Vegas: Bk 02 Ch. 02

"Freakin Seven-Three," he ranted, before repeating himself. "I have pocket Aces and she has freakin Seven-Three."

By this stage he was out of his seat and pacing around the table in true Hellmuth style. It took a full five minutes before he sat down.

"Freakin women," he spat out as he sat down, adding, "Nice hand," although Holly knew he meant anything other than that.

"I thought you only posed for the cameras, Phil?" she purred.

*

Ming had mixed feelings. When Kay had asked her to help set up and then manage The Carousel Club, it was a dream come true. She had lived in Vegas since arriving in the country as a teenage girl and the opportunity to remain there in such a capacity was almost too good to be true.

She had been extremely loyal to Kay during their time together, both as an employee and also as her lover, and she had quickly become to learn that Kay repaid loyalty with loyalty. She was now about to reap the benefits.

She felt she had made a good start and at Kay's request, had personally handled the agreement to pay protection money and keep Big Eddie happy. Whatever it takes, Kay had told her. Whatever it takes!

The financial cut was straightforward enough although Parker moaned about that side of things. He might have been a wizard at keeping the club's financial affairs in order but otherwise he was a pain in the proverbial.

But the management of the club was her responsibility and apart from the money changing hands, she had quickly come to realise that keeping Desmond happy was a major part of her role. When Desmond wanted a woman, Ming made the arrangements. Her only issue was that Desmond appeared to taking more of an interest in her and she knew she had her work cut out to keep him at arm's length.

Her other problem, and the reason for her mixed feelings, was Parker himself. Kay had been absolutely right in putting in someone to take care of the financial side of the business and Parker was first class at that. Ming would not have been able to cope without him. The difficulty was that with their select group of beautiful girls, Parker found it hard to stay out of the way. The club itself was her territory, not Parker's, and he was a major distraction.

He was a diversion to Ming too, as she had stupidly had sex with him on three occasions since establishing the club. Like most females, she found him exceptionally attractive physically and it seemed they were a sexual outlet for one another. She had a strong libido and, accepting Kay's instruction that as a Manager she had to stand apart from her employees, he was the main way for her to sate her sexual needs.

Her dilemma was that as Parker was spending more and more time at the front of house, she would have to draw a line and somehow find her sexual gratification elsewhere. The working of the club was her territory, not his, and sooner or later they would need to have that discussion.

Today was no exception. When she had completed some paperwork and headed out to the main floor, Parker was already there, talking to her assistant. Leaning over her in fact, as she tried to back away.

Ming knew Julie always felt uncomfortable when Parker was around. He treated her as if she was one of their escort girls and was there for the taking. Ming had hammered home that Julie's role was specifically to support her but he would just laugh.

Not that Ming could blame him for being attracted to the sparkling hazelnut eyed twenty-year old. She was strikingly beautiful and had a way of provocatively flicking her short and sassy black hair when she laughed. Except when Parker was around, that was. And although very comfortable in her own skin, Ming would have killed for breasts like Julie's. Not needing the supported of a brassiere, her dark pink nipples always appeared to be temptingly in evidence against the material of the thin cream blouses she wore for work.

If it had not been for Kay's rule, Ming would have tested the raven haired beauty's resolve some time ago.

Julie looked over at her. Her eyes pleaded to be rescued. Walking hurriedly past the two dancers who were already performing on stage, Ming took Parker's arm.

"Sorry to interrupt," she firmly said, steering Parker to one side. "But we need to speak."

Parker smiled at her. "Okay, honey. Your office?"

He followed her along the length of the bar, his eyes trained on the two nearly naked dancers who were coming to the end of their acts.

Ming closed the office door behind them and flopped onto the leather couch. "Parker, this has to stop," she calmly stated.

"What has? Julie? You jealous, honey?"

"Julie has no interest in you, Parker. She has a steady boyfriend and she is not one of our escorts. So back off."

His face hardened. "I'll back off when I decide to," he grated, dropping down beside her on the couch and looking her firmly in the eye. "It's none of your business."

"It is my business," Ming retorted, her eyes flaring at his response.

