by K D Grace
Horse flipped him off and everyone laughed.
‘I’d like to make a toast,’ Pike said, standing up and raising a glass of red wine. ‘To the popping of Nick’s ass cherry. Well done, Nick! I was definitely up for it, and you were … open to new experiences.’
In the wave of laughter and the toast and backslaps that followed, Nick found himself feeling strangely comfortable with these people, and when Pike leant over and gave him a full-on tongue kiss to the cheers of the whole team, he returned the favour, even being bold enough to give the man’s junk a good groping. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Elsa was watching, that the scent of her was still all over his body, that the feel of her still trembled along his skin like some sort of magic spell. He liked it here. He liked it a lot.
Then the unwelcome thought of Detective Havers and Tanya shoved its way into his head. No. He was as certain as he was of his own name that neither Elsa nor Mount Vegas would be involved in any of the things Havers spoke of. There was no doubt. He leant close to Elsa and pulled her head onto his shoulder, then whispered into her ear, ‘We need to talk.’
She pushed away as though he had given her an electric shock. ‘Nick.’ She glanced around the room at everyone else still ploughing through the food like ravenous wolves. ‘Nick, please.’
He stopped her words with a kiss. ‘Do you know a Detective Victor Havers?’
Her shoulders stiffened. She shot another glance around the room. ‘We can’t talk about this here,’ she said.
‘Then where?’
‘Come on.’ She jerked her head toward the door. ‘You haven’t been drinking. Are you fit to drive?’
When he nodded, she rose and said, ‘You all are lovely, and I’d fuck you all in a heartbeat as I’m sure our dear Nick would too, but I’m pulling rank. Don’t party too hard. I’ll see you tomorrow at the Elara.’
They left to the cheers and catcalls of the rest of the team.
In the parking garage, she joined him in the front of the limo. ‘Where to?’ he asked.
‘Just somewhere out of town. I’m not in the mood to go back to my office. Has Havers been to your house?’
‘Yes. He and Tanya.’
She blew out a breath and ran a hand through her hair. ‘Right, then we really shouldn’t go there either. Chances are good the bastard’s having you watched. Probably has you bugged. The fucker’s a slimy rat, and he’s dangerous. Tell me what happened.’
Nick headed out toward Red Rocks. It was his automatic response, even if he wasn’t going home. Elsa stared out the window as he told her about his encounter with Havers and Tanya, and when the lights of the city were behind them, he found a side road, pulled onto it and shut off the engine.
‘Elsa, I want to know what’s going on, and I want to know about The Mount.’ When she didn’t answer, he asked, ‘Is Mount Vegas involved in something illegal?’
He heard her sigh in the darkness. ‘Mount Vegas is involved in exactly what you’ve seen. Though what we do is not actually illegal, the area in which we operate is grey. You’re no doubt aware that while prostitution is legal in the state of Nevada, it’s not legal in the city limits of Las Vegas or anywhere in Clark County.’
‘What Mount Vegas is doing isn’t prostitution,’ Nick said.
‘True. But what Mount Vegas is doing has to do with sex, and anything that has to do with sex, no matter how consensual, no matter how above board, is suspect. Sadly, that’s just the result of Western civilisation’s religious roots. No getting away from it. We’ve all been socialised by it whether we like it or not. And the fact that money changes hands for anything to do with sex is always frowned upon. Because it’s Vegas, there’s as much hearsay and myth as there is truth behind the seamier side of the city. And Nick, I would have never allowed you to take over for Tanya if I was putting you or your business at risk legally, surely you know that?’
‘Then what is it Havers thinks he has on you and Mount Vegas?’ Nick asked.
‘Can we talk about this outside?’ she said. ‘I need some fresh air. It feels like I’ve been cooped up for days.’
Nick pulled a blanket from the trunk and helped her up onto the hood. Once they were comfortably reclining against the windshield, looking up at the Milky Way stretching across the night sky, he settled the blanket over them and pulled her close. ‘Tell me.’
