The Mount Series Boxset

by K D Grace

  ‘But you pursued me,’ Nick said. ‘You asked me to come back, to talk to Elsa.’

  ‘It was Havers. He insisted that I do that. I still didn’t think that you would, and I wanted my situation to look real. Havers was already watching me most of the time. If he had suspected for one minute that I was lying, it could have been bad. He saw us together, and then I stupidly told him that you were offering to rescue me. He then pushed me to use you.’

  ‘When you came back –’ Elsa continued the story ‘– we thought what you saw, what I offered you with Beetle and Deb would frighten you off.’ She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. ‘Though I have to confess that by that time I wasn’t too anxious for you to leave.’

  ‘We. You keep saying we. Does that mean that all of Mount Vegas is in on this little game?’ Nick said.

  ‘No,’ Elsa replied. ‘Only Tanya and me. I didn’t want anyone else at risk. I’ve got friends as well as enemies in the police force, and places considerably higher than that. The fewer of my people who knew, the better. To them it just looked like Tanya kept fucking up. That’s all. And the London folks know only because you told them. Honestly, we had no idea that Havers would try to involve you. That was never part of the plan.’

  ‘So all of this has been a lie then.’ Nick stood and wiped sweaty hands down his jeans. The weight in his chest felt like lead. ‘You were just toying with me all the time.’

  ‘No, Nick.’ Elsa stood and reached for his hand. ‘I was never toying with you. I would have refused you completely if I’d known Havers would get you involved. And as for the rest, you have to believe –’

  He jerked his hand away. ‘Believe what? That any of it was any more than just another good act for the client? Tell me, Elsa, why should I believe that? Why should I believe any of what you say?’ She reached for him again, but he stepped back. ‘Never mind. It hardly matters now, does it? Get whoever you want to drive the damn limo. Just return it when you’re done.’ He turned and left.

  ‘You must go after him,’ Tanya said. ‘You can’t let him go thinking such a thing.’

  Elsa felt like she’d been gutted, but she didn’t move. ‘Let him think what he wants, as long as it keeps him safe.’

  With hands that were way steadier than she felt on the inside, she picked up her BlackBerry and sent an email to all of the members of the Mount Vegas team informing them of a change of venue for the control room from the Cosmopolitan to the Bellagio. Nick was included on that list, though she figured he probably wouldn’t show up anyway, and it was just as well. This would keep everyone safe, and that’s what mattered now, keeping her team safe.

  ‘Is not right, Elsa, you letting him think that you have used him so. He’s good man,’ Tanya said.

  ‘That’s right. He is a good man, and he doesn’t deserve to be caught up in this.’

  ‘It seems to me that the man loves the Mount Vegas as much as we all do, and that he should have some say in what he deserves.’

  ‘I didn’t ask for your opinion, Tanya, and there are already way more people involved in this mess than I ever intended. I want it over with and I want my people out of harm’s way. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’ve got a fantasy to plan.’

  Tanya didn’t move. She stood with her shoulders squared and her gaze locked on Elsa. ‘And I am also one of your people, in case you have forgotten this. What I have done I have done out of love for you, for the Mount Vegas. It has not been easy for me to do this thing that you asked of me and to let the people I care about think bad things of me, but I did it. And is nothing that any one of us wouldn’t do for you, Elsa. And Nick, maybe Nick even more so. You are not God, and sometimes even Elsa Crane needs help.’ Then she turned and left.

  When she was gone, Elsa locked the door behind her, then laid her head down on her desk and wept.

  The day of Mrs Keyser’s fantasy dawned bright and clear. Elsa went through the motions of helping set up the control room and making sure everything was ready, of joking and laughing with the London folks as they got ready for their big performance. Nick was noticeably absent, just as she had planned it, though there was still a part of her that had hoped he would defy her, that had hoped perhaps he cared enough about her …

  Best not to go there, she reminded herself. What was done was done, and she should have known better than to involve herself with him any more than she was involved with any of the rest of the team. Her lapse in judgement had caused them both pain, caused her way more grief than she would have ever thought possible.