She took a deep breath to avoid this turning into an argument. She did not want to fall out with Parker as he was too valuable to her. And to Kay for that matter. But she did have to stand her ground.

"Parker, you are here to control the financials and you do that superbly. But your continued presence around the club is a distraction and it has to stop."

For a moment, Ming thought he was going to hit her. His eyes bulged and a certain redness hit his cheeks. But then his face softened.

"Ming," he said, clearly trying to control his temper. "You and I are both giving this club everything to make it a success, are we not?"

"Absolutely."

"And that means no outside distractions."

"Neither of us has time for outside distractions," she replied, her eyes narrowing as she tried to anticipate where this was going.

"Exactly," he said, beginning to smile. "Kay told us both that in the early stages, the club had to be our life."

He gently adjusted his position on the couch, moving his right arm around her shoulders. His left went down onto her bare inner thigh.

"Your point is?" she asked, moving his hand from her leg to his.

"We both have exactly the same issue, Ming."

His hand returned and whilst she knew she should remove it again, she allowed it to stay until she better understood where he was coming from.

"Which is?" she softly asked.

"We both have such a high sex drive, honey."

That was true, she knew, feeling the fingers begin a soft caress on her skin.

"We... we have to control that," she said firmly, despite the enjoyment that ran along her skin under his feather-light touches.

"You may have to, honey. But not me. I can't. I need sex, Ming. And if I can't look outside of the club, then I have to take what's available here. After all, that's what our girls do, isn't it?"

"Not Julie," she said with a soft sigh. God, his fingers felt so good.

"Who knows," he said, smiling again. "She may come round? But if not, there are others."

"Parker, I've told you. That's a distraction. First there's Desmond wanting his share and now you. We're here for our paying customers!"

"Can't help it," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Unless...."

"Unless what?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

His fingertips ran further up her inner thigh and her body twitched with arousal as his tongue traced along the circular ridges of her left ear, flicking inside her lobe.

"You want it as much as I do," he breathed.

His fingers inched higher, under the short black skirt, and she did nothing to halt his progress. He eased her legs further apart and a thrilling rush of excitement surged through. She softly closed her eyes as his fingertips traced the outline of her vulva through her skimpy thong. He must have felt the wetness that had already begun to form.

"Don't you want it, honey?" he breathed, momentarily pulling his working tongue fractionally away from her wet ear.

She could feel the wet heat emanating from her sex and softly groaned when he slipped a finger beneath the thong. It gently brushed her already swollen clitoris. He breathed heavily into her ear one final time before his spare hand turning her face towards him. His mouth covered hers. She gave him her tongue and hated herself for giving in so easily. But right now, she needed this man. She would think through the ramifications later.

She ran her fingers across his crotch, feeling his cock grow. She deftly took hold of the zipper. The metallic noise as she unzipped him sounded so deliciously naughty. She slipped her hand inside and pressed her soft fingers against the bulge in his boxer shorts.

"That feels good, doesn't it?" he asked.

She looked at him and her narrow eyes broke into a reluctant smile of acknowledgement.

"You're making me real hard, honey," he encouraged.

She smiled again as she tugged his now erect cock free. After tantalisingly stroking the shaft, she slowly dropped her head, pausing long enough to hold his eyes. When she had his attention, she ran her flicking tongue around the head and licked him like a lollipop. He moaned as she slowly took him between her lips, her eyes continuing to be fixed on his as she sucked him inside.

His hands tugged her blouse out of her mini skirt and unfastened the front clasp of her brassiere. His hands slid onto her breasts and pinched her hard dark nipples. She gave a soft moan.

Her skilled mouth worked him hard, her head bobbing as she worked on bringing him to the boil. When she felt his fingers grip her hair and his body begin to tighten, she pulled her head away. The last thing she wanted was for him to cum before he had satisfied her.

She stood up and pulled at her clothes, her skirt and thong quickly following her blouse and brassiere onto the floor. Looking down, she could see his hungry eyes take in first her diamond belly button stud and then the thin, heart-shaped patch of dark hair guarding her lips. She lifted one foot up onto the couch.

"Get to work," she instructed.

