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And now I was here all alone. Alone and wondering if I’d gotten everything wrong.
Almost too tired to think, I dragged myself from the sofa and trudged up the stairs to my room.
I stopped in the doorway, remorse chasing away my initial delight as I stared at my room. Once again, someone had perfected my space, only this looked a hell of a lot like the ruined room in Nicolas’s home must have looked before it was torn apart. Sumptuous fabrics graced a new four-poster bed, and it was a room fit for a bride.
Apparently, Nicolas thought it was fit for me.
Chapter 20
Nicolas
I shoved my paperwork to one side, the movement frustrated and rough. Things had all gone to fucking shit. I’d called for the paperwork of more of my biggest debtors, but it turned out that none owed me as much as Jean Boucher had, and none would provide me with anything of the same worth in return.
I growled and pushed the paperwork from my desk completely, watching it scatter uselessly to the floor. Then I stood and wandered to the mirrored glass overlooking my casino before resting my forearm on the window as I watched people I had no respect for literally gift their money to me.
Fucking humans.
Stupid species.
No common sense. No wonder I couldn’t stand them.
I couldn’t hear the game floors from here—the rooms were insulated against even my super-hearing—but I could imagine the sound of the chips, and farther away, the chimes of the slots.
The entrance door opened to admit another lamb to my slaughter, and for a moment, my heart froze in my chest as I took in dark brown hair and a slender frame. But it wasn’t her, and I looked away again.
“Everything okay in here?”
I jerked at Jason’s voice, distracted by too much noise in my head, and that was dangerous. “Why wouldn’t it be?” My words came out terse and biting. I half-turned to glance over my shoulder as I waited for his reply.
He gestured to the paperwork on the floor. “You dropped something.”
“Fuck it.” I returned to watching the casino, this time tuned in to the rustle of Jason’s pants as he crouched and began to shuffle the paperwork back into order. Each slice of the papers being piled together cut a fine line of irritation across my skin. “Leave it.”
“But I can get some of the others onto these collections.”
I waved a hand. I didn’t care anyway.
He sighed, and I could feel his gaze—his damn curious gaze, probably filled with concern if I knew Jason—on the back of my head. “What can I do?” His voice was no louder than a murmur, ensuring any vampire who happened to be passing my door wouldn’t hear.
“Nothing.” I sighed. “There’s nothing to do. Collect the debts, bring in the money. It’s business as usual.”
“And what about not-business?” he prodded. “What about pleasure?”
I barked out a laugh as some dumb guy below me gave in to a premature celebration over a win he hadn’t yet made. I was that fucking dumb guy. So close and everything had slipped away. “Pleasure’s overrated.”
“But you had slipped into pleasure then?”
Too late, I realized my mistake. I’d said too much and not denied Jason’s words. I’d shown him my hand. I said nothing further.
“Nic?” Jason prompted.
“What?” Usually my bad-tempered attitude made even him leave, but not this time.
“The house always wins, Nic. So where is Leia?”
I sighed. “The house didn’t win this time.”
Jason snorted laughter and tapped the files against my desk like he was straightening them. “Then change that. I’ve never known you to accept a loss with anything like good grace. You’re always biding your time, always watching to reel the punter back in.”
