"I can't believe I actually agreed to this."
Amy leaned back in her chair with a weary sigh. She was seated at a table, a few feet away from a large stage where a tantalizing and steamy show was about to take place. The theatre consisted mostly of women from her age on up into their late fourties. If there were one man in the room, he was lost entirely in the throng. While the other females waited in anticipation for the show to begin, all she wanted to do was get out of there. She brought her celluar phone away from her right ear, switching it to her left.
"Agreed to what honey? Why do you sound so upset? You're in Las Vegas. You should be out having fun in the first place."
"Okay, no offense Kimber, but now you're starting to sound like my mom. I can't believe I actually agreed to let Christian leave me here at this Chippendales show. This isn't my thing. I don't get off watching guys dance around and strip. I'm not a lesbian, but all this is going to do is make me feel awkward and uncomfortable. I'm not twenty one yet. I want to be spending time with him, not here."
There was a soft sigh from Kimber's end. "I'm sorry sweetie. I know how you must feel right now, at least when it comes to Christian. He has a habit of doing the same thing to me, leaving me to wonder what's really more important to him."
"I don't think I want to know what he's doing right now. That's just...eww. He told me there was a show he wanted to see, but didn't think it would be appropriate for me so he brought me here. Why did he even bring me here if he's not going to spend time with me? I'm his daughter."
"I hate to break it to you honey, but having Christian bring you to Sin City might not have been the best idea. I mean, come on, they don't call it 'Sin City' for nothing. If you would have waited just a couple more days, I would have taken you there myself. Now that Christian is there, he'll take every opportunity to fulfill his own desires."
Her heart constricted in her chest at Kimber's words, refusing to believe them, but in the back of her mind, knowing that she was right. Suddenly, she couldn't have thought of a more stupid idea than this. More importantly, she was the idiot. An idiot who was sitting here waiting for something that she could careless about. She bit down on her bottom lip, holding back the emotion rising to the surface. Then, before she could prevent herself from saying it, the word left her mouth. "Asshole."
"Don't be so hard on him. He may act like an asshole half the time, but trust me, there's a better man beneath that vain exterior. I know how sneaky, not to mention charming he is when it comes to getting what he wants, but no one is forcing you to stay there. Just call him up and be upfront with him about it. Tell him you'd rather be with him. It couldn't hurt."
A woeful sigh escaped her. "If he's off watching some x-rated show, I really don't think he's going to get up and leave just for me. Especially after he's bought the ticket."
"If he wants to keep you in his life he will. If that doesn't work, just tell him you're sick or something."
Why didn't I think of that? She asked herself with a roll of her eyes. Just as she was about to reply to Kimber, the lights went down and the women around her started squealing. A countdown began as fog rolled across the stage before her. An up-tempo music boomed loudly out of unseen speakers. With another roll of her eyes, she brought her opposite hand up to plug her opposite ear. She shouted over the growing noise. "Okay, I'll do that! I gotta go now Kimber! This is about to get crazy!"
"Good luck." Kimber told her before the two of them signed off.
Amy shook her head in disbelief as closed up her celluar. She pushed herself up to her feet, taking one look at the stimulated women around her before heading in the direction of the exit. Once she stepped out into the lobby and away from the madness, she opened her celluar back up and dialed Christian's number. Her stomach lurched at the thought of what she might be interrupting, but she was on a mission.
A huge grin was plastered on Christian's face as a topless blonde sauntered towards him. Leaning back against the plush sofa, his arms were splayed and rested comfortably on the back of it. He thrust his hips upward as he shifted in his seat. The pink tip of his tongue appeared from his mouth, sliding over his lips in anticipation. He was seated in a VIP section of the vast, dimly lit theater and had been thoroughly enjoying himself for the past hour. The errection in his pants was full proof of that. When he'd bought a ticket to the erotic "Crazy Girls" show over at the Riviera, he only anticipated how sexually charged he'd be by the end of the night.