His hands went to her buttocks as he slid to the floor and pulled her to his face. Her moans began as his experienced tongue honed in on its objective and increased as he stimulated her slippery clitoris. Two fingers followed, flicking inside her and now it was her fingers pulling his hair.

"Parker," she gasped as he began finger-fucking her, but she stopped as her breath caught in her throat.

Her hips rotated back and forth in rhythm with his pumping fingers, the wet sound of his working digits filling the small room. As his mouth sucked harder on her stimulated clitoris she pulled his head tighter against her and desperately ground herself against his lips.

She knew she was rapidly approaching orgasm and felt his mouth devour her sweet nectar as the powerful jolts rippled through her body. He continued to lap at her until her trembling body began to relax.

He eased her onto the couch and manoeuvred between her still trembling thighs. She continued to moan as she felt him his ramrod hard stiffness along her narrow valley. Slowly, he eased himself inside her small opening. She softly cried out as she stretched to accommodate his girth, sliding her hands onto his buttocks to pull him deeper.

Parker's hands covered her small breasts and gently squeezed the soft swells as they kissed. It felt good but they both needed more. They moved against one another, developing a comfortable yet frantic rhythm. Ming dug her fingernails dug into his hard buttocks.

Sweat began to drip from them as he responded. He raised up on his haunches, pummelling her into the couch with hard, swift strokes. Their moist bodies noisily slapped together. He grunted and she thrashed. They fucked like animals and Ming knew she was about to cum again.

She shook beneath his weight as her thighs tightened against his waist, her body trembling a second time. Just as she thought he had thoughtfully slowed his movements to allow her to enjoy her climax, he immediately picked up the pace. It was his own satisfaction he was interested in, not hers. He fucked her hard, his short strokes adding to her stimulation as well as his. His groans signalled the end of his journey.

"Gonna cum," he unnecessarily grunted as he thrust into her one last time.

Ming flicked her tongue in his ear as he reached the very edge and her hard licks inside the lobe resulted in a second, longer grunt. She dug her heels into his buttocks as he fired successive bursts of seed, his body continually jerking until eventually he lay spent.

It hit Ming that she had not even locked the door and she knew then that she had to regain control of herself.

*

Katherine knew she should have called Joshua but was reluctant to do so whilst Daniel was around. Her sleep and then much needed fucking session had delayed things further and she decided that if she could get to her apartment. she would make the call from there.

Daniel had been grumpy with her since they had had sex, but that was understandable. She knew the guilty feelings and pent up emotions from the past would quickly disappear once she had him fully under her sexual influence. This time she would not let go of him so easily. Rich, young men were not that easy to find, especially when they were as genuine as he was. He may yet be a way out of the nightmare she was finding herself in. But first things first...

"I have to get back to my apartment," she told him. "If I can just do that, I'll feel safer. Then I can speak to a few people and see what my next steps are. You'll help me get there, won't you?"

When he hesitated, she understood his reluctance to get involved but he was fundamental to her plans.

"Oh, come on Daniel, you are not going to abandon me, are you?" she asked, putting the pressure on.

"Of course not, Katherine," he murmured.

She knew it was not a wholehearted response but that was okay, she could work on that. But as soon as they left the room, reality hit and Katherine began to tremble.

She felt Daniel recognise her reaction and he placed a comforting hand around her waist as they walked to the elevator. He held her tightly as they stood there and she checked all around for any signs that they were being watched.

When they reached the ground floor, Katherine's eyes again swept the floor before she would move and she whispered to Daniel that she felt faint. His grip tightened around her waist.

"You'll be fine, Katherine. Hold onto me," he muttered reassuringly.

They hurried across the busy foyer and headed out of the air conditioned security off the hotel into the blazing heat of the day. The doorman waved a cab forward from the row waiting and they slipped inside, both glad for the anonymity of the back seat.

Katherine took Daniel's hand in hers, winding her fingers so tightly around his that they began to hurt. After a final backwards glance as the taxi pulled away, she snuggled deep in the seat as though that offered protection from her fears.

She stayed that way throughout the twenty minute journey, afraid even to speak until she reached the security of her apartment. Once there, she would contact Joshua, collect some clothes, and see if she could persuade Daniel to allow her to stay in his room for a few days. And she knew exactly how to do that, she slyly thought.

