Page 4 of Caruso (Vegas Mafia #3)

Chapter Four

Matteo

A s I head toward room fifteen-ten, I can’t believe what I just heard.

The housekeeper has murdered one of the guests.

When will this ever end?

Apparently, Simon saw her enter the room, and the guest followed shortly afterwards. When they were in there for a while, her cart remaining unattended outside, he began to grow suspicious.

I knew I liked this guy.

Something about the guest felt off to him, and as he waited, he ordered a sweep of the guy via our intelligence network.

It appears he is wanted in several states for rape, so Simon wasted no time in calling in reinforcements.

We protect our business, which also involves our colleagues, and yet when he burst into the room, he couldn’t believe the sight in front of him .

Due to the fact that my brothers are otherwise occupied, it has fallen on me to sort this shit out.

As I enter the room, he is the first person I see, and I note the body at his feet before my gaze travels to the woman sitting calmly on the bed.

She is certainly dressed like one of the housekeeping staff, but there is something different about her.

Aside from the fact she is stunning, she holds herself with a confidence that I admire. She has just murdered a man and yet shows no emotion at all as she stares at the floor, her hands resting in her lap.

I nod to Simon to follow me, and we move to the entrance, just inside the door.

“What happened?”

“He attacked her. She fought back.”

A trace of admiration passes his expression, and I can’t help sharing it.

“It’s her first day.” Simon says in a whisper, “Shall I call it in?”

I glance past him and note the small, waiflike figure awaiting her fate and the grotesque man lying dead at her feet.

“Not yet.”

I angle my head toward the door.

“Call the cleaners.”

He nods, understanding my meaning because the cleaners are not the ones in the usual sense. They remove things we would rather remain inside our hotel and deal with shit that is best left out of the headlines .

Before he leaves, I pull him back.

“Anyone who will miss him?”

“I’m working on it.”

“Discover what you can. The last thing we need is more headlines and another visit from the cops.”

It appears that trouble packs its bags for Vegas and checks into my hotel, and I never thought most of my time would be spent covering that up to save my hotel from notoriety. My aim is decadence and fine living, not a seedy joint in town where pimps and criminals hang out.

As Simon leaves to arrange the cleanup, I head inside and sit beside the girl on the bed, side by side.

She stiffens but continues to stare at the floor, and I say softly, “I’m Matteo Caruso.”

“I know.”

“Then you are ahead of me because I don’t recall your name.”

“Taylor Harvey. I started today.”

“Bad luck.”

Something about her cool reassurance impresses me, and I glance at the dead body at her feet.

“Tell me what happened.”

Her voice is low, a little husky and soft—sweet even. I detect a slight southern drawl as she fills me in on what happened.

When she gets to the part where she grabbed his balls and twisted them, my eyes water at how that must have felt, and I exhale sharply. “You have impressive moves. How did you learn to defend yourself like that? ”

“My stepfather taught me.”

“He did well. You must be grateful to him.”

For the first time, she turns, and I stare in shock as her huge gray eyes harden, the dark lashes fluttering against her porcelain skin as she whispers, “Not really. It was self-defense. Fight or flight — isn’t that what they say? I learned my skills the hard way.”

I can’t look away. Her angelic face belies her strength, and the resignation in her expression floors me a little. So much pain hides behind her flashing eyes, and yet the beauty that shines in them renders me speechless.

I have a strong urge to cup that face between my hands and reassure her that I’ve got this—got her. That I will sort this, look after her and protect her. It’s as if an angel fell from the sky and was tutored by the devil because this girl is nothing short of ethereal.

Her hair is highlighted with streaks of blue that complement the inky black dye in her hair. It’s obvious she’s colored it as I notice the roots beginning to emerge, almost white—a natural blonde.

She’s hiding from something—is it him—her stepfather?

She doesn’t even blink as she regards me, a step away from madness. Is that me or her?

I check myself and glance back at the body, noting his pants around his knees and the shock on his face.

“What happens now?”

Her question holds no fear, merely curiosity, and I shrug. “I haven’t decided yet. ”

If anything, it strikes me how indecisive I am about this. Ordinarily, I would call the cops, remove the body and dispose of the girl either by firing her or handing her over to the cops. But not this time. I have an irresistible urge to prolong our encounter, and I wonder why.

Simon returns before I have made up my mind and says in a low voice, “They are on their way.”

Taylor angles her head to one side. “The cops?”

“No.”

I stand and jerk my thumb toward the door.

“Follow me.”

As she stands, I note how she smooths her dress down and walks carefully, almost defiantly, as she steps over the body at her feet. She shows no remorse for what just happened. No tears, no worries, no pain. Merely calm, cool resignation, which impresses the fuck out of me.

This girl would make a fantastic assassin, and I wonder why that interests me so much.

Simon catches my eye, and his expression is blank, once again reminding me why he will get a raise next payday. He is proving to be an asset, and I wonder if he’s not the only one.

Taylor follows me to the elevator, and as we wait, she says nothing at all. She shows no nerves, no hesitation, and I wonder what is running through her mind.

I don’t enlighten her, and as the elevator grinds to a halt and the doors open, I thank God it’s empty. The fewer people that see us together, the better until I figure this shit out.

Our destination is my apartment, which I share with my brothers on the top floor of the hotel. One half is home to three penthouses; the other half is solely our accommodation.

As we head to my private space, I wonder why I brought her here at all. It’s unusual. We only bring people here we don’t want anyone to know about—take the man who is fast becoming Giorgio’s new jigsaw puzzle in reverse.

But Taylor Harvey is different from that. I don’t want to share her with my brothers. For some reason, I want to get her on her own.

We head down the hall, past the huge living area but not as far as Giorgio’s playroom. There is a guest bedroom we use for passing relatives, and it suits my purpose now.

As we head inside, she remains in the doorway, and as I turn, I note the steel in her eyes as they flash, noting she has swapped one bedroom for another and is probably fearing the worst.

“It’s private. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with you yet.”

“In what way?”

“Relax, I’m not that man. I’m able to keep my hands to myself if that’s what you’re thinking.”

She nods, with no trace of her thoughts in her expression.

“So, Taylor–”

I point to the bed. “Welcome to your new home until I do. ”

“I don’t understand.”

This time I face her with the promise of what happens if she steps out of line and a flicker of fear lights her eyes as I hiss, “I take the reputation of my hotel very seriously and the last thing I need is a scandal attached. Until I discover exactly who that man was, you will remain here until I decide what I’m going to do with you. ”

I point to the bed. “You can call this home for as long as it takes and only come out when I unlock the door. Nobody knows you are here, and I’m known for taking no shit, so I must warn you against trying to escape.

Take this as an unexpected vacation and enjoy your stay because this may be a five-star hotel, but your cage is a prison all the same. ”

“I’m your prisoner?”

She raises her eyes and once again, I detect no fear, just curiosity, and I nod.

“For now. Until I have decided what to do with you.”

She nods, standing tall and without any fear, and as I make to leave, I hesitate and then turn, asking casually, “What happened to your stepfather?”

“He is at home.”

“You never–”

She shrugs, a small smile playing on her lips as she answers me. “He’s alive, if that’s what you’re asking—for now.”

“For now?”

“Yes, Mr. Caruso, for now, because if I ever see that man again, he won’t be for much longer. ”

I turn away before she can witness the smile stretching across my face right now because as the words fell, and she stared at me with a defiant smile, I believe I fell a little in love with the ethereal beauty who has stumbled from one kind of hell right into another and this particular devil can fight back if necessary.