The Billionaire's Bet Page 5

  Enzo seemed to come back into himself at the mention of my name. His glazed eyes sought me out, lips curling faintly into a drunken smirk that told me his lack of focus was probably more from alcohol than a result of a whack on the head. He straightened and widened his eyes in exaggeration.

  “No sleep. Got it. Though staying awake would be easier if I had something to entertain me.” He winked. “Or someone.”

  I laughed, hoping it didn't sound as awkward as I felt. I couldn't reject him, especially since he was already having such a bad night, but I didn't want to encourage his advances either. He needed to know that I wasn't one of the perks offered.

  “Do you guys want me to turn the TV on?” I asked, glancing around the room for inspiration. “Maybe a little music? I could order up some food if you're hungry. Our important guests are always welcome to place special orders.”

  “There's only one thing I'm hungry for,” Enzo announced, giving me a pointed look.

  Dorian rolled his eyes. “We're fine, but thank you. Ignore the asshole.”

  Since neither brother seemed to be inclined to talk, I began to walk around the suite. I picked up the towels and found a plastic bag to store them in, unsure what the hotel's procedures were for such things. As I continued to pace, I straightened things up, marveling at how much they'd managed in such a short period of time.

  A knock on the door less than fifteen minutes later sent a wave of relief over me.

  Tovi was only two years older than me, but it often seemed like the gap between us was decades. I didn't know much about her, other than she was former military and good at her job. With her short dark hair and intense blue eyes, she was definitely the sort of woman who attracted attention from the opposite sex. In her jeans and camo tank top, she barely looked old enough to drink, let alone be responsible for someone's health.

  As she headed straight over to Enzo, Dorian came over to my side, that hard mask back in place. “Do you think I could have a word in private?”

  I gulped. “Absolutely.”

  8

  Dorian

  It was hard to ignore the sparks that flew between Briana and me as I led her over to one of the massive windows. The city of Las Vegas stretched out before us. The lights of the strip contrasted sharply against the blackness beyond, a yawning darkness of desert and shadow that seemed ready to devour the revelers given the chance.

  But they did little to hold my attention. From the moment she stepped into the room, I struggled to look away. She looked tired, eyes still a little bleary and hair drawn back into a messy bun. She wasn't wearing any makeup, but if anything, that just drew more attention to the perfect proportions of her face. Wide eyes, high cheekbones, and an elegant curving nose with a smattering of freckles along the bridge. She was beautiful, if a little nervous looking, and a part of me wanted to soothe her, but I couldn't let that distract me from the reason I needed to speak with her.

  “Who the hell is that?” I asked, pitching my voice low but not soft. “I was under the impression you'd called a doctor. She looks like she's barely out of high school.”

  Briana glanced nervously to the couch, where Enzo was clearly flirting with the slender brunette. The girl didn't seem to be reciprocating, but he'd never let being ignored keep him from talking. He'd respect a firm no, but subtle hints had never been his thing.

  “She's twenty-six, if you must know, and was an army medic,” Briana offered, squaring her shoulders. “I assure you, she's completely qualified.”

  “Was?” I probed, the tension of the past couple days setting me on edge. “What happened? Did she cut someone's hand off? Who do you have working on my brother?”

  Briana crossed her arms over her chest, her expression hardening. “Soldiers do leave the service, you know.”

  I mirrored her movements, folding my arms too. We were close enough that our arms nearly bumped against each other, but neither one of us stepped back. “When? Under what circumstances? Why is she the person you called?”

  “Tovi is the go-to medical person for Rock Bay. Other than that, I'm not at liberty to discuss her personal life.” Briana's eyes were flashing now.

  I had to admit, she was kinda hot when she was riled, but if I'd gotten distracted by every pretty face, I never would have come as far as I had.

  “I called you because I trusted you'd be able to provide discretion in what I'm sure you can see is a delicate matter. And instead, you bring in some kid who could turn around and sell the story to some tabloid.”

