Goddess of Vengeance - Jackie Collins [86]
‘Do I look Asian?’ Lucky drawled.
‘I get it,’ Gino said, chuckling loudly. ‘Alex only raises the flag for—’
‘Don’t even go there!’ Lucky warned, well aware of the politically incorrect word Gino was about to use.
‘Let him say it,’ Alex said with a throaty laugh. ‘He’s old, it doesn’t matter.’
‘Who’re you callin’ old?’ Gino griped. ‘It takes balls t’reach my age an’ still be standin’ on two fuckin’ feet.’
‘And I give you kudos for that,’ Alex said. ‘You’re my idol, Gino. I want to be just like you when I grow up.’
‘For God’s sake!’ Lucky exclaimed. ‘Why don’t the two of you go form a circle jerk and be done with it?’
‘She’s your daughter,’ Alex pointed out.
‘Yeah,’ Gino agreed, with another wicked chuckle. ‘She’s the son I never had.’
‘You had a son. Dario,’ Lucky reminded him sharply. ‘And because he was gay there’s no reason for you to disrespect him.’
‘Kiddo – I didn’t mean—’
‘You know what? Screw both of you,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘You’re a couple of little big boys, so go ahead – get your kicks playing with each other. That’s just about the level of your style.’
‘Hey,’ Gino objected. ‘Is that any way t’talk to your old man?’
Lucky shook her head again. Sometimes dealing with Gino was like dealing with a little kid. ‘Where’s Paige?’ she asked. ‘Shouldn’t she be taking care of you?’
‘That’ll be the day, when I need takin’ care of,’ Gino snorted. ‘I might be gettin’ up there, but I’m not fuckin’ dead. Anyway, she’s over at The Cavendish dealin’ with beauty shit.’
‘What’s wrong with the salon here?’
‘She’s got her special girl over at The Cavendish. Do I know?’
‘Okay, I get it. So I suggest you and Alex take your seats and let’s get this show on the road.’
And so they did, and the meeting took place, and went extremely well. Everyone was enthusiastic about how well The Keys was doing in spite of such a flat economy. The hotel was operating at capacity. The casino couldn’t be busier. And there was a long waiting list to purchase one of the multi-million-dollar apartments.
Halfway through the meeting, Venus dutifully put in an appearance, beguiling everyone with her radiant blonde beauty and dazzling star power. Venus certainly knew how to captivate a room.
Afterwards there was a buffet lunch, during which Lucky managed to avoid another one-on-one with Alex. Too uncomfortable. She wished that he’d get married or start living with someone again. Having Alex on the loose was too dangerous. Unfortunately there was still a deep connection between them. And if Lennie wasn’t around . . .
No! she told herself sternly.
Don’t even think it.
* * *
Jorge did not gamble, Venus did, and after her appearance at the board meeting she felt like some action. Gambling was always a turn-on, especially when she ended up a winner.
Entering the casino at The Keys, Jorge went into semi-shock. Such opulence. Such a huge amount of people throwing their money around. Not to mention the beautiful cocktail waiters and waitresses attending to the customers’ every need.
He immediately wondered if he could get a job here, for he was street smart enough to know that this thing with Venus wouldn’t last, and when she tired of him – which he knew she would – what then? Was he supposed to run back to L.A. and the sex-crazed fat agent he’d been forced to service simply to score a job on Venus’s photo shoot?
No, Jorge had not fled Rio and the Favelas, where he’d almost raised himself, to become the plaything of a series of horny American women.
Venus was exquisite, but she was too famous for him, and at forty-something too old – even though she was in impeccable shape with her perfect body and muscled thighs. Earlier, while he was going down on her, she’d almost strangled him with her strong thighs. Lost in her juices, he’d had to splutter and grunt to get her to release him.
Jorge hung back as two security guards accompanied Venus around the casino. Soon he noticed a crowd beginning to form, and he wondered what it must be like to be so famous.
One day . . . one day somewhere