She felt more confident by the second as they walked the short distance to her apartment block. Once inside she dragged him over to a small elevator, the unattractive steel door rumbling open. As the door closed, she felt a surge of relief and forced him back against the wall. Her soft mouth slid to his whilst her hand ran down the front of his jeans.

"You've been a rock, Daniel," she whispered as she broke the kiss. "I'll have to find a way to thank you."

"Katherine," he began, taking her hand away. "We have to have a serious talk!"

She smiled at his confused look. "Of course, Daniel."

Whatever resistance his mind had planned, she knew his reaction under her hand was a certain sign that she would have her way. As the lift jerked to a halt she gave him a softer peck on his lips.

"We're here," she smiled.

But the relief of reaching her own place was dulled as she instantly realised she had left her purse in Mario's room. Damn, no money and no door key. And before she could try to explain, they both saw that the door was slightly ajar.

"Daniel..." she whispered as her heart leapt into her mouth.

He stopped her with a finger to his lips and gently pushed the door open, listening for any sound. There was none but as he gingerly eased forward into the apartment he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. That was a fraction of a second before he was struck on the back of the neck and he crumpled to the floor.

Katherine spun around on her heels in an attempt to escape but a strong hand pulled her inside. She gasped with horror as she saw one of the men from Mario's room, still clutching the gun that had crashed down on Daniel's skull. She attempted to back away but his grip tightened, sending a sharp pain shooting up her arm.

"Katherine! Welcome!"

The voice came from her living area and the hood tugged her inside. Desmond and the second of his two associates were sitting on the couch, her couch!

"For a moment we thought we'd lost you," Desmond drawled. "It's good of you to return here."

"What do you want of me?" she asked, her voice a frightened whisper. Her whole body began to tremble with fear.

"Now, what do we want?" he softly repeated, looking at the two hoods as he shook his head. "What do you think Jimmy?"

The hood just grinned inanely.

"Don't insult our intelligence," Desmond barked, his face hardening. "We know full well you saw what happened with Mario. And you know we can't allow you to leave."

His voice had a calm, eerie quality and Katherine's eyes widened as his words began to sink in.

"You... you don't mean... you can't!"

She desperately looked around her but felt the hood beside her grip both arms. With a dreaded resignation, she realised there was no escape.

"Well, that depends on you," he quietly said.

"How?" she eagerly asked, grabbing onto the lifeline.

"Let's understand your position here, Katherine," his harsh voice said as his eyes locked firmly onto hers. "Had we got to you at Mario's flat, we would have had no choice. You would have been eliminated immediately."

She let out a sob. This was a nightmare.

"But then we spoke to our boss," he continued. "And he suggested we find out who've you told about this."

"No one," she gasped, stifling a gulp. "I've told no one."

"Come, come. Not true," he drawled, nodding at the hood holding her. "Make her talk, Tommy."

The hood tightened his grip, causing Katherine to wince in pain. "I promise," she cried. "I've told no-one."

Desmond's eyes widened as he shook his head in disbelief.

"Okay, let's test this," he suggested, nodding through at the corridor where Daniel lay. "Who's the schmuck?"

"A poker player," she urgently explained. "I hid at the hotel and he found me. He knows nothing. I... I asked him to escort me home..."

"Yeah?" he quietly responded. "And he agreed. Just like that?"

"I.. I.. promised him a good time," she lied.

The three men laughed. "That was good of you. What's his name?"

"I.. I'm not sure," she gasped. "Daniel, he said."

Desmond's eyes flicked to the hood beside him. "Okay, Tommy," he said.

The man got up from the couch and pulled his gun out as he walked over to Daniel. He aimed it at Daniel's unconscious head and Katherine closed her eyes and whimpered.

*

Joshua paced up and down, shaken by the news. He had thought he had seen off Big Eddie's threat but Mario's death brought home the stark reality of what he was facing. This was serious. But this was his livelihood, this was his life and he had no intention of allowing Big Eddie to intimidate him. If he wanted trouble that was exactly what Joshua would give him.