Goddess of Vengeance - Jackie Collins [136]
He hugged her, then led her inside. ‘Someone’s having a party over there,’ he remarked.
‘Sounds like it,’ she said, breathless at the sight of him.
He shut the door and they stared at each other.
‘Sorry about L.A.,’ he said at last.
‘What about it?’ she said, keeping it casual.
‘Well, y’know,’ he explained. ‘I kinda let you get away.’
‘From what?’ she asked, going for the flippant approach.
‘Then you took off.’
‘I told you I was coming to Vegas.’
‘Why d’you think I’m here?’
‘Really? Just to see me?’
‘Yeah, really.’ And he moved in for a kiss that dispelled any doubt that she was doing the right thing.
* * *
‘We’re going,’ Venus announced, standing up and signalling Jorge that it was time to leave. He had a resentful scowl on his boyishly handsome face. She’d ignored him all night, and now she was summoning him to come with her like a pet dog.
He got up anyway, and stood stiffly beside her. He had no alternative.
‘I’ll be in touch,’ Eddie said to Venus, jumping to his feet, bowing and scraping a little, for landing Venus as a client would be a huge coup. ‘We can do great things together.’
‘I’m sure,’ Venus murmured. ‘All you have to do is prove it to me.’
‘I can do that all right,’ Eddie said with a boastful smirk. ‘You won’t be disappointed.’
‘We’ll talk.’
‘We certainly will.’ He sat back down, a satisfied expression on his face.
‘Did you just poach Venus from her agent?’ Annabelle asked, quite impressed.
‘Not yet, but I will,’ Eddie said, full of confidence, and quite unaware of where his girlfriend had spent the last few hours.
‘Congrats,’ Annabelle said. ‘I’m proud of you.’
‘That’s a change from calling me a cheating asshole.’
‘You know I didn’t mean it.’
‘How about I get that in writing?’
‘Spoken like a true agent,’ she giggled.
God! she thought. It’s so nice to be back among normal people.
She turned to Lucky. ‘I understand I should be congratulating you too,’ she said, delighted to have the opportunity to hang out with Lucky Santangelo.
‘Why’s that?’ Lucky asked, looking around to see where Bobby was at.
Annabelle lowered her voice. ‘I know it’s supposed to be a big secret and all, but I heard that you’re selling The Keys.’
‘Excuse me?’ Lucky said, quite startled.
‘Please don’t worry. I won’t say a word.’
‘I’m not worried, I’m confused. Who told you this?’
Annabelle glanced quickly at Eddie, who was busy talking to Lennie and Alex. ‘Uh . . . Armand Jordan. I ran into him at the casino.’
‘My casino?’
‘No. Over at The Cavendish. He’s staying in a villa there.’ A long pause. ‘I’m so sorry, I guess I shouldn’t have said anything. Armand swore me to secrecy.’
‘About what?’
‘That he’s buying The Keys, and the deal will be set tomorrow.’
‘You are kidding me, aren’t you?’
‘No, I’m not,’ Annabelle said, feeling a slight shiver of apprehension because the deep anger in Lucky’s eyes was unmistakable. ‘I’m simply repeating what Armand told me.’
‘Where do you know this man from?’
‘New York. We uh . . . went out a couple of times.’
‘How well do you know him?’ Lucky asked, her dark eyes glowing.
‘Not . . . uh, not that well. He’s more of an acquaintance than a friend,’ Annabelle stammered, realizing that she had probably said the wrong thing. Lucky did not seem at all happy about it.
‘Then if you know him at all, you know he’s a misogynistic, lying, delusional scumbag.’
Alex leaned in for the end of Lucky’s speech. ‘Talking about me again,’ he said with a wry grin.
‘You wish,’ Lucky said, abruptly standing. She beckoned M.J. ‘I need to make a private call. Take me to the office.’
‘Certainly,’ M.J. said, jumping to his feet. ‘Follow me.’
‘I think I just pissed Lucky off,’ Annabelle said to Eddie.
‘Well, darlin’,’ he replied, ‘seems you’re an expert at doing that. C’mon, let’s dance, I’m in a celebrating mood.’
Chapter Fifty-Three
It was a while before Armand realized Annabelle wasn’t coming back. By this time he was blurry-eyed, from too much cocaine, too much booze, too much of everything.
‘Where is she?’ he demanded of Luscious, who was using a tall potted palm as a makeshift