Virtue & Vengeance

by Tabatha Vargo

  Pushing my plate away, I slid off of the stool and made my way to my room so I could change into something appropriate to leave the condo in. Besides, I needed to get my belongings from my locker, and I had a paycheck at the front desk waiting for me.

  I dressed quickly but made sure what I was wearing was something that would catch Zander’s attention. I wanted to make him think twice about his decision and his actions. He needed to feel remorse for his words and long to eat them.

  In the bathroom, I swept my hair up and away from my neck. I put a tiny bit of makeup on my face and applied some perfume I borrowed from Aunt Kennedy on my neck and behind my ears.

  Observing myself, I felt confident about what I saw, but on the inside, I was still brokenhearted. It wasn’t how I envisioned spending the day after losing my virginity.

  The thought angered me, and heat began to build in my stomach until I felt like I was going to explode.

  As I closed the condo door behind me and locked up, I almost felt bad that Zander had no one to warn him what was about to come his way.

  I felt tornadic.

  Ready to whirl into his office and destroy his world the way he had destroyed mine.

  I drove the Oldsmobile to Empire, happy the smell inside was much better since I’d paid to have it cleaned inside and out. The car wasn’t mine, but if I was going to continue to drive it, it needed to smell less like a dumpster.

  As I traveled the short distance to the casino, I thought about what I wanted to say to Zander. I was going to demand he tell me exactly why he ran out on me and why he had turned into a monster.

  I stopped in the middle of the lane and put my blinker on to turn into the parking lot of the casino, my eyes darted back and forth as I waited for my opening, and that’s when I saw him.

  It was only for a quick second while the car pulled away, tires squealing as it tried to beat the oncoming traffic. But I was pretty sure that was him.

  Allen.

  I was positive my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me, but if it was him, how the hell had he found me?

  I sat there staring, the sound of my blinker clicking repetitively. My fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly, and my chest rose and fell rapidly as panic consumed me.

  The car behind me held its horn down, trying to get to me to hurry and turn, and I screamed, jerking so hard with the sound that I smacked my head against the window of the driver’s side door.

  I knew I needed to get out of the middle of the road, but I couldn’t move. Terror filled me to the brim, and it was suffocating me. I was paralyzed at the moment.

  Then a rush of adrenaline raced through me, and without thinking, I pulled into the opposite lane. A few cars swerved to miss me, and their horns blasted into the air, but I didn’t care.

  Honk.

  Scream.

  Curse.

  They could do it all, but nothing scared me more than the thought of Allen walking the streets of Las Vegas looking for me.

  My foot held the gas pedal down as I sped back to the condo. Fear and adrenaline were pushing my body to move. Otherwise, I knew I would be a bumbling heap of nerves who couldn’t speak much less drive.

  I rode the elevator to Kennedy’s condo, and once I was inside, I sprinted to my room, pulling out the large tote bag I’d brought with me from Arizona. Throwing whatever could fit into the bag, I stuffed it and then zipped it closed.

  I moved into the bathroom and swept my arm across the counter, pushing everything that belonged to me into another bag. I did all of this while my heart hammered against my chest.

  Dropping my bags on the floor in the dining room, I pulled out one of the Empire Sevens notepads Kennedy had in a drawer and began to write.

  Tears filled my eyes before spilling down my cheeks as I tried to explain to Aunt Kennedy that my sudden departure had nothing to do with her. She needed to know that I couldn’t be more grateful for everything she had done for me and that I would call her as soon as I got settled to let her know I was okay.

  I left the note on the counter where I knew she would find it, and then I picked up my bags. Before leaving, I took a long look around the room.

  Home.

  A place had never felt more like home in all my life.

  It was breaking my heart to leave. Aunt Kennedy had made the last few weeks of my life the best weeks I had had in a long time. The last thing I wanted to do was leave, but I didn’t have any choice.

  As I rode the elevator back down, all I could think about was getting out of Vegas as fast as I could. I had no idea where I was going, but as far away from the city as I could get was good with me.

  Allen had somehow found me.

  How he had found me, I had no clue, but it didn’t matter.

  I was leaving, and this time when I settled somewhere, I would make sure he would never find me again.

  Ten minutes later, I was filling the car with my things and counting the money I’d saved. It was more than enough to get me where ever I wanted to go, but I was going to need more, and I knew that meant stopping at Empire.

  My paycheck.

  I couldn’t very well leave my hard-earned money behind.

  I parked in the part of the parking garage where employees parked, and I made my way inside. I worried I would run into Zander, which was the last thing in the world I wanted to do.

  Before, I’d hoped I would run into him. I wanted him to see what he had passed over. I wanted to look him in the eye and show him he hadn’t broken me, even if he had. But more than anything, I wanted answers.

  However, the situation was different now. I felt as though I was being chased out of town, which meant I didn’t have the time or the urgency to let him have it anymore. There were more pressing matters.

  Thankfully, I didn’t run into him, and when I made it to the locker room, I was even happier to find it empty. My locker was full since I never cleaned it, so I quickly tossed any trash into the bin and shoved my things into my bag.