As he'd watched the eight dancers perform in various states of undress, the sexy show got steamier with each number, giving him plenty of opportunity to view their famous behinds. In most numbers, the girls had stripped down to a tiny G-string. However, in one solo segment, a dancer on a rotating platform removed even that, leaving nothing to the imagination. Minute by minute, Christian had to fight off the temptation to yank one of them off stage and have his way with them. Luckily, his desires were just about to be fulfilled.
Not a word was spoken between them as the tall and tantalizing blonde climbed on top of him, straddling his waist and soon began thrusting her hips towards him. Her shapely breasts rubbed against his chest the more she moved, her delicate digits traveling up to caress his large upper body. Christian's arms came down to slip around her tiny waist, his fingers trailing over her bare curvacious bottom. Just when he expected the lap dance to go even further, he felt his celluar vibrate beneath his suit jacket. His first instinct was to ignore it. Why ruin the fun he was already having? Then, he remembered. He hadn't come to Sin City on his own. His daughter was still with him and whether he liked it or not, she was here to stay.
A frustrated sigh escaped him as he pulled one of his hands back from the dancer's bottom, and reached under his suit jacket for his celluar. Almost as if on cue, the alluring blonde slid off of him and sauntered away to another man, her hips swaying in a teasing motion as she did so. His eyes scanned over the caller ID on his cell, not surprised when he saw it was Amy calling. With a shake of his head, he flipped it open and answered it. "What's the problem, sweetheart? Aren't you having fun?" He was tempted to say she'd ruined his, but held back.
"Not exactly. I don't think buying me a ticket to this strip show was exactly my idea of fun. It's just not my thing. And..." She paused before uttering the next words. "I'm not feeling so good right now. I feel kinda sick actually."
For a moment, he didn't know whether to believe her or not, but couldn't hold back his next words. "You mean to tell me that watching men strip off their clothes and shake their asses around on stage...is making you sick." It was more said in the form of a statement rather than a question.
She exhaled sharply. "No, that's not making me sick. I just feel sick. Can you come and get me, please? I'm really sorry if I made you waste your money on both of these tickets, but I think I need to lie down, and...I'd really rather be spending time with you right now."
He wouldn't question her any further. A deep sigh escaped him. "I'm on my way." Before she could say anymore, he ended the call. He peered around at his surroundings one last time before rising to his feet. The night wasn't a complete loss. He'd stayed almost until the end of the show, and he'd gotten himself as sexually arroused as he could get. At least enough to satisfy him for the moment.
The chilly evening breeze swept across Amy's petite form, causing her to pull her lightweight black jacket around her more snugly. She had thought to wait inside the lobby of the hotel, but she had had just about enough of the pungent cigarette smoke that filled the air. Why did all of the casinos in Las Vegas reek of that odor? If you weren't worrying about getting mugged on the streets, it was the risk of getting second hand smoke that might kill you. She paced back and forth just outside the main entrance, waiting for Christian to arrive. He'd told her that he wouldn't be too far away if she needed him, so she should have been expecting him any moment now. She'd only been waiting out there for the past five minutes anyway.
A shiver danced down her spine, praying to God that she wouldn't really get herself sick from waiting outside in this weather. She missed the warm Miami weather already. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when a black Porsche pulled up to the curb a minute later. The window on the passenger's side rolled down and Christian appeared.
His forehead wrinkled in consideration. "What are you doing? Trying to make yourself sicker? You could have easily waited for me inside."
Turning her head away so he wouldn't notice her rolling her eyes, she shrugged his remark off, although deep inside, she was touched that he actually cared about her well-being. She looked back at him before opening the door and slipping inside the vehicle. "I couldn't stand the nasty smell inside the damn casino. I'd probably get sicker either way." A soft sigh escaped her as he pulled the vehicle back onto the strip and headed back towards their hotel. Her brows furrowed inquisitively, noticing the direction they were heading. "Are we going back to the hotel?"
