casino and just think. And right now I need a moment to do just that.
I punch in my passcode at the door and slip inside, welcoming the silence. The plush dark carpet under my feet is quiet compared to the marbled floors outside. A massive mahogany desk serves as the office's centerpiece. I run my hand over the polished dark-red wood now, admiring the glossy sheen. This is one of my prized possessions, inherited from my mentor, Jack Benson. He’s the reason I even got into the casino business in the first place. But now he’s among the ghosts of my past.
Sitting down in the giant, black leather chair, I kick my feet up on the desk and lean back, thoughtful. After years of living in Vegas, it takes a lot to shock me. The jolt I felt when Lilly revealed she’d been a virgin before I’d taken her was the biggest shock I’d felt in I don’t know how long. Why didn’t she tell me before? Well, she already gave me her answer. I’d asked her to keep quiet. Why had she even agreed to the deal? Clearly, love for her crazy sister was one factor. But that wasn’t all. Not by a long shot.
I think of how she bit down on that leather strap last night, looking right in my face as she did, and of how she pulled me closer with her slim legs gripping my waist. Behind her shy and retreating demeanor, there is something bold and wild. She’s stronger than she seems at first. When I saw her trying to stave off that drunken buffoon yesterday, she seemed totally helpless. But she’s not. She’s a young woman who wants to be taken in hand—by the right man.
My cock gets hard at the thought and I shift uncomfortably in my chair, bringing my feet abruptly down to the floor. A sharp knock at the door calls me back to earth. It must be Terry. Without hesitating, I reach for the button under my desk and push it to let him in. He appears with a stack of folders in hand, waiting hesitantly at the door for my confirmation that he can enter.
“Sir?”
“Come on in, Terry.”
“Time to go through yesterday’s reports?”
“You got it. Take a seat.”
He settles into the chair opposite me and slides the heavy stack of paperwork across the desk.
“Anything out of the ordinary?”
“No, sir. We had to 86 one other customer last night, aside from the one you handled yourself.”
“What was the issue?”
“He got pretty drunk and belligerent with one of our dealers.”
“Can’t have that.” I furrow my brow as I scan the sheet in front of me. It provides an overview of how much money moved through the casino last night, broken down into sections. The slots. The floor. Roulette. Black jack. Poker…
“Nothing else of note to report?” I flip through the stack of papers to the slim black folder at the bottom. It contains a report of what happened in the back rooms. Alongside the financials are brief shorthand notes about who attended and how much credit they went in for. There are even notes on what they drank and how much they drank, so we can prepare for next time. These are the VIPs. Again, knowledge is power when you run a casino. The more I know, the better I can manage this business. And to me, gambling is a business.
“No sir. Your private poker game was the biggest news of the night, if I’m going to be honest.”
I give Terry a sharp look but he’s careful to keep his face impassive. A consummate professional.
“Yes, well. It was an unexpected turn of events.” I drop the folders down my desk.
“She seems like a nice girl,” Terry says.
“She’ll be fine. Seems docile enough. But go ahead and make sure every member of security has a copy of her photo on file. She’s not supposed to leave the premises, unless it’s with my express say-so.”
“Of course.” He nods as he makes a quick note on his phone.
“And I want a strict all-eyes lookout for her sister too. I don’t think the girl… Lilly…” I pause over her name. “Lilly won’t try to renege on the deal. But the twin, Deanna, may well try to run some half-baked scheme.”
“Very possible.” Terry nods. He’s knows how to read people—a good judge of character. “What about the twin’s friends? They had a small group with them yesterday.”
“Sure. Might as well cover all the bases.” I doubt