Anger is pouring out of me as my driver makes his way through the hectic streets of Vegas to my office. I know Kolton is only doing his job. I asked him to find the information and he is just the messenger, but fuck do I want to smash him to bits. Or anyone at the moment. His email, sent to me mid-flight, outlined who and what Dimitri Sokolov is. The boss of the Russian Mafia, who has taken up residence in Sydney, Australia, fifteen years ago.
He is renowned in the underworld for his drug trafficking, his whore houses, his unscrupulous methods of torture, his loan shark ways, his high-rolling gambling, and his obsession for beautiful young ladies.
On the surface, he is a successful businessman and philanthropist, a large donor to many charities in Australia and abroad. Kolton sent through articles from the news, highlighting the good he is doing in our community, how he helps women’s shelters to hospitals, from abused children to homeless centers.
To the world, he is a great man who has never settled down with one woman but spreads himself among those ladies who are lucky to be worthy enough to hang off his side for an evening, drowned in elegant gowns and dazzling jewelry.
Kolton even did a search of the internet for any mention of Isla and Dimitri together only to be told there is nothing he can find relating them. It’s a mystery and one I am going to solve soon.
Vegas provides me with an opportunity to keep Isla near me while trying to discover her hidden secrets and fears. My uncle reports I should meet him in Vegas while I am here and Liam, Jared, and Seth will be joining us. We can strategize a plan together, but first, we need material as to why this particular underworld heavyweight is bothering Isla.
Meetings take over my attention for a few hours. Schedules, suppliers, competitors, advertising, and anything else my project manager thought he could fire at me to solve is dealt with in a confident and commanding way. Having been through this three times before and with my vision, nothing will stop me from achieving my dream for the Las Vegas Raven Resort.
This comes easy to me. It’s what I master. Business and control. Now, I just need to sort out my new complicated personal life.
By the time I arrive at my uncle’s office, in one of the buildings right in the heart of old Downtown Las Vegas, the boys’ stern voices can be heard, which is never a good thing. This means the intel they have gained isn’t good. My uncle, who is nearing seventy, with thinning dark hair and a body which shows off his love of food and liquor, has seen many triumphs and loss throughout his years. He is wise and understands the way of the underworld so much better than any of us. He is a great leader.
“Uncle, thank you for helping me with this.” Slapping him on the back in a man hug, I can’t express how grateful I am to have him around guiding us.
I do the same to my friends, stopping their conversation.
“So, what intelligence is there?” I implore.
My uncle explains how Kolton’s filled us in on the basics, recapping these again, not missing any significant details about his underhanded dealings, but he’s had his men working on the connection between Isla and this drug lord.
“It’s not good, Alex. We may not be able to fix this problem easily,” Seth informs me.
Grabbing a glass of whiskey and bracing myself for the news, I sit opposite Seth.
“What the fuck is it?” I harshly yell, taking out my growing frustrations on my family. No one flinches with my sternness. They are as frustrated as me. It’s not something they like doing, tracking down underworld problems, but for each other, we will.
My uncle calmly sips his drink.
“Alex, my guys found a connection between Isla and this Dimitri. Before Isla’s father’s death six years ago, he was tied to Dimitri financially. Trails lead back to him and Dimitri for three years before his demise. Isla’s dad gambled all of his and that of his wife’s money, gaining a loan from Sokolov to continue his addiction until his newly acquired acquisition became too much to repay.”
My hands are starting to sweat and fire is boiling in my stomach. I can tell where this story is headed. It’s a classic case of father owing money. Once he’s out of the game, they come after family to pay back the owed debts. Surely, this could all be settled with a cash payment and Isla left to her own life, free of debt.
Simple.
Jared’s placid voice lands on my ears next.
“We know what you’re thinking, Alex. We all thought the same, but it’s not going to be easy. Isla’s mother is an heiress to a family who is worth a small fortune. We are still looking into her story and why she hasn’t paid off the husband’s debt. There’s something more going on, but we are still searching.” Steepling his hands under his chin, resting his elbows on the table, he can read the anguish in my face.
Taking this in is making my head spin. Standing straight, I bang my hands on the table. “What the fuck do we do? Locate this guy and keep a tail on him until we can work out how Isla fits into this puzzle.”
“The men are on it. We will soon understand what Sokolov’s intentions are. However, considering her father’s been dead now for many years and Dimitri is still hanging around Isla makes me assume he’s got his claws into her rigidly.” Jared’s voice is filled with anger.
Seth interjects, “I’ll find out what I can from Kameron. We will put an end to his dealings with her, one way or another.”
“I want the guys on Isla twenty-four seven when I can’t be with her and they need to stay invisible. She’s not ready to hear the full truth yet about us.” I scull down the remaining liquor.
“I do appreciate this. Let’s organize all the info we can, and rid our lives of this vermin, quickly and quietly as possible.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Liam says as he pours us all a shot of whiskey. Slamming it back, I shake their hands, trusting them with my life and that of Islas, before making my way out to the waiting town car.
