Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Lacey
They say every choice has a cost, and as I stare up at Il Ritorno in all its splendor, its mirrored glass gleaming like temptation itself, I can’t help but feel like I’m about to pay mine.
The reflective glass shimmers like a mirage as I approach, my heels clicking sharply against the pristine walkway leading to the main entrance.
The casino rises before me. Sleek, towering, and unapologetically opulent.
Polished steel curves and mirrored panels catch the afternoon sun, throwing it back in blinding flashes of wealth and power, like the whole place was built to both seduce and intimidate.
Even this early, the entrance is alive with movement. Valets in crisp black uniforms, guests dressed like they just stepped off the runway. A fountain in the shape of a twisting ribbon sprays water in elegant arcs, the cascade catching flecks of light like diamonds.
I swallow hard, taking it all in. It’s hiding the weight of its secrets well.
You can’t even tell that only a few months ago this place was leveled with complete destruction.
It should have been impossible to rebuild.
My heart stutters imagining the hell Zoey went through behind those walls. Yet, here it stands.
But underneath all that shimmer, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m about to make a deal with the devil. The kind of deal that’ll draw a line in the sand between me and Aero. A line I won’t be able to uncross. And yet my feet keep moving forward.
I take a breath, forcing back the nerves and smoothing down the front of my dress but it does nothing to settle the knot curling tighter in my gut.
“Lacey.” I turn at the sound of my name.
Garett Ricci is striding toward me, like the damn building rose up behind him just to make his entrance grander.
I thought he was handsome last night, too polished for the raw chaos of the clubhouse, with a smile that could sell sin to a preacher.
But now? He’s devastating. His navy three-piece suit fits like it was stitched to his DNA.
His shoes are so polished I catch my reflection in them.
Every inch of him screams money, power, control.
When his eyes lock on mine, it’s like a trap being laid. Warm and inviting, sure, but also dangerous in a way that coils heat low in my stomach. No matter how much I don’t want it to.
“Garett,” I say, stopping in front of him, “thank you for making time for me.”
He smiles but doesn’t shake my hand. Instead, he rests his palms lightly on my arms and leans in, brushing a kiss to each cheek like we’ve known each other for years. “I have all the time in the world for you.”
His voice is smooth, and confident. It’s not the kind of tone that asks for approval. It’s the kind that assumes he already has it.
“Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour,” Garett says, his hand resting lightly against the small of my back. I fall into step beside him, letting him guide me through the gleaming entrance.
People part for him like he owns the whole damn world, and their eyes flick to me with curiosity like they're trying to decide if I’m a queen or a trophy.
I subtly shift, putting a little space between us, uneasy with the thought.
I won’t lie, there’s something intoxicating about the attention.
But damn it, I’m not either of those things to him and I don’t want to be.
“You said you might have a job for me.” I keep my voice steady, and professional but inside, I’m cracking at the edges.
Aero’s hands still ghost over my skin like a phantom touch I can’t shake.
The memory of his eyes, cold and distant, like I was invisible presses on my chest like a weight.
I shove the thoughts aside. That’s not why I’m here.
At least that’s what I keep telling myself.
Every step I take, I have to wonder if I’m lying to myself.
“There’s plenty of time to discuss business.” His gaze makes my skin prickle. “Let’s enjoy the view for a minute.”
He doesn’t look through me. His eyes follow every shift of my body, every breath I take, like he’s memorizing the way I move.
The casino opens up around us like a cathedral of indulgence. Marble floors stretch out beneath my feet, veined in silver and cream. Chandeliers drip from the ceilings like icicles, casting a soft golden glow over rows of poker tables and roulette wheels. Every inch screams luxury. Money. Control.
“This is gorgeous,” I admit.
“Thank you,” he says, his eyes gliding over me. “I like to think of it as a transformation. You walk through those doors, and the world outside stops mattering. You get to be someone else entirely.” He turns that smile on me again, slow and deliberate. “Tell me, Lacey, who do you want to be?”
I hesitate for a beat, my feet slowing and no longer keeping pace with his.
“Someone with a job.” I finally answer his odd question.
His smile widens and a chuckle rises from his chest, “So, what changed your mind, Lacey? You seemed rather hesitant last night.”
