Loan Shark's Obsession Read online

  Loan Shark’s Obsession

  MINK

  Loan Shark’s Obsession

  MINK © 2020

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book only. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from MINK.

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  Loan Shark’s Obsession

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Also by MINK

  About the Author

  Loan Shark’s Obsession

  MINK

  I know a priceless object when I see it. Always have. It’s a gift, or perhaps a curse. The moment I get a glimpse of Laura, I get the same feeling as when I see a stolen work of art from a master. It’s real. Authentic. And it makes everything inside me hunger to possess her. But Laura can’t be bought, and she’s turned me down every time I’ve approached her for nothing more than a date. Giving up isn’t an option, not when I’ve found a woman so rare, so I call in all of her brother’s loans. She’ll offer herself to save him, and I’m just the sort of man to take advantage. And I do. I take it all. But I also want to give her something I’ve never offered to anyone else. When she finds out who I really am, will she accept my heart or leave me empty handed?

  1

  Laura

  “Thanks for the ride.” I huff out a breath and hope I’m not late. I’ll never hear the end of it, and Star will make my night horrible. I think she looks for reasons to be mean to me. I have no idea what I ever did to that woman. If anything, she should be the happiest freaking woman in the world.

  “Is that piece of shit done for?” I hold my breath as he glances at me before taking a sharp left to try and avoid the traffic on the strip. He’s not the best driver, but beggars can’t be choosers when you’re bumming a ride. It’s still early, but there’s always traffic in Vegas.

  “I hope not. Betsy has been with me forever.” I love that little Beetle. Until today she was always the one thing I could rely on to be there for me. But she only coughed and sputtered when I turned the key this time.

  “I’m surprised the thing made it this long. Get something new.”

  Ah. It’s not as if I can run out and pick up a new car. Maybe Scott could, but there’s still a good chance it would be stolen. Which makes me stop and think for a minute that this car could be stolen for all I know. I’m not asking because I’d rather not know, and I need the ride.

  “You want me to see if I can get someone to look at it?”

  I hesitate for a moment, not sure if I should take him up on the offer. I hate asking for favors, and I definitely hate feeling as though I owe someone something. Yet I know right now I don’t really have many other options. Money is tight, and without that car I won’t be able to get to work. So, I decide to suck it up and take him up on his offer.

  “That would be great.” He pulls into the back lot. “Over there.” I point to the side door. I’ve got a few minutes to spare.

  “Is she here tonight?” He nods toward the casino.

  “If I’m here she’s here.” Instead of dropping me off at the door I pointed to, he pulls into a parking spot.

  “Scott.” I groan.

  “She likes me.” He shrugs and gets out of the car. Every girl in the world likes him. Not only is my brother handsome, but he’s also charming. Let's not forget that he’s also a giant whore and has heartbreak written all over him. That never stops the girls from flocking to him, though. They can’t see who he really is until it’s too late.

  Even Star has fallen under my brother's spell a few times. I would think if anyone were immune, it would be her. Star is breathtaking. It’s why her burlesque shows are sold out every night. She gets a few offers of marriage each week. Men who can’t stop confessing their undying love for her. I think that’s the problem. She sees my brother as a challenge. She thinks she can get him to stay. She thinks she’ll be the one to tame him and that he’ll change for her. It’s the same mistake that each and every one of them make. There’s a reason he’s still single.

  Scott follows me to the side door. I swipe my badge, and he follows me in. I shove all my stuff in a locker before I make my way toward Star’s dressing room to see what she needs me to do first tonight. Because she always needs something.

  Even if she doesn’t need anything, she’ll make something up to make my life miserable. My job is to keep her happy. This is no easy task. Star might be one of the prettiest women I’ve ever seen in person, but her insides do not match. I always wonder what makes someone so beautiful also so angry.

  I do a double knock before I start to open her door. “You’re late,” she snaps.

  I’m not, but there’s no point in correcting her. It would only make my life more miserable, and I need this job.

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry be-” She stops talking. Her eyes flick over my head, and immediately her demeanor changes at the sight of Scott. A slow smile spreads across her face. She doesn't even try to cover it up. It doesn’t even faze her that she’s standing there in a pair of red panties. To be fair, that's what she wears on stage most of the time. So, she’s used to people seeing her like that.

  “Hey, Star.” My brother slips past me and drops onto the sofa, making himself right at home.

  “Here.” Star goes over to her vanity and picks up some papers. “Handle this.” I take them from her, knowing she wants me to get lost. I give my brother a half smile before I dip out, while trying not to gag.

