Three days later, she still hadn’t heard back from any of the companies. She decided to call and check on her applications, so one by one she called the HR offices. Each and every one had a different line of delivery, but the outcome was all the same. They appreciated her applying but they were looking for someone else. End of story, no other explanations were given.
Feeling even more defeated than before, Ariella began to really start to panic. Obviously, Robert hadn’t been kidding when he said that she had been blacklisted. But until now it hadn’t seemed possible.
Ariella went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to get a bottle of wine out. Deciding that glasses weren’t necessary, she uncorked the top to open the bottle. She took a long drink as she walked over to the couch. Not wanting to think about anything important, she turned on the TV and started channel surfing.
She landed on some movie about college kids scamming casinos so that they could pay for their tuition. She had never seen the movie before but as she sat there watching and drinking, the idea of counting cards seemed like a piece of cake. The more she watched the bigger the idea got in her brain. Ariella was smart, especially when it came to numbers. She was an accountant after all.
She watched the rest of the movie, not caring for the part where the students got caught. By the time the credits rolled, Ariella had drank enough wine for her plan to make perfect sense. She would make her money by counting cards at a casino. And she would get away with it, of this she was one hundred percent sure.
She went back to the fridge to get her second bottle of wine and grabbed her laptop on the way back to the couch. She started in on the second bottle while she searched Google for her answers.
Chapter Two
Lucian was sitting at his desk, trying to pay attention to the spreadsheet in front of him. For some reason his brain wouldn’t cooperate and nothing was making sense. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his leg over his knee. He took off his reading glasses and rubbed his eyes.
He still thought it was ridiculous that an immortal would need help to read, but that was indeed the case. His body might look like a fit thirty-five year old, but his eyes felt their 372 years.
He was just putting his glasses back on when the phone rang. “Hello,” he answered.
“Hi, Mr. Holloway,” Jenny, his assistant, greeted. “Security just called and asked if you could come down and check out a situation. Said it was a Class C.”
“Ok, thank you, Jenny.” Lucian hung up the phone, feeling grateful for a reason to get out of the office. He was interested to see who would be brave enough to try counting cards, which is what the security team termed as a Class C.
He made his way two floors down to where the security office was located. The walls were filled with all sorts of different sized monitors, each one showing a different section of the casino. There was a bull pit area where employees were busy scanning footage. Lucian walked to the back of the room towards his head of security’s office.
Billy Mills was a tall man, he had a shiny bald head and skin the color of mocha. His smile was big and contagious and it took a lot to ruffle his feathers. Billy smiled as Lucian entered his office.
“Hey boss,” he said.
“Hi Billy. Jenny said there was a Class C?”
“Yep. In the Diamond Room. Table five, blonde female,” Billy said as he pulled up the footage on the big screen that was hanging on the wall.
Lucian stood quietly and watched the footage. The person in question was a younger women, who seemed to be playing it cool. He continued to watch the footage while Billy filled him in on all the details.
“Do me a favor,” Lucian asked. “Rewind to when she first sat down and play it from there.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Lucian watched the footage from the moment the women stepped into the room. She didn’t look nervous, she was dressed casually. She seemed to walk around a little bit before she decided on which table she wanted. She sat down and had yet to get up once.
“Ok, I’ve seen enough,” Lucian said. “Let’s go downstairs and deal some cards.”
Billy laughed. “You know I love to deal,” he said as he got up. He walked over to a closet and pulled out a dealer's jacket before following Lucian out of the office.
The two rode the elevator in silence and parted ways when the doors opened. Billy walked through the middle of the casino floor, making his way to the Diamond Room. When he arrived at table number five, he tapped the dealer on the shoulder. The dealer quietly stepped back and let Billy take over the table.
Lucian watched from the edge of the room, taking in everything as he moved around the perimeter. The blonde was still sitting at the table and had just raked in a large pile of chips. She added them to her rapidly growing stack. Judging by the colors, Lucian estimated there to be about twenty-thousand dollars worth. Billy gave him the signal and Lucian went to sit down next to the woman.
She nodded politely as Lucian sat down and traded in for his chips. He played a couple of hands, not caring if he won, just to see how she handled herself. She didn’t seem to have a tell, but you could see that she was clearly tense about something. She was meticulous in her betting, and she played every hand she was dealt.
Having been in the casino industry for longer than he cared to admit, Lucian was more than capable of knowing how to count cards. He followed along and sure enough, every hand that was a winner, she placed a larger bet and won. He let it go on until he was absolutely sure and then he nodded to Billy.
Billy winked and a second later a security guard approached the woman and escorted her out of the room. She didn’t throw a fit or yell, she simply got up and went with the man. Lucian got up himself and waited for Billy to join him. Together they made their way to the holding room, where Lucian could talk to the thief in question.
Once Lucian was in the holding room he gave Billy the signal that it was okay for him to return to his office. The woman was sitting with her back to him and he walked around the table to sit down in front of her. When she saw who he was, she gasped and pointed her finger at him.