I nod to the driver as I sit down. “Can we stop at The Bellagio?” This will calm me down.
I’m a sucker for seeing Isla smile. I can’t explain why this girl captures me so completely, but it’s a fact. My mind is constantly re-examining how I can make her life more enjoyable and how we fit together so well after only knowing each other for one week.
If anyone else was telling me this, I would be thinking how pathetic, but Isla landed on my doorstep and I’m going to embrace her wholeheartedly.
On a mission, I stride through the large doors inside the palatial foyer of The Bellagio. I’m sure to locate the perfect dazzling gift to enhance Isla’s shining brightness at Tiffany and Co. The stunning delicate white gold and diamond combination of the Tiffany Key Enchant butterfly pendant glistens under the lights, catching my eye. It’s exactly like something Isla would wear, small, yet makes a statement, feminine and classical.
Just like my Sweetness.
Smoothing my hands down the outside of my sexy and remarkable new cocktail dress, I turn my body around in the full-length mirror to look at how this outfit fits my figure like a glove. It’s like it’s been made specially to fit my exact measurements.
Straightening my hair and applying the right amount of makeup, finishes my look before I hear the card in the lock click open.
Opening the wardrobe door, I need to complete my look with some heels.
Fuck, it’s full of dresses, casual and dressy, t-shirts, skirts and there are rows of shoes, lining one of the walls. Opposite are racks and hangers holding men’s clothes.
When did he get all this here?
My brain in meltdown, I move at snail pace. Shoes, heels, black…shoes…
Finally deciding on a pair of black strappy heels that have a low enough heel so I can actually walk like a normal person, I sit on the bed and put them on in a rush.
His confident, calming voice finds my ears, getting louder with each stride.
“I’m back, Sweetness. I hope you’re ready for a night out on the town?”
Alex’s imposing body fills the doorway. His chiseled face adorns a light dusting of stubble from a day or two without shaving. It’s a hell of a great look on him. Standing slowly, his alluring eyes run from my eyes, down to my chest, legs and feet and then back up again to meet my questioning eyes. Smiling shyly, I walk closer to him.
“Thank you for the dress, Alex, it’s stunning.” I place a kiss on his cheek, stepping back just enough so I can admire his facial features again.
“You’re most welcome. A beautiful lady needs a closet full of elegant clothes, even though, it was purely for selfish reasons. I want to spoil you, showing you off, selfishly displaying I’m the only man who will be getting close to this body. Every man who sees you will be envious of me.”
Alex pulls me in for a passionate kiss, slowly and, without a doubt, igniting deep within me a burning volcano. His strong arms wrap around my waist solidly, allowing my body to melt into his.
I could stay like this for eternity and I wouldn’t care.
Alex moves back subtly.
“I’m going to change. Then it’s off to show you the highlights of Las Vegas at night.”
Releasing me, I take the time to inspect the other rooms of this grand penthouse that I didn’t get around to looking at during the day. There are three, a dining area, lounge room, wet bar, all of course furnished with the most magnificent wood pieces. The chandeliers in the main room compliment the superbness of the suite. Looking out onto The Strip, the lights are flashing. There are an abundance of signs and buildings everywhere I look. People are bustling around in the heat with bags and cameras and taking in everything they can. Not one section is quiet. The energy is contagious. I want to explore more with my man.
Fingers climb up my thighs, then my hips before they wrap themselves around my waist. His cologne drives me wild. The creator certainly understands what entices a woman. Once again, my panties are soaked before we can even leave the building.
His hands disappear but his breath brushes my jawline, nibbling at my sensitive areas. His lips are replaced with his hands, placing something around my neck. Looking down, I see a key-shaped pendant, with a tiny butterfly encrusted on it, gleaming in the light from the chandelier. It’s simply beautiful.
Tears well up in my eyes. It’s just too much.
“Thank you,” I whisper, wiping my eyes.
Alex turns me around so I am facing him. Even with my heels on, he still needs to lift my chin to gaze into my eyes.
“I am giving you the key to my heart, Isla. You are the key to my happiness and I wanted to give you something, as you have given me so much in such a short amount of time. You are the key to my dreams and future, Sweetness.”
What can I say? How can I repay him?
Leaning in, I pour my heart into kissing him, allowing my actions to speak for me.
“Thank you for helping me change my destiny.”
“There’s nothing I would rather do. I’m making it my priority to make you safe, to guarantee you can trust me with anything, Isla.”
Lightening the moment, Alex lets me go, reaching for my hand.
“Let’s go for a night we will never forget. Thomas told me you didn’t buy any show tickets, so after dinner at Sage in The Aria, the rest of the night will be a surprise. We have to leave now.”
Reaching for my handbag and my phone, my eyes spot a Tiffany & Co. box open next to them. What the hell? A real Tiffany necklace?
Placing my fingers on my neck, I study the feeling of my new necklace.
I then start to contemplate once again how my life is changing.
I am honored to be a part of Alex’s life… I only hope it lasts.