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“Mr. Aldridge is very important to the running of the Lucky Dice.” I leave it at that. I’m aware Gray hasn’t told her he owns the casino.
When she steps away from her station, I fall into step beside her, doing as Gray asked, keeping an eye on her. She turns her head and inspects my visible ink. I don’t recoil or try to cover it. I’ve grown used to people checking it out.
We reach a rest area set up in the convention hall with an arrangement of chairs and take a seat.
“You’ve known Grayson for a long time?” she asks, and I tip my head to the side, finding it interesting she calls him by his full name and not the nickname everyone else calls him.
I contemplate the question, not sure what I should say. Yeah, we’ve known each other a long time, both in this life and the one we walked away from. He and I used to be runners in the criminal world. We went to juvie together. I’ve helped him beat the shit out of punks who thought they could look at his sister.
“I’ve known Gray since he came to live with his…” I pause for a moment, choosing my words carefully. “With his babushka. My father lived close by.”
She opens the bag and peers in at the contents before closing it again. She’s upset, and I can imagine why. I’ve given her nothing more but partial truths.
“Thank you for the sandwich and water. Tell Grayson I’ll see him this evening but only if he’s ready to give me the truth. Goodbye.” She gets up to leave, and I’m out of my seat, walking alongside her again. I escort her back to her station, where she stands next to it in the crowd to eat.
I hold my arms out to protect her after she gets bumped a few times. “You were out of the way over there. You might think you’re pissing him off, but he’s angrier that these people are bumping into you,” I say as I try to control my anger bubbling under the surface. My blue-eyed gaze bores into her, hard and cold.
“Fine. But I only have another fifteen minutes. I don’t want to sit there just staring off.” She huffs.
“I won’t tell you anything other than what Gray has already told you. I’m loyal to him. You get that, right?” While I won’t give her more about my friend, I’m curious to know more about her. What are her motives for being with him?
“You think I’m after him for something?” she asks before returning to the seating area.
I once again follow beside her and take a seat. As she settles in a chair to eat her lunch, I look her up and down, taking her in. She’s not only covered in tattoos and beautiful but has an air about her. She’s intelligent, sophisticated, and her clothes and jewelry are expensive. She has money and taste.
“You think there is something you could gain from him?” Instead of answering her question, I give her another one.
“I’m fairly certain if he’s in security like I suspect, I probably will be the one needing a prenup. But we aren’t talking forever here. I’m all for just a bit of fun.” She takes a gulp of water, and I hold in my smile.
I’m aware of her big trust fund and the fact she doesn’t use it for much. Her tattoo parlor brings in enough income to support her lifestyle.
“Tattooers, please return to your stations.” The announcement comes across the speakers, and we both rise.
“Thank you. Please tell Grayson I said thank you also.”
“What do you want from him?” I finally ask her the question that has been weighing on my mind.
She purses her lips as she considers her answer. Like me, she is careful with what she says.
“Honestly, I don’t really know. Something about him calls to me. Maybe a good fuck will get him out of my system. But I can’t focus on him right now; I have a piece to complete in two more hours.”
She returns to her booth, and I follow to ensure she is tucked away safely before I head upstairs. She will definitely give Gray a run for his money.
The whole way up to the executive level, I think about my lisichka and how I wanted more with her, even though she stole from me. It makes me want to question why Gray wants this woman.
I step into his office. Neither of us struggles to find female companionship, but we both don’t seek it out either. His first love is this casino, while mine is ensuring I’m never vulnerable or left again.
“Why her?” I finally work the nerve up to ask. We’ve been putting out fires for the past hour. The hacker is at it again. Access alarms are going off on various floors and in the stores and restaurants.
Gray looks at the screen he has dedicated to watching his girl.
“She’s beautiful. Pure of heart. It’s hardened though and been hurt. What her parents did to her, leaving her, makes her doubt everyone around her. I’m going to have a hell of a time showing her I’m here for the long run. She’s sexy. Artistic and fresh. She’s not like any of the women around here. She doesn’t give a shit what others think of her. Maybe she won’t have a problem with who my family is.” His last words are pensive.
I know he’s concerned about telling her he owns the casino, but I think what he fears most is how she will react to him being a son of the Bratva.
“She doesn’t know you own this place,” I state the obvious.
“No, she doesn’t,” he responds. “But I’m more worried about how she’ll feel when she finds out who my father is.”
