Drop Dead Beautiful

  “Your mom,” Internet Freak had sneered. “I don’t want your mom’s money, I have plenty of my own.”

  “Then what do you want?” she’d asked, keeping her voice firm.

  “I’ll tell you when I’m ready to tell you,” he’d said. “And stop asking questions.”

  He’d then instructed Ace to get in the trunk of the car. When Ace objected, he’d threatened to shoot her, so Ace had complied.

  After that was done he’d commanded her to enter the house. Once inside he’d shoved her into the small room and manacled her ankle to the leg of the bed. Then he’d left her there without saying another word.

  Now it was morning and she had no idea what was going on.

  Where was Ace? Was he all right?

  Where was Internet Freak? What were his intentions?

  He’d taken away her purse with her cell phone, but surely by this time someone would’ve called her and realized she was missing? Her mom, Cookie, Harry—they’d all been so adamant she had to check in.

  The room smelled musty, as if it hadn’t been used in years. Her eyes ached to match her relentless headache. She was desperately hungry and thirsty.

  After a few minutes of getting acclimatized, she half fell off the bed, attempting to drag it toward the window.

  The bed was too heavy, it wouldn’t budge.

  She reached down to her ankle. It was beginning to chafe and swell.

  “Hey!” she yelled loudly, refusing to panic. “Anyone out there? Anyone at all?”

  There was no response.

  Chapter 31

  Giving Brigette and Bobby a tour of the Keys was a thrill for Lucky. She flew to Vegas every week, so nothing was new to her, but seeing the enormous development through Brigette’s and Bobby’s eyes was exciting, and they seemed fully impressed, as so they should be. Even if she said so herself, the Keys was awesome.

  “This is probably the best hotel I’ve created,” she said proudly. “What do you think?”

  “Oh my God,” Brigette gasped. “It’s amazing. I want to buy one of those apartments today! They’re incredible.”

  “Yes, and I’m happy to say they’re nearly all presold, although I think there might be a couple of penthouses still available.”

  “We’ll take ’em,” Bobby quipped. “I’ll buy one, Brig can have the other.”

  “I thought you were going to build your own hotel, Bobby,” Lucky said, teasing him.

  “Maybe I will,” he answered. “Put you out of business.”

  “So that’s your ambition, is it?” she asked, hands on hips. “To put your poor old mom out of business?”

  “Poor old Mom, my ass!”

  They grinned at each other, shadowboxing.

  She’d given them the grand tour, making their way through an army of workmen finishing up various areas. Finally they’d reached the private rooftop nightclub where the final touch-ups were taking place.

  “Well?” she asked both of them. “Opinions please.”

  “It’s okay,” Bobby said, surveying the premises with a critical eye. “I could’ve done better for you.”

  “Really,” she said coolly, making it more of a statement than a question.

  “It’s … y’know, nothing special.”

  “Nothing special!” she exclaimed. “Are you kidding me? How about the illuminated staircase? The one-hundred-and-eighty-degree view over the Strip? The indoor fountains? The VIP rooms? The paintings—all originals I might add.”

  “That’s not what makes a great club, Mom. A really cool club is all about the vibe.”

  “And what vibe would that be?”

  “The people, the mix—now, that’s what makes a club a happening place.”

  “And what makes you think we won’t attract the right people?”

  He shrugged.

  “Hey, Bobby,” she said lightly. “I do have major connections. I’ve built hotels before, I ran Panther Studios, Lennie is one of the most respected directors in Hollywood, so between us we know just about everyone.”

  “You gotta get ’em young,” Bobby explained. “It’s all about the youth culture. Hot sexy girls in hot sexy outfits. Rich dudes with their Ferraris and cool dude attitudes. All under thirty-five and horny.”

  “Thanks, Bobby. Are you trying to make me feel old?”

  “You? You’ll never be old. Look at you, you’re the best-looking mom I’ve ever seen.”

  “And you’ve seen a lot of them, have you?”

  “I get around,” Bobby said, laughing.

  “Let’s get positive here. What’s your favorite part of the hotel?”

  “The different decors on each floor are amazing,” Brigette said. “And I love the way the main swimming pool is built so that it’s half underground. It’s pretty cool that people can swim right into an underground grotto.”

  “Yeah, that’s hot,” Bobby agreed. “But you’ve still gotta make it exciting—like stage a topless wet thong competition, stuff like that.”

  “Very classy, Bobby,” Lucky said dryly. “May I suggest you save that kind of stunt for your hotel?”

  “How about guys in thongs?” Brigette suggested, winking at Lucky. “I’d judge that one!”

  “I’m glad to see you’re heading back to the real world,” Lucky said. “Isn’t this better than locking yourself up in your New York apartment and never going out?”

  “I guess,” Brigette said, quite enjoying herself.

  “The golf course is pretty spectacular,” Bobby said.