"You told me you were sick sweetheart," he said exasperatedly. He stole a glance over at her, a firm expression on his face. "If you're sick, you should be in bed. What exactly is wrong with you? You never did tell me."
Shit. Did she really have to make up an excuse to get out of this one? "Uh..." She fought to piece together a sentence. "My stomach hurts." Before he could say anymore or even get any closer to the hotel, she continued. "You know what? I'm really not feeling that sick. Do you think we could maybe...go somewhere else? I've been wanting to go up to the Eiffel Tower since we got here. Do you think we could do that?"
For a moment, Christian didn't bother uttering a reply. It looked as if he were debating about whether or not he should agree to it. Finally, he sighed softly and turned to look over at her with a small smile. "We can do anything you want, sweetheart. We are here after all. Why not take a trip up to the Eiffel Tower." He smiled smugly at her before turning back to the road.
It took them less than five minutes to get to the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel. Using the parking garage, Christian found a parking as close to the hotel as he could get, and both he and Amy walked the short distance to the tower. After paying the ticket holder, they rode the elevator up about fifty stories until they reached the observation deck, stepping out of the lift shortly after. From four hundred and sixty feet in the air, the Las Vegas lights glittered and blinked like a Christmas tree. Shards of color danced and glowed in the moonlight.
Amy wasn't the biggest fan of heights, and even being up this high made her more than a little uneasy, but somehow, having Christian there made her feel a little better. Slowly, she stepped towards the edge and set both of her hands onto the railing, taking in the view of the shimmering Las Vegas valley all at once. Christian stepped up beside her and leaned his larger frame against the railing. A content sigh escaped him.
"God it's beautiful up here, isn't it?" He turned to look over at her, a warm smile crossing his face.
She nodded her head gently. "Yeah, it is." The same chilly but light breeze swept over her and suddenly, she found herself grabbing Christian's arm and clinging to him fretfully. The last thing she wanted was to fall over the edge and plummet to her death.
Her action caught Christian off guard at first, but he instantly adjusted and allowed his arms to envelope her petite frame in a protective embrace. He looked down at her inquisitively, "what's the matter?" He stole a glance out at the strip before bringing his focus back on his daughter. "You're not about to tell me you're afraid of heights, are you?"
She shook her head stiffly against his masculine chest. "Not really...maybe a little. It depends on how high I am."
Christian scowled before gingerly placing a kiss on top of her head, resting his cheek against it shortly after. "I would think you would have thought about that before we came up here." He sighed softly, shaking his head. "There's not a chance in hell I'd ever let anything happen to you. We don't have to be up here much longer if you don't want to."
Both his words and his sign of affection warmed her heart. A soft smile crossed her face. "Thanks. I really needed that right now," she lifted her head off of his chest and looked up at him. "and thanks, for bringing me here. I really needed this trip...just to get away from all the shit at home with...well, you know."
He sighed deeply, nodding his head lightly. "Believe me, I'm more than willing to take you away from that hell for at least a couple days."
She snickered before gently pulling away from him. "I'll take you up on that offer any day." Sending him a smirk, she stepped out of his embrace and turned back to gaze out at the gleaming Vegas lights.
While she stood there with her father enjoying one of Vegas' natural splendors, she was content. Content and putting the worries of her adoptive father, her mother, and her friends aside. She hadn't felt so independent than she did at that moment. Now that both she and Christian were learning to adjust, she was becoming more and more comfortable in his presence day after day. More importantly, now that she was here, she was secure. Safe...with Christian. So safe that not even her adoptive father could touch her. So maybe Christian Troy was a smug and arrogant bastard at times, but if he was, she was. There was no doubt that she was turning into him more and more each day. That "smug and arrogant bastard" side might linger in her as well.
"Part of me wishes I could stay here forever, but I think I'd miss Miami too much. Wouldn't you?" She turned her head to look over at him, but her eyes widened in astonishment when she came face-to-face with the last person she expected to see...her adoptive father.
"Your mother and I will never allow that to happen. Either she has custody over you or I do. You're not staying in Vegas and that's that."
