“Do you mind?”
Jake smirked. “Sorry.”
Ivan stepped in front of him. “About that gagging payment…”
“Oh yeah?”
“Here’s my offer… You keep your fucking mouth shut, or you’ll be spitting out teeth thanks to my fist. Right?”
Jake laughed. “Right, it’s a deal. So, what shall I tell Langdon? She’s run off with one of his farm hands?”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something. Just remember how much you’re getting paid.”
“I sure will.” Jake fell serious. “Hey, did you just say Samira’s kid was yours?”
“Yeah. It’s a long story which I don’t have time to go into right now.”
“Oh it’s okay. I know where babies come from – my parents gave me a good education.”
Ivan stared at him. Then he laughed. “You’re a fucking joker, aren’t you?”
“Something like that… But it’s nice to know I’ve got a nephew. I’m not super keen on kids, but I guess being an uncle might be good for me.”
“You’re not his uncle yet. You need to earn that title.”
“Look, Ivan, I know you think I’m an asshole, but I…”
Jake trailed off. They both glanced up and saw Samira heading back with Quin in her arms. She looked beautiful. So light and free. The perfect combination of mother and lover.
She grinned at Ivan and halted in front of him, making his heart flash with love.
“Lola gave me his bag of things to… why are you both staring at me like that?”
Ivan glanced at Jake. If he was checking her out again, Ivan really would rip his balls off.
“Let’s go get married.” He said, opening the passenger door of the truck. “See you when we get back, Jake. Try to get her passport, okay?”
“Sure, I’ll do my best.” He winked. “Enjoy your wedding night.”
Chapter Thirteen
As they flew into a little airfield on the outskirts of Las Vegas, Samira was fascinated to see that the city was a beacon of bright lights in the middle of a desert, surrounded by mountain ranges. It was stiflingly hot as they climbed out of the private jet, but the waiting air-conditioned limousine was cool and luxurious as it drove them into the center of ‘the strip’ – a four-mile straight road where all the action seemed to be centered.
Ivan sat with Quin on his lap, pointing out the window and talking to him as if they’d known each other forever. It warmed Samira’s heart to see them getting along so well, and she allowed herself to be swept along with the excitement of the all-night party that was happening outside.
Las Vegas billed itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World for a reason. It was as if polite American society had let rip and exploded into hedonism – buzzing with the excitement of when the circus was in town. But this entire place was the circus. The eighty degree heat at night meant that everyone here was scantily dressed – Samira had never seen this much flesh and bondage gear in public before, not even in LA. There were elated people everywhere, spilling over the road and waving into the car. It was as if a magic fairy had dropped glitter over this little part of the desert, and up had sprung Las Vegas.
As they sat in the car, Samira felt liberated – free from the shackles of normal life. But she knew she couldn’t tolerate this high-end opulence for long. She was already yearning for a walk in the countryside to counter all this lavishness.
The car pulled up outside the massive five-star hotel that Ivan had booked during the flight, and she took Quin from him, holding her little boy close against her as they stepped onto the sidewalk. She smiled shyly at the drunk merrymakers who were swarming around, and she gripped Ivan’s hand tightly. It was like reality on steroids. Not somewhere she wanted her six-month-old baby to be.
The hotel was breathtaking with its huge foyer, casino, and art gallery. They checked in and Samira decided that Las Vegas was too hectic and noisy for little Quin, so they arranged to have him taken care of at the hotel daycare center. Samira interrogated the woman who would be giving him her personal attention, and she felt satisfied that she could be trusted.
They both kissed Quin goodbye, then they went shopping in a huge and crowded mall. They bought expensive gold wedding rings, and Samira found a pretty white dress, which was sleeveless, knee-length, and lacy. It was decorated with roses around the neckline and she felt like a little girl in it – as if she could fly with the butterflies.
Ivan bought a designer suit, and they both got dressed in the store – climbing back into the limo in their wedding gear, and laughing at how fun and spontaneous this was. It felt good to be free.
They asked the driver to take them to the Chapel of the Flowers, which was on the outskirts of the main strip – and much more tranquil. It was set in lush grounds with water fountains – obscuring the noises from the street like a little bubble of serenity away from the craziness outside.