Page 8 of His Lair
Being spotted with her in public puts her at risk. People saw us together last night. If I were to take her out for a second night in a row, everyone would know she’s not just a friend. Which makes her a target. I could put men on her, but that would probably scare her off even faster.
I’ve never dated before. I’ve never wanted to. But with Lailani, it’s different. I don’t just want to fuck her. I want to keep her. Which is the exact reason I’ve stayed away from her for so fucking long. She scares the shit out of me. That, and there’s thewhole what I do for a living thing that I have a feeling she will not be okay with.
Like right now, for example, I have two fucking assholes in the basement of the Wild Card. Each tied to a chair with their mouths duct-taped closed because I got over hearing their screams. The door opens, and Louie and Carlo walk in.
“Did you stop for a dinner date or something?” I ask them. I’ve been waiting for an hour for their asses to turn up.
“I had other things to do,” Louie responds.
“How is Charlotte?” I smirk at him.
Carlo glances between us. “Who is Charlotte?”
“Louie’s girlfriend. He took her up to the pool last night and got all worked up that I saw her in her underwear,” I explain.
“Fuck off. She is not my girlfriend,” Louie grunts, a stupid smile appearing on his face when he adds, “Yet.”
“Is he having a stroke?” Carlo looks to me.
“Probably.” I scan Louie from head to toe before nodding towards the fuckers in the chairs. “What are we doing with these two?”
“What’d they do?” Louie asks me.
“Counting cards,” I tell him. No one cheats in our casino and walks away scot-free.
Louie closes the distance and the two guys physically shake with fear. I’ve already worked them over, their faces bruised and cut. Louie positions himself behind the chairs and throws me the peace sign, indicating that he wants two of their fingers.
With a nod, I walk over to the table and grab the reciprocating saw. As I approach the first asshole, his eyes widen and he shakes his head back and forth.
“Hold him down,” I call out over a shoulder as I wait for Carlo to press the guy’s hand flat against the armrest.
While I start cutting through the flesh, Louie reaches around and removes the tape from the guy’s mouth. His screams echo off the walls of the empty room.
“I love the sound of pain.” Carlo sighs. “Think you can scream louder?” he asks the guy as I start on the second digit.
It’s always worse for the other guy, the one who has to sit there and watch, knowing what’s coming for him next. He’s got time to build up fear and anxiety before we get to him.
I pluck the two fingers from the floor and sit them on the guy’s lap. “I think you dropped these.” I smile at him and then walk over to his friend. I know for a fact that these two jerks, along with everyone they know, will never try to cheat our casino again.
“Got plans tonight?” Carlo asks when we’re all cleaned up and finally walking out of the basement.
“I do,” I tell him.
“Who? Or what?” he presses.
“When did you become my mother?” I counter.
“It’s called being a friend, asshole. Forget I asked.” He shakes his head. “Louie, you and me and a bottle of whiskey.”
“Can’t. Got plans,” Louie says.
“Charlotte,” Carlo and I say at the same time before Carlo adds, “I want to meet this Charlotte.”
Louie doesn’t respond. He just keeps walking away.
I head to the elevators. I need to shower and get ready for this date.What the fuck do you do on a date?
Shit, I probably should have put more thought into this.
