Rise of the Notorious (10 page)

“It’s beautiful,” Madison said, her eyes drinking their fill as she took in the casino fully. “I’m proud to be a part of it now.”

“You’ll love it here.” Duke grinned down at her with a wink. “This city has it all, honey. It grips you by the throat and doesn’t let you go. You’ll never get lonely and you’ll never be hungry for a thrill.”

As he spoke they passed by the blackjack tables, and she couldn’t resist chancing another look at the dealer. He was busy entertaining some guests, his smile quick and brilliant, his long, bronzed hair framing a face more ruggedly handsome than any she had ever seen.

She knew, then and there, that by the end of the night she would know him. She would accept nothing less.

“Duke, I’d love to play a game of blackjack.” Madison smiled, pulling him toward the table casually. “I’ve never played before.”

“If you’d like,” Duke replied happily. As they came up to the table and Madison slid into one of the empty seats, he held out his hand to the dealer in greeting. “How’s it going, Wyatt?”

“Just fine, sir.” The dealer nodded, shaking his boss’ hand. “Should I let Sharon know that I spotted you with another woman?”

Duke burst into laughter, his hand companionably resting on Madison’s shoulder. “That won’t be necessary. This is my cousin, Madison. She’s here from New York to help manage the restaurants.” He turned his attention back to Madison. “Honey, this is Wyatt Bailey, one of our best dealers.”

“One of? I’m hurt, Duke. I thought I was your favorite.” Wyatt grinned with a wink before turning his attention to the young woman before him with the dark witchy eyes and vixen smile. “You’re a long way from home, sweetheart. You miss New York?”

“Not yet,” she told him, her eyes intent on his. “Show me how the game is played, Mr. Bailey. I’m eager to learn.”

“I’ll bet you are.” Wyatt held her gaze as he began shuffling a deck of cards for a new game, his hands effortlessly cruising over the green felt table.

She couldn’t help but lower her eyes to watch his movements, captivated. He continued to watch her as he dealt out one card face down, and another face up directly in front of her. She noted the visible card was a ten of spades.

Madison looked up to him for instruction, unsure what to do.

“Take a peek at the upside down card. The goal is for the cards to add up to twenty-one. You can request a third card—a hit—from me, although if you go over twenty-one you lose.”

Tilting her card up carefully, she noted it was a five of hearts. Her eyes lifted back to his, her lips curving.

“Hit me.”

He found he had to discreetly clear the lump from his throat, a direct result from the blatant sexuality she put into her voice, into her every movement. She was a walking wet-dream. And she was the cousin of his boss, which meant he would be wise to tread lightly where she was concerned.

Sliding a third card smoothly out from the deck, he slapped it down in front of her. When she saw it was a six of diamonds, she couldn’t help the excited laugh that bubbled out of her throat.

“I won!” She turned over her hidden card, showing him. Turning to her cousin, she smiled. “Too bad I didn’t bet anything.”

Duke laughed, patting her on the back cheerfully. “You’d rob the house with luck like that, huh, Wyatt?”

“Indeed.” Wyatt gathered her cards and shuffled them back into the deck, his expression amused and a bit strained as he watched her. “That’s the curse of Vegas, sweetheart. Beginner’s luck makes a gambler of us all.”

“If that’s true, then you can expect me back tomorrow for round two, Mr. Bailey.” She slipped off the chair and hooked her arm in her cousin’s, smiling deviously at the dealer once again. “Until then.”

Wyatt nodded, watching as his boss led the girl away. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, haunted by the very way she moved, by the way those lips of hers curved like a demon or an angel, he wasn’t sure which. The worst of it was, he wondered if she understood just what impact that sultry look of hers had on a man…

It certainly had an effect on him. It had been years since he’d felt that for a woman, and he’d seen his fair share of them all over the world. None of them could even come close to comparing to her.

Despite the good angel standing on his right shoulder begging him to leave it be, reminding him that she was a Vasser and therefore off limits if he wanted to keep his job complication-free, the bad devil on his left shoulder demanded that he find a way to have her, come hell or high water. He’d always been fond of taking the Devil’s advice anyway.

Grant sat back tiredly in his desk chair and wondered when exactly his office had become the Vasser Hotel’s complaint department, eagerly awaiting submissions. As if he hadn’t had enough to deal with, now he had his cousins trying to convince him to turn against his own sister. The depravity of it grated on his nerves. Clearly, they did not know who they were dealing with.

“I understand your concerns, but they’re pointless,” Grant told the two men before him impatiently. He held his great-grandfather’s fountain pen in his hands, running it through his fingers absently. It was something he usually did when dealing with people he didn’t want to deal with.

