by Penelope Sky
She couldn’t deny my reasoning. “I guess you’re right…”
My arm hugged her waist as we walked through the casino together. She was in a short dress with a slit up the side. There was a cut in the fabric over her hip, showing her gorgeous bare skin. She wore the diamond necklace her father gave her, but the rest of her diamonds were from me. Her hair was curled and pinned to one side, showing her slender neck and the earrings that hung from her lobe.
She was stunning.
Smoke filled the room, and the sound of the moving chips reached our ears. It was loud enough to be audible above the music. Dancers moved in the cages that hung from the ceiling, most of them in just their thongs.
Carmen stuck tight to my side, moving in a little closer once we were surrounded by the criminals that roamed the streets at night. Thieves, murderers, and gang members were everywhere—but no one would fuck with me. Not just because I was surrounded by men who could kill them in less than a second, but because they would be ejected from the casino. That was the last thing they wanted, lack of access to a place to gamble their killing money. It was the only thing strong enough to bring peace to a group of the most volatile men in the country.
I didn’t look at her when I spoke. “You never have to be scared, Beautiful. You’re just as invincible here as you are anywhere else.” My fingers rested on her bare skin, feeling the warm softness of her flesh.
She turned her face toward mine. “I know.”
At any point in time, my men had eyes trained on me. Every inch of the casino was covered, and there was nowhere I could stand without at least ten men guarding me. I walked to the corner table, moving through the smoke and the low lights to the green table. It was stationed away from everyone else, having a bit of privacy. The other players were already there.
Including The Butcher.
After I gave him my warning, he seemed to have toned down his behavior. There hadn’t been another incident of harassment since. The worst thing he did was stare, and I couldn’t punish him for enjoying the sight of a naked woman. With six scars along his face, he was a grotesque man. Beefy and covered in tattoos, he looked as threatening as he seemed.
I didn’t flinch when I came into his presence.
Carmen did. She moved closer to my side and made sure not to look at him.
The other men were different kinds of criminals, the kind that defrauded the government and lied about stocks. They took money from the exceptionally wealthy and made themselves insanely rich. They looked normal, wearing their suits and ties. The Butcher stood out.
We took our seats.
The dealer stood at the head of the table. “The buy-ins have already been placed.” He nodded to the chips in the center.
I tapped my lap, indicating for Carmen to take a seat.
She hesitated for a moment before she listened. She sat across my thighs and crossed her legs, small in comparison to my large size. Her arm hooked around my neck, and she stayed close to me.
Some of the other men had women at their sides. The Butcher was alone.
We started the game.
“Cigar, sir?” One of my men handed me a fresh one along with a lighter.
I raised my hand and silently dismissed him.
Another man brought two glasses of scotch, remembering that was Carmen’s choice of drink as well.
She stayed still and looked at my hand as I played, keeping up a poker face so she wouldn’t give me away. She rubbed my chest and gave me the affection I liked, soothing me and keeping me calm despite the rising tension at the table.
When I looked at The Butcher, his eyes were always on Carmen. He was hardly paying attention to his cards, more distracted by my woman than the cash on the table.
The whole reason why I brought her with me was so men could be envious of me. Not only was I the richest and most powerful man in that building—but she was the woman I was fucking. No other man could have her—because she was mine.
The game continued as we were dealt more cards, tossed some, and then raised our bets. The bet started at twenty-five million, but we quickly escalated to fifty million. One of the men folded right away, probably because his hand was just too shitty to stand a chance.
The Butcher’s eyes were still on Carmen. He probably looked at his pile of chips before he raised his bet because he was too distracted by her.
Carmen ignored him, her attention only on me.
More of the men folded, leaving The Butcher and me alone in the round.
His stare never ceased. He was only halfway in the game, most of his brain thinking about the woman sitting on my lap.
The moment came to throw down our hands.
I had four aces.
He had two pairs.
The dealer pushed the chips toward me. “Bosco Roth wins the hand.”
Millions of dollars in chips were pushed toward me. The other men didn’t hide their annoyance at the fortune I’d just won. I put in twenty-five million but made three hundred million in profit—within fifteen minutes.
Carmen was still, probably shocked by the transaction that had just happened right in front of her.
Like The Butcher hadn’t just lost a fortune, his eyes were still on Carmen.
I started to get angry, feeling like he’d crossed the line from appreciation to obsession. I turned my gaze on him and stared at him for several heartbeats, the tension rising with my anger.
When he felt the hostility, he turned his gaze on me.
I didn’t say a single word, but I didn’t need to. The threat in my eyes was more than enough. Women were obviously a weakness for him. He couldn’t keep his hands to himself and his dick in his pants—even when they said no. It was one thing to harass a dancer or let his stare linger too long. It was another matter when my woman was involved.
The corner of his mouth rose in a smile before he finally looked away.
I watched him a moment longer, making sure he wouldn’t make the mistake of turning back to her.
