Page 1 of Big Beefy Kingpin

Chapter One

Ivy

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Unless you go back there, when you know you absolutely shouldn’t.

If someone had told me a few weeks ago that I would willingly return to the one place I’d sworn to avoid, I would have called them crazy. I really must be out of my goddamned mind to come back here after everything I did to get away.

See, five years ago, when I escaped from Las Vegas and left my crime family behind with nothing but the clothes on my back, I swore to never return—even if it was the only place that would be safe from a catastrophic event.

When my father died suddenly, I saw my one chance to flee. I had been hoping to find a way out of the Irish mob, but when you’re born into the mob the only way out is death. So, when I saw my chance at freedom, I ran as far away as I could, got a new identity, started a new life, and became a completely different person.

I made it all the way to New York, and although I never managed to become a doctor, as I had always dreamed of, I work as a nurse’s aide and I have made the most amazing friends. The best part is that my family didn’t force me to marry, just to strengthen their criminal ties.

If my family realizes I am back in Vegas they will imprison me until they can marry me off to the leader of the Mexican Cartel. This is so dangerous and yet…

Here I am, and it didn’t even take an apocalypse to bring me back.

No, all it took was for my recently engaged best friend to suggest we head to Vegas for a typical bachelorette party. Out of all the cities she could have picked, Scarlett chose the one place I’d sworn never to return to.

What are the fucking chances!

I mean, I could have told the truth and explained to Scarlett that Vegas held a past I would rather not face. Knowing my best friend, she would have canceled the trip; but I didn’t want to ruin this for her.

I decided to conceal my fears and the truth behind my past. So, now, here I am, sweating like a sinner in church, dressed in a very short black dress that is not doing a good job of making me easily overlooked.

“Scar, this dress is borderline pornographic.” I point out for the tenth time since leaving the hotel. I have to yell the words into her ear as the other girls in the limo with us are screaming their lungs out to an off-key version of the spice girls’, Wannabe.

My outfit is the least of my problems right now, but it’s one I don’t mind focusing on.

“What are you talking about?” Scarlett yells back, her eyes swimming with mirth when she turns to me. “You look sexy as hell. You’re all long legs and killer cleavage.”

“Sexy?” my eyes widen in horror. “Scar, we are going to a strip club, I don’t want to show too much skin someone might mistake me for astripper…”

My voice trails off when I notice the way she avoids meeting my gaze. My eyes narrow and I grab her hand to draw her attention back to me.

“Scarlett,” I whisper. “We are going to a strip club, right?”

“Well, not exactly…”

Oh God!

My heart stops and with it, all of the motor functions in my body. A chill runs down my spine and goosebumps erupt all over my skin as her words slowly register. Coming to Vegas, the plan was for us to visit strip clubs and a few other nightclubs in the city.

The Irish Mob, which is run by my family, operates a lot of businesses in the city but they never ventured into strip clubs. My uncle, the leader of the mob, always said that strip clubs were more trouble than they were worth, and coming into the city, part of me was counting on him remaining true to those sentiments.

“Scar, we’re still going to the strip club, right?” I ask again, my voice shaky and eyes pleading for her to tell me that nothing has changed, but she doesn’t dare meet my gaze.

Panic claws up my throat and robs me of my ability to breathe with every second she remains silent and it’s not until someone speaks up that I manage to inhale.

“Ladies, we’re here,” Quinn, Scarlett’s cousin—the person who organized this entire trip—yells, and it’s then that I notice we’ve stopped.

I let go of Scar’s hand and turn to the window, planting my face against the foggy glass and staring in horror at the bright shimmering lights at the entrance of the enormous building.

Oh, No!

“It’s okay, Ivy,” Scarlett says, grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the limo behind her. “I know it’s not the strip club we discussed, but this is even better, I promise. Imagine all the fun waiting for us.”

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