“I fundamentally do not agree with this list, Grant,” Duke began, rising to his feet to pace the room in frustration. “If I were in charge—”

“But you’re not in charge,” Grant asserted, his eyes narrowing. “Madison is.”

“Yeah and she’s fucking everything up,” Cy put in with a scowl, his arms crossed tightly as he slouched in the chair across from Grant. “I don’t care what the goddamn will said, she’s not my boss.”

“She is, and if you want to maintain your position in this company as we move forward, you will follow her instruction.” Grant sighed, feeling a headache coming on. “What do either of you expect me to say? I wasn’t thrilled with this arrangement at first, but it is what it is. We have no choice.”

“There are ways to open up our options…” Duke muttered, continuing to pace. Before he could elaborate, the door opened and Quinn poked her head in.

“Sorry to interrupt…Madison called and said she’s running late from her appointment with the lawyers. She’s on her way now.”

Grant nodded to her, attempting a smile. “Thank you.”

Quinn winked with a grin as she shut the door, enclosing Grant with his two cousins once more.

“She’s a cute one,” Cy said suddenly, looking from the door to Grant with a sleazy grin.

“She’s taken,” Grant asserted stiffly, disgusted by the look in his cousin’s eyes.

“Wait, are you tappin’ that?” Cy asked, eyes widening. When Grant said nothing, he let out a hoot of laughter and settled back into his chair. “Well, damn. Lucky bastard.”

“Is that seriously all you can think about?” Duke demanded, confronting Cy impatiently. “If you’re just here to get laid then you can hightail it back to L.A. I don’t have the patience for this. We have serious business to figure out and you’re sniffing after women.”

Cy glared up at his cousin bitterly. “I’m not leaving till you leave, Duke. We both have a stake in what happens with the company now, and despite what you may think I do in fact give a damn.”

“Well, then start acting like it,” Duke growled as he sat back down, rubbing his face with his hands. He was tired, damn tired, and wanted nothing more than a stiff drink.

Grant silently watched his cousins, mentally wishing he had a gun to put to his temple at that very moment. It was painful to deal with their pettiness, their frustration and blatant chauvinism. They were both trying to bully their way to the top, and understanding that fact made him instantly sick of both of them.

At that moment, Madison swept into the office, filling the room instantly with the scent of her perfume. She paused by the door, taking in the sight of her irritated cousins and furious brother.

“Sorry I’m late.” She shut the door behind her and continued toward Grant’s desk, setting her purse down on its surface. “What did I miss?”

“Not much,” Grant grunted, staring up at her cynically. “How did it go with the lawyers?”

“Fine. We will begin the corporatization process in three weeks.”

“Seriously? I thought we were taking time to talk this over?” Cy burst out angrily.

“We are. That doesn’t change the outcome.” She rested her hip against Grant’s desk and crossed her arms.

“You want to know what I think?” Duke said suddenly, rising to his feet again and approaching Madison, his handsome face marred with stress and resentment. He pointed his index finger at her, dark anger in his eyes. “You’re going to drive this company straight into the ground. You can’t handle this, honey, and we all know it. You’re too damn young!”

“And you’re blinded by jealousy,” Madison countered, attempting to keep her voice level despite the enraged emotions rioting inside of her. “You hate that I’ve been given this opportunity instead of you.”

“Damn right I do,” Duke muttered, backing away from her. “We go way back, cousin, but that doesn’t change anything. If I’m going to be forced to follow you, then you can bet I won’t go easily.”

He stormed out of the office. Madison watched him go, a fresh chip cracking in her heart.

No, he wasn’t that man she’d known all those years before. He’d let himself become consumed by bitterness.

When darkness fell
over the city, Madison sought comfort in the one place she knew she could always find it.
Cherir
.

She interrupted Raoul while he was cleaning up for the day and without a word wrapped her arms around him. He held onto her, startled by her easy affection.

“What is wrong,
cariño
?”

Madison inhaled deeply as she pulled away, her eyes dry despite the sorrow and confusion mulling deep within her heart. She had only ever cried once around him, and that was years ago now. She didn’t intend on reliving that experience.

“I hate men,” she confessed with a dark laugh. “Except for you, darling. You would never hurt me.”

“Who hurt you?” Raoul demanded, fury rising in a hot flash as his temper flared. She reached out to grab his arm before he could take off in search of the perpetrator, her eyes sparkling with pride.

“My gallant knight…” she mused, watching him fondly. “I don’t need you to fight my battles for me. I only came down here to vent.”

“A knight defends his queen.” He frowned, leading her to a nearby bench so they could sit. “Tell me.”