjoyed there with him had been stripped away from her just like that.
I'd be pissed off by that too.
She was sweet, though, bringing me into the conversation and making me feel at ease. She kinda acted like an older sister, not that I'd know exactly what they would feel like. All I had was a younger brother.
Kyle was quieter, though, and had this brooding intensity about him. He seemed a bit stand-offish, as if he didn't trust this new person sitting in their group. He spoke little, allowing Alice and I to get to know each other a little bit. Maybe he was just doing that to be nice, seeing as we'd be living together now. Or maybe he was just quiet and didn't say much. I couldn't be sure.
I started feeling the effects of the alcohol after only a couple of drinks. I wasn't much of a heavy drinker, and coupled with my tiredness and the day I'd had, it went straight to my head. Tess seemed to get jolly fairly quickly as well, her eyes rarely far from Zack as the group began to lighten up a bit. I wasn't completely sure her affectionate and flirty looks were reciprocated, though.
“So,” I said to Alice as Kyle turned his attention to Cade and Gem, “what does Kyle study. Is he at college as well?”
She seemed to flinch a little bit at the question.
“Er no, he runs his own business actually.”
“Wow, that's amazing! But he's so young. What sort of business is it?” I could sense my tongue beginning to loosen with the alcohol streaming through my veins.
She seemed to pause, or maybe it was just the drink in my head. “He runs a club, for his father. It's his father's business really. Actually, they all work for him, or they did.” Her words grew heavy, her eyes dropping.
“Oh, you mean...”
She nodded without saying anything.
I didn't push it, didn't want to. I'd only just met her and the rest of them, and it sounded like he'd only died recently. At least, I was pretty sure that's what she meant.
She lifted her eyes back to me and took a sip of wine. “It's still pretty fresh in the memory. I wouldn't mention it.”
I nodded, pursing my lips. Don't want to alienate my new room-mate or her boyfriend and his family the first night at my new college. That wouldn't be a good start.
We carried on talking for a little while, the conversation once again picking up. I could hold my own with anyone after a few drinks, but not before. Now that I had a bit of champagne, some wine, and a cocktail or two inside me, my mouth was rarely closed. I just had to stay on that fine line without tripping over into inappropriateness. It was a precarious tightrope at times.
Thankfully Tess was in the same sort of mood, so we ended up giggling and joking about this and that as the others kept their conversations more reserved. I guess their dad had just died, so that was no real surprise.
My mouth shut tight when I was tapped on the shoulder and introduced to a new entrant, however. I'd had my back turned away from Alice towards Tess when I felt a finger poking at me.
I swivelled in my seat to be greeted by yet another Adonis. No, this guy was even better looking than the rest. Or maybe it was the alcohol.
He had short dark hair, shorter than his brothers, but not shaven like a marine. It suited his face, his jaw square and peppered with black stubble. His eyes were a hazel brown, shining lights in a deep sea, hooded under thin but dark eyebrows. But it was the look on his face that got me above all else. Not his features, but his look.
It was a look of authority, of power. It was a look that said he was not a man to be messed with. It was a look to say he could get whatever he wanted, take whatever he wanted.
His eyes lingered on me for a moment as Alice introduced me, her voice sounding more formal than it had been.
“Elle, this is Crash, he's Kyle's older brother.”
Another brother. How many were there?!
He paid little attention to me, but turned straight to Kyle. It was clear that he was the eldest of the lot. Even if Alice hadn't just told me, that much would have been glaringly obvious.
“Kyle, a word.”
His voice was deep and heavy. It was the sort of voice you'd immediately fall to command to.
Kyle stood and they walked off out of the VIP area together.
I looked at Alice as her eyes followed on as Kyle left. She seemed concerned. I might have just stepped straight into a family drama right here.
A tension hit the group as Alice turned back to me. “Maybe it's best we call it a night Elle. This is a pretty hard time for the guys, I should have realized. I just didn't know that he'd be turning up.”
“Who, Crash?” What kind of name was Crash anyway?!
“Yeah. Kyle s
aid he'd be busy. This place, it's one of the family businesses, so you never know when he'll drop in to check on things.”
Ah, so that explains the side stepping of the bouncers, no questions asked.