She snuggled against him. ‘Mount Vegas makes a ton of money, Nick. A ton of money. And we do it offering a service that’s totally unique. Though we’ve tried to keep it all as discreet as possible, good news gets out. In our case, no matter how hush-hush we’ve been, what happens in Vegas hasn’t stayed in Vegas. And though we’re still one of the city’s best kept secrets, our business grows by word of mouth, and not all of our clients are as discreet as we’d like them to be. That’s just due to the fact that we’re really, really good at what we do.
‘The police have been aware of Mount Vegas almost from the beginning. That was important for us, important that they understood that grey area in which we operate, and really, Nick, a lot of Vegas operates in a grey area, doesn’t it? So though they know about it, like all police forces, Vegas has its share of cops on the take. Havers runs a protection racket. He keeps his clients safe from … well, from him and his thugs. His fee depends on just how lucrative the business is. The more vulnerable a business is, the easier it is for him to put the hurt on them. Mount Vegas is not all that vulnerable, so he’s had to find a different way in. Planting drugs, lots of drugs, usually does the trick when all else fails. Oh, some have tried to hold out against him. Businesses have burned to the ground. Family members have ended up dead, people have disappeared. No one holds out for long.’
‘Jesus,’ Nick said under his breath. ‘And he wants Mount Vegas.’
Elsa nodded. ‘He wants Mount Vegas. And though everyone knows that about Havers, no one can prove anything. And because of his connections, no one can touch him. No one would dare. The fact that Mount Vegas has no roots in organised crime and has no connections with any of the powers-that-be in the area, in any area that could tarnish our reputation, and the fact it’s a cash cow hasn’t been missed by people who can do us real harm.’ She raised herself up on one elbow and he could feel her looking down at him. ‘That’s the truth of it, Nick. We’ve known that we’d have to fight this battle from the beginning, so we’ve come into the world with our backs against the wall and we’ve learned to keep our eyes and ears open and dodge the bullets. We’ve made friends where we’ve been able to and slipped under the radar where we had to in order to make sure it was clear we weren’t horning in on anyone’s turf. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve managed it, and we’ve thrived.’
She shivered. Nick pulled her back down against him. She settled in close and continued. ‘I know that you’ve probably got more reason to believe Havers than me. He’s a cop and I’m … well, I’m someone you still don’t know if you can trust. But I’m telling you the truth. I swear it.’
‘I don’t like him,’ Nick said without a thought. ‘And I got the feeling that Tanya was – I don’t know, scared of him.’ When Elsa didn’t respond, he said, ‘Do you think he can really do what he says, bring down you and Mount Vegas?’
‘Oh, I’m sure he’ll try. And you say he plans this during the big act we’ll be doing when the London folks are here?’
Nick nodded into the darkness. ‘He says that’s all just a cover-up. Elsa, if he can pull this off, will we all end up in jail?’
‘Quite likely, Nick. Though not from the truth, we won’t.’
Once again there was a long moment of silence. ‘Elsa, I did a little research. Rita Holly Martelli and The Mount in London all seem to be connected to Mount Vegas, and obviously they are if Rita Holly’s coming here. What exactly is The Mount, and why do I get the idea that it’s way bigger than Mount Vegas and a London dance club?’
Elsa sighed. ‘You’re too nosey for your own good, Nick Chase. You know that?’
‘I tend to be that
way when there’s a possibility of me getting my ass carted off to jail.’
She shook her head. ‘No. You’ve always been nosey.’ She lifted her face to his and gave him a lingering kiss, and he moaned softly and pulled her on top of him, feeling himself harden under her body. She could so easily make him forget everything but the feel of her, the need for her. Perhaps she sensed it. She gave his bottom lip a nibble and laid her hand against his chest, creating enough breathing space for his brain to kick back in. Then she took a deep breath. ‘Nick, I’m going to ask you to do something for me, and I need you to trust me enough to do it without questioning.’
‘Ask first, and then I’ll decide,’ he said, feeling a knot tighten in his gut.
‘I need you to go along with Havers. I need you to tell him exactly what he wants to know.’
‘Jesus, woman, you don’t want much, do you?’
This time she curled her fist in his hair and pulled him into a toe-kinking kiss that had his cock’s full attention and nearly had him forgetting his own name. ‘I want everything. I want absolutely everything.’
