CHAPTER1
MIKHAIL
Las Vegas
From five miles above,all the lights made Las Vegas seem like a sunspot of an oasis in the center of an endlessly black desert. It was almost peaceful, maybe even majestic — a decadent, sparkling playground complete with the best comedians, singers, acrobats, and all the spectacle one could ever hope to indulge in for a long weekend. And for the most part, that was correct.
It was different decades ago. The sixties through the eighties were the pinnacle of the real sin-laden Las Vegas. Back then, you could get just about anything for the right price. Under La Cosa Nostra, dealers knew your name, hustlers were respected, and bad people could become community pillars. As one famous guy once said, it was like a license to sell dreams for cash. So of course, by the early 80s, it had all come to an end.
But I was bringing that prosperity back, putting Vegas to work. Not in the clumsy, splashy way that the mafia had a reputation for — too many movies, too many TV shows for that to ever work again. I was working with surgical precision, the cold blade inherent to the power of the Sokolov family. With my father under cancer treatment, I was the one responsible for dealing all the cards and watching the soldiers work with their hand. I was the man in charge. And everyone in the organization was aware.
I flew alone, as always, in one of the private Sokolov planes. And from my seat, I could see Vegas not for its history, but its potential: a massive, glittering machine, clicking smoothly, pouring money nonstop into the family coffers.
As soon as the plane touched down, I was on my feet and moving. My cousin Andrei was never late. The moment the flight attendant opened the hatch to let me disembark, I saw him standing next to the car with our driver. He smiled and held his arms open as I crossed the tarmac. “Glad you made it home safely, Mikhail.”
I opened my arms and we hugged, then clapped each other on the back before separating. “Business as usual.”
“Good,” Andrei said. He snapped his fingers, and the driver immediately opened the door for us. “After you,” Andrei said. “We might have some new business to discuss.”
“Serious or not?” I asked, slipping into my seat and settling against the rich, dark leather seat.
“I’m waiting on a call. Gotta verify it first.” Andrei slid inside and closed the door behind him.
“Alright,” I said. Andrei had been by my side for years now in this business. We were practically inseparable, and I trusted him with my life. If he needed to wait, he needed to wait, and my father had taught me that you need to give your very best people a little latitude. Few people were afforded the same treatment, lest they start skimming from the top or talking out of turn or any number of things that could eventually lead to some itchy fucking lawman digging a little too deep. But Andrei had as much space to work as he needed, no questions asked. “Tell me what I’ve missed.”
The driver put the car in gear and drove us in the direction of the Strip, already so bright in front of us. Andrei signaled to have the partition raised, shutting us off in privacy.
Vegas, from down here, was truly larger than life. It didn’t have the heights of New York or the sprawl of Los Angeles, but it had power. It radiated off of every surface, enticing at every level, surreal and omnipresent. The slot machines were everywhere; you could get caught up in gambling’s siren song at the gas station just as easily as the casino floor. The house always won, and it could reach you anywhere in this city to collect its tribute.
We drove up the freeway while Andrei rattled on about business affairs. They were never all that interesting to me. Lawyers, lawyers, lawyers, that’s what it always came down to. It was too easy. My mind was on the real meat of the business, our flagship casino, the Shining Star, and making sure that our secret entertainment floors stayed secret, outside of select clientele.
While Andrei talked, I watched the scenery as we exited the freeway and pulled onto the Strip itself. Glittering, bustling, a dream in the desert where business was built on indulging every dark desire. I smiled to myself. I might have a mountain of paperwork to read, but I could do that in the comfort of my penthouse with a gloriously electric view of my city to keep me company.
If people were as beautiful and reliable as Vegas, maybe I’d enjoy them more. I had yet to meet one person who didn’t disappoint. Other than Andrei, of course.
“Our guy at that hotel, you know, the one that used to be the Flamingo? He wants to make a deal,” Andrei said.
I snapped out of my reverie.
“Which one?”
He smiled like a shark. “You know the guy. The one who busted out his kid’s entire college fund and came begging us for a solution.”
I remembered. A guy who claimed to have inside information on the casino’s financials, exactly the sort of thing we could use for leverage in a pinch. “The accountant, right,” I said. “Are the Baranovs still trying to pick that casino up?”
“Last I checked,” Andrei replied. “Which was, oh,” he checked his watch, “approximately two hours ago.”
“Good. Maybe there’s something we can use against them. I don’t want them nosing in even further than they already have.” I met his eyes. “If they do, I’m going to handle it personally.”
Andrei chuckled. “You know I’ll handle it. Murder is messy. We wouldn’t have what we have if we did everything your way.”
“No,” I said dryly. “Just most of what we have.”
Andrei nodded and took the hint. “You’re right, cousin. I’ll take care of it personally and make sure it’s locked up tight.” Before he could say anything else, his phone chirped.
I cocked an eyebrow. “Is that the verification you were waiting for?”
Andrei looked at the screen and nodded. “Yeah. We’ve got a problem with one of our dealers.”