“Is there a problem?” It was the sort of probing question I'd rarely ask sober, but was happy to do so when under the influence.
She shook her head. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
She looked over my shoulder at Tess behind me. “Tess, time to go?” She said it like a half question, half command.
I looked at Tess. Her eyes made it clear that she wanted to stay. Probably so she could keep chatting with Zack, although I wasn't sure if she'd get was she was after.
“Tess,” Alice said again, with a bit more authority this time, “I think it's time to go.”
I could see Tess' expression deflate at her words. It looked like Alice was the voice of reason with these two, Tess the party girl who never knew when to stop.
Begrudgingly, Tess was dragged from the table as I followed them out of the bar. I said my goodbyes to the twins and Gem, but they didn't seem overly interested in me. To be fair I hadn't really spoken much to them over the last couple of hours.
As we emerged from the club into the cold night I saw Alice and Tess' gaze pointing down the street. I set my eyes to where they were looking to see Crash bearing down on Kyle. He was taller and more physically imposing, the dominant brother in every way. He had Kyle up against the wall, a furious look on his face. It looked at though they were primed for a fight, Kyle's teeth grinding under his clenched jaw.
I looked at Alice. Her eyes were wide with concern as Crash gesticulated in her direction. It seemed as though they might be arguing over her.
What sort of screwed up family drama had I walked into. I'd only been here a few hours!
Kyle tore himself away from Crash's grip and stormed back down the street towards us, walking straight back into the bar. Alice went after him, with Tess not quite knowing what to do.
I looked up and saw Crash staring at me. There was a fire lit in his eyes, this blaze that was exploding out of him. He looked scary. Like, seriously scary, as though he'd suddenly go berserk and start pounding the wall.
I wilted under his gaze, my eyes dropping to the floor. What was he looking at me for? I had nothing to do with any of this.
And yet, I wanted him to look at me, I wanted to look back at him.
I turned my head up again and locked eyes once more. Screw you. I don't know you. You're not gonna make me turn away.
He reached into his pocket and aggressively pulled out his phone, thrusting it to his ear. His eyes still lingered in my direction, if not fully burning into me as before, as he barked down his cell. In the blink of an eye he thrust it back into his pocket and stormed across the street, giving no shit for the cars blaring down the road.
He stepped into a Hummer - yeah, that suited him perfectly - and boomed off into the night, leaving me wondering exactly what the hell was going on.
“Hell fucking no.”
I turned around to see Tess right behind me.
“Did you just stare down the big dog?” She was kinda shocked, kinda laughing at the same time.
“Er, I suppose so.”
Was Big Dog a nickname, or something she just made up?
“I mean, I've only met him a couple of times, but good job girl! That guy is intense. I mean, these brothers, they're all a bit intense, but him, he's on another level!”
I didn't quite know what to say. I didn't really have a clue who any of these people were. Even Tess. I'd spoken to her, nattered about random gossip, but still, I didn't really know anything about her. I mean, how could I after only a few hours?
Well, my first day here had been nothing if not eventful.
Unlike my last effort at assimilating myself into college life, I'd really made an impression. I just wasn't sure whether it was a good or a bad one.
Chapter 3
Crash
I smashed my hand down on the desk in frustration.
In anger.
In rage.
Yeah, I knew all those emotions well.
“Well what the fuck do you mean there's not enough booze?”
I could hear the voice of my brother, Jude, on the other line. He was the youngest, the most fucking incompetent.
“Crash, the order didn't come in. Some problem at the wholesalers, I don't know, a fire or something. I don't know what to tell you, we're running dry.”
I closed my fist as tight as I could, so tight I thought my fingers with rip through my palms. OK Crash, calm down. Think.
“What are we running low on?”
“Um, a few spirits. Vodka, I think, some whiskeys, not sure we've got much tequila.”
“And beer, wine?”
“Oh no we're good for the rest. It's just a few spirits.”
I thought for a moment. I had a newfound respect for my father, having to deal with all this shit on a day to day basis. I mean, I always respected him, but this just added an extra layer. The amount of work he must have put in to build what he'd built. Amazing.
