Chapter 3
Chapter three
“Do you think you could try to look happy about this?” Caleb says to me as we make our way through the casino.
“I know that’s outside of your comfort zone, but we did just find out the High Rollers accepted our proposal.
” Caleb lands a hand on my shoulder and squeezes before shaking me back and forth, loosening the emotional noose. “This is something to celebrate.”
After our meeting with the four friends yesterday, we weren’t sure where we stood. They gave nothing away, leaving me in a frustrated and sour mood for the rest of the afternoon.
Later in the evening, Jackson called Caleb and invited us out to dinner at one of the restaurants in the casino.
We spoke more about our personal lives than the business, which is generally off limits for me.
I don’t like talking about my past or opening myself up to judgement and speculation.
Thankfully, the High Rollers love to talk about themselves and their accolades, the ones they can publicly talk about at least, which was fine until Romeo started flirting with my sister and Isabelle.
Beth gives as good as she gets on the outside, but on the inside, she’s scrutinising every word.
I was kicking myself for not sitting next to Isabelle.
Even if her perfume was hypnotising to my self-control, I could tell she wasn’t as well-practised as my sister in the presence of confident men.
A mystery in itself. She’s absolutely stunning.
Like an angel, glowing every time a smile broke out on her face.
When Jackson called again today, he told Caleb they accepted our proposal and insisted we join them in the VIP lounge of one of their clubs to celebrate.
I don’t really drink, apart from the occasional beers at family dinner.
But I never drink to get drunk. I can’t be in a place where I don’t have control again. I need to be able to keep people safe.
That’s part of the reason I always stay at my bar until we close.
To make sure everyone gets home safely. I employ extra guys at the door to walk people to taxis and rideshares.
I’ve left my bar in the hands of my youngest brother, Mason, and one of my best bartenders, Keeley, while I’m here for the weekend.
I trust them to look after the place like I would. To a certain degree.
We navigate through the casino until we reach a set of tall doors upholstered in dark grey velvet. Diamond tufting and gold handles add to the opulent design, and in white neon font, fixed to the front, it says Beginner’s Luck.
Two men behind a podium are stationed next to the doors. With his usual confidence, my brother struts right up to them.
“Caleb Heart. We’re here to see Jackson King.”
The men, with absolutely no fanfare, type against the screen in front of them. With a nod of the first guy’s head, the other one moves to open the doors.
Caleb smiles back at us before leading us in. When the doors close behind us, we’re plunged into near darkness. A soft beat carries through the hallway, lit up by gold lanterns mounted on the velvet upholstered walls.
“Do they expect many people to be bashing their heads against the wall in this place or something?” I grumble as we follow Caleb’s lead.
A small chuckle erupts a few steps in front of me, halting the storm and inviting calm for just a moment as the sound penetrates my bloodstream. I close my eyes and welcome the distraction, sweet citrus washing over me like a balm, before I shake it off and command the control back.
The hallway twists and turns for an unnecessary amount of time, considering we already walked through the front doors, but as the music gets louder, we finally find ourselves in front of a set of drapes.
Caleb pulls them back, and we step into what feels like another world.
We’re standing on a balcony that looks down onto a nightclub floor.
Blue and white lights cross the open dance floor below, where bodies turn and grind.
Couples are lost in a haze of lust as they dance against each other.
Lounges sit along the outskirts of the dance floor, and booths line the walls where more people sit, heads leaning in close as they flirt and tease.
“This place looks like live action Tinder,” Beth says.
“Is there a wristband or something I can get that says observer only?” I hear Isabelle say in my sister’s ear.
“Yeah. It’s called my brother.” Beth turns to her right and heads for the staircase leading down, and I’m left wondering which brother she might be talking about.
In the short time I’ve been around Isabelle, I can’t help but want to claim that protective role for myself.
It’s in my nature. Whether it’s honourable right now or not is another question.
I follow behind everyone as Beth leads us around the edge of the dance floor, where there’s another set of stairs leading back up to a different second floor. This looks more like a VIP section. The whole club is VIP, so I’m not sure what to call this more exclusive part. Overcompensating?
