2. Theias
2
THEIAS
W atching the violence unfold before me, I bring the cigar to my lips, inhaling deeply before blowing out a ring of smoke, adding to the already hazy arena. I live for nights like this. Blood, booze, and whores galore. The money rolls in the later it gets, and soon, I’ll quadruple the amount I paid to host the fight.
The night wears on, and so does my amusement. I can only enjoy these events for so long anymore. Boredom quickly invades my surroundings, and I get antsy.
I’ve begun to want more.
Almost become desperate for it.
Ever since Nick Gambino stole that girl from beneath my fingertips, I’ve been looking for the same type of relationship. Unfortunately, Nick and Rue made me a promise that has fallen flat with every girl they’ve sent my way.
None of them hold a candle to the strength in the self-assured woman I paid a hefty sum for. Rue hasn’t given up, though, despite me telling her it’s useless.
After my own brother, Adonis, found his Soren, I became more frustrated.
Nearly forty years old and all I have is money and power.
I don’t know how or when it happened, but I’ve begun to want more.
Growing up, I was ambitious, far more so than my father or brother. I wanted more than the California life and territory that has been controlled by my family for generations.
I was young when I came to Las Vegas, my reputation helping me make connections with the right people and earning top dollar for my work as, first, an enforcer for a loan shark. Then, when I had enough capital and power, I bought his clientele as the man retired to Texas.
From loaning money, I moved into the fighting circuit, but legal fights were too soft for my taste. I wanted a blood sport that didn’t come to an end because someone showed weakness. I wanted more. I wanted men to pay me to stop the fights so their fighters didn’t die.
I built an empire off my thirst for blood, and now, I have it all.
But I still feel like something’s missing.
Or someone.
A warm body to bury myself in at night. Someone as committed and obsessed with me as I would be with them. Which is precisely why I won’t settle. I want something specific. A particular lifestyle, and I won’t give that up just for a cum dump.
“We’re done here,” I tell Caleb, stubbing out my cigar and chugging back my thirty-two-year-old Teeling Purple Muscat in a single gulp–an insult to the Irish-aged whiskey at thirty-five hundred dollars a bottle. But I’m too frustrated to care.
“You alright, man?” my oldest friend and second-in-command asks as I get up, dismissing the fight I sponsored below.
“Something’s off…” I mutter.
“I’ll get security on it.” I shake my head before he’s done speaking. “No?” Caleb has always been good at reading me. Mostly because I’m a heartless bastard, and it’s easy to discern my desires.
This time, he can’t.
“Not here. Not tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow.” He nods, but I can see he’s still confused.
Taking the private elevator to the bottom floor of Lorde Arena–something else I built on a whim but is now my largest income source. An event center for a myriad of entertainment. Sports, concerts, fights. You name it, we host it.
As soon as my private door opens into the parking garage, Owen, my driver, is waiting with the back door of my personal limo ajar.
“Sir.” He nods in subservience as I roll my eyes. The man likes to get on my nerves.
“Home, Owen,” I say once he’s behind the wheel.
His brows pique because I planned to spend the night in my hotel, but he doesn’t question me. “You got it.”
I raise the privacy partition as he begins to drive. It’s an hour to my house, so I scroll through emails and messages.
One from Rue catches my eye, and I curse as I read what she’s said.
Rue: I know you said no more but Soren and I have a friend. She’s perfect.
Several hours later, there’s another one.
Rue: Don’t be angry with me.
More…
Rue: Promise to give her a chance.
Nick: Stop ignoring my fucking wife.
I chuckle at his anger. The man is always pissed off unless he’s between his sweet wife’s legs. His obsession was startling at first.
Rue: I swear she’s the last girl I’ll send, just give her a real chance.
I finally type out an answer.
Me: She’s got forty-eight hours.
Two days is long enough to say I tried while avoiding someone who will only say what she thinks I want to hear so she can get her greedy hands on my fucking money. I don’t have time for that kind of bullshit.
All the girls Rue sent my way have been one of two things: gold diggers or lacking a backbone.
While I want a submissive woman, I want one who’s able to stand up for what she wants and not take my shitty fucking attitude all the time. Money means nothing to me, so the gold diggers didn’t bother me, but they weren’t putting in the effort to give me what I wanted, so they lasted less than a week.
Rue: She might need more time than that.
Fuck me.
Me: Did you send me a fucking project, Rue?
Nick: Don’t fucking swear at her.
Me: Fuck off.
Rue: Please, Theias, just give her a real chance. She won’t open up until she trusts you and you’ll have to work for that. I swear, Ella is worth every ounce of effort.
Fuck. Rue has never fought for or spoken about the other girls like this. Of course, I’m going to give in.
Me: All right, fine. One month. Sorry for swearing.
Rue: Thank you! You won’t regret this, I swear!
We’ll see about that.
Leaning my head back, I close my eyes until we arrive at the mansion I purchased a decade ago. I spent four years renovating it and then waiting for the perfect woman to gift it to. If Rue is correct, then this Ella girl could be her, though I doubt it. I’m too old to trust in the word of a hormonal woman who just gave birth a few months ago.
The cool desert breeze invigorates me as Owen opens my door and waits for me to step out. He doesn’t push me to move faster than I’m ready to, but I sense his impatience as I take my sweet fucking time.
Stepping into the night, the moon is bright, the sky clear, and out here, I can see the millions of stars in the sky as coyotes howl in the distance. There’s a peace that always settles inside me on nights like this.
Moving up the steps to the house, Lucas opens the door before I reach for the handle. “We’ll be having a guest soon, Luke. Can you ensure one of the east wing rooms is prepared in the morning?”
“Uh…” There’s a subtle tone in his hesitation.
I glance at his face, and it’s apparent that he wants to say something but is unsure of my mood right now. “What?” I snap.
“She’s already arrived.” His eyes shift to the back of the house, where I can now hear the distinct thumping of bass from some Taylor Swift song.
“Fucking hell,” I curse. “I’m going to bed.”
I’m not in the mood to deal with her tonight. I won’t force politeness when all I want is to crash for the next twelve hours before dealing with business in the morning.
“Good night, sir.” Lucas sounds puzzled, but I don’t have it in me to explain.
“Caleb will be here early. Make sure breakfast is made.” I slam my door shut before hearing his response.
A hot shower and my bed are the only things on my mind tonight. I’ll deal with everything else in the morning.
Including the woman invading my pool tonight.