Goddess of Vengeance (43 page)

She was beyond excited. Billy had come to Vegas especially to see her, and after the gloom and despondency she’d been feeling about their short time together, this was totally unexpected and more than awesome. She couldn’t have wished for a better present.

Billy Melina is my birthday present
, she thought.
He flew to Vegas just for me.

OH . . . MY . . . GOD!

Then she remembered that Ace had also made the trek to Vegas to see her, and she started feeling pretty guilty about the way she was treating him.

Hmm . . . Ace was a cool guy. But Billy was cooler.

Shivering at the thought of seeing Billy again, she wished that she’d worn a better outfit. She had on leggings, high boots, a cut-off top and a slouchy sweater. Nothing spectacular, but cute enough.

Thank God Billy hadn’t booked into The Keys. Awkward. She could just imagine Lucky’s face if she spotted her darling daughter with the soon-to-be ex of her best friend. Even more awkward, Venus was in town, and was obviously going to be at her birthday party.

Max felt another twinge of guilt, but only a twinge. It wasn’t as if she had come between Billy and Venus; their divorce was well under way when she and Billy had gotten together.

After the cab dropped her off at the front of the hotel, she made her way through the casino, and out the back to the leafy paths that led to the villas.

Billy had sounded totally psyched to hear from her, and if he was telling the truth, he’d come to Vegas only to see her. How great was that?

Okay, Billy, I’m on my way!
she thought, and once again she shivered with anticipation.

*   *   *

Frankie did a line or two with Gerald M. in the men’s room. They were bonding big time.

Frankie had no idea where Cookie was, but he figured she was off doing her thing somewhere, and that didn’t bother him because he’d already got what he’d wanted out of the relationship – a strong connection with her famous father. He liked Gerald M. The man was a star, and even better, he acted like one.

If Frankie had to make a choice, it would be Daddy every time – girls were crawling all over Gerald M. Pretty girls, sexy girls, girls willing to do anything to get close and personal.

Cookie was cute, but if he really thought about it, she was just a kid, and he was way out of her league.

He was Frankie Romano, after all. He had to reach higher.

*   *   *

Jorge had almost finished his stories of woe – an impoverished childhood, a lack of any adult supervision, begging for food, robbing tourists, sleeping with tourists – and finally his arrival in America and his meeting with Venus.

‘She use me,’ he said vehemently, his handsome face darkening. ‘I know that.’

How about you’re using her too
, Denver wanted to say. But she didn’t, because the more Jorge talked, the more upset he seemed to get.

‘Look,’ Jorge said, gesturing toward their table. ‘She ignore me. She treat me like ship.’

‘Shit,’ Denver murmured, correcting him while thinking that it was time to find Bobby and leave, as he’d promised they would as soon as he’d finished taking care of whatever it was he had to take care of.

Then she spotted him dancing with Gia, and she was rendered speechless.

First of all, Bobby was actually dancing! And not very well at that. Secondly, why was he on the dance floor with a girl whom he’d admitted was one of his exes?

This was unacceptable.

‘Excuse me,’ she said, hurriedly breaking away from Jorge. ‘There’s something I have to deal with.’

‘I come too?’ Jorge asked, a look of dependence in his puppy-dog eyes.

‘No,’ Denver said. ‘You go back to Venus. I’m sure she misses you.’

And she headed toward Bobby and Gia, a determined look on her face.

Chapter Forty-Nine

W
hen Paige knocked at the door to her suite, Peggy couldn’t help feeling slightly anxious. Was Paige simply there to talk? Or were matters of sexual gratification on her mind?

Either way, Peggy had decided she would go with it. Why not? She was lonely, had not had sex since Sidney’s demise, and she was not getting any younger. She also had a son who obviously consorted with prostitutes, a lacklustre social life, and no male partners. Besides, she’d never forgotten the softness of the women’s lips when they’d exchanged kisses and more in the sanctuary of the King’s harem. It was a fond memory.

Although it was late, Paige had changed outfits, and instead of the pale-blue cocktail dress she’d worn earlier, she was clad in leather pants, a black turtleneck, and a brown leather jacket. With her lack of height, pocket Venus body and cropped copper hair, from a distance she could almost be mistaken for a male. It was obvious Paige was into this. Peggy felt like a novice, and yet at the same time extremely feminine.

She fixed Paige a drink, and they sat on the couch where Paige proceeded to tell her the story of the time Gino had walked in on her pleasuring his previous wife, Susan Martino. And how, after that, threesomes were quite the norm.

‘Gino used to be an amazing lover,’ Paige confided. Then she gave Peggy a penetrating look and added, ‘But you already know that, don’t you?’

Peggy felt a blush rise on her cheeks. So Gino
had
remembered. ‘I . . . I didn’t think he would recall that night so long ago,’ she said. ‘It was only one time, but yes, I have to admit – he
was
an amazing lover.’

‘Gino might be old, but he has a steel-trap memory,’ Paige said, toying with a gold bracelet. ‘As soon as he saw you, he knew.’

‘That wasn’t why I introduced myself to you,’ Peggy quickly explained. ‘It was pure coincidence that it turned out you were married to Gino.’

‘I’m sure,’ Paige replied. ‘But what does it matter? It brought you and me together, and here we are, cozy and alone with no one to bother us.’

‘Doesn’t Gino mind?’

‘Gino doesn’t know. I tucked him up in bed with a couple of Ambien, and he’ll sleep through until morning.’