“You?” She questioned.
Lucian sat down and closed his hands in front of him. “Yes, me. I’m the owner of the Yellow Canary Casino. My name is Lucian Holloway. What might your name be?” He asked.
“My name is Ariella Fontago,” the woman answered.
“Well, Ariella, what brings you to my lovely casino?”
“What brings anyone to a casino?” She joked. “I had a bad week and was looking to distract myself, I guess.”
“Do you visit casinos often, then?”
“No, not really. This is my first time.”
“Oh really? Well how wonderful of you to choose us for your first trip. What do you do for a living, Miss Fontago?”
“I’m an accountant. I was recently let go from my firm though. Hence the rough week.”
“I see. That would indeed count as a rough week,” Lucian agreed. “Miss Fontago, can you please tell me why such a smart woman like yourself would feel the need to count cards?”
Ariella was silent. She wasn’t sure what to say, but saying nothing seemed wrong. “I’m not sure what you're talking about.”
Lucian smiled. “I however, think that you know exactly what I’m talking about.” He leaned in to be closer to her. “I’m going to ask you again, why were you counting cards? Did you think that you wouldn’t get caught? That everything would be sunshine and butterflies? Tell me, what would make you commit an act with such strong consequences?” He leaned back and waited for her reply.
Ariella knew the jig was up so she decided she might as well be honest. “My former employer had me blacklisted and now I can’t find a job. This was my last resort. I guess I was silly enough to think it would work,” she said quietly.
“What did you do to be blacklisted?” Lucian asked.
“I unveiled a ponzi scheme. Which just so happened to be ran by my boss.”
“I see.” Lucian stared into her green eyes and there was something there that captivated him. He was quiet a minute before he went on. “Ms. Fontago, I am truly sorry for your current job situation, but you have committed a major crime in this casino. My casino. Luckily in your case, I am willing to work out an arrangement with you.”
Ariella let out a sigh of relief. “That seems to be more than fair,” she said.
“But there is one minor thing that you must know before you work for me,” Lucian cautioned.
“What is that?” she asked.
“I am a vampire.”
Chapter Three
Those captivating green eyes were now as wide as saucers. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I heard you right. Can you say that again for me?” Ariella said.
Lucian smiled. “A vampire, Miss. Fontago.”
“That’s what I thought you said. How is that even a possibility? Vampires aren’t real.”
“Oh believe me, they are indeed real. We can save the logistics for another day, but for now I want to talk about your arrangement.”
“Um… okay.”
Lucian sat back in his seat. “As the owner of the Yellow Canary, I am a very busy man. There are constantly things to see to and sometimes I need help with certain projects. I will assure you that I am safe to be around. You don’t have to worry about anything happening while you are in my presence. I’m currently looking at taking on a new venture, and I need the help of an accountant to look over the numbers. Something doesn’t feel right about it and I want whatever it is to be figured out. When you told me about the Ponzi scheme, I felt like you would be the perfect fit. Add in the fact that you are indebted to the casino and there you have it.”
“Sounds simple enough,” Ariella said.
Lucian went on, “I will allow you to keep your winnings from earlier and we will consider it as payment for your services. The only condition is that you will never gamble in this casino again. Is that clear Miss. Fontago?”
“Crystal.”
“Now that everything is decided, let’s take a tour of the Yellow Canary.”
They both stood up and Lucian led them out of the room. They walked down a hallway until they reached a set of double doors. Lucian opened the door and all of the sounds from the casino floor hit Ariella in the face at once. Lucian explained the differences in the coin machines as they walked, telling a little of what they did. They continued to walk past the craps tables until they came to the entrance of the card rooms. Lucian again explained the different games as they walked by.
Lucian continued to talk as they made their way through the building. Ariella was listening, but couldn’t get her mind off the fact that this man standing next to her was a vampire. He was acting like it was no big deal, an everyday thing. But was he really a vampire, or was he just one of those oddballs that claimed to be a vamp and painted their skin white?
“So, how do I know for sure that you are a vampire?” Ariella interrupted.
Lucian stopped and looked at her. He said nothing, just simply smiled which showcased two rather pointy incisors. He then retracted them and smiled like normal.
“How did you do that? That’s crazy!” She exclaimed.
“I was not lying to you when I told you. I was hoping that we could discuss this later but somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Lucian said. “Go ahead, ask away.”
They continued walking, this time making their way back to his office. “Does everyone know that you are a vampire?” Ariella asked.
“Only those who need to know.”
“Like all the staff?”
“Yes the staff. You will find that most of the staff are special in their own ways.”
“Are they all vampires too?”
“Some. Others are weres, shifters, witches, etc.,” Lucian answered.
“This all sounds so ludicrous. Those types of things aren’t supposed to exist.”
“Says who?” Lucian countered.
“I don’t know, everyone?”
