2
EDEN
WHEN I FINALLY MADE IT to Las Vegas, it was almost ten in the morning. The early sun was blazing against the car and filling the small space with a suffocating heat. The broken air conditioner was honestly a safety hazard in the West, and my clothes stuck to my skin from the sweat.
Exhaustion pressed down on me while my empty stomach rumbled in rage. The few measly gas station snacks I had managed to grab during a fuel stop had long burned away in my stomach, leaving nothing but water behind.
Leaving the desert to enter the city had never felt so sweet. I had never been to Vegas, but seeing all the activity at just ten in the morning, I could only imagine how wild things got at night.
Vegas never slept, and as I passed people who were still going strong after a long night of debauchery, I understood how it had earned its name of Sin City.
I chewed on my bottom lip as I eyed the gas gauge. The needle was favoring the empty side of the scale, moving closer to the large red E with every mile.
My money was long gone. I didn’t even have any loose change to toss into the gas tank. I thought Allen had plenty of money in his wallet, but when I finally had a second to open the old leather wallet, I was saddened to only find forty bucks. It was enough for gas, a small bag of chips, and a soda. All of which were long gone.
Allen’s Oldsmobile was a gas guzzler, so even after almost filling the tank, I was still bound to run out before I made it to my destination. I prayed to the Vegas gods that what gas I had left would get me to the address I had ingrained in my memory for the past three years.
The address had been written on a faded postcard, taunting me to run away and leave it all behind, and now that I had, I was worried the fumes lingering in the gas tank of the stolen car I was driving would not be enough to get me there.
On top of that, I wasn’t even sure Aunt Kennedy would want me there. She was the only living relative I had, as far as I knew, and while we had once been close, that wasn’t the case anymore. She and my mom had a falling out five years ago, and I hadn’t seen her since.
I was only sixteen at the time, so I had no say-so over what happened to myself or the life I was living, but even though my mom and I were close, I still begged my aunt to take me with her. That wasn’t a possibility, though, since we both knew my mom would have told the authorities my aunt had kidnapped me.
I cried myself to sleep for days after Aunt Kennedy left.
My mom refused to let me talk to her after that, but she would send me postcards from time to time, and when I got to the mail before my mother did, I would read them and then hide them. I’d read this particular card repeatedly, folding and unfolding it until the picture of the Vegas sign had a deep crease down the middle of it.
I pushed aside the postcard and ran my fingers along the lines that made up Las Vegas on the map I had stolen from the gas station. As I calculated my distance and how much farther I had to drive, my dismay grew, choking me with worry.
I would not make it.
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, the car began to sputter as the exhaust spewed the last of the fumes I had been running on for the previous two miles. Quickly, I veered to the right, cutting off a brand new BMW and making the lady behind the wheel slam on her brakes. Her horn blared through the morning air, making me jump.
“Stupid bitch!” she yelled out her window as she drove past me.
I mouthed sorry to her and shrugged, letting her know I hadn’t meant to cut her off.
My car sputtered once more, rolling to a stop before I could make it to the parking spot I was aiming for in the small shopping center I had pulled into.
I gripped the steering wheel and took a deep breath as I leaned over and pressed my forehead against the worn leather. The Vegas sun was baking the inside of the car, and the smell inside mixed with the stress of the past few hours was giving me a headache.
My head snapped up when yet another blaring horn tore through my pity party.
It seemed everyone I passed was pissed off at me.
A red Honda swerved around me, and the blonde behind the wheel flipped me the finger. I was blocking traffic right in front of a busy coffee shop, and I knew I couldn’t stay there.
The car door groaned and whined when I pushed it open and climbed out. The air outside the car was cooler than inside, so I took a second to find a tiny bit of relief in the nonexistent breeze around me. Another horn exploded around me, reminding me of where the car I was driving decided to die.
Putting the car in neutral, I attempted to push the rust bucket out of the way, but I was weak with hunger and exhausted from the drive. I couldn’t budge it more than a step or two, and even then, it seemed to roll back into its original spot. That didn’t stop me from trying several times, moving it only inches with each push.