  “And great shops,” Brigette added. “Gucci, Cartier, Chanel—excellent choices.”

  Lucky nodded. “The Keys will have the premier shopping mall in Vegas. This is just the beginning.”

  “Gotta give you props,” Bobby said. “When you do it, you really do it.”

  “So I’ve been told,” Lucky said, smiling. “Now, if you two want to go off and play for a couple of hours, I have to sit with Mooney and take care of business. We’ll meet back here at three.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Bobby said. “Come on, Brig, we got us a sexy lap dance waiting.”

  “Bobby!” Brigette objected. “I told you—no lap dances.”

  “You know you want it.”

  “I do not,” she said indignantly.

  “You gotta stop fighting your impulses,” he said, grinning at her.

  “For God’s sake,” Brigette said, breaking out in a smile in spite of herself. “Will you give it a rest?”

  “What?” Bobby said innocently.

  “You know what,” she said, linking her arm through his.

  The two of them left Lucky surveying her latest kingdom. She wished she’d thought of bringing Gino with them today—it would’ve been the perfect opportunity for her to give him the grand tour. He and Paige were coming to the big opening ceremony, but that was a major event; she would have preferred giving him a private look.

  Her thoughts turned to his party. Thank God she had Philippe on the case. Today he’d be coping with the caterers, the company erecting the huge outdoor tent, the flower deliveries, and security. Everything had to be ready for Gino’s party—she wanted it to be the most special day of his extremely eventful life.

  She called Lennie to make sure everything was on schedule.

  “It’s a madhouse here,” he complained.

  “Where’s Gino?”

  “Junior’s playing tennis. Senior’s watching college football on TV.”

  “Did you call Max?”

  “Left a message on her cell.”

  “And she hasn’t called you back?”

  “Not yet.”

  “That kid—”

  “Don’t go getting excited, I’ll talk to her. How’s everything there?”

  “I’m signing checks and heading right home.”

  “That’s very good news, sweetheart, ’cause I miss you.”

  Chapter 32

  Breaking up was not on the agenda after all. Venus was thoroughly relieved; all her worries
that Billy was cooling off had turned out to be nothing but a dumb case of the crabs. Like who hadn’t experienced them?

  After Billy confided his problem, she led him into the bathroom, made him drop his pants, sat him on the side of the tub, picked up his razor, and shaved his pubic area clean as an eight-year-old boy’s.

  “There! All fixed,” she announced. “Now we have matching Brazilians!”

  They both broke up laughing.

  “Come on,” Billy said, grabbing a fresh pair of Levi’s. “I’m taking you out to lunch.”

  “What about the paparazzi?”

  “Fuck ’em. We’re going to the beach.”

  Soon Venus was perched on the back of his motorcycle, arms clasped firmly around his waist, a crash helmet covering her platinum curls, a dozen paparazzi in hot pursuit.

  They didn’t notice. They were both up for an adventure. Things were definitely getting better.

  When Alex Woods was working, he was content. Making movies was his sole reason for getting up in the morning. Not only did he write and direct all his own films, but he sometimes produced, usually with a partner. His best producing partner had been Lucky. They’d worked together so well, a perfect fit. No hassles, no useless fights about the budget, everything was cool with Lucky. Seduction was one of his favorite movies. It had made Billy Melina into a star, while Venus had given the best performance of her career.

  After they wrapped production, Alex was shattered when Lucky informed him she’d decided not to produce any more movies. He’d argued with her, tried to convince her, but she was adamant.

  Lucky was a challenging woman, always pursuing new ideas, always doing exactly what she felt like doing whenever she had the urge. Now she was back in the hotel business in Vegas and he was a major investor in the Keys. He wasn’t worried about his money—with Lucky in charge it was all good. Besides, he enjoyed spending time in Vegas. It was a kick-ass city with plenty going on. There were times when he jumped on a plane, flew to Vegas, gambled for a couple of hours, then made it back to L.A. before midnight. It was relaxing—the perfect quick getaway for a workaholic.

  He felt like doing just that on Saturday when he awoke fighting a massive hangover. He had no desire to bring Ling along—her nagging about his drinking turned him off. Who did she think she was, giving her opinion on whether he should drink or not? If she didn’t like it, she should pack up and leave.

  The truth was he couldn’t care less what she did. They’d been living together for almost two years—it was long enough. Besides, having a woman living in his house was not an appealing situation. Women were always trying to add feminine touches. Who needed fresh flowers and a fridge full of food? He ate out most of the time—it wasn’t his style to indulge in housekeeping.

  Without telling Ling, he left his house, drove to the airport, and hopped a plane to Vegas. As long as he had his laptop with him he could work, gamble, maybe get laid if he felt like it, then fly home. He needed the quick break—then he’d resume work on Monday feeling refreshed. Working with Billy Melina was a pain—stardom had gone to the kid’s head, not to mention his sure-to-be-disastrous affair with Venus. Alex liked actors to do exactly what he told them to do. Billy wasn’t pliable anymore—he had ideas of his own. It pissed Alex off.

