A Billionaire's Roar (Charmed in Vegas Book 4) Read online

  A Billionaire’s Roar

  Charmed in Vegas

  Vella Day

  Michelle Fox

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Other Books by Vella Day

  About the Author

  A BILLIONAIRE’S ROAR

  Copyright © 2016 by Vella Day with Michelle Fox

  www.velladay.com

  [email protected]

  Published in the United States of America

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief questions embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  1

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  What was the point of owning the hottest resort in Vegas if all you wanted to do was claw off people’s faces? Max Tendor worked to rein in his ill temper as he waited for the light to change at the crosswalk on the Vegas Strip. As Alpha of his weretiger clan, he needed to maintain control, and so far, he’d managed to keep himself in check, though he’d been out of sorts lately.

  He snorted.

  Out of sorts?

  Who was he kidding? He’d been in a shitty mood for months, and he knew the reason, though he wasn’t happy about it. If his mate didn’t walk into his life soon, he might not be fit to lead. His obsession with finding her had caused him to make some bad decisions, and that needed to stop.

  As he stepped onto the sidewalk, a man to his left bumped into an elderly woman and snatched her purse right off her shoulder. The assailant turned, and Max smiled as he recognized the short, thin weasel of a man. Roger Kralt was someone he could take his anger out on. He was a hyena shifter whom Max had dealt with on numerous occasions. While he welcomed all breeds into his casino, hyenas tended to cause trouble. When Max had caught Roger counting cards the first time, he’d let him off with a stern lecture. And then the kid turned around and swindled Max’s casino, The Winning Streak, out of fifty large.

  “Hey! Stop!” the mugged woman shouted.

  His animal instincts shot into high gear. It was time for Roger to face the music. If the human race had been aware of shifters, he might have transformed into his tiger and pounded on the thief. Guess he’d have to take this guy down wearing his dress shoes.

  The crowd hurled obscenities as Roger pushed and shoved everyone out of his way. Max took off in hot pursuit, and when Roger spotted him, he shot down an alley off the main drag. As much as Max didn’t want to be late to his meeting, his protective nature took over.

  “Roger,” Max shouted. “Hold up!”

  The thief pumped his legs faster, but he was no match for Max. With powerful strides, he caught Roger in less than sixty seconds. Clasping a hand on his shoulder to stop him, Max then kneed him in the spine—a highly effective maneuver—as it forced the handbag to fly and Roger to land on his hands and knees. A well-placed foot to his back kept the crook from escaping.

  “Get off me, motherfucker.”

  “That’s no way to talk to me. And stop squirming.”

  “Let me up,” Roger growled.

  “And chance you’ll take off? No thank you.” Max couldn’t let him stay on the ground forever, however, so he hauled him to his feet, all the while keeping an eye on the lady’s purse. To ensure Roger wouldn’t run, Max grabbed hold of his shirt and got in his face. “What the hell were you doing mugging someone on the Strip?”

  Roger glanced to the side. “I needed money,” he mumbled.

  He’d heard that tale too many times before. “Who do you owe this time?”

  “Billy The Bookie.”

  Max almost chuckled at that name. “How much do you owe him?”

  “Two G’s.”

  Max whistled. Déjà vu crashed in on him as he remembered what had happened to him when he was only a few years younger than Roger. Max’s father had recently died, forcing him to support both himself and his mom. Even though Max found a job at a local casino, he figured the fastest way to getting rich was on the casino floor. Big mistake.

  To this day, he’d never forget how a friend of his dad’s had come to the rescue. The catch was that Max slaved sixteen hours a day for seven months to repay that debt. Boy, had he learned his lesson, but the man’s kindness had changed his whole outlook on life.

  With his free hand, Max checked his wallet to see how much cash he had. “Here’s five hundred.” He waved the money off to the side. “It comes with two conditions.”

  “I’ll do anything.”

  Max wasn’t sure the hyena deserved the break, but Roger had been dealt a raw hand growing up. His mom had been gunned down by some thugs his father owed money to. Then the dad took off, leaving the fourteen-year-old to fend for himself until the state put him in the system.

  “Never attack anyone in this town again, and secondly, I never want to see you in The Winning Streak.” He debated calling the cops, but that would clog up the prisons and wouldn’t teach Roger a lesson. He’d already been in jail at least a half dozen times this past year. “Now get going.”

  “Thanks,” Roger said with a rare smile.

  He made to snatch the money and run, but Max pulled it out of reach at the last second.

  “You should know something, Roger. I’ve been where you are and I got through it. So can you, if you work hard enough. You stay on this path and you’ll end up dead. So don’t take my money and blow it. Use it to get out of trouble and start over. If I catch you stealing again, it won’t be money I give you. This is your last warning. Got it?”

  Roger thought for a second and then nodded. Max let him have the money, shaking his head as the hyena ran off. He could only hope he got through to the kid.

