I smile at that because it’s true. If only I could be so lucky. I want what she and my brothers have, and it’s time I stepped out of my box and tried something new. “Yes, she’s wonderful. I’m actually calling about myself. I’ve worked for the Cortez brothers for years; you might have seen me around?”
I try to think if I could ever remember spotting her before, but her face isn’t coming to mind.
“Yes, of course, I remember you. What can I help you with?”
“I was wondering if there might be an open spot in your auction.” My words are tentative and sound slightly scared. I’m terrified but desperate.
I can almost hear the smirk in her voice when she asks, “Do you like Halloween?”
2
Charles
I cannot believe I’m doing this. Only for her would I come here again. The last and only time I’ve ever been to a mistress auction was to help torture the Cortez brothers.
“And here he is, the devil himself. Looking the part and all.”
Samantha looks me up and down, eyeing my costume. I’m dressed in all black, on my head sit two red horns, and I’m holding a dark red pitchfork. I thought the devil costume seemed appropriate as it’s what Mandy called me the entire time she worked for me.
“It just had to be a Halloween-themed auction, didn’t it?”
Samantha’s wicked smile is all-knowing, and I could chew nails at the sight of it. Samantha is dressed in black as well, but when she smiles, her blood red lips reveal fangs. “Everything is in place, Mr. Townsend. I look forward to our transaction after the auction is complete. Please enjoy your evening.”
I watch her walk away. As she reaches the door, she is stopped by Leo Ramsey. He’s a local real estate developer in Vegas, and he’s big money. He’s a nice enough guy, and we’ve done a little business together, but he’s clean whereas I often get dirty with my deals.
I watch as he leans into her. He’s wearing a long black robe, and as he goes over to her, he pulls the hood over his head, covering his face. I see them exchange a few words, and then he leans further into her, pressing her into the shadows. I look around and see that her security isn’t close by. I think about going over to make sure she doesn't need a hand. As the thought hits me, Leo steps back from her, and she disappears down a hallway. When he turns around, I lock eyes with him, accidentally giving him the okay to come over where I’m standing.
“Ramsey,” I say by way of a greeting.
“That’s not what it looked like.” His defensive words should have me second guessing him, but the look in his eyes shows me he means it.
“Not my business.” I turn towards the stage, dismissing him, but he continues to stand next to me. It doesn't matter what it looks like. If anyone can handle themselves, it’s Samantha.
“I mean that. I would never try to hurt her.”
I turn back to him and look him up and down. He’s the same size as me, and I’m not a small man. He’s got tanned skin, which I assume is a product of being in the Vegas sun all the time. He wears his dark hair long, and has a short beard which is unusual for men who lives in such a hot climate.
“Like I said, it’s not my business, Leo.” He knows I see everything and take mental notes. I’m kind of famous for it. If something is happening in this town, I know about it, and I’ve heard rumors of him and Samantha. Not that they’ve ever been together, just that he won’t quit chasing her. “One day maybe she’ll end up on the chopping block.”
He follows my line of sight to the stage and shakes his head. “Not if I can help it.” He takes a deep breath as if to shake off a thought before turning back to me. “I hear you’re looking for something specific tonight. I think we’ve all been informed several times.”
He’s referring to Mandy, and I clench my fingers around my pitchfork. “Goodnight, Leo.”
“Always a pleasure, Charles. Perfect costume, by the way.”
When he finally departs, I loosen my grip and lean against the back wall. The tables are all set, and I’ve got one reserved up front. I won’t sit there until the auction starts, and I’ve still got a lot of time. Time to stand here and observe, and time to brood.
Samantha knows exactly what she’s doing. She called me the same night Mandy asked to be entered into an auction. I broke a few things before I was finally able to calm down enough to plan. I had to have a plan. And I only had a week to make it work. Fortunately, money makes things move as fast as you need them to.
My assistant, Cupid, was in my office that night, making arrangements. After his thirty days were up at the Cortez casino, he came back to the ‘den of sin’ as he liked to call the Snake Eyes. He said he enjoyed working for the brothers, but preferred the debauchery of the Snake Eyes. I can’t say I blame him. I do as well.
When I turned eighteen, my father, Howard Townsend, offered me my trust fund. He was a wealthy man, having opened and operated five casinos in Vegas by the time I was ten. I was a punk kid, but I knew one thing—I wanted to make it on my own. I signed my rights away to my inheritance and went to college to get my MBA. I ended up getting a PhD in business development, but most people don’t know that. I got a loan and opened my baby, the Snake Eyes casino the day I turned thirty. Five years later we are at nearly one hundred percent capacity every day of the year.
My casino isn’t affiliated with any other Townsend properties, and it’s important to me that it stays that way. I appreciate how hard my father worked to give me the life he never had, but that didn’t mean I wanted to leach off him. I wanted to make a life of my own, and if my name was on the building, I wanted to be able to do whatever the fuck I wanted to do.