  “Don't be overdramatic.” Briana blinked and slapped a hand over her mouth as soon as she said the last word. “Shit, I'm so sorry. That was totally unprofessional of me.”

  I wanted to laugh at her little slip. I couldn't remember the last time someone other than Enzo had possessed the balls to stand up to me, and coming from her, it was refreshing as hell. If the circumstances had been different, I might have considered breaking my own rules and pursued it. But the current situation had to take precedence which meant it was in everybody's best interests if she kept doing her best to please me.

  Still, I lightened my tone. “You're forgiven, but tell me that this woman hasn't killed anybody.”

  “I can hear you, you know,” Tovi interrupted. “And no, I haven't killed anybody, not even when I was in the service. Anything else you feel like you have a right to know?”

  Her gaze was sharp, and I got the impression that she had a whole lot more going on than she would be willing to reveal.

  “Why did you leave the service?” I felt Briana watching me, but I didn't look at her. I needed to see if Tovi would be a liability.

  The medic kept her eyes on where she was dabbing something onto the wound that made Enzo wince. He was such a wuss.

  “Nothing to do with my ability to do my job.” The words came out clipped. “And as long as neither of you hurt someone, I don't care what happened here.”

  I could live with that. “Carry on then.”

  Briana was chewing her lip when I looked back down at her, her cheeks flushing when she realized I caught her. I was trying to decide how much was an act or if she really was as new to this as she seemed.

  “Do you need anything else?” she asked. She took a deep breath and clarified. “By that, I mean, do the circumstances around Enzo's injury need my attention?”

  She had tact, I'd give her that. I opened my mouth to tell her no when Enzo decided to join the conversation.

  “That broad threw a glass at my head.”

  “Because you were being an ass,” I snapped back. At least he'd called the escort a broad rather than a bitch. I didn't think either woman in the room would take that too kindly.

  “We didn't get to the ass.” Enzo grinned. “That was part of the problem. I even asked nicely.”

  “You are quite the charmer,” Tovi replied, her voice dry. “I can't see why anyone would want to throw a glass at your head.”

  “Me neither.” He gave her a cheeky smile. “Especially since I was willing to pay her double for some double–”

  “Shut up, Enzo.”

  My brother glared at me, but Briana couldn't stifle a smile. Tovi looked like she wasn't sure how to take my brother's comments.

  “He's crude but harmless,” I assured her. The shadow in her eyes made me think that I could guess at least one of the reasons she hadn't stayed enlisted in the army. “He knows how to take no for an answer.”

  Enzo's expression sobered a bit as he gave the medic a closer look. “I didn't try to force her, I swear. She could have just said no.”

  I looked at Briana, hoping she could see Enzo's sincerity. I needed her to know that, no matter our faults, neither Enzo nor I would ever force a woman to have sex. We might use escorts, but even then, we made sure the women knew that they could tell us to stop at any time.

  “Thank you both for coming out here,” I told them. “We appreciate it. I hope I didn't interrupt anything.”

  That last bit wasn't entirely the truth. If
there was anything to interrupt, I sincerely hoped I'd done so. For Briana anyway.

  Despite myself, I was beginning to feel a little possessive of the girl. Perhaps it was because of the bet. Perhaps it was just because I wanted her for myself. Whatever the case, it was troublesome, but hard to shake.

  “No, not at all.” She shook her head, smiling politely. “It's my job to take care of...things for you.”

  “I for one am having a splendid time,” injected Enzo. “In fact, the scenery around here is...quite breathtaking.”

  He was looking at and speaking to Briana, but I suspected his statement was directed at Tovi as well. Typical Enzo. Flirting with everything in a skirt and absolutely shameless about it. Was this how he expected to get Briana into bed? If so, he was going to have to readjust his method dramatically. I didn't think she was the sort of woman who'd go for his usual shtick.