  Max picked up the lady’s pink purse, tucked it under his arm, and headed back to the front of the hotel where he spotted the victim sitting on the hotel steps crying. Next to her were two women, about her age, consoling her.

  As he moved closer, adrenaline suddenly surged through his system, and his skin felt like a million pins and needles were hammering his arms. His heart pounded so fast, he was forced to stop. What the hell was going on?

  As he drew in a deep breath to steady himself, a delicate scent, like a rose in sunshine, assailed his senses. The aroma was so amazing and addictive that his knees almost gave way. For a moment, he thought he might be having a heart attack, as he’d been under a lot of stress lately, but then dismissed it. He was thirty-eight for heaven’s sake, not ninety.

  “You okay?” one of the women next to the victim asked him.

  “Yes.” No.

  He looked around to find the source, realizing right away that it wasn’t coming from the older lady or her helpful friends. Higher up on the steps stood three young women, who seemed unaware of the recent crime. Two of them were tall and lithe, but it was the shorter woman with the golden brown hair that held his attention. Not only was she beautiful, she was rocking some major curves that he desperately want
ed to explore. His inner tiger screamed mine and mate, but the human part warned him to slow down and be cautious.

  Holy shit! Was it possible he had found her—the one he was fated to be with?

  Before he could come to grips with the whole idea, the distraught woman looked up at him.

  “Is that my purse, young man?” the victim asked.

  Refocusing his attention on the lady, he slipped it from under his arm and handed it to her. “Yes. Sorry it took so long.”

  With the help of her two friends, she stood and hugged him. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  As much as he wanted to stay and chat, he needed to move closer to his mate before she disappeared. Her delicious fragrance had already invaded his body and threatened to turn him into an animal right there on the street.

  Hell, if he didn’t believe she’d think he was some creep, he would walk right up to her and ask her out. No, their meeting had to be perfect—romantic, spontaneous, and exciting.

  From the way she and her friends were laughing and busily chatting, they hadn’t even noticed him climb the steps to the El Paradisio Casino and Hotel. Pretending he was lost and not looking where he was going, he brushed up against the tall blonde.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  She jerked her attention from her friends and smiled. “It’s okay.”

  Now would be the perfect time to ask the ladies where they were from, and perhaps strike up a conversation with his future mate. He just wanted to make small talk, which could then lead to him asking the three of them to lunch.

  As he was about to turn on the charm, he caught sight of Draco—his indentured demon—coming toward him, along with his succubus daughter, Sari.

  Crap. Sari would fawn all over him, killing any chance of him being with the luscious golden brunette. It might be just as well if he left because her scent was making his tiger want to claim her.

  “Excuse me,” he said to the group.

  The gorgeous woman briefly met his gaze, but from her lack of reaction, it was as if he were invisible. His gut churned. Not that he wanted to brag, but most women didn’t ignore him. On the contrary, they often threw themselves at him. His best friend, and Beta, always brought him down to earth by reminding him that the ladies were merely attracted to him because of his wealth and power. While he wasn’t happy about that, the women in his life had proved it to be true many times over.

  Move away now or get caught up in her alluring scent. He inwardly chuckled. His destiny was with a human, yet she was blissfully unaware of her future with him. No matter what, he refused to let her vanish from his life.

  His anger at wanting more in life than just money suddenly disappeared. He’d found his antidote. Max Tendor vowed he would do what it took to make this delicate beauty his—even if it meant spending his billions.

  “Max,” Sari called loud enough for the ladies to hear, but he didn’t turn around to check.

  No way was he going to let her sidetrack him. Not today.

  * * *

  “Let’s get inside and have that drink,” Regina said.

  Elise Daniels was ready to begin the festivities. Just two days ago, she and her two friends, Regina and Samantha, were in Smithwood, California, fighting traffic and breathing in the smog. Now they were staying at a fabulous hotel bar in Las Vegas celebrating her thirtieth birthday.

  The colored lights on the ceiling above the bar blinked in a mesmerizing pattern, creating a delightfully festive atmosphere, and the clinking of the slot machines across the hallway and the occasional shouts from the nearby gamblers had her smiling. “Is this awesome or what?” Elise said to her companions who were looking around, absorbing the whole Vegas experience.

  “I’m loving it,” Regina chimed in, her eyes wide with excitement.

  The three of them chose a table in the corner where they could drink in peace and people watch. Samantha nodded to the five middle-aged men and seven totally decked out women at the bar chatting. “Do you think they’re trying to get the men to spend some of their winnings on them?” Samantha asked.

  “Given how young and pretty the women are, I wouldn’t be surprised.” Elise would never even consider doing something like that.

  She’d been brought up to follow the rules, never breaking curfew or failing to study for a test. Growing up, her parents took her to church and made sure she did her chores around the house. If she didn’t, she was grounded. This wild world of Vegas was totally foreign to her—and she was loving it.

