Chapter 3
NASH
Iclipped some dead leaves off the plant. It was a gorgeous purple orchid. I leaned over it, checking the glossy, green leaves and air roots. In a few minutes I needed to head over to the Avernus security office to teach a training course.
The small greenhouse was filled with greenery and pops of vibrant color—red, pink, purple, yellow, white. It was just behind my villa.
When I’d first retired, Bastian had pestered me to find a hobby. He’d told me sleeping all day and drinking too much bourbon wasn’t a good option. I’d been in the military for years. I’d been an assassin.
I had no idea what to do.
Bastian had been busy building the casino, and I’d pitched in with security, but I’d still been edgy, tense. I’d nearly gotten into several fights, and I’d known how easily I could kill some drunken jackass just for annoying me.
When I’d moved into the villa, Bastian had given me a housewarming gift of a potted orchid as a joke. The asshole expected me to kill it in under a week.
But I’d…enjoyed taking care of it. I’d ended up buying a bunch of different colors and types.
And much to my surprise, I was good at growing them.
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, since my father had been a farmer and my mom had loved flowers. It had just been hard to believe that I could go from killing to actually growing living things.
Eventually, I’d built the greenhouse and the rest was history.
I grabbed my watering can and carefully watered several plants.
The air was humid and heavy. The Las Vegas climate was too dry for most of these plants, so that’s why I’d needed the greenhouse.
I’d learned about selective breeding and came up with my own hybrids.
I had people who paid me a fortune for some of them.
It was worth it, even if the guys liked to give me shit about it, occasionally.
Sometimes, I came in here and just sat in the greenhouse in the quiet.
I turned and jolted.
A man was standing silently against the backdrop of my ferns.
“Fuck.” I shook my head. “Make some damn noise and say hello like a normal person.”
“Hello.” His voice was deep, with a raspy edge.
“Asshole.” I grabbed a cloth off the bench and wiped my hands. “I thought you were away.”
“I’m back.”
Alessio Rossi was officially retired. He’d once been the bogeyman of the Italian Mafia in New York. The former mafia enforcer and assassin had killed his way out of the life. That said, he still liked doing some unsanctioned side jobs.
He wore tailored suit pants and a white shirt. The shirt contrasted with his bronze skin and the tattoos on his hands. I knew there was more ink under the cotton. He had dark, fathomless, brown eyes, and he was an intense, scary bastard. He’d given up the mafia life, but he lived by his own code.
One thing I knew about Alessio. He was loyal. To the bone.
He snuck off to do side jobs where he took out the worst of the worst. He especially hated those who preyed on women and children.
“I’m headed over to the casino to teach a close combat and takedown course with the security team.” I paused. “Want to help?”
Alessio nodded.
He didn’t talk much, but I didn’t mind. We got on well, regardless.
I cleaned up and we took the path that snaked through the golf course to the shiny curve of bronze metal and glass that made up the Avernus casino’s main building.
The sun was out but it was cold today. December in Las Vegas usually brought cooler temperatures and some cloudy days.
I bet back in Elk Falls there’d be snow on the ground. Sometimes I missed the snow.
Other villas neatly dotted the surrounding area. My gaze slid over Landon’s, Cole’s and Rafe’s. Alessio’s was tucked away out of sight. Bastian had a huge penthouse at the top of the casino.
“Job went okay?”
Alessio nodded. “Over quickly.” He glanced sideways. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Bastian said there was a problem in the high-rollers suite last night.”
I shrugged. “Three assholes decided to try and rob the high rollers. They brought in 3D-printed guns. We dealt with them.”
“Bastian said you seem to be…off.”
I rolled my eyes. “Damn, that man is like a mother hen. He pokes and pokes. I’m fine.”
Alessio stayed silent. We reached the staff entrance, and I pressed my hand to the scanner. Alessio did the same. The lock beeped and the door opened.
The air inside the casino was cool and it washed over me. I could feel Alessio’s gaze on me and I felt a sudden itch on my neck.
“I’m fine,” I repeated.
Alessio just raised a dark brow.