“OK look, this is what you're gonna do. You're gonna list down every spirit we've got plenty of, and make a new cocktail list for tonight based on those. Offer them cheaper, OK, like a 20% discount. Beers, wines, champagne, all that, same price as always. If people come in wanting a spirit we don't have, offer them a discount on something else. Use your top two inches, all right Jude. Can you do that for me?”
“Sure Crash, I won't let you down.”
“Good lad. I'll see if I can make it down later on, OK, but I'm not counting on it. I've got my own shit to deal with over here.”
“No, that's cool, I'll take care of it. It's all good.”
His optimism didn't really inspire me, but at least he was making an effort. The same couldn't be said of all of my brothers.
I stood up from my desk and walked over to the cabinet where I kept a range of spirits. I quickly saw off a shot of whiskey and stepped towards the window. Well, it was more of a glass wall than a window really, covering the front of my office. Thankfully you could only see through it one way, so no one was ever looking in on me.
I was looking out on them, though. That was my job. One of them at least. My father had entrusted me to manage his casino a few years ago, but now that was only one of my concerns. Since his death I'd taken up the responsibility of overseeing everything, just as he'd done. It was another wish of his, in his will, to see me in charge of all of his interests.
I wasn't going to let him down.
I stepped out of the door and looked down on the balcony from above. The familiar sound of bings and bells and chatter filled the air as hundreds of people sat at machines or tried their luck at live tables.
Fools. They'll never fucking win, not in the long term.
It was the easiest business in the world, like taking candy from a baby. That old mantra - the house always wins - I'd always thought that was bullshit when I watched films like Casino or Ocean's 11 as a kid. Now, though, I knew that it was gospel.
Sure, some people would do well, come in with a strategy, win more often than not. But that's not who I was worried about. They could take their winnings because the rest of the cattle would more than make up for it.
Take from the majority, give to the minority. I was like Robin Hood in reverse.
“Mr Logan, there's a problem at blackjack table 5.”
I looked to my left to see my floor manager, Graham, approach me up the stairs. He took so much heat off my back, more since my father died. Now, he was pretty much running the casino for me when I wasn't around.
“Can you not take care of it yourself?”
He hesitated, as if he wanted my input but didn't want to bother me. People never knew exactly what m
ood I'd be in.
“I can, if you want. I just thought this one might interest you.”
“What is it?”
“A hustle sir, someone gaming the system.”
My eyes narrowed. Fucking hustlers, always trying to cheat their way to riches. They'd come here to try out their scams, taking them through Vegas and Atlantic City once they'd got them down. I loved catching them in the act though. Depending on how much money they'd think they cheated from me, my reaction would range from mellow and disinterested to apoplectic and severe.
“What's the steal so far?”
“Roughly 20 thousand sir.”
“OK, let me take a look.”
I followed my floor manager down the steps and into the main room. The blackjack tables were set up in the center, and the casino was busy tonight. A perfect chance for someone to dupe my dealers.
“The man on table 5 Mr Logan, in the red baseball cap. He's been on a crazy run. It's unnatural.”
“Counting cards?” I asked.
“I don't think so sir. I think he's working with someone.”
I nodded before stepping forward into the crowd. These cheats, they didn't know who I was. I could have been another patron for all they knew, so my sudden presence wasn't alarming to them.
In fact, no one would think that a man of just 27 would be in charge of a casino like this. Little did they know that this was now only one of many businesses under my umbrella.
I could see a good stack of chips accumulating in front of the man at table 5. He was getting plenty of attention from the crowd, but that wasn't unusual, not when someone was on such a winning streak. None of them seemed to be involved, just interested onlookers.
I looked closely at the dealer. He was new, and weak, raising the cards a little too high on occasion when he checked them. I watched on as a pattern emerged. When he raised the cards too high, the man in the cap would bet high, and invariably win. When he was secure with the cards, he'd bet low, and his win/loss ratio would be average.
Clearly, he was working with someone.
I looked along the eye line of the dealers cards. It was rule 1 that you always cover the cards, but this guy was too loose. He'd be sacked by the end of the night.
The Logan Brothers - Books 1-4: (EXPOSURE, CRASH, TWIN PASSIONS, and ADDICTED TO YOU) Page 20