Gambling Debts 37/?
Chapter 37
When they had come up with the Fuck You party, which was still Stiles' unofficial name for it, Derek had expected something like the party the wannabe movie star had thrown. Not that he held that one in fond memory. He still had no idea who that woman had been who had assaulted him at the party, he just hoped that she wouldn't be at the party at the Red as well. But Stiles had seen her so Derek was pretty sure that she was banned from the Red for life.
Saturday started out fairly normal but at five in the afternoon the Red closed its doors for the public. Then they had two hours to get the casino ready for the party.
Isaac was running around like a headless chicken, events like this were a disaster for security, and Stiles and Derek weren't off any better. Sure, there were others in charge and they all did an awesome job but it was Stiles who had the final say in everything. Or Derek. By now everybody knew that he ranked as high as Stiles so when the champagne delivery was late, it was Derek who had to make calls to get enough bottles here before the grand opening.
Meanwhile Stiles was busy with checking the tables and the food and making sure that the croupiers were all ready to entertain their guests.
Then they had to hurry back to the penthouse to get ready as well.
"It's fashionable to be late to your own party." Stiles assured him but then he rushed to his own room to get dressed.
This was the event Derek's tailored suit had been waiting for. He put it on and he could immediately tell the difference. His other suits fit him very well and Stiles never got tired of telling him how good he looked in those but this was a whole different league. For almost a whole minute Derek stood in front of the mirror and couldn't believe that he was the handsome young man looking back at him.
When he met up with Stiles in the living room, the other man did a double take and just gaped at him.
"You know, when this is over." Stiles waved in the direction of the elevator, indicating the party waiting for them. "We should really have angry sex."
"What?"
"Have you seen yourself?" Now Stiles was gesturing at him. "I'm not sure if I should let you out of here like this. I'm seriously tempted to drag you in the bedroom right now."
Squirming under the attention, Stiles was undressing him with his eyes and didn't even try to hide it, Derek tried to come up with something to say.
"You look good, too." He finally said. And Stiles did. He was wearing one of his burgundy suits with a black silk shirt. It emphasized his lean body and long legs. Derek had some ideas of his own at that sight.
"But you're smoking." Stiles replied but then he took mercy on him and closed the distance between them. "Ready?"
"Ready." Derek leaned in for a kiss.
Then Stiles rolled his shoulders and when he stepped over to the elevator, he was Stiles Stilinski, playboy and casino owner.
Derek took his place one step behind him. Tonight he was Stiles' personal assistant but more so he was a glorified whore. And he was surprisingly okay with that role. Even if nobody out there knew it, it was an act. Just like Stiles' playboy attitude was an act. This was Vegas, everything here was an act.
By the time they reached the casino most of the guests had made their way over the red carpet, they had an actual red carpet, and past the paparazzi and were already enjoying their first glass of champagne.
Stiles dove right in. A second later he had a glass in hand and was greeting his guests. It was just like hitting the floor every night but up a few notches. Like a butterfly Stiles was moving from one group to the next, having a word for everyone and apparently he knew everybody.
Derek's job was to trail behind him and to look pretty. He was rarely addressed directly but there were glances and whispered words. Some were openly admiring him from head to toe and he wondered how many offers to borrow him for a while Stiles would get over the evening. And how many would approach him directly.
Stiles held his opening speech, during which Derek held his breath for the disaster just waiting to happen but surprisingly the word fuck never crossed Stiles' lips, and then they were back in the middle of the crowd.
"Aren't you a handsome one?" Suddenly a female voice startled him from the side. Derek steeled himself and put on a fake smile when he turned around to face whoever was standing next to him.
"Ms. Martin." He realized when he took in the petite figure and strawberry red hair.
"Lydia, please." She gave him a warm smile.
"I hope you're enjoying the party, Lydia." He said in lack of something smart to say.
"More than you." She said with a tilt of her head at the nearest group of people. He didn't even need to strain his ears to hear one of the men explaining who Derek was to the rest of the group.
"Want to get away for a moment?" Lydia asked and then started to walk away, clearly expecting him to follow. Derek shared a quick glance with Stiles who gave him an impatient jerk of his head in her direction.
Right, nobody let Lydia Martin wait. Derek hurried to catch up with her.
At least this time she seemed friendly. She was a scary woman, Derek couldn't deny that, but with her he knew that she wouldn't try to assault him. She led him to the foyer where they had some privacy. They weren't alone but there were only a few other people around and nobody close enough to listen in to their conversation.
"Stiles refuses to tell me why he keeps you around." She didn't beat around the bush.
"And you expect me to tell you?" Derek raised an eyebrow at her.
"Will you?" She countered with a perfect arc of her own eyebrow. "Of course not."
She put a hand on her hip with an huff. She was wearing a light-green dress that lit up her hair and made her eyes sparkle with irritation. Derek wondered if she'd made it herself.
