Not all Gio’s bartenders were as skilled as this one. He grabbed a glass, filled it with ice and water, then set a napkin in front of her with the drink.
She looked up, surprised. I noticed she didn’t thank him, only nodded. She played with the glass for a minute or two, moving it back and forth between her hands, before she left it at the bar and took a seat on a plush chair closer to the live band.
The bartender carefully handled her glass as he picked it up. He disappeared in the restricted area of the bar, only for employees, and then came back out a few minutes later. He slid a slip of paper toward me like he was sliding a napkin to me.
Leonora Kallistos.
Her address and phone number were listed below her name. She was local, in Vegas, and she worked for Vincent Salemi. He owned Dynamic. Her record was clean, except for an incident at a coffee shop the night before. Seemed she threw a drink on Freddie Money’s girlfriend’s car then rammed it out of her way.
I’d make a toast to her for that one.
Freddie Money was an ex-boxer who made millions in his prime. Then he made smart investments in Vegas and made more millions. His newest obsession was the one who got this Leonora arrested. All the well-known businesses knew what a pain in the ass she was. She expected everyone to roll out the red carpet for her when she walked in the door. Even at mob-run casinos.
The least I could do was get the incident erased off Leonora Kallistos’s record. She’d done society a fucking favor.
It hit me then where I knew her from. Or rather, a place she reminded me of.
Greece. She reminded me of Greece.
Hot sun, warm beaches, and tepid breezes. I’d never caught the scent of her hair before, but I could’ve sworn it smelled like sea water.
I’d never had a woman transport me to a place before.
“Leonora Kallistos,” I repeated her name, speaking into my glass.
It was like she’d heard me. Her eyes flashed up to mine before she quickly turned toward the band. She stole another glance at me a second later. She was fidgeting in her seat some, making the slit in her dress, which went straight to her thigh, inch higher and higher. It didn’t seem like she knew what to do with herself, or maybe some pent-up energy.
I knew what she could fucking do with that energy. Use it on me. I could already taste her on my tongue.
Before I could make a move, she was out of her seat and rushing past me. Through all the rich scents in the air, I could still smell her through it. Night-blooming jasmine, fresh herbs—basil and rosemary—and a hint of olive.
Gio set his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “You’re fucking late.”
“Something came up.”
“Your dick?”
“What’s so urgent, Gio?”
He looked around. “Not here.”
We walked to the private elevators that took us to his private floor. His space was a replica of Paradiso. Creams, whites, gold, and diamonds, except he had some onyx touches here and there.
The elevator doors opened, and his two black and tan Dobermans ran up with their ears raised. They started wagging their tails when they recognized Gio. The only way I could tell them apart was by their collars. One was white and the other was black.
Even his dogs fit in his space.
They were both female because he said they were more trustworthy. He had men he somewhat trusted, but he said he trusted his dogs more. Couldn’t fucking blame him.
Each one of the dogs took a side and walked him into the penthouse.
Before I could enter his office, the back of my heels was slammed into by something hard. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath while Kitty laughed in her motorized scooter.
“You thought you could get me, Big? Well, I got you!”
I’d had one of my men stick something underneath her scooter that made a slight noise. She’d been wondering what it was for weeks, and for weeks, I had peace from her slamming into my heels and yelling,Whoops! Someone is too slow!
Kitty was still active, but she didn’t like traffic, and the only places she ever went was either to Paradiso or Portofino. She’d use her scooter to go back and forth because her breathing wasn’t all that great. And she liked to drink.