  Once everything had been sorted and organised, she made the excuse of an urgent meeting and left her team to do what they did best. Then she made her way back to the Cosmopolitan to make sure that the original control room was set up the way she wanted it. It was one of seven rooms in hotels around the city that Elsa maintained permanently for Mount Vegas use. They were all registered under different names, names that changed randomly throughout the course of the year so that no one would suspect anything. That was a holdover from her days of not knowing if Edgar would show up to make good on his threat. It worked well for what Mount Vegas did too, helping to maintain the anonymity they needed and the discretion their clients demanded.

  She arrived at the Cosmopolitan with one medium hard-sider suitcase and a hefty briefcase. Within the two bags, she had all the equipment she would need. Once inside, she checked the room to make sure everything was in order. First she set up the scope. And then she went to work on the rest, setting up the bedroom she used for the control room just as she always did, with a few minor changes.

  She showered, dressed and prepared herself, all the while struggling to focus on what was ahead of her, what had to happen for this nightmare to come to an end, struggling not to focus on the pain below her sternum she felt at Nick’s absence. Once she was ready, make-up perfect, hair perfect, room perfect, she settled in to wait. This was where Havers would find her when he came for her, as she knew that he would. If things went badly, if the man had more influence than she thought he did, then the rest of her team would be safe and unharmed, and they wouldn’t face prison or … worse.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Nick arrived just in time to view Edward on the control room monitor, dressed as the billionaire, with Rita Holly as his innocent virgin bride. They were at The Wedding Chapel.

  ‘You have lovely breasts,’ Edward half growled, tugging the front of his bride’s white off-the-shoulder gown down until the swell of her nearly spilled over the top, thumbing her nipples through the thin fabric as he did so.

  Rita whimpered, ‘Oh please, sir, not here. I feel so exposed, and it’s a church.’

  She yelped as his hand found its way up under the taffeta and began to stroke.

  ‘What, do you think God wouldn’t approve of a man fondling his woman?

  She shivered at his touch and shifted her hips ever so slightly. He offered a whisper of a laugh. ‘Good girl, you left off the panties just like I told you to.’ He moved in closer and lowered his face to bite the top of one breast and she gasped. He chuckled into her cleavage. ‘You like that, don’t you? It makes you wet, doesn’t it, darling? You may be a virgin, but you’re still a little slut. That’s what makes you worth the money I paid for you. Oh yes, you’re a slut, with your little clitty so tight and hard.’ He nibbled her ear. ‘Do you even know what your clit is, sweetheart? Do you know where it’s at? I like the thought of teaching you just exactly where everything is, and how to make it feel real good.’ He guided her hand to the bulge in his trousers and she blushed and quivered.

  ‘Where the hell have you been?’ Pike hissed over his shoulder at Nick. Everyone shushed him as Edward guided his virgin bride’s hand inside his fly to feel, for the first time, what a man felt like.

  Nick ignored the question. ‘Where’s Elsa?’

  ‘She said something came up that needed dealing with,’ Beetle replied. ‘Grab a beer and get in here. Rita and Edward are amazing.’

  Before he c
ould tell them he thought Elsa was drawing Havers away from the rest of Mount Vegas, the newly married couple and their driver were suddenly surrounded by police. All three were forced up against the side of the limo, spread-eagle, while Edward cursed at the officers. ‘What the hell’s the meaning of this? Do you know who I am? How dare you accost my wife and me on our wedding day? I want to talk to your superiors.’

  While they were frisked by uniformed officers, two more officers searched the vehicle. ‘What the hell’s going on?’ Edward shouted.

  ‘What the hell is going on?’ Pike repeated on the other side of the monitor. ‘This is not the way the act is scripted.’

  ‘Where the fuck’s Elsa?’ Nick’s voice rose above the murmuring of the spectators. ‘She’s in danger. I’ve got to get to her.’

  ‘I don’t know where she is,’ Pike said. ‘She didn’t tell me. There are often things that come up she has to take care of. Some of our clients won’t speak to anyone but her. Nick, if you know what’s going on, you’d better come clean.’

  ‘It’s Havers. He’s staged a raid. I imagine he’s planted drugs in the limo and plans –’

  Pike grabbed him by the throat and shoved him up hard against the wall, rattling the equipment. ‘You knew about this? You fucking knew about this and didn’t tell me?’

