Dariel's Feature: Sneak Peek: A Notorious Prologue - #Be Notorious Blog Tour Day Five by Katie Jennings
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Sneak
Peek: A Notorious Prologue - #BeNotorious Blog Tour Day Five
Sneak
Peek: A Notorious Prologue - #BeNotorious Blog Tour Day Five
Welcome
to Day Five of the #BeNotorious Blog Tour! We are revving up to the release of
the highly anticipated sequel of Katie Jennings’ family drama When
Empires Fall, aptly named Rise of the Notorious!
Follow
along on this notorious blog tour
from April 2nd till release day on April 23rd, and be
sure to enter the giveaway
for a chance to win some AMAZING prizes!
Today’s
stop is a sneak peek at the prologue of Rise
of the Notorious. Set in the “City of Sin,” this enticing snippet is sure
to whet your appetite! Enjoy!
*
* *
PROLOGUE
Las
Vegas, Nevada
July
1, 2004
They
say that only clever creatures can survive the desert heat. After all, the desert
is nothing more than a sweltering wasteland that has claimed more victims than
it has given life, which makes it more of a graveyard than a flourishing
habitat. But, regardless of this fact, at some point in time man had either
been foolish enough, or maybe greedy enough, to build a playground in the
middle of Hell.
Then
they’d had the audacity to call it a fertile plain. Las
Vegas.
What
a glorious contradiction.
Madison
Vasser despised the desert with all of her being. She was a creature made for
colder climates, for snow drifts and icy streets. Her ivory skin welcomed a
cool winter chill, and scornfully burned under the red-hot desert sun. But,
like many others, she had learned to adapt to her new home, for the reward for
staying was much too great to relinquish.
She
was nineteen, she was ambitious, and she was in love.
Her
smile was instinctive and more than a little wicked as she sauntered through
her family’s lavish casino, her golden dress fitted to her curves and cropped
short above her knees. Men in the casino faltered and stared as she passed,
stunned by her radiance, moved by the passion so clear in her expression. She
was a woman who knew what she wanted and was taking it without reservation.
There was no asking, no begging. No, there was only ambition and
victory. And she was the master of both.
She’d
come to Vegas a year before to serve her family’s empire. Now, as she walked
through the casino, she had to marvel at her grandfather’s brilliance to build
in the godforsaken desert in the first place. Despite appearances, it really
was a powerful city. The money that traded hands there was layered thick with
hopeful sweat and anxious tears, but, damnit, the people loved it. They flocked
to it, never having fully sated themselves with the escapist thrill of bright
lights and lost inhibitions.
The hotel itself thrived, rising like a
glittering beacon of refuge out of the dusty sand and drier-than-hell rock. It
towered over its neighbors, both larger and taller than anything else within
several hundred miles. Cyrus had insisted upon it, had purposely designed it so
the sapphire and gold “V” shone boldly and brilliantly from atop the glass
walled building for all to see. No one entering Las Vegas would have any doubt
who was the top dog in town or who ruled the landscape like a king rules an
empire.
The
Vasser name was as powerful as it was timeless. And, as her grandfather was apt
to say, it was the tower of strength.
She
made her way out of the bustling casino and passed by the hotel’s premiere
French restaurant, Soleil, thinking
she’d grab a bottle of wine for later. After all, it was somewhat of an
anniversary. It had been exactly one year since she had arrived in Las
Vegas.
Oh,
and how things had changed since then.
She
may have hated the desert, but there was no denying that it had given her an
incredible gift, one she would have gone to Hell and back for had she known of
its existence. Well, his existence,
really.
Wyatt
Bailey, the man who’d come from nowhere and shamelessly set fire to her
heart.
He’d
been virtually nothing when she had found him, just a blackjack dealer working
for her uncle with a mysterious past, no car, and a crappy apartment. Despite
his shortcomings, she had taken him under her wing and given him
everything.
Within
a couple of months, she’d gotten him promoted to Pit Boss, moved his meager
belongings into her suite at the hotel, and bought him a brand new Mercedes SLR
and new designer clothes. Most importantly, she had given him her heart, and in
return, he had changed her entire world.