Finally, I gave up, collapsing onto the ground between the open car door and the car and resting my head against my arm. Beads of sweat collected around my hairline and began to drip down the side of my face.
“Do you need help?” a deep voice sounded from above me, causing a small shudder to move along my spine.
Something about the stranger’s voice made me hesitant to lift my head, but when I did, I was met with lying eyes and blond hair that was greasy and matted.
His muscle shirt, which at one point had been white, was dirty and stained. His pants hung from his hips, his frayed belt the only thing keeping them from falling around his ankles.
Just as I suspected I would, I wanted to be as far away from the strange man as possible.
“I’m good,” I said, covering my eyes from the sun as I looked up at him. “But thank you.”
I hoped my words would be enough to see him on his way, but after a minute passed, I knew he would not go easily.
“Are you sure? A tiny thing like you shouldn’t be trying to move this big car by yourself.”
He licked his lips, his eyes moving up my legs as he brought a cigarette to his lips that was almost smoked down to the filter. He sucked hard, and it burned and crackled before he lifted his head to blow the smoke out from between his cracked lips.
He was attempting to flirt.
He thought he was turning me on, but he was only turning my stomach.
“I’m fine. Thank you,” I stressed the word.
I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and attempted to ignore him, hoping it would be obvious I wasn’t interested, and I wanted him to leave me alone, but that didn’t happen.
Instead, I felt the car door jerk, pulling roughly on my arm before his foul smell invaded my nose. He kneeled in front of me, his mix of body odor and cigarettes making my empty stomach roil.
“You shouldn’t be rude to someone trying to help you.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, ignoring the sudden thump in my chest. “I was taught not to talk to strangers.”
He chuckled. “Strangers, huh? I can take care of that problem. We could get to know each other real good, real fast.”
His words turned my empty stomach once again, and I held back the urge to gag.
“The lady said she was good.”
Another deep voice sounded, surprising both the unwanted intruder pretending to help and me.
I turned my head toward the newcomer, and my breath caught. Saliva pooled in my mouth as my eyes moved over the gorgeous stranger. I swallowed before I drowned myself and watched quietly as the drifter turned and faced the gorgeous stranger with foolish determination.
“And who are you? Her bodyguard?”
The new stranger grinned down at him, but there was nothing friendly about his grin.
“I’m someone who rarely gives warnings and doesn’t fucking repeat himself.”
The foul smelling man stood, facing the handsome newcomer. My heart was still pounding as my eyes moved back and forth between them. I’d never been in a situation like this, and I had no idea what to do other than sit here.
Seconds passed before he lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Your loss, doll face.” With the flick of his cigarette, he left.
I slumped against the car, my head falling back as the ability to breathe became easier again.
“Do you need me to call someone to haul this piece of shit away?”
Remembering I wasn’t alone, I lifted my head, squinting against the sun.
Once again, I was struck by how good looking he was. His dark jeans fit with perfection, and the white button-up looked like it had been custom made for him. He had left the top few buttons undone, and his chest was bare and tanned. His dark hair was cut and styled, and my only complaint was the sunglasses that covered his eyes.
His mouth tilted into a grin, this one much friendlier, and I realized I was still staring at him. My cheeks burned, and I hoped he thought it was from the sun.
“This piece of shit is just out of gas. I’ll be fine, thank you.”
“Suit yourself, but I only feel like I must warn you that guy wasn’t the only one of his kind. There will be more like him.”
I bit my lip, and my eyes shifted around me.
“Look, I can give you a lift somewhere? Where were you headed?”
While I didn’t get the same creepy vibe from him as I had from the other guy, he was still a stranger, and I didn’t know how much I could trust him. Just because he was gorgeous didn’t mean he wasn’t a serial killer.
I sighed, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders once again before I finally answered him. “I’m headed to Empire Sevens. It’s a—”
“I know what it is.” He cut me off. “It’s only a few minutes from here. What business do you have at Empire Sevens?”
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Working one free, he put it to his lips and lit it with a golden Zippo.