  Nick shoved back. ‘Get the hell off me. Yes! I knew about this, and Elsa made me promise to keep it quiet. Now shut up and listen. Elsa’s in danger.’ He suddenly had everyone’s full attention. ‘There has to be some place she’d go,’ he said.

  As the police search continued on screen, Beetle spoke up. ‘She’s trying to protect us. Crazy woman! She’s never changed the control room venue on us before. The control room’s the heart of the fantasies. It’s the first thing that’s ever set and it’s written in stone until the night’s over. We should have guessed something was wrong. The Cosmopolitan. That was where we were supposed to be.’

  ‘Room 2017,’ Pike added just as the door opened and Tanya burst in.

  ‘Tell them what’s going on, Tanya,’ Nick called over his shoulder. ‘Elsa set us all up. I’m going to find her.’

  The room erupted in chaos, but Nick didn’t care. He was already in the hall and racing toward the elevator. He had to get to Elsa before Havers did.

  The knock on the door, though completely expected, still made Elsa jump. On the monitor, she watched the police frisk Rita and Edward and Pagan, searching for the drugs they wouldn’t find. Her people were safe. They would all stay safe. She turned down the volume and moved to the door like she was moving in a dream.

  ‘Hello, Elsa. Surprised to see me?’ Havers stood in the hall, dressed in his expensive suit. The heavy diamond in his ring caught the light in the entryway and flashed bright. ‘I’m sure by now you’ve seen that your people are being searched, and I don’t have to tell you that the officers will find exactly what they’re looking for.’ He unbuttoned his jacket to expose his gun holster – for her benefit, no doubt. He nodded toward the control room. ‘Shall we watch the fun?’

  She stepped aside, and Havers walked in. ‘Good girl. I like a cooperative woman, and if you want this evening to end sweet, then you’re going to have to be extra cooperative. Are we clear?’

  ‘Very.’

  ‘Good, then let’s have a look. Where is everyone? I figured we’d have a party.’

  ‘We’re only running one fantasy tonight, so I gave everyone the night off.’

  ‘What a considerate boss you, are, Ms Crane. No wonder they all love working for you. Tanya tells me your people are quite loyal.’

  On the control room monitor, the search continued. The limo was being practically torn apart and the cops had done everything but cavity-search its three passengers.

  Havers stepped forward, and glared hard at the monitor. ‘What the fuck?’

  Elsa said nothing.

  When the police had given up on their search of the car, the virgin bride spoke over her shoulder. ‘If you’re looking for the cocaine that was planted in the trunk of our limo – well, the cops already found that. The other cops. You know? The good cops?’ She offered them a dainty smile. ‘So you lot might as well go have coffee and doughnuts because it’s all been sorted.’

  ‘What the fuck’s going on?’ Havers said.

  ‘False alarm, detective. My people don’t mess with drugs. The whole damn police department knows that. Oh, and the man who planted them – Bridger, I think was his name –he’s not ratting on anyone yet, but the night’s young, and I know the lovely officers from Internal Affairs who are interrogating him. I’m confident they’ll get a full confession,’ Elsa said, eyes still glued to the crazy scene on the monitor. Rita, Edward and Pagan now leant back against the limo and watched while the supervising officer confirmed what Rita had just said.

  Havers glared at the goings on around the limo with his hands thrust in his pockets, then he chuckled softly. ‘That –’ he nodded to the screen where Pagan was helping the billionaire and his bride back into the limo ‘– none of that matters, you know. First of all you’re assuming Bridger will live long enough to get interrogated. Dangerous business, police work. Many a good cop lost in the line of duty. Secondly, you’re the one I’m after because you’re the one in control. It’s that loyalty that Tanya spoke of I’m counting on, sweetheart. So if you want to stay out of trouble and stay in one piece in my town, then you’re gonna have to pony up like everyone else does, like your Tanya’s doing.’

  ‘Ah, you want to extort money from me.’

  Havers shrugged. ‘Call it what you want. I prefer to think of it as a little insurance policy for your organisation and the safety of its employees.’

  ‘That must be how you afford that big hunk of jewellery –’ she nodded to the ring ‘– and if I’m not mistaken, the suit’s tailored. Can’t afford many of those on a cop’s salary.’