  I go through the list and get to work. I venture to the front of the showroom to ask the box office what tonight's list is like. Star always wants to know if there are any high rollers in attendance. I look out the doors that lead to the casino with all its flashing lights. I wonder if he’s here.

  For two weeks I’ve been running into the same man on the casino floor whenever I go out to run an errand. Each time he asks me out and each time I say no. He doesn't get mad, only smiles and says he’ll see me around. I wipe my hands on my jeans. I’m feeling nervous, or maybe it’s excitement.

  I don’t know why he keeps asking me out. I turn into a blushing schoolgirl who can barely form sentences when I’m around him. The man is ungodly sexy in this rough way. He's always in a custom suit, but for some reason I think if he rubbed his hands across my skin they would be rough. My arms break out with goosebumps thinking about it. Everything is dark when it comes to him, from his eyes to his hair. Even the aura around him feels dark whenever I get close to him. I’m not sure if it’s because of the power he exudes or something else.

  I could go in the back way, but of course I find myself pushing out into the casino. The sounds of slot machines and people cheering fill the air. I look around, but don’t see anyone. Why am I doing this? I’m going to tell him no. I
don’t date. Ever. Still, it’s flattering that a man like him keeps asking me out.

  “Laura.” I suck in a breath at the deep rumble of his voice. I swear that him only saying my name makes my heart give a little flutter. I turn around to see him walking toward me. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes,” I answer, confused as to why he would ask me that. Even if my answer isn’t true. Everything isn't okay. I’m pretty sure I lost Betty today. “Okay.” I stop breathing when he runs his finger across my jaw.

  “I didn't know something could be so soft.”

  I open my mouth, but no words come out. I can’t explain the feeling running through my body either. He’s never touched me before. I can’t tell if I should smack him or lean into his hand.

  “Laura! What are you doing?” Star hisses at me. “I need coffee to function and you need to see to my list.” I thought I had time.

  From how angry she is right now, she must’ve done something to piss my brother off, and he left her high and dry. Now I’ll be paying for that.

  “Sorry, I’m coming.” I look back to my mystery man, who is now glaring at Star. I become extremely aware that she’s only in her heels and a thin silk robe, with very little underneath. A moment of jealousy hits me when I see him staring her down. Which is totally ridiculous.

  “Later.” I give him a small smile, feeling embarrassed I got in trouble in front of him.

  “Who is that?” Star asks when I go to walk past her.

  “I don’t know his name.”

  She smiles. “Well then. I’ll go find out. You get to work.” I watch her stroll toward him. Not wanting to watch this play out or deal with the hurt I feel, I head back to get Star’s coffee. I add my mystery man to the list of the things I’ve lost today.

  2

  Xavier

  Laura is gone, and I make quick work of the harpy in the thin robe.

  “Don’t you want to watch my show?” she asks and runs her fingers down the lapel of my suit.

  “No.” I don’t waste any more words on her as I step around her pouting lips and wide eyes. I came here for Laura. The same way I’ve come here for Laura for the past few months.

  I spotted her by chance when I came to visit my friend Brock, who happens to own the entire casino, hotel, and half the town. The other half is mine.

  She was running around trying to collect various items from the bar, one of the food vendors, and a handful of others when she bumped into me. Does she even remember that day? I do. It’s seared into my brain. She was a butterfly floating from flower to flower until she landed on me. An island of stone. And ever since that moment, I’ve desired her above everything else.

  I know when I find something priceless. Something that I will do anything and everything to have. It’s a talent I’ve always possessed. Growing up in the gutter, that talent proved useful in deciding who to trust and what items to steal. Now? I use it to continue building my empire while destroying anyone who gets in my way.

  Pushing past the lifers at the slot machines and the cloud of cigarette smoke that lingers like smog over LA, I enter the front office of the burlesque show.

  TJ waves me inside. Most of the employees know me—or, more accurately, they know to let me do what the fuck I want or shit will get real. I enter the side hallway, the one where I have the best view of my little butterfly as she flits from task to task.

  She’s standing still for only a moment, her eyes glued to the list that infernal woman gives her every night before the show. Laura nods as she checks off each task, then she makes a strangled sound.

  “The shoes!” she cries, then turns and darts toward the casino door.

  I return to the smoky den and watch her rush down the main aisle, her shoes squeaking on the polished marble. A pit boss gives her a raised eyebrow as she hurtles toward the high-end boutiques around the overdone marble fountain that Brock favors. I follow, using the whirring and blinking machines to hide my tall frame.

  In record time, she rushes back out, a shoebox in her hands. Then, when she’s at the center of the casino, a server steps out with a tray full of watered-down drinks.

  “Shit.” I rush toward Laura.