“You will find that if you would only open your mind, you could see that the world is vast and full of all kinds of creatures. Many of these races have been around for hundreds of thousands of years, some predating human kind. All you have to do is believe.”
“Just like that?” She asked.
“Yes, just like that.” Lucian looked into her eyes and silently pleaded with her to understand his view. Not only to accept the unknown, but to accept him too. For some reason Ariella had drawn him in and he found himself wanting to get closer to her.
Ariella took a second to think about what Lucian was saying and the more she thought about it, the more she found herself opening up to the idea. “You have shown me that you are indeed a vampire, and I cannot deny what is standing right next to me. So if you are real, then the possibilities of what else is out there are limitless. I will follow your advice and try to have an open mind in the future.”
Lucian smiled, “That is all I ask.”
Chapter Four
It was Monday morning and Ariella had just arrived at the casino for her first day working with Lucian. She had spent all of the past two days thinking about him and what he had said, and she was still mind-blown about the possibilities. Not to mention that she couldn’t get a certain pair of light blue eyes out of her head. Light blue didn’t seem to do them any justice, maybe more like the color of ice would describe those beauties better.
She took the elevator to the top floor and made her way to Lucian’s assistant.
“Hello, my name is Jenny. How may I help you this morning?” The middle aged woman asked.
“Good morning. I have an appointment,” she told the woman.
The woman smiled as she picked up the phone. “May I ask your name?”
“Ariella Fontago.”
“Just one second, Miss. Fontago.” Jenny hit a button and announced her arrival to Lucian. “You are welcome to go on in. He’s been waiting for you,” she said as she hung up the phone.
Ariella walked over to the double doors and pulled one open and entered. The space was over-sized, but still seemed to feel comfortable. There was a couch down one wall, and a huge desk that took up most of the other half of the space. Lucian was staring at his computer screen, but looked up when she walked in.
“Good morning, Miss. Fontago,” he said as he got up from behind the desk.
“Please, call me Ariella. Miss. Fontago is too formal for coworkers.”
“Ariella it is then. Please feel free to call me Lucian as well.” He made a gesture for the seat in front of his desk and she moved to sit down there. He took his seat again behind his desk. “I’m so glad you decided to come this morning, I was a little worried that I might have scared you away last time we talked.”
“I won’t lie, the idea crossed my mind a few million times,” she laughed, “but I am in your debt and a debt must be paid. I’m actually excited to see what you have in store with this project.”
“Well that’s good to hear. I guess now is as good a time as any to get started.” He opened a desk drawer and got out a thick three ring binder. “I am currently looking at getting into overseas trading operations. Specifically dealing with certain historical artifacts. The company I have been talking to sent this offer and although everything looks to be legit, it doesn’t feel like it. I need you to go through this binder, from top to bottom. Look over everything at least twice, and see if you can find any issues. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.”
He slid the binder across the desk to her. “I think I can handle that. Is there anything specific to this project that I need to know before I get started?” Ariella asked.
“Yes, the artifacts are of a supernatural origin. They cannot be shipped like normal. The security and safety of the artifacts are top priority.”
There was that reminder or the unknown. Ariella was lost in thought for a moment before Lucian spoke again.
“Is that a problem, Ariella?” He asked as
if he sensed her thoughts.
“What… no. No, that isn’t a problem,” she answered. “I just lost my train of thought there for a second. Nothing to worry about.” She gave him a small smile.
If she only knew how much those lips begged to him, she might rethink that smile. Reeling in his thoughts, he got back to the topic at hand. “There is a conference room at the end of the hall that you are welcome to work in. No one will be using it so feel free to spread out if you need to.”
“Thanks. I think I will take this,” she said as she grabbed the binder, “and make my way there.”
Lucian stood up as she rose. “Like I said, let me know if you need anything.” He couldn’t help himself as his eyes found her ass as she walked away. He could almost feel it in his hands.
Ariella sat the binder down on the conference room table and let out a long sigh. How was she supposed to work with such a beautiful man? She didn’t know what was her favorite thing, his strong cheek bones, or his jet black locks that seemed to always be styled to perfection. Hair like his made her want to run her fingers through it and thoroughly mess it up.
The rest of his body wasn’t bad either. Long lean muscles filled out his frame and not an ounce of fat to be found. In the short time she had been around him, she noticed that he didn’t smile often. So when he did, it was like receiving this beautiful gift that was so rare.
Ariella let out another sigh and decided to set all thoughts of her sexy boss aside and get to work. She opened up the binder and got to it. It wasn’t long before the table was half full of paper stacks and notes. Ariella was so caught up in her work that she almost didn’t hear the knock at the door.
“Knock knock,” Lucian said as he stood in the doorway. “I would ask you how it’s going but you seem to have everything under control.”
“Sorry, I tend to get a little intense when I’m concentrating on a project.”
ROMANCE: SHAPESHIFTER ROMANCE: Dragon Baller's Bride (Dragon Shifter Alpha Male Romance) (Paranormal Romantic Suspense) Page 76
