His Kingdom (Owning Vegas Book 1)

It’s been a week since I was shot, and I finally get to go home. I kept asking the staff when I was going to be released, but I think Louie had warned the doctor to keep me in that damn hospital for as long as possible. He’s not overly happy over the fact I’ve been discharged.

The car stops out front of the Royal Flush. I know I was itching to come home, but having to walk through the casino again…. Yeah, I’m not so sure about that. A light sheen of sweat covers my forehead and my heart picks up speed at the thought.

“Louie, I…” I look at him. I don’t know what to say.

“I’ve got you. You are safe here, Charlotte. I promise,” he says.

“But are you?” I ask him.

“Yes.”

“I don’t know if I can go in there,” I admit.

“We’ll use the staff entrance. You don’t have to go onto the casino floor,” he says. “Come on.” He opens the door, jumps down from the SUV, and then reaches in and picks me up.

“What are you doing? Put me down. I can walk,” I tell him.

“No,” he says, walking inside the casino before making a quick left.

“What do you mean no? I can walk, Louie. Put me down,” I repeat.

“And I can carry you. I want to,” he says.

I don’t realize the death grip I have on him until we enter his penthouse and he sets me down on the bed. He has to pry my hands from his shirt so he can stand. Though he does appear reluctant to do it.

“Don’t move,” Louie instructs before turning and walking out of the room.

I get up and follow him. Pain goes straight through to my shoulder, but I push through it. I’m not sitting around in bed for another week.

“What are you doing? You need to be in bed,” Louie says.

“No, I really don’t. I’m going to sit on the sofa,” I tell him, making my way through to the living room.

He brings me a bottle of water and sits next to me. “Are you in pain? Do you need anything?”

I shake my head. “I don’t need anything. Just you.”

True to his word, Louie didn’t leave my side for the entirety of the week I spent at the hospital. There were times he’d walk outside the room to talk to Sammie or Carlo, but he’d always stand where he could see me. Where I could see him.

“I really do appreciate you staying with me. I know you have a lot of work to do,” I tell him after a moment of silence.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else, Charlotte. You’re my wife. That makes you my number one priority. If you need me, then I’m going to be there. Always,” Louie says.

“You don’t have to stay now if there are things you need to do. I’ll be okay.”

“I’m not leaving you alone.”

“Evie and Rachel are here,” I remind him.

“Evie and Rachel aren’t me,” he replies. “I don’t think I’m ready to leave you just yet.”

“Then don’t.” I don’t care how long he stays glued to my side. I like it. At least I know he’s safe, and no one is trying to kill him.

The few times I’ve asked Louie about the guy, about what happens next, he’s shut me down with vague answers. I know he doesn’t want me to worry, but I don’t know how I can let him walk out that door and not worry. I was engaged to a police officer and I never once worried about Owen not coming home. I always knew it was a possibility. It didn’t faze me. But the thought of Louie walking out the door and not coming back has my heart increasing and my palms sweaty.

Sammie and Carlo pop in a few minutes later. “Boss, a word,” Sammie says, nodding his head towards the hall that leads to Louie’s home office.

“I’ll be right back.” Louie stands before placing a kiss to the middle of my forehead.

Carlo comes and sits next to me. He looks nervous. What the hell is going on?

“I have a question. It’s a girl thing,” he says.

“Pretty sure you’re past that talk.” I laugh. “What’s up?”

“Not that type of question. It’s Jazzy. She keeps asking me to braid her hair. I don’t know how to fucking braid hair and no matter how many YouTube videos I watch, I can’t get it right,” he says.

“Okay, first of all, braids are not just a girl thing. Second, it’s easy. I’ll teach you.” I run my fingers through to the end of my hair. Pulling it over my shoulder before I separate the strands. “You need to start with three sections and just cross them over each other like this.” I demonstrate a few pleats before handing my hair to him. “Here, you keep going.”

Carlo looks behind us and then back at me. “If I die, I’ve made you and Louie Jazzy’s guardians,” he tells me, taking hold of the strands.

“You’re not dying.” I roll my eyes.

“I might… in a few minutes.” He laughs, his fingers fumbling as he attempts to braid my hair. He is really bad. I didn’t think braiding hair was that difficult.

“Is there a reason you’re touching my wife’s hair, or are you just looking to lose your fucking hands?” Louie growls—yes, growls—as he storms towards us.

“Relax. I was teaching him how to braid. For Jazzy. But it might be a lost cause.” I look from my husband, back to Carlo. “Just bring her over and I’ll do it for her.”