Her heart began to pound in her chest. A million questions raced through her mind at that moment. How did he get here? How did he know she was here? Was he stalking her now? What did he want? She swallowed the lump in her throat, looking in either direction of the deck for Christian, but he was nowhere in sight. Her body tensed up, trembling slightly out of fear without even realizing it. She tried mercilessly to form a coherent sentence. "What...what are you doing here?"
Frank Gellar was a tall and slim-hipped man but with a slightly muscular upper body, short jet black hair, deep-set brown eyes, pug nose, and a jutting jaw hidden beneath a gowtee. His bushy brows furrowed in question, almost as if he couldn't comprehend why she was speaking to him this way. He took a step towards her and in turn, she took a step back. "I thought that since you weren't returning my calls, I'd get out of New York and visit a friend of mine here in Vegas, but this is so much better. Now I can finally see my little girl." A bright smile came to his face as he stepped closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her body and urged her towards him, hugging her tightly.
She sighed irritably, wanting to step out of his embrace, but as tight as he was holding her, she knew that was impossible. She didn't hug him back though. All she did was stand there. Once he released her, she tensed up when she saw his gaze harden, knowing full well that she had upset him.
"Don't I get a hug? The least you could do is hug me. I am still your father and considering we haven't seen each other in years, I think you at least owe me that."
She exhaled sharply, wishing that she could just close her eyes and wake up from this nightmare. "I'm-I'm sorry Frank."
His brows arched in surprise before his eyes narrowed on her. "What did you just call me? Did you just call me Frank?" He grabbed her arm firmly, shoving her against the railing of the observation deck. She winced at the pain that radiated up her arm and her hip when her body slammed into the railing, having to grab onto the steel bars to keep herself from slipping. Her heart pounded in her chest strongly as tears welled up in her eyes, knowing perfectly well that she could fall over the edge and go splat if he swung her around hard enough. Suddenly, she wished she would have just called him her father - if not her dad, but ever since Christian came along, he was the only man she could really consider to be a real father. She couldn't believe she'd let his first name slip out like that. "I'm your fucking father! I'd appreciate it if you showed me a little bit of respect!"
Taking a deep breath to both collect herself and hold back on coming tears, she looked back up at him before finally stepping away from the railing. "I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry," her voice shook with emotion. Her eyes frantically searched the rest of the deck, but no one else was around. The observation deck was a welded steel structure that ran all the way around the tower in a circle. If there were other occupants on the opposite side, she wouldn't know it.
Her father's gaze grew cold once again, placing his hands firmly on his hips. "What are you crying about?" He demanded.
She shook her head with a soft sniffle, wrapping her arms around herself in a protective embrace. "Nothing." Bringing her gaze back up to him, she scowled. "I'm sorry, I really am. I just wasn't expecting you to show up here, that's all." For a moment, Frank looked as if he were going to lash out at her, but at the last minute, he sucked in a breath and remained steadfast. An allieviated sigh escaped her.
"Does your mother know you're here? Who are you here with? If your mother is here, I want to talk to her." He took a moment to look around the deck, almost expecting her mother to come out of nowhere and greet him with open arms. Of course Amy knew her mother better than that. She wouldn't just be so happy to see him, after all that happened.
Amy turned her head away with a sigh. There was no way in hell she was going to tell him about Christian. She had to keep him from losing his temper again, fearing he'd do something much worse to her. She nodded gently. "She already knows I'm here," she fibbed, "but she's not here."
"I know your mother better than that. She wouldn't just allow you to travel by yourself all the way across the country, which brings up the same question...who are you here with? Huh?"
She cringed, swallowing hard as her heart hammered in her chest anxiously. Her body trembled in fear as her eyes rose up to him slowly. No matter what happened, he wasn't going to get it out of her. Her eyes shifted to the opposite side of the deck, praying that wherever Christian was, he'd come and get her the hell out of here before it was too late.
