Althena Book 2

41. Meeting Over

I wake up when the plane lands. Granny and Monte are in the living room when we get home. I sit by granny and go to sleep.

Conner gets me up for dinner and carries me to the table. "I got the sleepy girl."

"Always so sleepy after you heal someone." Granny brushes my hair back.

Monte nods. "You healed the head of the main drug cartel's son. You haven't heard the end of this."

"I had no options. He was a baby."

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Those people take favors very seriously. He owes you and he knows it."

I shrug my shoulders. "That's not why I did it. Maybe I'll get taken again sometime and he'll help though."

"Let's just pray that doesn't happen. I don't think my heart could take it again." Granny sits beside me and hugs me.

"Ok." I pat her arms. "I'm sure a favor from a guy like that could be useful in some ways. Maybe someday we'll need to use it."

"I hope not. He's dangerous. Maybe he'll call it even. He found you, you saved his son. You're even."

"Maybe."

"What are you thinking?" Monte is staring at me. He knows something is up.

"Nothing. I want to open a casino."

He nods slowly. "Hire Mystical Moon for security. The warriors are bored staring at trees, and we need to make some money."

"I'll put it in the entertainment district. I wouldn't make any money in Mystical Moon."

"We have a helicopter. Your dad assigned it to us. And I guess it's just ours now."

Drogon nods. "I signed off on that one and Jax's. It's fine, we have enough."

"Then I would have to pay them."

"You're going to have to pay someone for security, woman. Your guards aren't going to do that."

"Fine. Mystical Moon can do security for it."

Conner nods. "I found a good spot for it. The building is for sale."

"IT'S MINE. I CAN'T DO IT UNTIL I'M 18. STOP TRYING TO TAKE MY IDEA."

"I'M NOT TRYING TO TAKE YOUR IDEA. I'M HELPING YOU WITH IT. THE BUILDING IS FOR SALE NOW. IT MIGHT NOT BE FOR SALE WHEN YOU'RE 18."

"Let me see it."

"And if you buy the building now, it doesn't mean you have to open it tomorrow. You can sit on it for 7 months. You're going to have a lot of s**t to buy anyway."

"What was it used for before?"

"Some weird mall. Only people who were in business for themselves would open there or something. It's weird. No chain stores. Just a bunch of cookie and cup makers. Looks like one store made pot holders."

Drogon scrolls on his phone. "I can see why that idea didn't work. One store made bead bracelets for $20 each. The building looks good though, and it is big enough. We can go look at it tomorrow."

I look at Cyrus. "Do they have poor people in the entertainment district?"

"No."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to look. Maybe I'll get inspired."

Monte smirks. "Have you ever been to a casino?"

"Nope."

"You're going to have to visit some casinos tomorrow too."

"There aren't any in Darkburn."

The boys crack up laughing. "Eldervale has a few. We can look at pictures of them. It's better than nothing."

I spend the rest of the evening looking at pictures of casinos on the TV screen with everybody. They seem like really fun places.

The next day, we look at more pictures and check out the mall. I am instantly inspired. The place is huge and perfect. It's 2 levels. But the center is cut out, and I can see the skylights from the 1st floor, in the middle. A few sets of escalators are around the sides. It's got elevators at each end.

"No. No way in hell, Mike. 3 of the entrances need to be shut down. 1 main door, towards the front. I am not running security on 4 damn doors in a building that has a vault and its own bank."

"Yea, 1 door would be fine. We can turn the others into solid walls. What do you think, woman?"

"I can put a car on a spinning thing. Like we saw in the pictures. Right here in the middle. Then sell tickets to see who the winner is."

"This is a good spot for that."

"Maybe a boat too."

"Any other ideas?"

"Yea. Slot machines fill the first level. Penny machines start on that side, then move all the way to expensive machines over there. A bar at the back. It can have TV games. Table games can be upstairs. I love how the skylights brighten up everything. Lots of lights. Blue and crystal theme. I can have crystal chandeliers. It'll be amazing. Maybe some fancy art on the walls."