He didn’t.
7
Carmen
Bosco was a phenomenal poker player. He won most of his hands, and he always walked away from the table with the biggest winnings. It was all luck, so I didn’t know how he managed to be so good at a game that was unbiased.
It must be that poker face.
If I were home right now, I would be sitting on the couch waiting for him to come home. I wouldn’t be able to sleep until that elevator beeped with his arrival. It had nothing to do with security, knowing I was invincible with him there. There were a dozen men in the lobby who guarded his fortress.
I just missed him.
When we were sitting at the table, there was a terrifying man who didn’t seem to belong there. With six scars across his face, he was hideous. They looked like purposeful cuts he made with a knife, shaving off the skin until he flattened the surface. With a fat nose and a bulky physique, he looked like the devil himself.
I wasn’t too proud to admit he scared me.
If I saw him on the street, I would immediately turn the other way. I didn’t need to know who he was to understand he was lethal. He was a threat to every single person on the planet, especially with that sneer.
He wouldn’t stop staring at me.
He looked at me the entire time, hardly paying attention to the game because I was more fascinating. The only reason I didn’t walk away was because being next to Bosco was the safest place in the world for me.
But I didn’t like it.
Finally, something scared him off because he looked away and never turned back.
Bosco probably did something.
When Bosco was finished with his hands, he handed his chips to one of his men then approached Ronan on the floor, his hand around my waist.
Ronan addressed me before his brother. “Carmen, you look lovely.” Unlike the rest of the men in the casino, he seemed to be a gentleman. He leaned into me and kissed me on the cheek. “And my brother looks a lot better because
you’re with him.” He grinned then turned his gaze on Bosco.
Bosco obviously trusted him because he wouldn’t let another man touch me otherwise. “She makes the casino look better too.”
“No arguments there.” He slid his hands into the pockets of his suit. “So, I hear you cleaned up pretty well.”
Bosco shrugged, remaining humble despite his immense winnings.
Ronan chuckled. “Carmen really does make you better.” His statement seemed to refer to a previous conversation they’d had when they talked about me in private.
Bosco didn’t challenge the statement. “I know she does.” He pulled me closer into his side.
The room smelled like cigars and booze. I was glad I didn’t wear any of my own clothes to the casino because the smell would never come out of the fabric. Bosco was the only one who didn’t smoke. I wasn’t sure why he’d suddenly cut back.
One of Bosco’s men approached him, in a black suit with a visible earpiece. He leaned toward Bosco and spoke quietly so only Bosco could hear.
Bosco nodded then turned to me. “There’s someone I need to speak to. My brother will keep you occupied until I return.” He kissed me on the corner of my mouth before he walked away with the man who approached him.
Most of his men stayed behind with me, discreetly surrounding the two of us. Ronan watched his brother walk away before he turned his gaze on me, his blue eyes the same color but not filled with the same intensity and longing. He stepped closer to me so we could speak easily over the loud noise around us. “Still not a fan?”
“Of what?” I asked.
He nodded to the floor. “All this.”
“It’s impressive, but not for me.”
“I don’t blame you. Women are treated as second-class here, unfortunately. Not you because you’re with Bosco, but that’s the mentality around here. Anytime a woman is in here, she’s usually topless. That’s what the men expect.”
Well, they weren’t going to see me naked anytime soon. “One of the men at the table wouldn’t stop staring at me. I was relieved when the hand was over.”
His eyes narrowed, his gaze turning serious. “The one with the facial scars.”
“Yes.” It looked like that man stuck out like a sore thumb too.
“Don’t worry about him. Bosco would never let anything happen to you. Neither would I.” He gave me an affectionate look. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to my brother. He used to be a robot, but now he acts like a human being again. You’re putting him back together…piece by piece.”
My eyes softened at the sweet words. “He’s a good man.”
“I know he is. But I think he forgot for a while.” He gave me a smile that was friendly. He was far more approachable than his brother, not having the dark intensity that fueled Bosco. “I see the way you look at him. You’re crazy about him.”
I wanted to deny the claim, but I couldn’t. My heart had completely melted for the man. I was weak in the knees and head over heels. This man had made me weaker than anyone else, had affected me more deeply than anyone ever could. I’d never come close to feeling this way about any other man. Not even at all. “We have a connection.” I wasn’t going to put my heart on the line in front of his brother, not when I wouldn’t even tell Bosco how I felt. I was still determined to walk away from this relationship at the end of our arrangement.
He smiled. “Alright, I’ll stop grilling you about it. But in case it wasn’t as obvious to you as it’s been to me…my brother is crazy about you too.”
I already knew that, based on the way he looked at me every single morning, afternoon, and night.
“He told me you own a flower shop.”
I was relieved with the change of subject. “Yes, I’ve been running it for a few years.”
“That’s really cool,” he said. “What made you get into that?”