“Hell.” We stepped into the elevator and I stabbed a button.
We zoomed down to the underground levels of the casino.
The doors opened and I set off down the hall.
“I thought you had to yank out teeth and fingernails to make people talk. Why do I feel like spilling my guts when you’re just standing there saying nothing? ”
Alessio made a sound. “I never yanked teeth. That’s too messy.”
“I am…okay. I work, I grow my flowers. I play poker with you assholes. What more do you want?”
“You’re merely surviving, Nash. We want more than that for you. I get that we’re all…private. We had jobs where we worked alone, but not anymore.” He spread his hands. “For better or worse, we found each other.”
“A fucked-up found family of killers.”
Alessio’s lips quirked. “Yes, but it works for us. It’s our family. And no family is perfect.”
I snorted. “Look, Bastian fucks and works, Landon is a workaholic at the clinic, you sneak off for side jobs, Colt participates in the underground fights. Rafe gallivants around the world collecting art and who knows what else. None of us are the poster child for well-adjusted.”
“You’re ours, whether you like it or not.”
I blew out a breath. “I’m tired, and I don’t fucking know why.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Now I’m late for the class.”
Alessio kept pace beside me. “If you want to talk. I’m here. I also have an excellent bottle of Mitcher’s.”
I glanced at him. “How old?”
“Twenty-five years.”
I whistled. I knew exactly how much that bottle of bourbon was worth.
Alessio shrugged. “It was a gift. For a job.”
I pulled in a breath. “Thanks.”
Moments later, we walked into the security office.
The place was huge and Bastian had spared no expense.
The computer and surveillance systems were top of the line.
Right now, several of the security team sat monitoring the screens.
They showed every angle of the casino. The system had advanced recognition and would alert them to any problems well before the human eye detected them.
When Bastian had first told me he was retiring and building a casino in Las Vegas, I’d thought he was crazy.
He’d been one of the world’s best-known assassins.
Las Vegas seemed like a bad place to hide.
But the first thing he’d done was have subtle facial surgery to alter some key facial components, like the bridge of the nose and cheek contours.
Enough to throw off facial recognition. He’d also had his fingerprints removed.
Combined with creating an entirely new identity, it had meant he could hide in plain sight as Sebastian “Bastian” Thorne.
I’d had the same surgery. We all had. We still looked like ourselves, but we didn’t register on facial rec as our old selves and we left no traceable fingerprints.
Alessio and I passed through to the large gym that was for the security staff’s private use. Bastian had decked it out with the best machines and weights, a boxing ring, a large area covered in mats for training, and a shooting range.
There was a small group waiting for us.
“All right everyone, I’m Nash.” The trainees all straightened.
“My helper today is Alessio.” I jerked my head at my friend.
“We’re going to teach you to quickly neutralize a threat here in the casino.
Containing them as fast as possible is the priority, to limit the chance of anyone else getting hurt. ”
“What if they’re bigger and stronger?” one man asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” I replied.
The young man frowned, his brows drawing together. “What?”
“You’re going to learn the skills that you need to take anyone down. You’re going to train and learn to execute with confidence.”
The man didn’t look convinced.
“What’s your name?”
“Tyler.”
I gestured for him to step forward. We were the same height and pretty evenly matched.
“I’m going to—” I gave him no warning. I attacked and executed a throw. He hit the mats on his back with an oof and I pinned him down with a knee to his chest.
The guy grunted.
I straightened, then held a hand out to help him up.
“You took me by surprise,” Tyler said. “And we’re the same height and weight.”
“True. You have a few pounds on Alessio.”
The young man glanced at my friend, and I could see that he thought he could take Alessio.
Tyler took one step toward the ex-mafia enforcer.
Alessio put him down in under three seconds.
Tyler landed on his knees, arm twisted up behind his back, chest heaving. Alessio looked bored.
The rest of the group whispered and nodded to each other. When Alessio released him, Tyler rose and stretched his shoulders.
“You’re going to teach us that?”
I nodded. “We are. Okay, pair up.”
Maybe peace in my life was elusive, but I had friends. I had this. I didn’t need anything else.