  She hits the server, the drinks go flying, and the server falls back against a bubble craps machine. Laura isn’t so lucky. She’s about to smack hard into the marble when I catch her by the arm and pull her up just before she hits.

  A small shriek rips from her as I pull her close and hold her until she regains her balance.

  Looking up, her eyes widen. “You.”

  “Would you like to go on a date with me?” I ask her again. This is her last chance. I don’t tell her that, of course. No reason to bell the cat, as they say. But if she doesn’t agree this time, I’m afraid I can’t let this go on. She’s too valuable to me, though I’m not quite sure why yet. But the tickling sensation at the back of my brain has never been wrong. She’s priceless. That means she’s mine. I want her to come on her own. But that might not be an option.

  “I, um… I think I ...”

  “Say yes.” I grip her chin lightly and tilt her head back. She’s so beautiful, but she doesn’t realize it. She’s taken Star’s words to heart, every negative comment settling inside her like a weight. I want to lift them all for her, carry her worries away. But she has to give me a chance first.

  She sucks in a breath, and her gaze goes to my lips for a split second.

  “Do you need a kiss to decide?” I lean closer. “I’ll happily give you a sample to make your decision easier.”

  Her cheeks flame, her eyelashes fluttering as I move closer still. The noisy, smoky, boozy casino fades, and it’s just us. She has to make the choice. And if she chooses correctly, my plan can wait. If not, well … I’m not a man who’s used to being denied. Not in business or otherwise.

  “Say yes,” I whisper, my lips only a prayer away from hers.

  Her mouth opens slightly, her tongue darting out, smoothing the way for the word I want to hear.

  “Laura!” the dancer shrieks from the stage door. “Where the fuck are my shoes?”

  The spell breaks, and the entire casino comes back to life around us.

  “I have to go.” Laura steps from my hold and swipes the shoes from the floor, then finishes her mad dash across the casino. “Here! I have them right there.” Laura hands them to Star, who snatches them away.

  “You’re trying to ruin my show. I’ll be late for curtain you clueless moron!” Star is all seething anger, but I see right through it. She’s jealous. So jealous of my Laura with her big eyes, skin dusted with freckles, and hair that shines from any angle.

  Laura drops her chin; she doesn’t see Star’s anger for what it is. Just that movement alone makes me want to rip Star’s wig right the fuck off and give her a kick in the ass that sends her skidding right out of this casino and this town. But I don’t.

  I stand my ground. Star storms off, still screeching about being late, though curtain is still half an hour away.

  And when Laura looks back at me, it’s with a sadness that I know I can remedy. And I will very soon.

  Laura steps through the stage door and closes it.

  I pull out my phone and make a call to a certain one of my bookies.

  It looks like someone’s debts are about to come due in a big way. How unfortunate.

  I pocket my phone and stroll from the casino with a whistle on my lips and a fire in my heart.

  3

  Laura

  I stand in the dollar section of the pharmacy debating how I want to spend the five dollars I’m allowing myself. It’s my one day off, and I’m going to try to enjoy it. I don’t even allow myself to think about how Betty might be doing. I don’t want to fret about it until I find out what the damage is. Thing is, I’m not sure it really matters. I can’t afford anything at this point. I also know there’s no way that I can manage without having a car.

  I glance down the aisle and notice a man in a suit standing in front of the female
care products. Poor guy. I go back to making my very important choices. I decide on a face mask as the first one before grabbing two nail polishes, too. One is a soft pink and the other so bright it almost appears neon.

  I stare at the bath bomb longingly. I can’t remember the last time I had the luxury of soaking in a bathtub or even having one at all. I grab a face scrub and some peach lotion before I make my way to the front of the store to check out. The man in the suit is now behind me. I steal a glance over my shoulder, expecting to see him with some female products, but he doesn't have any pads or tampons. I guess he chickened out.

  I always thought it was odd that men get weirded out about buying such things. I never understood why it was a big deal. It’s the same as buying any other product in the store. I mean, no one thinks that they're using them personally. Men need to get over themselves when it comes to this.

  I’m obviously still holding on to the grudge of the time I thought I was dying when I was fourteen and Scott would not pick any up for me. When I asked, he looked at me as if I had two heads.

  “Next,” the cashier calls. I set my basket down and check out with my few items before making my way to the bakery by my house. Tracy smiles at me when I enter. She doesn’t need to ask what I want. I’m here every Tuesday.

  I always get the same thing. A double chocolate brownie and one large hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. It doesn’t matter if it’s a hundred degrees outside, I still get it. I’m addicted to the chocolate creamy goodness, and it’s the one indulgence I always allow myself.