  After emptying the locker, I started to leave the room. I had one more stop, which was to get my last check. Then I could leave Vegas and never look back.

  My palms felt sweaty, and the nerves in my stomach began to twist as I stood in front of the door. It was as if I could sense him in the building. I’d been lucky up until that point, but that luck didn’t continue.

  I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to leave Empire Sevens without seeing Zander Hale, and I had been correct.

  Pushing the door to the locker room open, I walked right into Zander.

  Literally.

  My body slammed into his and my bag slipped from my shoulder and fell to the floor. His large hands came up to my shoulders, bracing me and keeping me from falling onto my ass.

  I gasped at his touch, my eyes crashing with his.

  His expression shifted, turning dark as his brows pulled low in anger.

  “Of course,” he muttered, his emerald eyes scanning my face. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t listen.”

  I stepped out of his hold.

  I couldn’t concentrate with his hands on me.

  As long as he was touching me, my synapses seemed to misfire, and all rational thought disappeared.

  I glared at him. “Excuse me?”

  “Maybe you didn’t hear me when I left you, but you’re fired, Eden.”

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I stuck my hip out. My cheeks burned with anger, and I knew my expression matched my rage. I didn’t have time for this, but I surely wasn’t going to make this easy on him.

  “I would’ve quit anyway,” I snapped, making sure he could feel my wrath. “I’m just here for my stuff, but thanks for sending me off with so much attitude, asshole.”

  Part of me wanted to cover my mouth with my palm. I’d never called anyone a name before and I rarely cursed, but the word popped out, and I knew the second it bounced from my tongue it was the perfect word for him.

  His brow lifted and a small sarcastic grin formed on his lips. �
�Did you seriously just call me an asshole?”

  Nerves were getting the best of me, and I began to tap my right foot against the marble floor. He was so intimidating. Even after spending a night in his arms, his body inside of mine, I felt like I needed to run away.

  “So what if I did?”

  “Then I’d say you know me better than most.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  Of course, he would turn my insult into a compliment.

  “Yeah, well, I can you tell you that’s untrue. I don’t know you at all.”

  His jaw ticked letting me know I’d touched a nerve, but his expression stayed neutral.

  “I’d say after last night you know me pretty well.”

  I snorted, the sound extremely unladylike. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  I did.

  I knew exactly what he was talking about.

  I could still hear the sounds he made when he came.

  The growls of longing before the absolute sigh of release.

  Even now, as he glared down at me reminding me of all the reasons I should hate him, my body was responding to the memories of the night before.

  Anger flashed across his expression, the green in his eyes somehow tinting red. “Do you enjoy pissing me off?”

  I stepped away from him, my back meeting the locker room door. “Yes. Yes I do,” I challenged.

  He moved quickly, his body slamming into mine.

  “Why? You know what’s likely to happen if you do.”

  “You’ll never touch me again, Zander.”

  His eyes dropped, his gaze sweeping over my cleavage. “What makes you think I want to touch you again?”

  I don’t know why I did it, but before I could think through the actions, I pressed my hips forward, slamming into him.

  He was hard.

  I could feel the extent of his arousal pressing into my hip.

  A low hiss escaped his thick lips, and I glorified in the capability to arouse him.

  No matter how he acted the night before or what he said, he still wanted me. And the ache that was spreading throughout my core told me I still wanted him, as well, despite what he had done to me.

  “I think that answers that question. Don’t you think?”

  He pressed into me harder, and the locker room door dug into my back.

  “Watch yourself, angel. You’re playing with fire.”

  “Oh please. Fire doesn’t scare me. I already got burned last night.”

  “Is that what you think I did? You think I burned you?”

  “What would you call it?”

  He leaned in closer, his nose skimming my cheek before he captured my earlobe in his teeth and growled. “I call it fucking.”

  Fucking.

  The way he said the word sent a wave of chills over my body.

  He was right.

  I was playing with fire, and the burn felt dangerous yet amazing.

  3

  ZANDER

  SHE FELT LIKE HEAVEN. Just as she felt the night before when I was inside of her.

  She was magnetizing, pulling my body into hers even though my mind screamed for me to stop and control myself.

  But there was no such thing as control where Eden Vaughn was concerned. The addict in me had tasted her ripeness, and he was dying for more.

  One more sample.

  One more hit.

  One more chance to overdose on her.

  “Why do you have to be so vulgar?” she asked, turning away from me.

  She could say what she wanted. I could feel the shiver in her body at my closeness. I could see the tremble of her lips and the dilation in her eyes.

  She wanted me just as badly as I wanted her.

  And knowing that sent shockwaves through my body making my cock stand and salute her.

  “You like it. You’re so fucking innocent, and it turns me on, but last night you were a dirty girl, angel.”

  She wouldn’t look at me, keeping her head turned to the side and away from me. I wanted her eyes on me, caressing my face. It was pissing me off that she wouldn’t give me the satisfaction of looking me in the eye.