She
had never loved any man the way she loved Wyatt, with a fiery passion and a
crushing need that consumed her every waking moment until she couldn’t stand it
unless she was at his side. He was intense and fiercely obsessed with her,
emotions she knew only too well as she possessed them herself. They were such
similar creatures, which was why it had been so easy to fall in love with him.
It had taken barely more than a touch and they were mesmerized by each other,
which was exactly how she had always hoped love would be.
Smiling
again, she swept through the service entrance and into the restaurant’s
kitchen, her amber eyes catching sight of Raoul, one of the cooks at the hotel.
He was busy whipping up eggs in a large, stainless steel bowl at a furious
speed, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he worked.
She
and Raoul had become fast friends the moment she had begun working for her
Uncle Duke because, like herself, she recognized in him an ambitious and restless
spirit. He craved status, power, and the finer things in life as much as she
did. Once she had her way, she would see to it that they both got what they
wanted in this life. Success.
“Darling,
I hope that quiche is not for Grant and Erin.” Madison smiled as she came up
beside him, one hand sliding over his shoulder companionably. “You know she’s
lactose intolerant.”
Raoul
stopped whisking and glared down at her, his mouth set in a firm line. “SÃ, but your brother likes it, no? I
will make something else for his woman.”
She
leaned in to kiss his cheek, coaxing a small smile out of him as she did so. “I
can always count on you.”
“It’s
nothing.” He brushed her off, reaching for the bowl again to pour the egg into
a shallow glass dish layered with pastry dough. “You should go prepare for your
brother, cariño.”
She
glanced down at the slim gold watch on her left wrist, pursing her lips. “I
have a few hours till they fly in. Enough time to have a glass of wine and take
a hot bath.”
He
chuckled and shook his head, sprinkling cheese over the quiche. “There is a
nice Moscato in the fridge.”
“Fantastic
idea.” Madison swept over to the kitchen’s large wine fridge, opening the glass
door and reaching for the Moscato. She checked the date on it and smiled.
“Excellent. Wyatt enjoys a good white.”
Raoul
said nothing as she shut the door and wandered back to him, bottle in hand.
“I’ll be down in a couple of hours to help you finish with dinner.”
“Hasta siempre,” he murmured without
looking at her, his eyes focused instead on the quiche as he finished preparing
it.
She
paused, her eyes softening as she watched him. It was only when he was feeling
emotional that he used that phrase of endearment with her. Just what was
bothering him now, she didn’t know. But whatever the reason, she would be there
for him when he needed her, just as he was always there for her. Loyalty was
everything.
“Until
forever, darling.” She squeezed his shoulder briefly before leaving the
kitchen, her mind shifting focus from her friend and instead to her lover, who
was waiting for her upstairs.
Since
she had begun working at the hotel she had lived in one of the suites. Because
the arrangement wasn’t meant to be permanent, she figured it was best to be
close to the action of the hotel instead of living elsewhere in the city.
Besides, it didn’t get any more luxurious than a suite at the Vasser Hotel.
Wine
in hand, she made her way toward the hotel’s elevators, her head held high and
a smooth confidence to her step. The world was hers for the taking. And boy,
did she intend to take. Only what she deserved, of course, but she was going to
make her grandfather proud. After all, he had entrusted her with his most lucrative secrets, trained her to be everything he needed her to be. If it wasn’t for him, she
would be nothing.
She
would never, ever let herself forget that.
The
elevator she boarded rose slowly toward the upper floors and she gazed at
herself in the mirrored gold doors as she waited. Her long, dark brown hair was
meticulously straight, its length falling to nearly her mid-back. Eyes of
vibrant amber beneath heavy lids stared back at her, sultry and intense. She
was proud of the heritage evident in her appearance, proud that she so greatly
resembled the man who she respected above all else. It was all a part of who she was, and who she
was becoming.
She
was a Vasser, and she would go to the grave defending her family and the empire
that was her birthright.
When
the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid smoothly open, Madison sauntered
out and strolled down the long hallway, her heeled footsteps muffled by the
ornate gold and sapphire carpet. She reached into the small handbag she carried
and pulled out her key card just as she came up to the door of her suite.