  The plane was late taking off, and packed. Alex didn’t care, he’d never lusted after things like private planes or two-hundred-foot yachts. Cars were his deal—he owned several. Three classic Ferraris, a Porsche, and a vintage Bentley. Ling had taken over driving his Porsche, which didn’t thrill him. When she’d first moved in she’d had her own car, but when the lease expired she’d started driving his Porsche. It annoyed him, but he wasn’t about to buy her a car. Generosity was not high on his list of things to do for the woman in his life.

  In Vegas he usually stayed at the Cavendish. They always took care of him, and the owner, Renee Falcon, was quite a colorful character.

  After checking in, he took a cab over to the Keys to take a look at how things were progressing. He’d visited several times during construction, and the place was unbelievable. Lucky had the touch, but that was no surprise since Lucky always did things with class and style.

  The Keys complex was surrounded by high-security fences with guards stationed at key points.

  Alex flashed his pass at one of the guards. “Mooney around?” he asked.

  “He’s up in the main communication offices meeting with Ms. Santangelo.”

  Had he heard right? Was Lucky in town? She hadn’t mentioned she was flying in. This was very welcome news indeed.

  He strode across the property, past the two huge swimming pools, past the private poker rooms, through the casino, and upstairs to the main office. Everywhere he looked people were busy working toward getting ready for the grand opening.

  Since the office door was ajar, he walked right in.

  “Mr. Woods,” Mooney said, standing up, “this is a surprise.”

  Lucky was sitting in front of a big circular console surrounded by dozens of in-house TV monitors. “Alex,” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

  “The question is, what are you doing here?” he responded, happy to see her.

  “Check signing,” Mooney explained. “Couldn’t find anyone else.”

  “Now this I don’t get,” Alex said, perplexed. “Lucky Santangelo has to fly to Vegas to sign checks. Are you kidding me?”

  “You know how hands-on I am,” she said. “There are only four people who can countersign with Mooney, and I happen to be one of them. The other three weren’t available, so here I am.”

  “My friend the control freak,” Alex said, shaking his head. “You never fail to amaze me.”

  “Well, it takes one to know one,” she said, grinning. “And how come you’re here?”

  “Working with that asshole Billy Melina, I found myself in desperate need of some R ’n’ R.”

  “Is Billy being difficult?”

  “You know what it’s like with actors—give ’em a taste of success an’ they think they walk on water.”

  “I never imagined Billy would go that route.”

  “He has. They all do.”

  “Lennie never did.”

  “Lennie’s an exception.”

  “So … Billy Melina drove you to Vegas. Hmm …”

  “Not exactly. I figured that while I’m in town, I’d check out my investment.”

  “Don’t trust me, huh?” Lucky said.

  “You’re the only one I do trust,” Alex responded, quite seriously.

  “That’s nice,” she said, keeping it light.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be throwing a party tomorrow?”

  “This is true, which is why I’m flying back to L.A. this afternoon.”

  “You here by yourself?” he asked, wondering if Lennie was about to appear and ruin everything.

  “Bobby and Brigette came along for the ride.”

  “Where are they?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said vaguely. “I think they went off to get a lap dance or something. Perhaps you should join them.”

  “Lap dances aren’t my scene.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  They exchanged a long slow look.

  Sometimes, Lucky thought, if it weren’t for Lennie …

  Lunch at Geoffrey’s, a restaurant perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, was suitably romantic. Venus devoured a huge dish of lobster and shrimp. She held hands with Billy across the table and wondered why she’d been feeling so insecure. Everything was perfect. A perfect morning, followed by an exhilarating ride on his motorcycle all the way to the beach, clinging to his back as he broke a few speed records while attempting to ditch the pursuing paparazzi. And now lunch.

  She felt as if she was sixteen and in love for the first time. There was certainly something to be said for the joys of a younger man. She tried to imagine Cooper on a bike flying through the mountains at eighty miles an hour. That
would never happen. Cooper was into drivers and limos and bodyguards. Cooper lived the life of a big star to the hilt. She’d heard a rumor lately that he was even thinking of stepping into the political arena. Hmm … lots of luck with his reputation.

  Now that things were back on track with Billy, she could start concentrating on her career again. The following month she was in the recording studio laying down final tracks for her upcoming CD, due to be released the same week her fifteen-city concert tour began. After that she had two movies lined up, the launch of her new fragrance, and a line of upmarket sports clothes. Plus she’d promised Lucky that she would make a surprise appearance at the opening of the Keys. Which meant that somewhere along the way she would have to fit in rehearsals with her backup dancers and, since it was a new theater, a serious sound check at the Keys venue.