  ‘Let’s just say my pension plan’s a little better than most on the force.’

  ‘I’m sure it is, but I already have insurance, and I know how to take care of my people.’

  Havers turned on her so quickly that she hadn’t seen it coming. She gasped as he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back tight against his shoulder. ‘I don’t think you quite get the picture, Elsa. The deal is simple. If I get my percentage, you and your people and your property stay safe. If I don’t –’ he jerked her until she thought her neck would snap ‘– then I can’t vouch for anyone’s safety and, really, Vegas can be such a dangerous place. Here’s the way this is going to work. I get 15 per cent for keeping you and your people safe, along with certain other fringe benefits.’ He shoved a hand inside her tank top and groped her breast. Then he looked around the room. ‘Since we’re here alone, well, I don’t see why we can’t start off now with some of those extras.’ He thrust his clothed cock against her bottom. ‘You know, as a token of good faith.’

  She relaxed into his grip to ease the pain in her scalp and allowed him to guide her to the other bedroom.

  Getting a key card for the room was a testament to the quality of Nick’s training at Mount Vegas and to his ability to sweet talk if necessary. Plus the receptionist recognised him from the previous time he’d been at the hotel with Elsa. Thankfully, the woman let slip that Elsa was already upstairs. He had just taken a gamble that she would change the venue to protect everyone and face Havers alone. Jesus, the woman was infuriating, and he loved her for it.

  He had been up all night thinking about what had happened and, in the end, it had been simple. He couldn’t just walk away from Elsa Crane. He knew her heart. That was the truth of it. He knew her heart, whether she wanted to admit it or not. She had trusted him with intimate secrets. She had let him in. And if she were trying to protect him and her people, well, he’d have done the same thing in her shoes. And damn it, she wasn’t getting rid of him that easily. Mount Vegas was the closest thing to a family, to a place to belong, that he’d had in a long time, and it was worth fighting for.

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nbsp; There was no alternative but to use the electronic card key and risk being heard. He gritted his teeth and let the card click as it slid home. Then he pushed the door open. From the control room, he could hear the sounds of sex, and he knew that, in a nearby room, the billionaire was now devirginising his bride, and she was liking it plenty. But the control room was deserted and his heart stopped. His breathing stopped. Sweat trickled under his armpits, and the back of his neck went clammy.

  Dear God, had Havers already got to Elsa? Who knew what the bastard would do? What if he’d taken her somewhere? No one would ever know. It was then he heard a gasp come from the other bedroom followed by a little yelp. Then he heard Havers say, ‘I hear the beds here are real comfortable. Not that I’m concerned with comfort, Elsa – at least not yours.’

  Relief nearly drove Nick to his knees even as every muscle in his body tensed. He moved silently to the second bedroom, barely daring to breathe. There he peeked around the corner to see Havers give Elsa a hard shove onto the bed. The man was about to undo his fly when Nick tackled him from behind, and Elsa came up off the mattress like a cat pouncing, calling Nick’s name as the two men tumbled to the floor. But before Nick could pin him, Havers pulled a gun, and everyone froze.

  ‘That was stupid, Mr Chase,’ he said, breathing hard as he pushed his way to his feet and gestured to Nick to do the same. ‘You just lost your helpful citizen award. The law doesn’t look kindly on people who assault police officers.’ He motioned Nick over next to Elsa.

  ‘You all right?’ Nick said, keeping his eyes on Havers and the gun.

  ‘Elsa’s just fine,’ Havers replied. ‘Though I would imagine she’s really disappointed that you interrupted our fun. Never mind. There’ll be plenty of time for me to pork the bitch later.’ Nick bristled and Havers chuckled at the response he’d clearly hoped for. ‘We were just discussing the … benefits of Elsa allowing me and my team to protect Mount Vegas. You see, Elsa, Nick here’s a perfect example. He finds himself at gunpoint, and without my protection. Now, if Mount Vegas were under my protection, he would be under my protection too, but as it is – well, if I were to shoot him right here and now, especially after he’s assaulted me and all, and if he were to die on the way to the hospital …’ He raised the gun and took aim. ‘The police force would not only understand, but they would completely sympathise.’ He cocked the gun. ‘You see how a simple monthly insurance payment can save lives, Elsa?’