She
slid the card neatly into the slot and pushed the door open, her smile still in
place as she entered the room.
“I
brought some wine up, darling. I figured
we could have some fun before Grant flies in.”
She
paused, taken aback as she noticed the empty living area and the neatly cleaned
bedroom beyond. Frowning, she stalked through the bedroom and into the
adjoining bathroom, expecting him to be there.
When
she found it empty, her heart began to race in her chest as frustration and
anger surged through her. Where the hell was he?
She
tore back into the bedroom, heading straight for the dresser and ripping out
the drawers. When she noticed his
clothes were missing, her breathing became shallow and forced, her chest
constricting painfully.
No,
it couldn’t be. He wouldn’t do this.
She
stormed back into the living room, her hand clenching violently around the wine
bottle, her vision hazing with red. That was when she spotted the note, written
on the hotel’s white and gold stationary, sitting atop the coffee table. Beside
it lay the key to the Mercedes she had given him.
Her
handbag fell to the floor as she grabbed the note and hastily read the words,
gripping it so tightly that she nearly tore it to shreds.
It
read simply: I’m sorry, sweetheart.
“You
godforsaken bastard,” she snarled,
her hand shaking as she crumbled the note into her fist. In a fit of glorious
rage, she hurled the wine bottle against the wall, her heart panging at the
resounding crash as glass and wine spilled hideously onto the floor.
As
the realization that he had left her exploded through her system, she did the
only thing that would satisfy the blood lust coursing through her at that very
moment. She tore the room to pieces, cursing his name over and over until her
throat was dry and her eyes were bright with tears. The fury she unleashed
ripped through the suite like a tsunami; its wake leaving chairs upturned,
tables pushed over, vases shattered and draperies ripped from windows. Anything
she could grab she did, and as she ruined her pretty possessions she vowed to
hunt him down and make him pay.
“Stop
it, cariño.”
Raoul’s
voice shot out at her from the doorway, causing her to falter for the briefest
of moments, her chest heaving. In her hands she held a priceless Baroque
statue, the weapon she intended to use to shatter the equally priceless antique
mirror over the desk to pieces.
She
looked up to meet his dark eyes, and in that instant felt her knees crumble
beneath her.
Within
seconds he was with her, gathering her close, pressing her face into his chest.
“Don’t
you dare waste tears on him,” he grunted, glaring around at the destruction she
had made, an odd, prideful gleam in his eyes. He knew that, while she may be
cool-headed most of the time, she was a vindictive devil capable of catastrophe
when provoked. “He is not worth it.”
As
hard as she tried, her fury could only carry her so far. Her emotions were
boiling up to overtake her, cloaking her in misery and abject humiliation.
Because that’s exactly what this was. Wyatt Bailey had used her, led her to
believe he loved her, and then left. For as long as she lived, she’d damn him
to the darkest depths of Hell for scorning her.
“How
dare he leave me,” she spat, despising the crack in her voice as the words sank
in and enveloped her in despair. When she spoke again, it was more of a whisper
and she hated herself for feeling this awful weakness. “How dare he?”
Clutching
at Raoul’s white dress shirt, she gave in to her emotions and let them drain
her dry, her tears painful and horrific.
Never
again. Never again would she trust a man with her heart only to have him
trample on it this way. She thought of the night only three weeks earlier when
she and Wyatt had impulsively gone to a chapel downtown and tied the knot,
completely in secret. No one in her family had any idea. Now, it
appeared, they never would.
Raoul
simply held her, seeking to comfort even as a satisfied smile curved over his
lips.
Finalmente. At
last. Wyatt Bailey was gone.
* * *
Rise
of the Notorious
By
International Bestselling Author
Katie
Jennings
Coming
April 23, 2013
* * *
Meet
Katie Jennings…
International
bestselling Author Katie Jennings is the author of six full length novels,
including the popular fantasy series The
Dryad Quartet as well as the bestselling family drama series The Vasser Legacy.
She
lives in sunny Southern California with her husband and cat, who both think
she’s the biggest nerd ever. She’s a firm believer in happy endings and loves
nothing more than a great romance novel.
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