Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Getting ready for work, I was in for a very pleasant surprise. The text I received from Leonardo widened my smile, proving to me once again how unpredictable they were:
“How does five days in Vegas sound to you? We think it’s time for a break. What about you?”
“A well-deserved break. I’m down! Let me just get to the hospital and request some time off.”
Las Vegas?
I wasn’t thrilled by the notion of heading to the city of lights. I was neutral to it if I was being honest. Lots of noise. Too many lights. Too many fancy establishments, designed in a way to take people’s money. However, I’d take that break. Not just because we had earned it, but because I would have my men with me. And it didn’t matter if we’d be surrounded by casino hotels or any other flashy buildings. In our hotel room, we’d have our own fun. A fun that entailed me and all three of them at the same time. Some more, steamy action with me in the center of their attention, on the receiving end of their passion.
39
LEONARDO
Fucking Vegas.
At last, those idiots had listened to reason.
We’d finally get to my most favorite place in the whole world.
The last time we’d been there didn’t count in my book. That was pretty sad. We’d driven thousands and thousands of miles, just to go after some rich prick who’d put a hit out on us. I hardly caught a glimpse of the Boulevard, much less hit a casino and gamble. After Kanin was dealt with, we just got the hell out of there. I could understand that. We had gunned down ten people in that building. It was a massacre, and cops would be all over the place, being nosey as usual. Reporters from all over Nevada would swarm into the city, chasing down men and women in uniform, desperate for some news. I might have loved to gamble, but I wasn’t dumb. I could postpone a trip to the slots and blackjack tables to keep my freedom.
There would be another—yet smaller—difference this time.
No cars.
I liked that long road trip we’d taken, but we had no reason to repeat it, especially so soon after the first one. Also, we wouldn’t be heading down there with another crew. We’d have Piper with us, not a trio of seasoned gangsters.
And this was what had me lit.
This was the second reason behind my awesome mood.
I was so cheerful during the flight that I might have messed a little with Matteo’s face while he snored in his seat. I borrowed a red crayon from a little girl behind me and drew a sketch on his forehead. Nothing too much; just a dick, pointing to the left. To Cesare, that is. The girl’s father laughed his ass off when he saw that. Matteo and Cesare didn’t find it so funny. Maybe I should have drawn another dick on Cesare’s forehead. One that would point to Matteo and in a different color. That way, at least one of them would have laughed, instead of glaring at me like a butt-hurt jerk.
Our hotel had some funny name I couldn’t even pronounce.
Vdara Hotel & Spa.
When I asked Matteo why he’d booked it, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and he said:
“Because it’s on the Strip and it’s got huge rooms.”
That did it for me.
Every single casino would be close. Better still, I wouldn’t have to go back to that joke of a room.
Upon laying eyes on that hotel, I couldn’t help but smile at Matteo and give him my sincere congrats. It was just enormous. Towering over most of the buildings around it, our hotel overlooked the Strip, offering some spectacular views to the city. The lobby was spacious enough for a truck to just roll in and park in front of the reception desk. Couches and armchairs stretched all the way to either side of the building. The only glitch in the whole thing was the temperature outside. It was a little too cold for the management to keep the pools filled with water.
Returning to the lobby, Cesare and Matteo strolled away from the elevator, Piper standing between me and them, her side to me.
“So, Mr. Vegas expert,” Matteo said, looking back at me. “I know this may sound stupid, but what do you want to do?”
Gamble.
Yep, this was my first instinct. To go out, walk into a casino and just gamble away. I had never done that in Vegas. I’d been to Salt Lake City once, but I didn’t like it so much. It just didn’t have the same appeal to me.
After about thirty seconds of silence, it was Cesare’s turn to ask me something.
“You don’t want to go find a casino boss and tell him we whacked Kanin, do you? Because this place is still run by…”