‘That much is clear,’ he breathed into her mouth. ‘You could convince God to give you heaven and the devil to give you hell. What choice could a mere limo driver have?’
‘A mere limo driver, my ass,’ she said, smiling down at him. ‘Doctor Nicolas Chase. I know about your research in the Valley of Fire and the Muddy Mountains, and I know you spent time working in the John Day Fossil Beds out in Oregon. Just because you’re no longer openly involved with a university doesn’t mean you’re just a limo driver. You’re not the only one who’s nosey.’
‘That was another life, Elsa. A man has to make a living. I’m no more fit for academia than I am to be driving limos. One’s too political; one’s just mind-numbing.’ He ran his hand up under her skirt to cup her, and she caught her breath. ‘Maybe I’m fit to be your sex slave. What do you think? I think I could be good at that.’
He felt her stiffen and pull away and he held his breath, wondering if he’d lose her again, wondering what he’d said.
But she relaxed back into his arms. ‘You don’t really want to be my sex slave, Nick. I’m a very strict mistress.’
‘And why is it that the thought makes my cock hard?’
She laughed and he felt her breath against his ear. ‘Your cock has been hard since the moment I met you. I don’t think it takes much.’
‘It takes more than you think, Elsa. More than you think.’
‘So will you do it? Will you do what I ask as far as Havers is concerned?’
‘All right.’ He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. ‘And if it all goes to hell, do you think they’ll allow us conjugal visits in prison?’
‘I might be able to arrange it,’ she said with a soft giggle. ‘I have connections, you know?’
For a long moment they lay in silence, his hand stroking her bottom, his cock pressing in delicious discomfort against the weight of her body. Then he spoke. ‘Tell me something.’
When she made no response, he continued. ‘I Googled Mount Vegas and though I found it, I didn’t find out anything I didn’t already know. I Googled Tanya, and though there wasn’t a lot about her, I did find her. As for the other Mount Vegas folks – well, it embarrasses me to say I don’t know their last names, and their nicknames turned up nothing, but Elsa, you’re un-Googleable. Why is that?’
She tightened her embrace, almost as though she were afraid of losing him. He liked that thought. It was always the other way round. She kissed him, this time lazily and leisurely, and when she pulled away, she slid out from under the blanket and off the hood. She stood looking out into the desert, then she inhaled as though she’d only just now remembered to breathe. ‘It’s because I don’t exist, Nick. I don’t exist. And now you’d better take me back to the hotel. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.’
Before he could get over the shock of what she’d just said, or even ask what the hell she meant, she was already settled back into the limo and buckling her seatbelt.
The closer they got to Vegas, the more frustrated he felt. She sat next to him, staring out the window into the darkness, lost in her own thoughts. She’d told him she didn’t exist. How the hell could she not exist? The very thought disturbed him somewhere deep inside. Her people clearly adored her. She was outrageously competent. Havers certainly knew who she was, and he wanted her brought down. Men like him didn’t want someone brought down unless they were frightening, unless they mattered, unless they existed. She existed! She damn well existed and the way she constantly jerked him around was another testament to that existence. He would find out what the fuck was going on no matter what he had to do to manage it.
As resolved as he was, he didn’t confront her on it. It would do him no good at the moment. There might come a time when she’d trust him enough to tell him what the hell was going on, but in the meantime, he’d just have to find out on his own.
At the Tropicana, they took the elevator in silence, and he left her at the door with a lingering kiss, not wanting to leave, yet knowing that she needed space. He needed space too.
‘You’ll do what I ask, then … about Havers?’ she said, holding him in a gaze that was a fortress.
‘I said that I would,’ he replied.
Relief flashed across her face. She kissed him again and turned without saying goodbye.
It was only when he got out of the limo in front of his house that he noticed her BlackBerry lying in the middle of the seat. He probably wouldn’t even have noticed it then if it hadn’t rung. He picked it up, thinking it would be her letting him know she’d left it behind.
But the melodic female voice on the device wasn’t Elsa’s.
‘Sorry to bother you, sweetie, but I just couldn’t wait to hear how it went tonight with Nick and Pike. Dying to know details.’
‘Hello?’ Nick said. ‘Who is this?’