“My aunt works there.”
“Who’s your aunt?” He took a long pull from his cigarette before letting the smoke free in the air around him.
He made the simple act look incredibly sexy when I had just found smoking disgusting only minutes before.
“Her name’s Kennedy.”
“No shit? Kennedy Vaughn?” The shock was apparent in his tone.
“Yes. Do you know Kennedy?”
He chuckled a bit, the sound deep and smooth before he leveled me with a sexy smirk. “I know her.”
I’m not sure what it was about him. Maybe it was his no-nonsense attitude, but I believed him. It made accepting his offer for a ride much easier.
“Could you take me there?”
He nodded as he tossed his smoke to the ground and put it out with his shoe.
“My car’s over there.” He pointed off to the side. “First, let’s move this piece of shit out of the way.” He rolled up his sleeves, his tan arms shining in the sun as he moved toward me. “You steer, and I push, deal?”
I nodded.
It took no time at all for him to push the heavy car out of the way and into the empty parking spot where I steered it to.
Rolling up the window, I locked the car and turned toward the handsome stranger. It was only then I realized I was about to get a ride from a person without even knowing his name.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“My name?”
“Yes… unless you want me to keep referring to you as the helpful stranger.”
He grinned. “When have you referred to me as the helpful stranger?”
“In my head.” I tapped the side of my head and attempted a friendly smile.
“My name’s Kade King. And you are?”
Of course.
Even his name was attractive.
“Eden.”
“Nice to meet you, Eden. Now, are you ready?”
I nodded, tucking a piece of sweaty hair behind my ear and wishing I had a hair tie to pull its weight off the back of my neck. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Good, but first, coffee.”
Following him into the air-conditioned coffee shop, I sighed in relief. The vent above the front door blasted each newcomer with cool air, welcoming them inside and away from the heat.
“Want something?” he asked when we reached the counter.
My stomach rumbled with just the thought of coffee, but still, I couldn’t accept his kind offer.
“No, thank you.”
I stared at the muffins and breakfast sandwiches behind the glass while we waited for his cup of coffee. Once they called his name and he got his cup, we were on our way.
I followed him to his parked car just outside the coffee shop, and my eyes went wide when he pressed the unlock button on his key fob, and the lights on a black Lamborghini flickered when the alarm chirped.
“You’re not serious with this?” I said, backing away from the expensive car. I was too afraid to touch it, much less ride in it.
“What do you mean?” he asked, looking around confused. I could see the reflection of my surprised expression in his shades.
“You drive a Lamborghini?”
He laughed, his head going back and his perfect teeth showing. “Yes. Hop in.”
I stared at the door, unsure of how to open it, and again, he chuckled before jogging around the car and opening my door for me. The door lifted, and he tapped the edge of the door as I slid into the seat. Once I settled, he pushed the door closed.
After sliding inside, he lifted a red thing in the center console and pushed a button, making the pricey engine roar to life. I had never seen a car so expensive, much less ridden in one, but it was beautiful, and the sound it made was incredible.
“This is crazy,” I said, giggling when he peeled out of the parking lot.
He didn’t respond.
Instead, he looked over and grinned before turning his attention back to the road.
I wasn’t sure if it was the speed of his car or what, but it seemed we were seconds from the casino where my aunt Kennedy worked. Honestly, I could have walked there in less than thirty minutes. After realizing how close I was to making it on my own, I felt a little foolish for asking for a ride.
The place was enormous, towering over the other hotels and casinos around it. The building was a massive green castle reminding me of Emerald City on The Wizard of Oz. The stories of the building stretched to the sky, windows of green-tinted glass dotting each floor providing a view from what I assumed were the hotel rooms.
A grand sign centered on the building, glittering with green and gold neon, let everyone know where they were.
Empire Sevens Casino and Resort.
He started toward the parking garage as if he would stay with me, and I stopped him.
“You don’t have to park. You can drop me off at the front.”
He didn’t respond as he made his way toward the front of the casino, but instead of pulling into the parking garage, he pulled up to the front doors.