  “All done,” Tovi announced, getting to her feet. “Those will need to be replaced in twenty-four hours at the most. You can have your own physician do it, or Briana can give me a call. You shouldn't need stitches, but you might want to talk to a plastic surgeon if you want to make sure it doesn't leave a scar.”

  As hesitant as I'd been to accept Tovi's help, I could see that she'd done a good job, not only at patching Enzo up but at ignoring his advances.

  “If that's all, we should be going,” said Briana. “I hope you gentlemen enjoy the rest of your stay. Please call if you need anything else.”

  Briana closed the door behind her, leaving the room in silence. For a moment, I wondered what kind of emergency I could concoct to get her back here. And then I reminded myself of the bet and the fact that I needed to keep her as far from Enzo as possible.

  9

  Briana

  I was so late!

  Elroy rarely ever arrived on time, whether it came to picking up or dropping off our daughter, or anything else that he didn't consider a priority, but he'd never been understanding of anyone else's schedule. So the fact that I'd rolled out of bed this morning an hour after my alarm had been unceremoniously tossed to the other side of the room was a problem.

  Tiffany was still fast asleep, of course, so I tried to make as little noise as possible as I hurriedly dressed and grabbed a bottle of water for the road. Then I practically gunned it all the way to Elroy's ratty apartment, driving far more aggressively than was normal for me. My ex and I had a very...tentative relationship, and I generally tried to avoid conflict with him as much as I could.

  I had a feeling it wouldn't work this time.

  He jerked the door open almost immediately after I knocked. “You're late.”

  I bit back my smart response as I stepped inside the apartment. “Sorry about that. I'll make it up to you.”

  “Oh you will, will you?” He gave me a lewd smile as he ran his gaze up and down my body.

  I suppressed a shudder of disgust. Elroy still had the golden blond hair and ash-gray eyes that had made all the girls back home chase him. Well, that and the tall, lean body that had always oozed sex appeal. He'd always been the resident bad boy, with his tattoos and smoking and drinking. I'd fallen for it back then, and it had taken me years to see his true nature.

  “Yes,” I said easily. “The next time someone calls me for a reference for you, I'll lie.”

  “You little b–”

  “Mommy!” Mikala cried out as she ran into the room and flung herself into my arms. “Daddy said you forgot me.”

  “How could I forget you?” I glared at Elroy over our daughter's pale hair but didn't let any of it creep into my voice. “Mommy just had to work late last night, and I slept in. How silly is that?”

  Mikala's tinkling laugh warmed the parts of me that had begun to ice over in Elroy's presence. “That's so silly!”

  “Working late?” Elroy leaned against the doorframe. “Is that what they call it these days?”

  I opened my mouth to say something, then thought better of it when I remembered my daughter’s little ears. As much of a bastard as Elroy was, I couldn't bring myself to say anything like that. Besides, I knew if I called him out on his comments, he could reveal some things about my past that I really didn't want to have to explain to my six-year-old. We had an understanding, and it worked. I wasn't going to fuck with it.

  “Thank you so much for taking her for the extra night,” I forced out through gritted teeth. “I really appreciate it. And I apologize for being late this morning.”

  The asshole smirked. “I look forward to calling in my...favor.” Then he reached out and ruffled Mikala's hair. “Be good for your mommy, pumpkin. She looks like she’s had a rough night.”

  I ignored him as I picked up Mikala's bag and herded her toward the door. She waved over her shoulder even as Elroy shut the door, and I wished – not for the first time – that she had a better father.

  “What are we doing today, Mommy?” she asked as I strapped her into her seat.

  I gave her a big smile. “You and Tiffany are going to hang out today. Mommy has to work.”

  “All day?” Mikala's face fell.

  “Maybe.” A piece of my heart broke off and fell into the I’m a horrible mother abyss. “But I promise that we'll do something fun to make up for it when it's done.”

  “Okay.” She looked out the window as I began to drive, a too-serious expression on her young face. “Can Aunt Tiffany take me swimming at Tempest's house? She asked me to come over.”

  “When did she ask you?” I spotted a gap in the traffic and darted into it.