“Get a fucking doll and practice. Don’t touch my wife,” Louie grunts. He then turns to face me, and his whole demeanor softens. “Sweetheart, I have to go downstairs and deal with something real quick. Will you be okay here?”

I want to say no. I want to tell him not to leave me. But he has to work. He’s a busy man, and I can’t be needy. “I’ll be fine. Evie and Rachel are coming over.”noveldrama

They’re both staying in the suite next door. Rachel flew out here as soon as she heard what happened to me. I thought Louie was bad at hovering. But having an actual doctor for a best friend? Yeah, she’s put that man to shame.

I made the girls promise not to tell anyone about my injury. The last thing I need is my parents flying out here because I was shot. Besides, I’m fine. I don’t need to worry them.

“Carlo, go get the girls and tell them they need to come now,” Louie says. “At least one of them is a doctor.” He says this under his breath, as if he’s trying to assure himself he can leave me.

“I’ll be fine. Go work. Do whatever you have to do.” I never thought I’d say it, but I miss working. I wonder if I can help out around the casino. But then the thought of actually going downstairs sends panic through me.

I count to five in my head and take deep breaths as casually as I can. I don’t want Louie to think I’m panicking. I’m not. It’s just a little blip in my system. I’m going to be fine.

As soon as Carlo returns with the girls, Louie leaves. We sit on the sofa together, and I let Evie flick through Netflix, trying to decide on something to watch. Until a loud bang has me jumping and screaming. I curl into a ball, my arms wrapping around my legs.

“Sorry, it was just my phone,” Rachel says. “Charlotte, you’re safe. It’s okay.” Her hands run up and down my back.

“I’m okay,” I breathe out. I don’t like sudden noises so much. I can still hear the gunshots when I close my eyes. I look to the door. I need Louie. “Do you think he’s okay?”

“He’s fine,” Evie tells me. “That man is scarier than the devil himself.”

“Says the one hanging around a cartel boss.” I scowl at her. “Speaking of, where is your shadow today?”

“He went back to Mexico,” she says. “And he’s not my anything.”

“Sure he’s not.” I look to the door before swiping up my phone. “I need to know.”

“You’re going to call him? Charlotte, he just left ten minutes ago,” Evie reminds me.

“I know. You’re right. He’s fine.” I set my phone back down on the table. He is fine. He has to be.

I don’t know how much time passes, but I’m shaking. Literally, my hands are shaking. My heart is pounding, and all I can think about is Louie on the floor surrounded by blood. I can’t get the picture out of my head. No matter how much I try. Tears fall down my cheeks, and I swipe them away.

“Shit. Charlotte, babe, what’s wrong?” Rachel asks, jumping up and dropping down so that she’s now kneeling in front of me.

“I can’t… I don’t…” I can’t seem to find the words. “Louie…”

“I’ll get him.” Evie snatches up my phone and holds it to my face to unlock the screen. I don’t hear what she says. I don’t hear what either of my friends are telling me.

“Fucking hell, what the fuck happened?” That’s the one thing I do hear, though. Louie’s voice. I turn my head to see him charging towards me.

“She’s having a panic attack,” Rachel says.

“Why?” Louie asks her. His arms slide underneath me and he picks me up. I don’t hear anything else as he carries me into the bedroom. He sits on the bed and holds me against his chest. “It’s okay. Just breathe, Charlotte. I’ve got you. You’re okay. I love you.”

He continues to whisper soft words into my ear while stroking his fingers through my hair. My own fingers cling to the lapels of his jacket. “I’m sorry,” I manage to say.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry,” he tells me.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I could see it, Louie. I could see you on the floor, covered in blood,” I explain. “And I wasn’t there to move you out of the way.”

“I’m right here, Charlotte. I’m fine. We are fine,” he says, placing a soft kiss to the top of my head.

“I’m sorry,” I repeat. I don’t want to be this person, the one who can’t handle being away from her husband. I don’t want to be consumed by fear.

“We found him,” Louie says.

“What? You found who?” I ask him.

“Sammie found the guy who organized the hit,” he clarifies. “It was a rival family, and they’ve been dealt with.”

“What do you mean a rival family?”

“Another family working the strip. They were trying to one-up me. They failed, and now they’re paying the price. The guy who orchestrated it… He’s gone. He’s not going to be a problem anymore.”

“How do you know that family won’t try again?”

“Because we came to an agreement. There’s going to be a wedding,” Louie tells me. “Don’t worry about it. Like I said, it’s dealt with. You don’t have to worry about me, Charlotte. I promise nothing is ever going to take me away from you.”

I cling tighter to him as another tear streams down my cheek. “I love you more than I thought was humanly possible.”

“I love you too, sweetheart. You have no idea how much…”