Before she could turn around and walk away from him, Frank grabbed both of her wrists firmly and pulled her against him. "We're not finished here young lady!" He snapped, taking another breath before his tone got calm. "I'll ask again. Who...are you...here with!" He shook her furiously, his voice escalated with his last words. Then. Before she knew what was happening, he shoved her against the railing again, only harder than he had before. Strong enough to knock the wind out of her and ultimately send her toppling, head first, to the hard steel floor beneath her.
She cried out as the tears streamed down her cheeks, pain radiating now throughout her entire body, and her head pounding almost as much as her heart was. Her face burned and throbbed, and she wouldn't be surprised if it was bleeding. Bringing a shaky hand up to her forehead, her digits ran over something wet, and sure enough, when she brought her fingers back down, they were stained with fresh bright red blood. A painful groan escaped her as she fought to push herself up off the floor, but Frank didn't give her the chance. He was on top of her in an instant, grasping a few strands of her hair and yanking her head back.
"I'm not going to repeat myself again! Tell me who you're here with God damn it!" He cooed in her ear, "is it someone your mother is seeing?" He growled angrily, startling her as he did so. "I'll kill the son of a bitch!" When she didn't reply, another growl escaped him, his fist connecting with the side of her face. "Tell me!" He screamed.
Amy whimpered like a wounded animal, trying mercilessly to wriggle away from him, but the more she moved, the worse the pain surging through her muscles got. She swallowed the lump in her throat, blinking back the tears in her eyes. Christian! She needed to get to Christian! Where was he! It didn't matter where he was. If he was still here, he'd hear her. Sucking in a breath, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Christian!" She prayed that one scream would be enough because a split second later, Frank's hand came down over her mouth to silence her. Her sobbing only grew, already anticipating he was not done inflicting pain upon her. She whimpered incessantly when he raised his arm over her head once again.
Just when she expected him to pay her another blow to the face, a large and familiar looking hand grabbed a hold of Frank's arm. Her adoptive father whirled around and there stood Christian, with a stone-cold look on his face and a fury - unlike anything she'd seen - gleaming in his eyes. An allieviated sigh escaped her.
"Get your God damn hands off my daughter!" Christian growled through clenched teeth at the man before him. The hand that gripped Frank's arm was removed quick enough for Christian to give him a forceful shove in the direction of the center of the tower, knocking the man off balance for a brief moment. The hand that had a grip on Amy's soft auburn locks breaking free along with it.
It didn't take long for Frank to collect himself and regain his footing, and when he did, he looked similiar to a bull ready to charge. His eyes fixated on Christian incriminatingly, "your daughter?"
"Your daughter?" Frank shouted angrily. "She's my daughter! I'm her fucking father! Who in the hell are you!"
Amy winced in pain as she pushed herself up a little more, her eyes widening in horror as she looked over at the two men. She was praying that Christian wouldn't come out and tell him, but at the same time, she was wishing he would. It was time that she showed this man he wasn't her real father anymore.
Christian stole a glance over at Amy, guilt written all over his face. He turned his attention back on Frank, that icy glare filling his eyes once again. "Was beating your kid included in your God damn father's handbook!" He spat, giving the man another shove, hard enough to send him toppling to the floor. "If you were a real father, you'd give your daughter the love and respect she deserves and keep your damn hands the hell off of her!"
Amy choked back a sob, cringing as the tears rolling down her cheeks cascaded over the cuts on her face and caused them to burn. She watched in astoundment as her adoptive father fell over, but grew more overwhelmed when she saw him spring up to his feet once again and lunge towards Christian.
"You son of a bitch! Who the fuck do you think you are!" Frank screamed. He pulled his arm back, clenching his hand into a fist, and prepared to hit Christian.
Amy's heart hammered in her chest when she realized what was happening. "No!" She screamed.
