Unspoken Betrayal (Casino King)

1. Vitorio

Drago dóro Casino is throbbing with thick, pulsating energy tonight. The loud, energetic sound of crowds of people thrum in the air as I make my way through the masses of guests towards the bar. I lean on the marble counter, inlaid and edged with gold.

"Whisky, make it a double, on the rocks." I say to the bartender.

"Yes sir." He says and quickly moves away to arrange my drink. I lean my back against the bar and observe the room. Everyone who knows anyone is here tonight. The guest list is packed with VIP names and the room is swarming with media, hoping to get the best shot of the biggest celebrity.

Beneath the opulent, golden dragon chandelier that hangs from the ceiling high above me, glittering in rich warm light, women and men laugh, talk, and drink ridiculously expensive champagne. Every woman in here is dressed with a single goal in mind-- attention. Their tight-fitting, body-shaping choices for this evening's party have men swarming and fighting for a chance with them. My eyes drift across the scene in a relaxed manner. This is all normal to me.

None of them are drawing my attention. I am so accustomed to this because my family has owned Drago dóro Casino for generations. I've been running it for years, so it has become the norm in my daily life to see people flashing their most extravagant side. It is almost monotonous to see so many beautiful women every night.

The bartender slides my drink towards me and nods politely.

"Thank you," I say, lifting the glass. I sip the cold, golden liquid and feel it flowing down my throat in a smooth, refreshing burn. Tonight is one of the biggest poker events we host all year. We start organizing it months in advance, and as soon as it goes on sale, it immediately sells out.

People travel from far to attend; some are here to play while others are here just to be able to say they were here to see it all go down.

The room has an air of superiority and clashing egos, but also an incredible, energetic vibe. I grin, watching people parade themselves around, in lavish jewelry and custom suits and heels high enough to break ankles. I laugh to myself, at the overindulgence of it all.

Then my eyes fall upon the most stunning woman I have ever seen in my life.

My breath catches in my throat and my eyes narrow in her direction.

Who is she? I have never seen her before, yet she is walking through the room with such grace and poise it looks like she owns the place. I make a point of knowing who visits my casino, but this particular woman is a mystery to me.

She must have just arrived, because I feel as though I would have noticed her right away if she had been here earlier. Her long emerald dress hugs her body, accentuating each curve of her perfectly created figure. The silken fabric flows over her hips and floats around her like the ocean caressing the shoreline. Her long blonde hair is braided over one shoulder, leaving her other shoulder bare, and my eyes are free to take in her smooth, creamy skin.

She moves with confidence as she walks through the people and stops to talk to some of them. I lean against the bar, watching her interact with other guests. My curiosity about her starts to grow. I down the rest of my drink and push off the bar to wander through the crowd towards her. Her laughter carries lightly through the air, like soft music, pulling me in.

The closer I get the more stunning she becomes, if that is even possible. Her long dark lashes and plump gloss-tinted lips are enticing to look at. For a second, our eyes meet and then she looks away, continuing her conversation with the man standing in front of her.

I have to introduce myself to her; I have to know who she is.

"Vitorio, what a great event." One of the casino's regulars reaches out and touches my arm to get my attention.

"Danero, it's good to see you here. Of course, I knew you wouldn't miss it. Are you playing tonight or just watching?" I face him, smiling.

"I don't play much poker anymore, but I had to come and see the game for myself. I think it's going to be an exciting one. I saw the list of people who have signed up for it. Some big names. Good players."

I always have time for my guests, but right now, all I want to do is introduce myself to that woman. My eyes keep drifting to the side so that I can watch her. Her back is turned to me, and the low cut of her dress has me appreciating the way her spine curves delicately all the way down to the dimples above her ass cheeks.

Then I freeze.

My brother is walking through the crowd directly towards her, and my stomach tightens in annoyance. Luca and I have never really gotten along and I don't want him to get to her first. He is a good-looking guy, and women easily fall for his charm and piercing eyes, but as far as personality goes - he is lacking. He uses women and tosses them aside when he is done. I have never agreed with his tactics, or the string of empty, shallow relationships he parades around the casino.

He steps closer to her and I practically snarl. Immediately I can tell that they already know each other. He slips his arm around her waist and pulls her beautiful body against his.

"Vitorio?" Danero says, and I realize I have not been listening at all.

"Sorry, my word, I am so distracted this evening. What were you saying?"

"Oh, that's alright. I was just asking if you were playing tonight?" He asks his question again.

"I am not sure yet. I wasn't planning on it, but you never know how the night will go. Sorry Danero, I have to excuse myself. We can catch up soon over a drink. Have a really good evening."

"Of course, go, duty calls." He smiles and I turn back towards Luca and the mysterious woman at his side.

Seeing her pressed against him like that has my skin burning with jealousy, but it's not difficult to notice how uncomfortable she looks, as though she is not in the least interested in him but is being forced to be polite for some reason. Why would she be with him? I've seen the kind of girls he's usually with, and she is way out of his league. She keeps her face turned slightly away from him and pays more attention to the people they are talking to than to Luca.

I walk right to them, smiling down at her.

