Chapter Seven

Luca and I left the Super Nova at a silent but filling breakfast.  I had never seen so many wonderful things included in a buffet.  I kept my diet light: fruit and yogurt. I had a rehearsal this afternoon and a performance later in the evening, and didn't want anything too heavy on my stomach. 

We walked through the halls of the Super Nova alone.  Luca had his eyes on his phone while he was texting someone furiously.  I walked a few steps behind him, trusting that he knew where he was going.

And trusting that he was taking me somewhere safe.

Luca took a hard left and put his phone back in his pocket.  I followed, noticing that the crowds were slowly disappearing the further we walked. 

He suddenly stopped at a door marked with his initials, LM.

"Go through the door, I'll meet you later.  I have some business to take care of here before I leave."

While I may not have seen Luca's house yet, I knew he didn't live behind a small door in his hotel room.

"So I -"

"Just go." He commanded as he made his way back down the hallway.

Perhaps he treated everyone this coldly at first, but the way he commanded me to leave scared me. 

I opened the door to see a staircase leading down.  It curved slightly to the right, so I couldn't see what waited at the bottom for me. 

With nowhere else to go, I made my way inside and shut the door behind me.

With each step, the air became cool and musty.  I was heading underground again. Sin City really was built on hollow ground. I placed my hand on the cool white wall to balance as I spiraled down the stairs.  At the bottom, a private subway car was waiting on the tracks.

"Miss Vale?" A man waiting near the platform spoke

"Yes."

"Inside, please.  We'll be driving you to Mr. Moretti's estate."

Although I was hesitant, I knew better than to fight them. I slowly climbed into the car and took a seat in a reclined and plush lounge-style chair.  The man who greeted me shut the door and then made his way around the back side of the vehicle.  

After a moment, the car lunged forward and began its journey down the tracks. The view out the windows around me changed from white interior walls to the sandy earth of a Las Vegas cave, then into the elegant skyline of the city itself. 

I allowed myself the comfort of enjoying the view for a moment.  The warm sun on my skin took me back to a simpler time where I could enjoy the feeling without the fear I felt for Lucca Moretti. The car curved high above the city in a slow, surreal loop. 

The car angled itself to face the downtown area.  We looked like we would go right down the middle of the strip until we drove back down underground again.  After only another moment, the car came to a stop, and the man opened the door to let me out.

Brian  was waiting outside the car like he had been expecting me all morning.

"I told you we would see each other again."

Brian smiled kindly and offered me a hand out of the subway car.   There was something comforting about him, like he was an old friend. I knew he would always be Luca's friend first. 

"Did you have a lovely breakfast?"

"I did.  Did you have a lovely time disposing of my belongings?" There was a hint of sarcasm in my voice.  I matched his friendly tone with my spiteful words. 

"Not disposed, Ms. Vale, but relocated until further notice." He offered his elbow to me in the most gentlemanly way he could. "If I may, I'd like to show you your new quarters. 

I took his arm as he walked me through the large double doors that led from the landing platform into the Cashmere Crown.

"So you can orient yourself, we are currently underground on the west side of the building.  Directly above us is the entrance to the pool and spa."

That meant that to my left was the strip, and to the right would have been the pool.  Perfect, I knew just about where I was. 

"We're going to head up the elevator there, and we will stay to the right.  You'll want level PG-2." Brian pushed the buttons to open the lift doors and then to direct it where to go. "That's Private Grounds, level two."

The elevator took us up a few floors and then opened to a large outdoor terrace. 

"So if you were to go inside the building to the left, you would find some common ground for those who live here, including a bar, a private restaurant, and a few gaming machines.  We'll be going down the terrace stairs to the right, and then follow the right-most path through this garden."

The garden path felt like the rest of the hotel, beautiful and luxurious.  There were flower varieties I had never seen growing along every vine-covered arch above our heads. 

"The villa ahead belongs to you now, number 7." Brian placed his hand on top of mine and then quickly removed his arm from my grasp.  In its place, he slipped a set of keys into my hand. 

"Enjoy." Brian gave me a wink and turned on his heels to leave.

A private restaurant?

A house hidden inside the gardens of a Las Vegas Casino?

Maybe I would have been more impressed if I weren't so terrified this place might be my grave. 

The inside looked like something out of a luxury design magazine.  It was decorated in bright white colors with very modern furniture.  On a small bench in the foyer, I found my firebox waiting for me.  I took it in my hands and carried it upstairs, placing it in the closet of the master bedroom.

My closet was already stocked with tons of clothes.  I noticed the bedroom had all the modern luxuries I could wish to have there as well.  I continued my self-guided tour and found the bathroom had luxury self-care products, the kitchen's fridge was stocked full of fresh fruits and vegetables, and the small patio out back even had its own private jacuzzi. 

This place was perfect.

Then I reminded myself that a murderer had arranged for this for me.  

This wasn't generosity. It was containment.

But when I spotted the gigantic arrangement of flowers in the living room with a card sticking out of the top, I started to question that.

Sienna,

I'm sure Brian gave you the tour, but feel free to use the grounds as you need to. Check the desk, top drawer, for a credit card.  Don't be shy, use it as you need to. I will see you tonight in my box seat.

-Luca.

What kind of game was he playing?  I quickly checked the desk for the credit card to see that it was waiting right where he said it would be.

First, he makes me think I have been kidnapped. Then he takes me to some hidden hotel and introduces me to the women that would rather see me dead than alive. And to ice this crazy cake, he gives me a house and a credit card. 

I wanted to believe that he is a good guy. I wanted to believe that my blackmail isn't working and he just wants to keep me close to him.

But I can't.

I've watched him murder someone with ease. How many times had he killed before?  Why did he feel the need to kill that man?  Would he kill me too, as soon as I let my guard down?

I put the credit card back in the desk and made my way into the bedroom.  I needed to get myself ready for rehearsal.  I needed to clear my head of Luca Moretti.

Rehearsal was supposed to be the one place Luca Moretti couldn't affect me. I didn't know how wrong I could be.