‘Oh,’ Peggy responded, as Paige leaned toward her and touched her lightly on the cheek. ‘Then I guess—’

‘You guessed right,’ Paige purred, her hands moving toward Peggy’s still very nice breasts.

Peggy closed her eyes and thought of how pleasant it was to once again be the object of someone’s desire.

*   *   *

Luscious was getting fed up. The dude with the snake-eyes and snotty attitude might be paying them a shitload of money, but what was the deal leaving them shivering and naked in the corner while he drank champagne and snorted lines with the girl she’d seen on TV a couple of times? What was that?

The only good thing about it was that she’d had the opportunity to check out Seducta’s body – the body she figured Randy might possibly be lusting after. Seducta’s tits were ridiculous. It looked like she had a couple of basketballs attached to her chest. Big round basketballs with a cherry on top! Also there were scars underneath her gigantic tits, nasty vicious scars, because Seducta had gotten her boob job on the cheap.

Luscious couldn’t help smirking to herself. Why would Randy want to go with that when he had her to come home to? She might not have giant tits, but at least hers were the real thing.

Although she would never admit it, Luscious was mad that Seducta had gotten Mikey to marry her. She’d been with Randy for almost a year, and he’d never mentioned the word marriage. She was sure that he would – eventually, ’cause he loved her. Not that he’d ever mentioned the word love either – but shit, where else would he find a girl like her willing to put up with his drug use and lazy ways? She waited on him hand and foot, never nagged him, and sucked his dick whenever he wanted. Goddamnit, Luscious considered herself the perfect girlfriend.

She glanced over at Seducta who’d now gotten several miniature bottles of Scotch from behind the bar, and was going through them at an alarming rate.

Drunken twat. Luscious preferred to stay sober, just in case. A girl never knew when a john could go postal and beat the hell out of her. It had happened to her once, and she carried the scars to prove it. Some old rocker dude with a penchant for girls crapping on his face had beaten her up when she’d refused to do what he’d wanted. She’d ended up in the emergency room getting sixteen stitches under her chin, and several on her forehead. Ever since then she’d worn bangs and plenty of make-up so no one noticed, but she knew the scars were there, and that was enough for her to make sure she stayed alert.

She took another quick peek at the john, still hunched over the coffee table snorting coke with his girlfriend – although the girlfriend didn’t seem to be as into it as he was. The girlfriend was definitely hanging back.

Luscious felt like laughing out loud. These rich assholes with their delicate little coke habits didn’t know dog shit. The real thrill and a way quicker high was smoking crack cocaine. Yeah. That was the shit, and Luscious should know, for she’d been doing it on and off since she was sixteen.

Randy, on the other hand, was into speedballs – he swore they gave him the best high ever. A line of coke followed by a powerful snort of heroin – Randy called it his dream combination, and it certainly put him in a euphoric state.

Luscious had tried it a couple of times. It frightened her, and she was canny enough to stick to the drug she was used to.

Speedballing led her to another planet.

Planet Out-Of-Your-Fucking-Mind.

*   *   *

‘Not for me, thank you,’ Annabelle said politely as Armand laid out even more lines. She was not a coke freak like Frankie Romano, who’d become so totally dependent on it that it had put her off him. ‘I would prefer another glass of champagne.’

‘You would, would you?’ Armand replied, slurring his words slightly.

‘If it’s not a problem,’ Annabelle said, getting the distinct feeling that maybe Armand wasn’t the man of her dreams after all. This entire situation was surreal. The naked hookers in the corner. The mounds of cocaine on the table. Eddie Falcon might have cheated on her, but as far as she could tell he wasn’t into prostitutes and drugs.

She wondered where Eddie was. They’d had a drag-out fight and she’d walked out on him, but there was nothing to stop her walking right back in. It wasn’t too late.

Armand was making no move to pour her another glass of Cristal. She could tell the hookers were getting restless, especially the little one with the bad dye job and various tattoos on her skinny body. Where on earth had Armand found these two freaks? And what were his plans for them?

Annabelle made a quick decision. Whatever his plans, she did not wish to be included. A fast exit was in her future.

‘Excuse me,’ she said, getting up. ‘Just using the little girls room.’

As she walked by the two hookers she attempted to avert her eyes. But she knew they were staring at her, checking her out, wondering what the scene was.

Her skin crawled.

She made it to the bathroom, locked the door, took out her cell and called Eddie. Fortunately he picked up, although she could barely hear him as there was a cacophony of noise in the background.

‘Where are you?’ she asked.

‘You calmed down yet?’ he questioned.

‘Have
you
?’ she countered.

‘I’m at Mood with an interesting group,’ he said. ‘You wanna join me?’

‘You know what? I think I do,’ she replied, relieved that he didn’t seem to be holding a grudge. She’d yelled some vile names at him, but that’s what she liked about Eddie, he was basically a smart guy with a red-hot future. If she could wean him off cheating, they might make it as a couple. ‘I’ll be there soon.’

Back in the living room Armand had finally decided to utilize the services of the two prostitutes. They were not exactly what he’d required – not the usual high-end call girls he was used to – but he was too drunk and coked-out to care.

‘The whores are going to dance for us,’ he announced to Annabelle, patting a place beside him on the couch. ‘That’s before I fuck the life out of them.’

Wonderful
, Annabelle thought, perching on the edge.
This is exactly where I don’t want to be.

Armand raised his arm, snapping his fingers at Luscious and Seducta. ‘Over here,’ he commanded. ‘Now!’

Chapter Fifty