A valet opened my door, but as I was about to climb out, Kade put the car in park and got out, as well. He handed his keys to another valet before he joined me on the passenger’s side.
I frowned, looking over at him. “What are you doing? You don’t have to come inside.”
He shook his head, again pinning me with one of his sexy grins. “Yeah, I kinda do.”
Then he finally pulled off his sunglasses, and I was able to see his eyes. They were the color of pure gold, and against his tanned skin, they glowed from within.
Kade King was beautiful, and he knew it.
I let him usher me toward the giant revolving door at the building’s entrance, but before we entered, a thought crossed my mind.
“Do you work here or something?”
He smirked. “Or something.”
He was pulling on a suit jacket with one hand and holding his coffee cup in the other. “Come on. Your aunt should already be busy bossing everyone around.”
I followed him through the lobby of the casino, feeling as if I were inside a green bottle. Everything was glass trimmed in gold. It was by far the most luxurious place I had ever seen.
Women in short skirts and heels followed Kade with their eyes, biting their lips like he was a piece of something sweet they wanted to sink their teeth into. I looked up at his expression, and he had this cocky and confident air about him as he walked through. The set in his square jaw, the laser focus, gave them something to watch, to remember.
We stopped at a door at the back of the lobby that I almost didn’t notice. It was green as well and blended in with the walls.
Kade pulled out what looked like a credit card and waved it in front of a black box next to the door. A clicking noise sounded, then he reached out and pulled the door open. Once inside, the sounds of the casino and lobby disappeared, and everything went silent.
Finally, a familiar voice sounded.
“It’s about time you got here, Kade. What took you so fucking long? With Zander on vacation, I need you to arrive on time, or else I’m going to …” She stopped when she spun around and saw me standing beside Kade.
Her eyes went wide, and her mouth popped open in surprise.
I’d never been so happy to see my aunt Kennedy.
“I was busy saving your niece’s ass, and I’d appreciate a thank you,” he said before he fell into a large leather chair and propped his feet on the desk she was standing behind.
She swatted his feet off her desk. “Fuck you very much, Kade,” she said before turning her attention back to me.
“I can’t believe it’s you.” She moved around her desk and started toward me, but before she reached me, she stopped. “Wait. Is everything okay?” she asked, worry pulling at her perfectly shaped brows.
Kennedy was a younger, shorter version of my mother. She was once blond, as well, but had opted to dye her hair red over the years.
It looked nice.
The red made her blue eyes pop. She was curvy, carrying a tiny bit more weight around than her tall and slender sister, but she wore it well and dressed just right to show off all the essential parts.
When I was younger, she had always been a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl, but seeing her now, surrounded by the lavish hotel and wearing a sharp white pants suit, I knew the girl she used to be was long gone.
Kennedy Vaughn was all business now, and it fit her perfectly. She was a magician with numbers and smarter than anyone else I had ever known. “Eden?” she pushed when I took too long to respond.
I shook my head, feeling tears push at the back of my eyes. I had never felt so much relief in all my life. “No. Everything’s not okay, but it will be.”
“What do you need? Name it, and I’ll take care of it.”
Kennedy had always been a ball buster. She was always the one to take charge of every situation even though she was younger than my mother. I had a feeling she would help me if I ran to her, but hearing her offer of help lifted the extra weight off my shoulders.
“I need to have my car towed, a place to crash for a bit, and I need a job. I’ll take care of the rest,” I said.
She nodded. “Done and done,” she said before turning toward Kade once again. “Kade, say hello to your newest waitress. Keep your hands to yourself, or I’ll break your fingers. Got it?”
He chuckled and held his hands up palms out.
“Got it, but it’s not me you’ll have to worry about,” he said, his eyes dipping over my legs before moving up over my stomach. “She looks like an angel. Innocence isn’t my thing, but we’ll have hell to pay once he gets back.”
I had no idea what they were talking about, or who he was, and honestly, I didn’t care. I just knew I had a place to stay and a job. The rest would hopefully fall into place. With Kennedy on my side, I had a feeling everything was finally going to be okay.