"You should put the bank in the middle but towards the back. Surround it with bars."

I cross my arms. "Let Monte do the bank stuff."

Mike nods and roams away. "We'll have to take the shops out. We'll end up with a big open area with pillars."

"That'll be perfect. I want this building."

"Lovely." A woman pops up beside me out of nowhere. "They are asking 7 million for it. It is completely empty and ready for you to take over."

"Do you take credit cards?"

She stares at me. "Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to for a second. I can take debit cards."

"Wonderful. Here. Thank you."

"I'll bring this right back." She comes back after a few minutes. "I need your signature on these 2 papers. Where the pink marks are."

I drop to my knees and sign them on the floor. Then I give them back to her.

She hands me the keys. "Thank you and I hope you have more success than the last owners did."

"Thank you." She was so friendly.

I meet the boys in the middle.

Drogon's complaining about something. "We need to check the foundation. Get a contractor in here to see what it would cost to close up those extra walls and take out the store walls."

Monte nods. "That bank is going to have to be reinforced into the basement. We can put it right above the vault and seal it."

Mike's staring up in the air. "We need to check that water damage around the skylight. If that's going to come down, we need to know about it. Maybe we can negotiate about the damage."

Conner picks me up. "What do you think, babygirl?"

"Light blue and white with crystal chandeliers."

"That would be perfect. We'll get an inspector in here and see what he thinks."

"Ok. Here's the keys for him." I hand him the keys.

"How did you get these?"

"The nice lady gave them to me after I bought the place."

Drogon rubs his face. "How?"

"She takes debit cards."

"We haven't even spoken to the advisors about this yet."

"I'm sure they'll advise you of stuff. But I'm hungry. The worst thing that can happen is I have to sell it."

Mike smirks. "She's got a point. Let's go eat before she spends another 7 million."

We eat lunch at a fancy place. Then spend the rest of the weekend looking at casino pictures and getting ideas. I think they're just clingy. They won't let me out of their site and this is a way to keep me close.

Monday, I go to the office with them. They're not ready for me to go back to school yet. I sit beside Drogon at the conference table and the advisors come in. Monte and Cyrus join us.

Drogon stands up. "She wants to open a casino."

"Your father worked so hard to get them out of Darkburn."

"They're a breeding ground for crime."

"Your father would roll over in his grave if he knew this."

"Criminals are the only people who visit those places."

"You cannot do this."

I jump up and slam my chair in. Then I go down to the lawyer's floor.

"Do you need legal counsel, ma'am?"

"Yes."

They sit at their conference table and I stand at the end. "I bought a mall. I'm turning it into a casino. I need to lift the ban my father placed on them. Just for me. Also, make my age not a factor. The boys will help me anyway."

"Of course. Give me 10 minutes. I'll need a few signatures."

A man smiles at me. "Did you actually need counsel?"

"I figured if I can't make this work, it might take all of you to get a plan going."

They crack up laughing.

"It's actually a good idea. They can make a lot of money. Where is the mall?"

"Entertainment District."

"That is perfect. People will be so excited about having a casino again."

"Here you go. This paper will allow you and only you to own a casino in Darkburn. Age does not matter. You could open tomorrow."

"Thank you. That's all I needed." I carry the papers up to Drogon's office.

Drogon rubs his eyes. "Maybe it's not the smartest idea, babygirl."

I nod and toss the papers on the table. "I own a casino. I alone am allowed to place it in Darkburn. My age does not matter. Any questions?"

"Althena," One of the advisors stands up.

"YOU DO NOT ADVISE ME. EVER. YOU ARE HIS ADVISOR, NOT MINE. HE'S THE KING. I OWN A CASINO."

"Yes, ma'am." He sits right back down.

I cross my arms. "Boys, sometimes you need an advisor, and sometimes you need a lawyer. Learn to tell the difference." I turn and walk. "I'll be in your bath, Drogon."

"MEETING OVER." He runs out after me.