Rapture (Elfin Series) by Quinn Loftis Read Free Book Online
Authors: Quinn Loftis
something that no one else could get away with. “You have to get rid of the stuff. Something about it isn’t right.”
Tony gritted his teeth as he bit back the growl of frustration and indignation he felt at Rick ’s words. Tony knew what he was talking about, and he knew that he was right, but his hands were tied. The dark elves that owned most of Vegas were in charge of the distribution of Rapture and it had been made perfectly clear to him that he was to keep it in the bar and keep his nose out of their business. But just as his father had before him, he bore the burden alone. None of the other employees knew anything about the elves, light or dark. None of the others knew that he had no real power. He was as subservient to the dark elves as his employees were to him.
“It’s been noted that you think that the selling of Rapture has become a detriment to our business,” Tony said tightly.
Rick let out a humorless laugh. “A detriment to our business my ass, Tony. It’s a detriment to people’s lives. Some guy last week tried to kill a man over a card game. The week before that a man nearly killed himself when we cut him off from the bar.”
“I don’t need a recap of all the crap that has been going down , Rick,” he growled. “I’m here nearly twenty-four hours a day; I know exactly what is going on.”
“Tony , I’ve got men ready to quit because they are scared for their lives. These people who are drinking this Rapture act like hard core addicts. You’ve been in this business a long time; you’ve seen what addictions can do to certain types of people. They’re dangerous to themselves and to everyone around them.”
Tony forced himself to take several deep breaths before he responded. “I hear you , and I agree, but there’s more going on than you know. I’m trying to deal with it; please believe me when I say this is not how I want my casino running.” Rick was silent for several minutes.
Finally he said, “Okay. F or now I’ll leave you to do whatever it is you need to do to handle this, but do it fast, or we’re all going to walk.”
Tony fought hard not to throw t he cell phone across the room. After all, it wasn’t his cell phone’s fault that everything had gotten so out of control. He kept expecting Trik to come sauntering through his office glass with one of his smart-aleck remarks and a trade mark smirk, but he might as well have been waiting for pigs to fly. When it came down to it, Trik might be his friend, but he was a dark elf, first and foremost, which meant Tony was on his own.
“Wh at the hell am I going to do?” he asked the empty office as he walked over to his personal wet bar. He poured himself a glass of cold ice water. Oddly enough, Tony never drank, but he downed the water as if it were single malt whiskey. The ice water hit his brain with a sharp sting and he welcomed the pain that helped him clear his thoughts. One thing he knew for certain was that Rapture couldn’t continue to sell in his casino, or any casino for that matter. But he didn’t know how to stop it or how to stay alive if he even tried.
“Why did you let them get away?” Ilyrana snapped , stopping briefly to glare at her king and then resume her angry pacing. “And I say let because that is the only way those imbeciles would have been able to leave.”
Lorsan listened but did not respond right away. He loved his Chosen , there was no doubt of that, but he didn’t let that love make him weak. He wouldn’t be dictated to by his woman—no matter how much he loved her. He was still king and she was not. So for now he just stared at her evenly, letting her stew in her own juices.
“If we want our court to continue to follow us and not go crawling after Triktapic, we have to make him the villain, ” Lorsan explained as if he were speaking to a child. “Trik has now broken into the dungeon and stolen my prisoners who trespassed on dark-elf territory. He has broken our
Tony gritted his teeth as he bit back the growl of frustration and indignation he felt at Rick ’s words. Tony knew what he was talking about, and he knew that he was right, but his hands were tied. The dark elves that owned most of Vegas were in charge of the distribution of Rapture and it had been made perfectly clear to him that he was to keep it in the bar and keep his nose out of their business. But just as his father had before him, he bore the burden alone. None of the other employees knew anything about the elves, light or dark. None of the others knew that he had no real power. He was as subservient to the dark elves as his employees were to him.
“It’s been noted that you think that the selling of Rapture has become a detriment to our business,” Tony said tightly.
Rick let out a humorless laugh. “A detriment to our business my ass, Tony. It’s a detriment to people’s lives. Some guy last week tried to kill a man over a card game. The week before that a man nearly killed himself when we cut him off from the bar.”
“I don’t need a recap of all the crap that has been going down , Rick,” he growled. “I’m here nearly twenty-four hours a day; I know exactly what is going on.”
“Tony , I’ve got men ready to quit because they are scared for their lives. These people who are drinking this Rapture act like hard core addicts. You’ve been in this business a long time; you’ve seen what addictions can do to certain types of people. They’re dangerous to themselves and to everyone around them.”
Tony forced himself to take several deep breaths before he responded. “I hear you , and I agree, but there’s more going on than you know. I’m trying to deal with it; please believe me when I say this is not how I want my casino running.” Rick was silent for several minutes.
Finally he said, “Okay. F or now I’ll leave you to do whatever it is you need to do to handle this, but do it fast, or we’re all going to walk.”
Tony fought hard not to throw t he cell phone across the room. After all, it wasn’t his cell phone’s fault that everything had gotten so out of control. He kept expecting Trik to come sauntering through his office glass with one of his smart-aleck remarks and a trade mark smirk, but he might as well have been waiting for pigs to fly. When it came down to it, Trik might be his friend, but he was a dark elf, first and foremost, which meant Tony was on his own.
“Wh at the hell am I going to do?” he asked the empty office as he walked over to his personal wet bar. He poured himself a glass of cold ice water. Oddly enough, Tony never drank, but he downed the water as if it were single malt whiskey. The ice water hit his brain with a sharp sting and he welcomed the pain that helped him clear his thoughts. One thing he knew for certain was that Rapture couldn’t continue to sell in his casino, or any casino for that matter. But he didn’t know how to stop it or how to stay alive if he even tried.
“Why did you let them get away?” Ilyrana snapped , stopping briefly to glare at her king and then resume her angry pacing. “And I say let because that is the only way those imbeciles would have been able to leave.”
Lorsan listened but did not respond right away. He loved his Chosen , there was no doubt of that, but he didn’t let that love make him weak. He wouldn’t be dictated to by his woman—no matter how much he loved her. He was still king and she was not. So for now he just stared at her evenly, letting her stew in her own juices.
“If we want our court to continue to follow us and not go crawling after Triktapic, we have to make him the villain, ” Lorsan explained as if he were speaking to a child. “Trik has now broken into the dungeon and stolen my prisoners who trespassed on dark-elf territory. He has broken our