I shrugged. “I love flowers. I’ve been making arrangements since I was little. My brother and cousin both went to university, but I was never interested in extending my education. I always knew being a florist was what I wanted to do.”
“Not too many women own their own business. That’s awesome.”
“Well…my father helped me a lot.” I couldn’t pretend I did it all on my own. Without his money, it wouldn’t have been possible. He was the one who believed in me and put his money on the table. Now I was paying him back, month by month.
“But you’re the one who handles it every day by yourself?”’
“Yeah.”
“Then that sounds like you’re running the business—he’s not.”
“But he gave me the money.”
“Then he’s an investor,” he said. “Don’t downplay your qualities. You’re one cool chick. I liked you the moment I heard you tell off my brother.”
I grinned. “You would have liked anyone for telling off your brother.”
He smiled but shook his head. “No, I’m loyal to my brother. If someone talks shit to him, I’ve got his back. But you’re a special exception to that—because everything you say is true. You’ve straightened him out. This is the first time I’ve seen him happy in over five years.”
“How do you know he’s happy?”
“That’s easy,” he said. “The guy actually smiles—once in a while.”
Just when I smiled, I spotted a woman in a dark blue dress pass in the background. In sky-high heels and with black hair, she walked across the room like she owned the casino. Covered in diamonds similar to mine, she looked like a beautiful queen. I recognized her right away—Ruby.
Ronan followed my gaze and glanced at her before he turned back to me. “Do you know her?”
“Do you?” I countered, feeling the jealousy spike in my muscles. I hated that slut. Just looking at her pissed me off all over again. She had a prominent cleavage line because her girls were on display for everyone to see. I was certain there was only one man she was trying to attract—mine.
“I see her around.”
“Who is she?” I asked. “A member? A stripper?” She was the only woman on the floor who wasn’t in a cage. She dressed like she had money and power. She didn’t seem to fit into any category.
“Neither,” he said with a chuckle. “She’s a gold digger.”
That sounded about right.
“She likes bedding rich and powerful man in exchange for a luxurious life. She takes her spoils then moves on.”
“So she’s basically a prostitute?”
Ronan shrugged. “I guess, but not quite. She’s pretty selective.” He studied my face, seeing the rage in my eyes. “You really don’t like her, huh?”’
“No. I’m not a big fan of skanks.”
He laughed. “Bosco must have told you about her. You don’t seem like the kind of person to tear down another woman for no reason.”
No, Bosco never had. “I know he slept with her for about a week.”
“It was his longest fling before you, but it was still very short. I wouldn’t look into it too much.”
Easier said than done. “She came to his penthouse and practically threw herself at him.” I kept staring at her, wanting to rip that pretty hair out of her scalp. “Bosco told her he was seeing someone, but she didn’t care. She unzipped her shirt and let her tits pop out. If that’s not slutty, then I don’t know what is.”
Ronan raised an eyebrow. “When did this happen?”
“A few weeks ago…” I probably shouldn’t have said anything since Ronan might mention it to his brother, but I was too angry looking at her to care. If I had to see her down here at the casino, then I wouldn’t be able to keep my cool. Imagining Bosco screwing her again after I was gone filled me with such dread I felt sick to my stomach.
“What did he do?”
“Told her to leave. Said she didn’t have class…like I do.”
“Wow.” Ronan watched her for a moment before he turned back to me. “I guess that doesn’t surprise me. He’s so hung up on you, why would he care abou
t her? Besides, she only wants him for his power. You seemed to want him despite his power.”
That was true.
“So don’t let her bother you. He doesn’t care about her. He only cares about you.”
We came home after two in the morning.
I was exhausted from being up so late. I had to wake up in a few hours, so I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth before I got out of the skintight dress that reeked of cigars.
I got into bed without waiting for him, putting on one of his t-shirts before I slid under the sheets.
He joined me when he was finished with the bathroom. “Did you have a good time?”
I was basically a trophy that he paraded around. My only job was to look good in the dress he bought for me. “I really like your brother.” I lay on my side and faced the other wall, relaxing because his bed was so comfortable.
He spooned me from behind, not smelling like the casino anymore because he’d shed his suit and washed his hands. His face pressed into the back of my hair, and he circled his thick arm around his waist. “I hope you mean that in a friendly way. I would hate to murder my only family member.”
“You already know the answer, Bosco.” My arm rested over his, and all the rage I felt for Ruby faded away when I remembered he was sleeping with me, not her. He could have had her if he wanted her, but he didn’t. “He says a lot of nice things about you.”
“You never lie to me, so don’t start now.”
I playfully bucked against him. “I’m being serious.”
He chuckled against the back of my neck, his lips touching my hair. “He’s a good guy.”
“He said the same about you.”
“What else did he say?”
I considered telling him that Ronan said Bosco was crazy about me, but I decided to keep that to myself. “He asked me about the shop.” I didn’t mention Ruby either, electing to pass on the topic.