  The waiter came over and Samantha insisted they order a bottle of champagne.

  As soon as they were served, Regina held up her flute and tapped it against Elise’s and Samantha’s glasses. “Happy birthday, girlfriend! What’s it like to turn thirty?”

  Elise sighed then smiled. “Let’s just say I’m happy to be with my two best friends in Vegas. I can’t ask for more.”

  Regina laughed. “Sure you can. How about a rich man to warm your bed?”

  Heat raced up Elise’s face while Samantha downed half her glass. “I, for one, don’t need a man to make me happy,” Samantha said. “Five days without listening to Mr. Andrews snipe at me will be pure heaven. I want to see him do his own legal research for a change and see how much he likes it.”

  “I bet he’ll appreciate you when you return,” Elise chimed in.

  “I can only hope.”

  Sam worked at a law firm, whereas Regina was a pediatric nurse at the children’s cancer center in Smithwood. Because Elise was the marketing director for a very conservative magazine, she never cut loose, fearing it would get back to corporate. Being in Vegas afforded her this one chance to be herself.

  “Who at work are you thankful not to be around, Elise?” Regina asked.

  Was she kidding? “You have to ask?”

  “Oh, shit. I forgot Brent works in your office.”

  Elise inwardly cringed. She wasn’t sure how things had gone from wonderful to totally humiliating in such a short period of time, but it had. It had been bad enough when she had to get something from the storage closet and found Brent shagging another coworker, but then he had to share his exploits with a few of the office staff. He told them he had to resort to having sex with one of the secretaries because Elise hadn’t kept her figure trim. Ever since, the people at the office had glanced at her with pity.

  Her stomach burned even now from the humiliation.

  “Forget I said anything.” Regina said as she leaned closer, her wide blue eyes filled with a bit of mischief. She probably was trying to take Elise’s mind off what happened at work. “Are we in agreement, ladies, that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?”

  “Of course, but what are you planning? Nothing that will get us arrested, right?” Elise shuddered.

  Regina brought her glass to her lips. “I’m not telling.”

  No sooner had they finished their drinks than Samantha tapped her phone with her newly polished red acrylic nails. She’d had her nail tech paint a pair of dice on each forefinger in celebration of their vacation. “We need to head on out, ladies, if we’re going to make the show.”

  Back home, they had batted around a few ideas about what they wanted to see. “You still haven’t told me which one you’re taking me to,” Elise said.

  Samantha and Regina glanced at each other then giggled. “It’s a male revue show.”

  Elise sucked in a large breath. “Are you kidding me? That’s awesome. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if they take everything off?” Of course she had seen her share of naked men, but none of them had been anything to brag about. Just thinking about seeing some scantily clad hotties had her fantasizing.

  Samantha stuck out her bottom lip. “Totally, but even if they don’t, I can guarantee you every one of them will be a hell of a lot better looking than Brent in any state of undress.”

  “Ugh. Don’t remind me of him,” Elise said. It wasn’t fair that the women always had to be perfect, while it was okay if her man drank and blew up like a whale.


  Samantha pushed back her chair. “Come on. We’re here to forget about him.”

  “You got that right, girlfriend.” Elise pulled out her wallet and extracted her credit card—one that was close to being maxed out. The flight here had been more than she’d anticipated, but she would only turn thirty once. “I’ll pay for the drinks.”

  It was the least she could do, especially since her friends had sprung for the tickets to the show.

  Samantha waved a hand. “I already put it on my room bill.”

  “Aw. Thank you.” She had the best friends ever.

  Elise grabbed her purse, and by the time she stuffed her phone back in and slipped on her sweater, she had to rush to keep up with them. Both Samantha and Regina were five foot nine with such long legs that they were across the room in a heartbeat. From the back, it was hard to tell them apart. They both had long, blonde hair and perfectly shaped bodies. Elise, on the other hand, stood at five foot two with a more than generous booty. It was no wonder she lagged behind.

  At the exit, Regina turned around, held up a hand, and waved. “Come on, slowpoke.”

  “I’m coming.” Once outside, they headed to the corner to cross the street. The air was dry and deliciously warm for this time of year. Even though it was evening, the casinos were so lit up it almost seemed like daytime.

  The walk signal flashed, and immediately a sea of people crowded around her. As they crossed the street to The Winning Streak Casino and Resort, she immediately spotted two Elvis Presley look-alikes, a big yellow minion, and two gorgeous redheads with obviously fake silvery gray eyes who looked like they were about to hook up for the night. Then she spotted someone in a garishly gold lamé outfit who reminded her of some famous person, but she couldn’t put a name to whom it was.

  Stop rubbernecking. Elise had to concentrate to keep a lock on her friends. Samantha had on a pink shirt while Regina wore a neon green one.

  Once they entered the casino, Regina passed out the tickets. “Maybe afterward, we can try our hand at the craps tables,” her friend said.