There was a pause, but Nick could still hear the woman breathing. ‘Um, who is this?’ came the reply. ‘What are you doing answering Elsa’s phone?’ Then there was an excited squeal that made him hold the phone away from his ear. ‘You’re Nick, aren’t you? Nick Chase? Wow! It’s so good to finally meet you. I’m Rita Holly. I’m a friend of Elsa’s.’
‘From the Mount in London, Rita Holly Martelli, that Rita Holly?’ He spoke around the rapid staccato of his pulse.
‘That would be me,’ the woman said. ‘I see you’ve done your homework, and if I’m guessing right, and I usually do, then our Elsa won’t be happy that you’ve done it so well. Hold it, is she there?’
‘Nope. She left her BlackBerry in my limo.’ Nick shut the door and leant back against the hood. ‘Hardly my fault, is it?’
The laugh she offered him was positively wicked, and Nick liked the woman already. ‘Certainly not your fault. Though the fact that you’re there with her phone and your limo and she’s not – well, that might just be your fault. Is it?’
‘I only wish I knew,’ Nick said.
‘Mmm. Well, Elsa can tend to be a bit flighty. Bit secretive too, but then that’s a part of what makes her so hot. My, my, she’s getting careless, isn’t she, not taking her BlackBerry with her? But I can imagine you were distracting her, weren’t you, Mr Chase?’
‘Might have been,’ he said.
‘Which raises a plethora of juicy new questions I’m dying to ask you, Nick – it is all right if I call you Nick, isn’t it? I already feel like we’re old friends.’ She went on without waiting for his answer, ‘Now I’d advise against continuing this conversation on Elsa’s BlackBerry and risking her substantial wrath, which, no doubt, you’ll get anyway, but let’s not make it worse. Why don’t you give me your number and let me call you back, because I think you and I have a whole lot to talk about.’
Chapter Seventeen
Elsa had watched the sun rise over the mountains, a view she could see clearly from the upper floors of the Elara. She hadn’t slept. Pagan had delivered her Bl
ackBerry to the front desk a couple of hours ago, no doubt not happy that she’d sent him to get it, but she didn’t want to face Nick right now, and she didn’t want company.
Now it was almost lunchtime and she had kept herself busy planning out the acts that were scheduled for the next two months. She palmed her laptop closed and stood to pace in front of the window. After Nick had left, she’d taken a taxi and checked in to one of the suites at the Elara. It was her favourite hotel when she needed to be alone, when she needed to think. She supposed it was because the Elara was the first hotel she had taken refuge in, what seemed like a lifetime ago now. For three days, she’d been afraid to leave the suite. Then for another three days she hadn’t left it because she’d been planning and scheming how she would survive. She was a little bit like God, she thought to herself with a tight smile. On the seventh day, she became Elsa Crane. She left the room and discovered Vegas. Of course, that took a whole lot more than one day. But it was a good beginning.
And all that time, while she was becoming Elsa Crane, Nick Chase was right there, sharing her city, knowing it, in some ways better than she ever would, down to its prehistory, down to a past even more ancient than that of The Mount. Nick and Elsa, all that time together in the same city. For a second, she wondered how the space could have possibly been big enough for them both to live their lives and not be drawn to each other like giant magnets. Or perhaps they repelled each other instead.
She supposed it said something about her that she took her refuge in a generic hotel suite rather than choosing something more upscale, rather than buying a place and making it her own like Pike had done. She came into Vegas without an identity and sometimes she wondered whether she would always be that way. There was power in walking the city’s streets unseen, unnoticed. Oh, she could be noticed if she wanted, but she learned, she planned, she schemed, she observed when she was unnoticed. She got lost in the throng of people who had come with dreams of winning their fortune; lost in the throng of people who had come with the idea of hooking up. She walked unnoticed amid the people who’d eloped, the people who were having affairs, the people who were just ordinary Las Vegans trying to make a living in the madness. Elsa knew them all, watched them all, became familiar with them all. Alex Fenton was wrong. He wasn’t the ultimate voyeur. She was. She was the one who saw what no one else ever did and made it work for her. She was the true observer, keeping herself distant, unnamed, unnoticed, above it all.
