Vegas Virgin (Nevada Bad Boys 1)

“Do you have your key to the safety deposit box?” He put my identification card on the counter.

“Yeah.” I nodded and reached into my pocket. “Right here.”

“Oh dear...” His face went white.

“What the fuck does that mean?” I felt my stomach churning.

“Sir, I think we’re going to need to call the police. A man came in here earlier and requested your safety deposit box. He had a key—he had an identification card with your name on it.” The man’s forehead started to sweat.

“Sir, this is Mr. Grant.” The teller motioned to me. “I helped him set up the safety deposit box.”

“Oh dear.” The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief as he repeated the same phrase. He wiped it across the sweat beads on his forehead.

“Fuck!” I slammed my hand on the counter and turned towards the door.

“Mr. Grant, do you want me to call the police?” The teller asked as I started to walk away.

“No!” I practically yelled it across the bank.

I had no idea what I was going to do. I couldn’t let Peoria die because of my own stupidity. I picked up my phone and dialed Floyd’s number several times, immediately redialing it when I didn’t get a response. It was clear he had skipped town with all the jewelry and fed me a bag of garbage in the process. I made one more trip to his apartment and when I didn’t get a response, I kicked it open and stared at a mostly empty apartment. Nothing large was taken, but he was definitely gone. I stormed back to my apartment and took a drink of whiskey before returning to my truck.

I had to save Peoria.

I was going to have to do the one thing I never thought I would do and that was betray Floyd. He had already taken the first steps in that betrayal, but I didn’t have a choice. The only thing that could possibly save Peoria was telling Mr. King who had his jewelry and hoped he let me live long enough to see Peoria walk out alive. I continued cursing Floyd’s name as I approached the address I got from Gill, which appeared to be a club.

Chapter 15: Peoria

T hey left me tied up in the room for several hours, but then someone I didn’t recognize from before entered the room and removed the rope on my hands. I hoped I was being set free, but instead I was taken to a small room with a cot and a locked door. They brought me food a couple of times, which told me that it was likely breakfast and lunchtime. I didn’t see Fiona, but I hoped she was at least having it as good as I was—even if my conditions sucked.

I was worried about what was going on outside of the room. I was angry at Vincent, but I didn’t want him to be killed. I was also sure that someone had seen us being taken, found my purse, and reported it to the cops. That meant my parents knew I was missing. Their worst fears about my Vegas vacation were going to come true. There was no chance of me getting out of the house or their sight again until I was in my fifties if I did make it home to Georgia. As I sat in the room consumed by my thoughts, the door opened and a man walked in with gray hair. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked over at me.

“Are you enjoying your stay?” His voice was ragged and sounded older than he appeared to be.

“Who are you?” I pulled my knees up to my chest and swallowed a lump in my throat.

“My name is Lawson King—I wouldn’t expect you to know who I am, but you were wearing my necklace when my men picked you up.” He smiled and shook his head. “I just needed to lay eyes on the woman Mr. Vincent Crane is willing to die for.”

“D—die?” I felt my heart beating hard in my chest.

“He’s offered to give me everything he stole in exchange for letting you and your friend go.” The older man nodded. “I thought it was important for you to know that. The only reason you’re going to walk out of here is because of him—if he holds up his end of the deal.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I felt my heart racing even faster as I stared at him and contemplated his words.

“Any man that would give up his life for someone should be remembered for his sacrifice—call me old-fashioned, I guess.” He stood and looked back to me. “I respect him for that, even if I have to kill him.”

“Wait...” I slid down the cot and grabbed Mr. King’s arm. “You don’t have to kill him. Just let us go. I promise we’ll leave. You’ll never see Vincent again. I’ll make sure he leaves Las Vegas for good.”

“I want you to have this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace Vincent gave me. “This is all you’ll have to remember him by, I’m afraid.”

He dropped the necklace on the bed and walked out of my room without saying another word. I picked up the necklace and clutched it in my hand. The clasp was broken, but it was still beautiful. I was happy to have it back, even though Mr. King’s words haunted me. There was a chance it would be all I had to remember Vincent by once the ordeal was over—especially if what Mr. King said was right. I turned over in the bed and held the necklace tight against my chest, crying into my pillow as I thought about Vincent.

Despite all of his flaws, he was willing to die for my freedom. He could have easily ran with the jewelry and never looked back, but underneath all of the things he had done, he was a good man. I just wished I could hold him one more time.

Chapter 16: Vincent

T ime to gamble with Peoria’s life. I may hate Floyd, but I sure as fuck wish I had his poker face right now.

The club was dark, but there was nobody inside except for a few guys that stood near the bar with guns on their hips. A stage that ran through the middle of the room had a pole, but it wasn’t a strip club I knew, and I was pretty familiar with most of them. There was a bar that had a selection of liquor behind it, but none of the bottles had been opened. Everything in the room appeared to be brand new, so I assumed it was still a work in progress. I looked around the room for Mr. King or Gill, but I didn’t see any of them. A door opened at the back of the room and I saw Gill poke his head out. He looked at me with a smile, but then it turned to a look of disdain as he scanned me with his eyes.