Goddess of Vengeance - Jackie Collins [148]
‘Sweet dreams, babe,’ Billy said with a rueful laugh. ‘If I set one foot outta here, the paps’ll be all over me, an’ you’ll be labelled my new mystery woman.’
‘Is it that bad?’ she asked, thinking what a drag it must be to lose your privacy.
‘Believe me,’ Billy assured her, ‘it’s that bad. Even without the divorce thing it was full on. Now multiply that, an’ the situation escalates. I hate it.’
‘But surely they don’t even know you’re in Vegas?’ she questioned.
‘Oh, they know. They just haven’t found me yet.’
‘Does this mean we can’t go anywhere together? Even in L.A.?’
‘Not unless you’re prepared for everyone to find out about us.’
Max considered Lucky and Lennie’s reaction and shuddered. They would totally freak.
‘Okay,’ she said hesitantly. ‘Then why don’t I come back here later and we’ll watch TV or something.’
‘I’m liking the “or something”,’ he said with a lascivious grin. ‘Your education shall continue.’
‘Ha!’ she said scornfully. ‘Stop imagining that I’m like some innocent little flower you’re teaching how to grow. Honestly, I’m not that girl.’
‘Do not shatter my illusions,’ he said. ‘I’m happy that I’m your first. It makes everything very special between us.’
‘Hmm . . .’ she said, trying not to let him see how thrilled his words made her. She had to play it a little bit cool, couldn’t let him see how hooked she already was. ‘Well anyway, I gotta get out of here,’ she added, standing up.
‘Call me when you get to your room,’ he said. ‘I want to be sure you got back safely. I’d escort you, but—’
‘Yeah, I know, I know, those freakin’ paps.’
‘Right,’ he said grinning. ‘You catch on fast.’
‘You’ll find out soon enough.’
‘Lookin’ forward to it, Green Eyes.’
‘So am I!’
* * *
Lucky knew The Cavendish as well as she knew her own hotel. During the time she was building The Keys, she’d stayed in the villas many times. She was aware of exactly where Armand’s villa was located, having gotten the number from the switchboard at the hotel.
As she drove to the hotel, she decided she’d park in a special spot near the villas – no need to walk through the lobby or the casino. Later, at a decent hour, she’d call Renee, the owner of The Cavendish, and ask her to arrange for Armand Jordan to be thrown out.
But right now she was looking forward to having him exactly where she wanted him. It was a game. A game at which she excelled.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
If he wasn’t so stoned, Armand would have been well aware that what he was doing was reckless and beyond stupid. He would have known that he should summon Fouad to make sure that the details were handled properly. And he would also have known that Fouad would put an immediate stop to what he had planned.
Ah yes . . . Fouad would caution him that he was behaving in an impossible and dangerous fashion. That he was putting himself in distinct jeopardy for dealing with such bad people. Whores and thugs who would do anything for money.
WHORES AND THUGS.
Armand laughed. He didn’t care. He had his mind made up.
He walked unsteadily into his bedroom, pulled out the money suitcase and unlocked it. Twenty-five thousand to get rid of an enemy was a cheap price to pay. Twenty-five thousand and goodbye Lucky Santangelo.
He stared at the neat stacks of bills, organized into bundles of twenty thousand. Cash. There was nothing like it. No paper trails to catch a man out.
Before he knew it, Luscious was standing beside him, her mouth gaping open as she gazed down at the suitcase stuffed full of money. ‘You rob a bank or somethin’?’ she asked, her eyes wide with greed.
‘My bank. My money,’ he replied, vaguely annoyed that she’d followed him into the bedroom.
‘You’re a rich mothafucker, ain’tcha?’ she said, hanging onto his arm. ‘Rich an’ sexy.’
‘You think I’m sexy?’ Armand said, quite pleased that she would say so. He’d never given a woman the opportunity to call him sexy before – he’d always been too busy humiliating them, or telling them that they weren’t fit to speak.
‘Sure you is,’ Luscious said, still clinging onto him. ‘An’. .