Frank thrust his fist towards Christian's face, but he grabbed the man's wrist before he could get within inches of his nose. Christian growled furiously, tightening his grip on Frank's wrist. His own hand clenched into a fist, instantly connecting with the man's nose. An audible crack sounded, his head being thrown back from the pressure of the blow. Frank went down hard, grabbing his nose with a painful groan. Amy's jaw hung open as she watched the scene unfold before her, not knowing what to make of it but at the same time, thanking God that Christian was there to defend her.
"You call yourself her God damn father! Newsflash asshole, she already has one!" Christian stepped towards Amy, leaning in and taking her hand in his hand, intent on helping her up to her feet. "Let's get you the hell out of here." She raised her eyes up to him with a deep and painful scowl, but before either of them could get any farther, a growl sounded in Frank's direction and in a split second, the man had a hold of her arm.
"Where do you think you're going? You're not going anywhere with him! You're coming home with me!" Frank yanked on her arm, urging her towards him as she cried out in pain.
"No! Let me go!" Amy cried, struggling against his tight grip. Her eyes darted towards her birth father, who struggled himself to free her from Frank's grasp, "Christian!"
Christian's eyes narrowed to angry slits, growling ferociously through his already clenched teeth. "Let go of her asshole!" When the man refused to obey his command and yanked her even further, Christian's free hand immediately clenched into a fist and gave Frank another blow, this time in the eye. The man fell over on impact, and as he laid there curled up on the floor moaning and groaning from pain, that gave Christian enough time to help Amy up to her feet and begin leading her towards the exit of the deck. He looked down at her, concerned written all over his face. "Are you all right sweetheart?"
She looked up at him with a deep scowl, tears still left in her eyes. It was clear from the look on her face that she was not all right. She shook her head before leaning against him, using his body weight to keep her balance as she walked, wincing every now and then when her throbbing abdomen rubbed against him. They were only five feet away from her adoptive father when Christian halted his steps. Her brows furrowed inquisitively, watching him as he turned back around and approached Frank. She grabbed a hold of the steel railing to steady herself for the time being, staring in bafflement at the two men and wondering what Christian was doing. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him grab a hold of the man's collar and lean over him, a look of fury on his face.
"Don't you ever lay a hand on her again or I swear I'll kill you. Are we clear!" He snarled, just before he released the man's shirt and shoved him back against the floor. "You stay the hell away from her!" He bellowed, before whirling back around on his heels. Although Frank looked too disorriented to respond, he still lifted his chin and sent an icy glare Christian's way.
Amy blinked back her astonishment, but sighed softly, more out of relief than anything else. She leaned into Christian's embrace when he stepped up beside her, one of his arms slipping around her shoulders protectively. She winced slightly at the pain in her arm when he held her a little too closely. "Ow!"
Christian sighed deeply, scowling down at her. His brows furrowing in concern. "I'm going to take care of you, sweetheart. As soon as we get back to the hotel. You're going to be fine." He exhaled sharply, stealing a glance over his shoulder before he began leading her towards the elevator they'd rode up in earlier. Once they were safely inside, the lift began descending to the ground floor.
She clung to his side, both of her arms wrapped lightly around his waist, appearing almost like a small child clinging to their father, but then, she wasn't a child. She squeezed her eyes shut, constantly thanking God that he had stopped her adoptive father when he did. The thought terrified her of what might have happened had he not been there. So much that she instinctively began to tremble against Christian. Another tear managed to roll down her cheek, feeling his hand begin to rub against her back in a soothing manner. "Thank you," she murmured.
He rested his chin on top of her head, sighing softly. "That asshole will never lay a hand on you again. I'll make sure of that, no matter what it takes." He bit down on his bottom lip, his voice softening but breaking with his next words, "you'll be safe from now on, I promise."
No matter how much she tried to prevent it from happening, she started to cry all over again. She winced as she brought herself closer to him, sobbing softly against his chest. His words were exactly what she needed to hear at the moment, and after the way in which he had come to her rescue moments before, she had no reason to doubt his promise. This many truly loved and cherished her and in turn, so did she. She could trust him with her life now, and so much more.