"Hello, Luca," I say, as she looks up at me. Luca looks surprised for a second, and then annoyed. The mystery woman's eyes drift over me, and mine drift over her.

Fuck me. She is basically perfect in every single way. I wonder what she looks like underneath that beautiful dress. I clear my throat, trying to push away the thoughts that are flooding my mind. I usually have more self-control than that.

"Vitorio," Luca mutters, sounding unimpressed. "Did you need something?"

"Actually, I wanted you to introduce me to your date?" I emphasize the word date, as though it is a question.

My eyes don't leave her, not even when I speak to Luca. A slight smile touches the corner of her lips and she blinks slowly, seductively, watching my expression of fascination.

Luca makes no move to introduce us, so I reach my hand out towards her. She elegantly places her hand in mine. "I'm Vitorio, Luca's brother. And you are?"

"Nicki. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her voice is smooth, like buttercream. Sweet and tempting.

"I haven't seen you around here before, Nicki. Did you come tonight just for the poker game? Do you live in the area?"

"She is here with me, Vito." Luca interrupts, not liking the way I have purposefully left him out of the conversation.

"I see that; where did you meet?"

"We met a while ago." He responds curtly, clearly trying to cut the interaction short.

Annoyance flares in me. If they met a while ago, why hasn't he introduced me before?

I guess I might assume he wanted to keep her for himself, and for that, I can't blame him. She is so uniquely beautiful. I would also want to hide her from the eyes of other men.

"I didn't know Luca had a new love interest," I speak directly to her, not for any reason other than being unable to take my eyes off her.

"Business. It is a business relationship." She corrects me.

"I see." My grin grows wider.

I steal a glance at my brother's face, as he fumes with rage at my interference.

What kind of business would he have with someone as beautiful as this?

Luca's hand moves over her waist, caressing her in ways that don't look very business-like to me. His hand drifts onto her hip, and he pulls her closer to his body again as she manages to drift away from him during our conversation. A tightness falls across her soft lips, as she tries to maintain her composure.

I can see his possessive streak kicking in, wanting to let me know that she belongs to him, and for some reason it makes me want to save her from his grasp.

Even though her hip is being held tightly against him, her body is still leaning away from Luca. She is not enjoying his touch. The dark expression in her hazel eyes suggests she is annoyed.

I suppress the urge to comment on what I've noticed and to ask my brother to give her some space. I need to first find out what is going on between them. And she looks like she can handle herself pretty well.

My brother and I are already not that close. In fact, growing up with him, everything has always been a competition. It started when we were kids. Who could run the fastest… or jump the highest… and as we got older it turned into a deeply complicated rivalry which can often turn nasty.

I don't agree with a lot of the things my brother does, and he hates that when our father passed away, he left the majority of the family businesses to me.

"If you will excuse me, I just want to get a drink," Nicki says unwrapping Luca's arm from her body. Luca reluctantly lets go of her, and she makes her way towards the bar.

"Who is she?" I ask, as soon as she is out of earshot.

"A business opportunity." He snaps.

"What kind of business?" I push, even though I can see he doesn't want to answer me.

"Why are you so interested? Don't you have things to tend to for tonight's event?"

"Actually, everything is going smoothly, and I am just here to enjoy the party."

Luca huffs and his shoulders look tense as he stares me down. "Stay away from her, Vitorio. She is none of your business, do you understand me?"

"If she is a guest at my casino, then she is definitely my business." I chuckle darkly.

His eyes flare.

I want her. I want Nicki, and Luca is not going to be able to stop me from trying.

The tension in the air between Luca and me thickens. What is he hiding?

"What are you up to brother?" I ask.

"Like I said, it is none of your business."

Nicki returns with a martini, two green olives, and a guarded look on her face. Immediately Luca steps towards her and wraps his arm around her waist again and she practically rolls her eyes. I watch as she takes a slow breath, regaining her composure, and then sips her martini, pretending not to notice the way Luca's hands are drifting over her back and across her ass.

My jaw clenches. Whatever is going on - I don't like it. No woman should be forced into a situation they are not comfortable with. Nicki doesn't deserve this. I need to do something to help her.

Luca must have some hold over her, otherwise, why would she put herself through this.

"Come. Let's go and mingle with more interesting company." Luca snarls, throwing me an angry glare as he pulls Nicki to follow him.

Nicki pauses and turns to face me. "Vitorio, I hope I see you around later tonight. It was nice to meet you."

Her words could mean nothing at all, perhaps she was just being polite. But instantly I want them to mean that she genuinely wants to see me again. I grin. "You too Nicki. I will be around; let's have a drink later."

Luca tugs at her and pulls her into the crowd. I don't miss the flash of annoyance in her eyes. But then she quickly replaces it with a wide smile, and a friendly relaxed posture as Luca introduces her to one of the players who is taking part in tonight's poker game.

I turn back into the crowd, to mingle with my guests, but my mind is distracted and confused. I have to find out who Nicki is. I need to know where she came from, and what my brother is doing with her. Something is going on here, something that suggests he has a hidden agenda and I want to know if she is aware of what she has gotten herself into with my brother.

He doesn't treat women properly, and I can't fight the uncontrollable urge I have to rescue her from his grasp.