“Let’s just say, I woke up this morning and realized I needed a change. And you were kind enough to offer me one.”
“And did you change your mind about me?” He studies me for a moment, tilting his head.
I laugh, but it’s tight. “I’m not sure I have.
He doesn’t look offended. If anything, he looks intrigued. “Are you sure about that?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Are you always this forward?”
“Only when I see something worth chasing.”
That shouldn’t make my stomach flutter like it does. I’m not sure I’m ready for anything more.
My eyes shift to the marble floor underneath my feet. I came for a job, a distraction to stop my mind from constantly thinking about Aero but I can’t help but wonder about the possibilities of moving on. Garett’s not Aero. He’s charming and smooth and makes me feel seen.
“Let’s stick to the job for now,” I say.
“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m a man with much to offer but for now we can focus on a job, and see where time takes us.”
I know what he’s offering comes with a price but right now, I need this job more than I need to play it safe. “That sounds reasonable.”
“Now that we have that settled. Follow me.”
I hadn’t even realized we stopped walking. I place one foot in front of the other and follow him deeper into the casino. Keep moving forward, I chant my new mantra in my head.
The casino floor is massive, glittering with lights and noise. I catch glimpses of roulette wheels spinning, cards flipping, dice clattering across felt. There’s a heartbeat to this place. A rhythm that somehow, Garett moves in time with.
“This way,” he says, guiding me toward a private elevator tucked behind a velvet rope. The elevator doors glide open without him pressing a button. Because of course they do. And we’re rising before I can catch my breath.
I glance sideways at him. “You run all this?”
He chuckles low. “The day-to-day operations. My father handles the empire.”
Empire? No wonder he carries himself with such confidence. He really does own the whole world.
The elevator doors open on the executive level. Plush carpet swallows the sound of my heels. Frosted glass panels line the corridor, and at the end sits a sleek black door with a gold nameplate: Garett Ricci, Operations Director.
He opens it and motions me inside. The door shuts with a soft click behind us.
His office is everything the casino is, everything he is. Sharp, sophisticated, expensive.
A massive black desk dominates the room, and behind it, floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of the ocean on one half and the city’s jagged skyline on the other.
Garett moves around to the desk, unbuttons his jacket, and leans back against the edge. “Have a seat.”
I lower myself into the leather chair across from him, crossing one leg over the other, trying not to fidget.
“You want a drink?” he asks, gesturing to a cart stocked full of expensive bottles with names I can’t pronounce on the labels. On the far wall, a massive screen displays every camera feed on the property in real time.
“I’m good.”
He nods and crosses his arms over his chest, locking his eyes on me.
“You know,” he says, his voice smooth, “when you called earlier, I was thinking cocktail waitress. Easy money, good tips, nothing too demanding.”
I nod, trying to keep my posture confident even though my nerves are tightening.
“But then,” he continues, “as luck, or timing would have it” he pauses for a brief moment like he’s choosing his words, “Well, we are now short a dancer in our VIP Lounge and it got me thinking…”
He lets the sentence dangle again. I don’t bite, but I feel my spine straighten.
He smiles, “You are an experienced dancer, are you not?”
I blink, caught off guard. “How do you know that?”
“I do my homework, Lacey.” His voice lowers, “Especially on people I’m interested in.”
There’s a charge in the air, subtle but undeniable. I cross my arms, more for protection than defiance.
“So what, you’re offering me a pole?”
Garett chuckles. “No poles. This is a VIP lounge, not amateur hour. Elevated platforms, curated playlists, custom-designed costumes. Think high-class fantasy, not sleaze.” He tilts his head, eyes scanning me in a way that makes my skin heat.
“And with the way you move, I have no doubt you’d own the room.
The tips alone will make it worth it, but I’ll put you on payroll as well, of course. ”
“What’s the catch?” I ask, quieter now.
“No catch. You need a job. I need someone who knows how to command a room without losing herself in it.” He pushes off the desk and steps closer, but not too close. “I’m offering you the chance to be seen. Really seen. I can give you that and more.”
My throat tightens. Damn him for saying the thing I needed to hear like he’s inside my head.