“If it isn’t our new business partners.” With a self-indulgent smirk, Romeo slowly descends the staircase like the king he thinks he is.
He’s wearing a leather blazer with no shirt underneath. The fight to not roll my eyes dies a quick death. Gold chains rest against what looks like a tattoo of a family crest, De Luca etched across his collarbone.
I try to muster a sense of restraint over my patience, recalling Caleb’s words from earlier. This is what I wanted to happen. We needed this collaboration. It’s something to celebrate. I can’t piss them off before we get started.
“Thank you so much for having us, Mr De Luca,” Beth says with a smile.
The twat throws his head back and laughs, pinning his eyes on my sister once he’s standing before her at the bottom of the staircase.
“Oh, please, bella,” he says and picks up Beth’s hand, using it to pull her closer as he leans down to look straight into her eyes. “Call me Romeo.” His attention then shifts to Isabelle. “Ahh, dolcezza.”
I move behind Isabelle’s back, glaring down at Romeo. Even while he stands on the last stair, I’m still looking down at him. I raise my eyebrow in challenge, but he just smiles.
I almost regret the out-of-character possessiveness, especially when Isabelle isn’t anyone to me and we’re here for business, but at the last second, Isabelle leans back, just enough to touch my chest. I feel her inhale and then melt further against me.
Even with the way my heart is thrashing inside my chest from the contact, I feel calm. How unusual…
“Come. The boys are waiting.” Romeo turns and walks back up the stairs.
I wait for Isabelle to start walking before I move.
She smiles over her shoulder at me, and I feel unworthy of that kindness.
That sunshine. I should have more faith that she can handle herself if she needs to.
If anything, she should turn to Caleb. She knows him, and he’s standing right next to her.
I haven’t earned that level of trust. I only let people down.
Once we reach the top of the staircase, we’re led to the far end of the floor to a circular booth.
Jackson, James, and Ace sit casually while women lean over the back of their chairs, whispering in their ears.
James looks less than impressed by the attention, not indulging in the slightest. The women talking to Ace soon abandon his side once they see Romeo rejoining the table.
My eyes scan the rest of the area, noting the small army of beefed-up men scattered around the place.
They don’t look like they’re here to drink.
I’ve heard stories about the High Rollers.
That must be the reason for the sudden demand for Isabelle’s safety I’ve developed this weekend.
I should stick by her tonight. And, my sister, of course.
“Gentleman, I found our guests of honour,” Romeo announces. He smiles and winks at a woman leaning over the seat, who hands him a glass of dark liquid.
Beth slides into the booth next to James while Caleb moves in next to her. Excellent, Cale can watch our sister and I’ve got Isabelle. She takes a seat next to Romeo, and I damn near plaster myself against her side, throwing an arm over the backrest.
“A toast!” says Jackson while Ace waves his hand to one of the many women lingering around the booth. She leans down as he whispers in her ear, and with a nod, she takes off to the bar.
A cold, soft hand lands on the forearm I have resting behind Isabelle’s head. “Hi, handsome.”
I turn to the voice, finding a woman with short dark hair standing behind me. Her green eyes are framed with smoky makeup, and there’s a beauty mark just under her right eye.
“Not interested,” I say, then turn back to the table.
Beth is chatting with James. I can’t hear their conversation, but it looks friendly enough.
Caleb has two women fighting for his attention on either side of him.
He would normally call that a good night, but right now, he looks…
flummoxed. He’s definitely not listening to what they’re saying.
I can’t imagine what’s running through his mind right now, but when one of the ladies puts a hand on his chest, he looks nauseated.
He picks off her hand as if it’s a piece of unwanted lint on his suit jacket.
A waitress comes over with enough shots for the table and places a glass in front of each of us. I hesitate, but feel eyes on me. When I look up, Caleb has his own shot glass in hand and flicks his eyes down to my drink, then back up at me.
I blow out a breath, then pick up the tiny glass, while Jackson makes a toast to our new partnership. We all throw back the liquid that fucking burns to high heaven. My eyes water as I slam the glass back down on the table.
“Mel! Another round!” Romeo calls, and I start to protest until a foot connects with my shin under the table.