His Kingdom (Owning Vegas Book 1)

Of all the shit I’d expect Carlo to bring to my doorstep, a child is the last thing on that long-ass list.

“He didn’t steal me. He’s my daddy,” the kid says.

I blink. “He’s what now?” I direct my confusion to Carlo.

“She, ah, was dropped off with a note,” he says.

I walk around the counter and bend so I’m at the little girl’s height. “Hi, I’m Louie. What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“My name’s Jazzy. It’s short for Jasmine, like the princess,” she says.

“Well, Jazzy, it’s nice to meet you. Why don’t you sit up here? I’m about to make breakfast.” I pick her up and sit her on a stool next to Charlotte. “This is my wife, Charlotte.”

“Hi, you’re very pretty,” Jazzy comments.

“Thank you. So are you, sweetie,” Charlotte replies.noveldrama

I grab a bowl of precut fruit salad from the fridge and place it in front of the girls. “I have some paperwork for Carlo. I forgot to give it to him yesterday,” I tell Charlotte. “Be right back.”

I kiss her cheek before walking out of the kitchen with my very-silent friend following me. Once we’re closed inside the office, I turn to Carlo.

“What the fuck?”

“I don’t know, man. She was left at reception with a note.” He pulls a piece of paper from his pocket. “I freaked. I didn’t know what to do.”

I snatch the note from his hand, read it, and give it back. “First, you need a DNA test. She might not even be yours. Second, if she is yours, then I guess we have a new addition to the family.” I shrug.

“I don’t know the first thing about kids. Or being a father.” Carlo scratches his head.

“I don’t think there’s a manual. Just… feed her, keep her clean and safe. It can’t be that hard,” I tell him.

“Right. I can do that.” Carlo nods in agreement. “She’s tiny. How hard can it be?”

“Exactly,” I say. “What does she know about her mother?”

“I don’t know,” he says. “I came straight here.”

“Ask her. Find out whatever you can, so we can track the woman down,” I tell him.

When I walk back out to the kitchen, Charlotte is at the stove. The smell of bacon fills the air.

I close my arms around her waist and tug her back to my chest. “You don’t need to do that.”

“I like cooking, and I know you need to eat,” she says. “Is it always this… busy around here?”

“No,” I tell her. “I’ll revoke everyone’s access to this floor.”

“Don’t do that. They’re your friends. But seriously, did Carlo really not know he had a daughter?” she whispers.

“He wouldn’t abandon a kid he knew about.” None of us would. We might not know how to be parents, but we sure as shit know what not to do.

“What’s he gonna do?” Charlotte asks.

I glance over my shoulder. Where Carlo is sitting next to Jazzy, a look of wonder on his face. “I think he’s going to be fine. You know, once the shock wears off.”

Charlotte nods before adding, “I need to go and check on Evie.”

“I’ll come with you after we eat,” I tell her.

Carlo took Jazzy to his penthouse at Aces High. He looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack, but I know he’s going to do the right thing by this kid. We’re all products of shitty parents. If I thought for one minute that little girl wasn’t safe or her well-being wasn’t going to become my friend’s top priority, I would have made him leave her here. I will never be the person who sits by and lets a child become a victim.

Charlotte is waiting in the living room when I walk out. She smiles, then pinches her arm. “Ouch.” She frowns.

My steps quicken as I approach her. I pick up her arm and bring it to my mouth, kissing over the small red mark she left there. “Why would you hurt yourself?”

“I was checking if I was dreaming, or if this is really my life now. How are you my husband? Have you seen yourself? I mean, I’ve never won anything before, but I feel like I might have won the husband lottery.”

“That’s not true. You won a room upgrade just last week.” I chuckle. “And I’m the one winning here, sweetheart. I get to keep you.” My arm snakes around her back and I pull her against me.

“Mmm, well, you won’t have me if Evie wakes up to a strange man in her room and I’m not there. Because she will kill me,” Charlotte says, pulling away.

“I don’t care who they are. If someone tries to hurt you, you can believe I will kill them first,” I grunt.

“It’s a figure of speech, Louie. She wouldn’t actually kill me.” Charlotte frowns again. “You really need to not take everything so seriously.”

“Your safety is a serious matter.” I grab her hand. “Come on, I’ll drag Emmanuel out of there if I have to.”

“He wouldn’t hurt her, would he?” Charlotte asks me.

I can’t lie to this woman, but I also don’t want to make her worry. “I think his fascination with her is a little odd. But I don’t think he’d hurt her.” At least not yet.

Charlotte sighs. “Yeah, I didn’t get that vibe from him. He seems like he really likes her, almost like he knows her from somewhere else,” she says. “Maybe they’re star-crossed lovers from a past life.”

“This isn’t a movie or a book where everyone gets a happily ever after. Trust no one, Charlotte.”

“What about you? Should I trust you?” She lifts a brow in my direction.

“Trust no one but me,” I clarify.

“Who do you trust? You can’t go through life without trusting anyone, Louie,” she says.

“Trusting no one is the reason I’ve gotten to where I am, Charlotte. Trusting people only leads you to being blind when they stab you in the back. Or in my world, in the front.”

“That’s really sad. I hope that one day you’ll learn to trust me,” she says.

“I married you, Charlotte. I wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t trust you.”

“But you just said…”

“I know what I said. You aren’t just anyone. You’re my wife.” I lean down and kiss her before adding, “Which also means you can’t testify against me.”

Charlotte’s eyes widen. “Why would I testify against you?”

“You can’t. Married, remember? And it was a joke. Relax. I’m not stupid enough to get caught.” I open the door to the other penthouse suite, walking in before Charlotte. I want to make sure none of Emmanuel’s goons are lurking around. It’s empty, so I follow Charlotte down the small hall to the bedroom where her friend is still sleeping.

Sure enough, just as I expected, Emmanuel is sitting in the corner of the bedroom. Just staring at the motionless form on the bed. “Let’s go,” I tell him.

“Since when do I take orders from you?” He cocks his head to the side.

“Since I just doubled my imports and we have shit to discuss,” I remind him, before turning to Charlotte. “I’ll be downstairs in my office if you need anything.”

“I’ll be fine,” she says.

Emmanuel follows me out. “What’s the real reason you wanted me out of that room?” he asks when the door clicks closed.

“My wife is in there and I don’t particularly trust you around her,” I tell him.

“You need to learn to trust people. I have no intentions of doing anything to your wife,” he says. “Also, can we admit it’s fucking weird as shit that you even have a wife?”

“It’s a change.” I shrug. “What are you doing with Evie? You do know she’s not Laura.”

“I know,” he grunts. “Because Laura’s been dead for seven years.”

I suspected as much.

“Don’t hurt her,” I warn him. The last thing I need is to have to explain to Charlotte why her friend is missing. There’s also the thought of her being upset that doesn’t sit well with me. “I need to buy a ring.”

“What?”

“I need to buy Charlotte a ring. She doesn’t have one and I don’t want her walking around here looking single,” I tell Emmanuel.

“It doesn’t matter if she has a ring. Your wife is a ten, Louie. Assholes are still gonna try to hit on her. And this desert ain’t big enough to bury them all.” He laughs.

“I’ll burn them then,” I groan. “Oh, and Carlo has a kid.”

Emmanuel stops dead in his tracks. “What? Since when?”

“Since this morning. Someone dumped a little girl at reception. Came with a letter telling him she’s his,” I explain.

“Who’s the mother?”

“No idea. There was no name,” I say.

At least she cared enough about the kid to leave her with people, and not in a dark alley between two dumpsters. That thought, I keep to myself.