Goddess of Vengeance - Jackie Collins [82]
‘The what?’
‘Bobby’s plane.’
‘Oh, yeah,’ Ace said, suddenly remembering who he was dealing with. Max’s brother had use of a plane, and Max was obviously on it. ‘I’ll wait,’ he said, groping in his pocket to make sure the box with the present he’d purchased for Max was still there. He’d spent two hundred and fifty dollars on a gold heart pendant, and he was hoping she’d love it. She’d better. It was the most expensive gift he’d ever bought anyone.
* * *
‘I’m curious,’ Denver said when they were finally settled in Bobby’s suite at The Keys. ‘What’s your mom’s fascination with Vegas?’
Bobby moved over to the window and stared out at the staggering view which never failed to thrill him. ‘My grandfather on Lucky’s side built one of the first hotels here way back in the forties,’ he explained. ‘Gino. You’ve met him.’
‘I have?’ Denver said, unpacking her bag.
‘Maybe not,’ Bobby said, turning back to look at her. ‘But you will this weekend. He’s some colourful character, my granddad. He used to hang out with Meyer Lansky, Jake the boy, Lucky Luciano, a whole slew of those old-time gangsters. Back in the day those guys ruled everything, and Gino was right up there. He named Lucky after Lucky Luciano – kind of an homage.’
Denver stopped what she was doing. ‘No way?’
‘Yeah. Kinda wild, huh?’
‘I would say so.’
‘Anyway, Gino was in the hotel business, and decades later when he fled America on a tax evasion thing – Lucky moved right in an’ took over the building of his latest hotel. She was like twenty or something.’
‘That’s quite an achievement.’
‘It sure is. But hey – that’s my mom. Balls of steel,’ he chuckled. ‘Rumour has it she threatened some poor slob in the middle of the night that she’d cut off his dick if he didn’t put up the building costs he’d signed on for.’
‘And did he?’
‘What do you think?’
Denver was half-impressed and half-horrified. She’d always admired strong women, but maybe Lucky Santangelo took strength to a new level.
‘What about you, Bobby?’ she ventured. ‘How tough was it when you lost your father?’
‘I was too young to remember much about it.’
‘And was Lucky a good mother? Was she always around?’
‘What’s with all the questions, babe? I feel like I’m on the stand.’
‘I’d just like to know more about you. Is that okay?’
‘Lucky is Lucky. She’s the greatest,’ Bobby said, moving toward her. ‘Anyway, I’m here, and I ain’t doin’ badly, so no more questions an’ let’s get going. You’re in for a big surprise.’
‘And what would that be?’
‘Now if I told you,’ he said lightly, ‘it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?’
‘Well, if you put it that way.’
And Denver realized that he’d completely steered her off-track. No more Lucky revelations today. Bobby was closing ranks on that conversation.
* * *
After Armand left, Jeffrey expected that Lucky would have plenty to say, and quite frankly he wouldn’t have blamed her. Instead she was silent, and the moment he started to apologize she abruptly cut him off.
‘Forget about it,’ she said coolly. ‘We all make mistakes.’
Although outwardly she appeared calm, inwardly she was seething. Armand Jordan was the kind of man she abhorred – a self-absorbed, egotistical, chauvinistic pig. It infuriated her that Jeffrey had actually put her in the same room with the creep. Perhaps her lawyer was not as smart as she’d thought, or maybe his divorce was addling his brain.
‘Danny,’ she said, all business. ‘Inform the desk I want Armand Jordan out of my hotel before noon. I don’t care how it’s done, but I want him out.’
Danny snapped to attention. ‘Yes, Lucky,’ he said. ‘I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.’
‘And Danny, as soon as you’ve done that, get me a full dossier on Armand Jordan.’ She turned to Jeffrey. ‘Something I probably should have seen before the meeting.’
Jeffrey looked uncomfortable. He knew he’d let Lucky down and that wasn’t good, considering she was his most important client. ‘His company is top rate,’ he began to say. ‘Armand Jordan is on the Forbes List. I wouldn’t bring you—’
‘For my own interest,’ Lucky interrupted, not wishing to listen to Jeffrey