"I've heard the rumors." She said when he failed to fill the silence. "I know Stiles, that's not him. But I don't think that you're running some kind of con here either." She tapped her foot and threw him a glance. "Stiles is smart and whatever the deal with you is, he has it under control and is probably three steps ahead of everybody else."
"And you're mad because he's ahead of you as well?" Derek guessed. He didn't know her well but he got that she was used to be the one ahead.
"For all I know you two have movie nights and throw popcorn at the TV together." She said, watching him closely. "You sleep in separate beds and you laugh your butts off about the speculations."
That was closer to the truth than anything Derek had ever heard before. Something in his expression must have given him away, though.
"Thought so." A satisfied smile spread on her lips. She might not know the details but she thought that she had figured it out.
"We do that." Derek admitted and lowered his voice to a conspiracy whisper for the next words. "When we don't do the other stuff."
Now she narrowed her eyes on him and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head. But he didn't expect her next words.
"I saw you looking at him earlier." She said in an equal low voice. "Are you in love with him?"
Blindsided by that question Derek didn't know what to say. His first reaction was to deny it, even if he was in love with Stiles, which he was pretty sure he was, it was none of her business. But he couldn't bring out the words so he said nothing and just glared at her.
She watched him struggle with clear amusement in her eyes.
"Oh, Derek." She patted his arm. "If you want to play in this league you still have a lot to learn."
Whatever that meant.
Derek still had no idea what she actually wanted from him but she seemed satisfied.
"I have some people to meet." She said and with that the conversation was over. She gave him one last once over, an approving look on her face, and then she turned to leave.
Derek watched her walking away and still had no clue what this had been about. Slower he followed her back to the main area.
"Derek." Ennis emerged out of the crowd as if he'd been waiting for him.
Derek bit back a groan. He'd never liked the other werewolf and the fact that he'd been so quick in his attempt to trick Stiles into handing over the Red to the Executive Board didn't make him more likable. Not that Derek thought for one second that it had been Ennis' idea. The whole Executive Board wanted Stiles out of the picture so that they could sell the Red to Jennifer Blake.
"Can I help you?" Derek asked while he was searching the crowd for a glimpse of a burgundy suit.
"I'd like to introduce you to somebody." Ennis said and even tried to place a friendly smile on his face.
"Stiles is waiting for me." Whoever Ennis wanted to introduce him to, Derek wasn't interested.
"She insists." Suddenly there was a clawed hand around his wrist. Derek tried to yank his hand free but Ennis had him in an iron grip. "It won't take long."
Derek didn't want to crash the party with an open fight, people were already looking at them, so he followed Ennis to the other side of the floor where the private rooms where.
There were two women waiting for them. One Derek recognized as Jennifer Blake and the other one was an alpha werewolf, Derek knew that the second he caught her scent, so she had to be Kali.
"Alpha." He greeted her first and tried to not show how anxious he was. She was an alpha and had her pack with her and Derek was just a beta, all alone.
He tried to calm his heart but the werewolf part of him wanted to run with his tail between his legs.
"Derek Hale." Kali looked him up and down. Everybody seemed to do that tonight but he really didn't like the way she looked at him. It was too calculating.
"We have an offer for you." Jennifer spoke up.
Derek turned his head to her without letting Kali out of his sight, he would be a fool to turn his back on an alpha who wasn't his. His mind was spinning with possibilities. Did they want him to spy on Stiles? Or something more drastic?
Derek put on the most stoic face he could muster and waited for their offer.
"You're very close to Stiles Stilinski." She continued, playing along the lines Derek had predicted.
"Your alpha betrayed you." Kali cut in and that was a direction Derek hadn't anticipated. "He doesn't care about you. You're not his beta, you're his bitch."
Derek clenched his jaw but didn't say anything.
"His bitch he can use as payment for his gambling debts." She was right in his face now, her alpha scent fogging his mind. Behind her Ennis snickered and that helped Derek to focus. She was an alpha and this was her territory but she was also a civilized person. She wouldn't kill him in a private room in Stiles' casino with a party going on right outside the door.
"What do you want?" He met her eye.
"Information." Jennifer took over again. "We want you to report us about everything Stiles does and plans."
"Don't you have enough spies in here already?" Derek made a point of looking at Ennis but there were the werewolves working in the casino and quite a few people the Executive Board really wanted to keep. As far as he knew the whole Executive Board sent them reports of everything they did.
"We had to let one go recently." Ennis said with an evil grin but was shut down by a flesh of red eyes from his alpha.
"Help us and we'll help you." Jennifer said.
"How could you help me?"
Now Kali stepped even closer and put a hand on his chest. Derek fought the urge to swat it away.
"You could earn yourself a place in my pack." She whispered in his ear.
Chapter 38
Masterpost