  “Daddy and I saw Tempest and Jack at the grocery store yesterday.”

  “If Aunt Tiffany calls Mrs. Averill, and they both say it's okay, then you can go.”

  Mikala cheered, her face lighting up. Then she was off chatting about the things she'd done with her dad, and how much fun she was going to have with her friend. I was glad she was happy now, but I couldn't shut off the guilt as easily. It stayed with me through dropping off Mikala at home and the whole way into the casino. Only as I stepped through the doors did I manage to push it aside and focus on my job.

  I hadn't heard anything else from Enzo and Dorian since I left their suite at two-thirty this morning, but Earl had texted me at five, asking me to come see him when I came into work that day. I made a beeline for his office as soon as I got in, hoping that nothing else happened last night that I hadn't been around to fix.

  Nerves jangling, I knocked on Earl's open door and stepped inside. “Hey, Earl, what's up?”

  He was hunched over a pile of paperwork on his desk, as usual. As the manager, he worked tirelessly to make the casino resort the best it could be, which was why being the VP of Customer Relations was a no-holds-barred position. With Earl, it wasn't just that the customer was always right. The customer was downright infallible, practically divine. There was very little we wouldn't do.

  “Hey, sugar, take a seat.” He pointed to the chair opposite his desk. “I wanted to get an update on how things are going with our two high rollers.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. He just wanted an update? I could do an update. I smiled easily.

  “They're all settled into their suite. They're planning on leaving tomorrow afternoon, but I'm confident that they'll be so well taken care of during their stay that they'll automatically come back here in the future.”

  Earl nodded slowly, dark eyes crinkled at the corners with a faint smile. His bald spot shone beneath the dull fluorescents. He'd given up on the combovers a couple years ago.

  “That's great news, honey,” he said. “Keep it up. Whatever you need, you have. You just let me know what you need to get it. Contacts, favors, money. Whatever it is, it's yours. Just make them want to come back here. Whatever it takes. You do that, and the VP job is yours.”

  Hearing him say it explicitly made my heart thrum with excitement. “Thank you. I won't let you down.”

  I turned to leave, ready to clear a few things away in my office and then head out onto the casino floor. Earl li
ked the hostesses to work mostly out on the floor if we weren't dealing with specific guests. We sometimes sat and answered phone calls from the rooms, but he preferred those of us who were good at working with people to be out where we could do our best work.

  And I was definitely good at working people.

  Earl cleared his throat before I left. “Briana.”

  I spun back around. “Yes?”

  He leveled his gaze with mine, making it clear that whatever he said next was going to be important. “I do mean whatever it takes. You understand?”

  My throat went dry, but I nodded. “Yes.”

  “Good.” He waved his hand. “Off you go.”

  I left his office feeling no more relaxed than I had when I first walked in, though it was no longer because I didn't know what was expected of me.

  Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes.

  His words tumbled around in my brain. Was Earl suggesting I sleep with one, or even both, of the brothers to make them happy, repeat clients? And if he was, was it really that big of a deal? After all, that was essentially what I did with Sinclair.

  My stomach churned. I'd been able to justify my relationship with Sinclair. Could I do the same with the Gianelli brothers?

  There was at least one thing I had this time that I hadn't always had.

  A choice.

  10

  Dorian

  One of the great things about Las Vegas was that the days of the week seemed to mean nothing here. The windowless casinos, with their oxygenated air and free-flowing cocktails, promised a sort of refuge from the battering sands of time just outside. It was much preferable to sit amidst the glitz and flashing lights of the casino and wile away the days in relative ignorance than it was to face the music of life. Or at least that's how it'd always been for Enzo.

  He didn't care that it was Monday morning. He wanted to play blackjack, and he wanted to play it big. He was making bets that even the other players at the high rollers table were clearly questioning, and he'd been flirting so heavily with the waitress that I wondered if this would finally be the time he gave up his “hookers only” policy and headed into a full-blown affair.