Page 8 of Sinful Addiction
She looks at me as if I’ve grown a second head.I shake off my laughter, changing the subject and talk about the latest celebrity scandal I came across on social media instead.
Time passes quickly as we’re now parked outside the hotel lobby.The security detail gets out of the car helping us with our door instead of the concierge.The bags I brought are taken from the car and brought with us, too.
I’ve witnessed all kinds of things in my life.Especially being privileged given the fact my family is wealthy, but what I encounter next is a new level of everything when it comes to Ava.
She proceeds to walk past the reception desk, waving hello when the receptionist welcomes us—by name—then gets into a separate elevator guarded by a member of staff, who also greets us by name.
I pull her to my side.“What the fuck is happening?”I whisper-hiss in her ear.
“This is one of Xander’s hotels, remember?”she says, withholding theduhat the end.
“How could I forget?”Sarcasm drips off my tongue.I didn’t know that, but I’m not surprised given his possessiveness and the ease of her reservation.
She spins on me when the elevator door closes.“Listen, I know something happened between you and Tony on the plane.I don’t like that you feel you can’t talk to me about it.But I understand why.Let’s get up to our suite, order a bottle of bubbly and get freshened up.Then we can go to the casino, drink whatever we want while we gamble away my husband's money at the same time.”
I love that plan, but she is delusional.
“Didn’t you just mock me about this being your husband’s hotel?It doesn’t matter if we lose his money because that means it’s also his casino,” I repeat in the same mocking tone.
“Oh, no, best friend.We are breaking free of this hotel and going to do Las Vegas as it’s meant to be done.I’m going to spend my husband’s money elsewhere and he will not stop me.If he does…” She trails off, lost in the land of whips, chains, and all things kinky fuckery.
“Now you’re talking.”I rub my palms together.
I’m going to enjoy watching this unfold one way or another.While I’m at it, I’ll find great pleasure in throwing a finger in Antonio’s direction if he thinks he continues to hold any claim on me.
I belong to no man.
Four
Antonio
“What do you mean we’re not going with them?Xander, you never let Ava out of your sight.Marriage has softened you.”I’m acting like a petulant child.I know it, he knows it and if I keep it up, I’ll get my ass kicked.
“Ava made me promise not to interfere with her girls’ trip any more than I already have and the fact you found out about it and are here has already pissed her off.You’re on just as tight of a leash as I am.”
I cannot believe this.How the hell am I supposed to keep an eye on Lacey if I can’t physically see her.Maybe I can…
“Antonio, you are not to interfere.”His matter-of-fact tone pisses me off.Sometimes I hate that he knows me so well.
“What am I supposed to do then?You don’t even have any business for me here.At least let me play in the casino.Maybe I can check in on how things are running down there.It’s been a while since I’ve given Silas any shit.”
The manager, Silas, is Xander’s cousin and a ruthless bastard.He runs the casino with almost as much callousness as Xander does his empire, but I like to call him a little bitch and rile him up to keep him in his place.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Xander holds up his hand while he speaks into his cell.I watch his body language change as he settles it back in his breast pocket, clearly finished with the conversation.
As he leaves the room, he waves for me to follow.I fall in line like a good soldier.
As we reach the elevator, Vince and Knox are waiting on either side of the door with their arms crossed firmly over their chests.
I lean into Knox and ask what he knows of Lacey’s whereabouts.No matter how hard I try, I can’t get her out of my head.My little pixie is a puzzle I can’t piece together.When I think I have her figured out she astonishes me with her strength and courage to face my bullshit.I’ve thrown a lot at her since I first led her through the doors of Envy, and she’s matched my hunger in ways no woman ever has.
I never thought I’d stay interested this long, especially when she’s practically a child to my almost forty years.But a child she is not.I must remind myself she is a woman and wise beyond her years.
I know more about her than she probably does herself.
She grew up in Long Island surrounded by wealth.Her parents are well known in New York.Her father is a top dog lawyer who likes to stray while her mother likes to play the ardent housewife.Oh yes, my little troublemaker is the pariah of the Montgomery family.Daddy Montgomery likes to shower his youngest with money in an act to keep her well behaved.He will give heranythingso as to not tarnish the family name.It drives Lacey to be a rebel out for attention, and attention she found.