  “Look at me, Eden,” I demanded.

  Her jaw tightened. “No.”

  No one ever told me no.

  No one dared to.

  Yet, somehow, when she denied me, it fueled something inside. There was an inferno of some unknown thing blazing inside of me all thanks to her.

  “Why not?” I asked, sure the answer would only toss gasoline on the burn.

  “Because I hate you right now.”

  Hate.

  It was only another passionate thing I wanted her to thrill me with.

  Hate fucking was right up my alley.

  “Why? Because I fucked you?”

  She sighed in aggravation. “Again with that word. No, not because of the sex. It’s because after the sex you acted so cruel. Then you had the audacity to fire me. I gave you something I’ve never given anyone else, and what did you do in return? You took my job away from me. My security.”

  “So you want your job back? Is that what you’re saying?”

  What was I saying?

  Would I give her, her job back?

  Yes.

  Was it a good idea?

  Fuck no!

  But the fact was, I wanted her where I could get to her at all times.

  Fuck the addict in me.

  I was done fighting him when it came to Eden.

  “No. I’m leaving,” she said, leaning forward as if she were about to walk away from me.

  Leaving?

  Over my dead body.

  I frowned, and it was my turn to glare down at her. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m leaving Vegas.”

  “Because I fired you?” I snapped, anger surging through my body.

  She scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself. My leaving has nothing to do with you, Zander.”

  “What about Kennedy? Are you just going to leave her? How do you think that’s going to make her feel?”

  A hint of sorrow flashed in her eyes before she said, “You don’t get to question me or worry about what I’m doing. I’m no longer your employee. Not that I meant anything when I was.”

  It wasn’t happening.

  I would make sure she didn’t make it as far as the interstate if she tried to leave.

  “You’re not leaving.”

  I said it, and I meant it.

  She wasn’t going any fucking where.

  Her hands went to her hips, and she was practically hissing at me. “You’re out of your mind if you think you have any right to tell me what to do.”

  “Unless you have a damn good reason, you’re not leaving until Kennedy returns. Maybe she can talk some sense into that beautiful, but dumb head of yours.”

  Her face paled before turning red. “Asshole,” she hissed. “You’re an asshole, Zander.”

  “I am, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re not leaving.”

  “You’re not going to stop me. You can’t.”

  And then a thought occurred to me.

  Was she running from someone?

  Did she have a reason to run?

  “Does this sudden departure have anything to do with the man that was here looking for you yesterday?”

  She jerked as if I’d hit her and her eyes went wide with fear. “What? What man?”

  She knew who I was talking about. I could see it in her expression and as panic flittered through her gaze. Her body was stiff; her shoulders squared as if she were ready to flee.

  Whoever he was, she was afraid of him.

  “A real shady looking fucker. Filthy. Missing teeth. Sound like anyone you know?”

  Her expression changed as she tried to mask her fear, and a fake smile tilted her sweet lips. “Nope. Doesn’t ring any bells. I appreciate you giving me this job, Zander, but other than that, I want nothing to do with you.”

  Fury struck me deep, and my jaw tig
htened so hard I felt like my jawbone would crack.

  I opened my mouth to tell her precisely what I was thinking, but before the words rolled over my tongue Joey, my second in security, called my name and momentarily distracted me.

  “Mr. Hale, we have a problem at the front desk.”

  I turned toward him. “Can it wait?”

  I was dealing with Eden, and for some reason I didn’t quite understand, the situation felt more important than whatever was going on out front.

  I’d never put anything before Empire, at least nothing except my little sister, and the realization that I was putting Eden ahead of the vital situation out front shocked me.

  “I don’t think so, sir.”

  “Shit,” I said, losing my fingers in my hair. My eyes flittered toward Eden. “We aren’t finished. Go to my office and wait for me.”

  She shook her head, her expression transforming yet again and her eyes filling with a deep sadness. “Goodbye, Zander,” she whispered.

  “I’m serious, angel. Just wait for me there.”

  Her eyes flittered to Joey before returning to me. Then she nodded, nibbling her bottom lip with worry. “Fine. Go. I’ll wait in your office.”

  Only then did I leave her and follow Joey to the front desk.

  It turns out the emergency that required my attention was a young guy dealing drugs in my front lobby. I made sure security had him detained until the police arrived before I quickly made my way to my office to finish my conversation with Eden.

  However, when I pushed my office door open and found it empty, rage exploded through me.

  “Fuck,” I roared, slamming my palm into the door.

  She hadn’t gone to my office and waited as she said she would, and that lit a fire in my chest.

  Pulling out my chair, I snatched the phone from the receiver and dialed a familiar number before I sat down.

  Eden had said she didn’t know the man looking for her, but I hadn’t roamed the streets of Vegas full of liars and crooks my entire life without learning a few essential things.

  No one could lie to me.

  And the angel who had all but ran away had done just that.

  She lied.

  She knew exactly who I was talking about and the fact that she was leaving so suddenly told me she was scared and in danger. Just as my gut had told me earlier, this guy was fucking trouble.