Read Online Drop Dead Beautiful by Jackie Collins - Free Book Online
Authors: Jackie Collins
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him. She fervently hoped that in two years’ time he’d be able to handle the pitfalls that came with being ultrarich.
Bobby had dropped out of college after a couple of years because he was bored and wanted to get out into the world and do something. Lucky had encouraged him; as far as she was concerned, it was more important to get a street education. Not that opening a club was exactly street, but it was an education.
Every few weeks Lucky took a plane into New York to check things out. Brigette was doing well. She’d given upher once-hot modeling career, and after a series of disastrous affairs and a bad marriage, at thirty-two she finally seemed to have gotten it together.
Brigette was the child of Olympia, Dimitri’s daughter who’d died from a drug overdose locked in a hotel room with famous British rock star Flash.
As one of the richest heiresses in the world, she’d always lived her life in the spotlight. Constantly dogged by paparazzi, written about in all the gossip columns, and envied by most mere mortals, not only was Brigette unbelievably rich, she was also a natural blonde with a willowy figure and an extremely pretty face. Brigette was every fortune hunter’s dream. Problem was she always managed to attract the wrong men. If there was a bad-boy loser around, send him in Brigette’s direction—she seemed to collect them. The last disaster was Carlo Vittorio Vitti, an Italian count who’d managed to turn Brigette onto drugs, married her, then attempted to murder her so he could inherit her enormous fortune.
Ever since that fateful marriage, there’d been a lull, and for the last few years Brigette seemed at peace. All the same, Lucky kept a close eye on her.
Bobby, on the other hand, was Mr. Cool. He had a Kennedy-esque air about him—great looks and charmingly self-deprecating. Girls fell at his feet and he took his pick, working his way through the pack.
“You’re my hero,” Gino Senior told him every time they got together. “Screw the Stanislopolous bloodline—you’re a Santangelo all the way, an’ doncha forget it.”
Gino, who resided in Palm Springs with his decades-younger wife, Paige, was crazy about all his grandchildren, especially Bobby, who reminded him of his own womanizing youth.
Lucky felt fortunate to have such a great family, but having a family didn’t mean sitting around doing nothing. Money had never been a problem for Lucky—her name said it all, plus she was a savvy businesswoman with all the right instincts. She was totally psyched about getting back into thehotel business. The last hotel she’d built was the Santangelo in Atlantic City—a fine hotel—but Atlantic City wasn’t Vegas, so after a few years she’d sold it, garnering almost three times her investment. Now, in Las Vegas, she had created the Keys complex—a hotel casino with luxury apartments. It was her dream hotel, and she couldn’t wait for opening night, which was in a few weeks’ time.
In the meantime she had Gino’s ninety-fifth birthday party to plan. She wanted it to be ultraspecial, so she’d hired a party planner to take care of all the details. Gino would love being the center of his own party; he lived for action. At almost ninety-five he was as active as ever, full of energy and a zest for living.
Gino the Ram was his nickname when he was a teenager running riot on the streets of Brooklyn.
As a kid, Lucky couldn’t wait to hear all about Gino in his wild days—clawing his way up from nothing, making his fortune, scoring with dozens of beautiful women, until one day he’d met Maria, and she’d turned out to be the love of his life.
Maria. Lucky’s mother. Brutally butchered and left for five-year-old Lucky to discover floating on a raft in the family swimming pool, the blood draining from her lifeless body.
Her mother’s death had forced Lucky to be strong and independent. It had taught her how to be alone and to never be scared again.
The violent and unforgettable
Bobby had dropped out of college after a couple of years because he was bored and wanted to get out into the world and do something. Lucky had encouraged him; as far as she was concerned, it was more important to get a street education. Not that opening a club was exactly street, but it was an education.
Every few weeks Lucky took a plane into New York to check things out. Brigette was doing well. She’d given upher once-hot modeling career, and after a series of disastrous affairs and a bad marriage, at thirty-two she finally seemed to have gotten it together.
Brigette was the child of Olympia, Dimitri’s daughter who’d died from a drug overdose locked in a hotel room with famous British rock star Flash.
As one of the richest heiresses in the world, she’d always lived her life in the spotlight. Constantly dogged by paparazzi, written about in all the gossip columns, and envied by most mere mortals, not only was Brigette unbelievably rich, she was also a natural blonde with a willowy figure and an extremely pretty face. Brigette was every fortune hunter’s dream. Problem was she always managed to attract the wrong men. If there was a bad-boy loser around, send him in Brigette’s direction—she seemed to collect them. The last disaster was Carlo Vittorio Vitti, an Italian count who’d managed to turn Brigette onto drugs, married her, then attempted to murder her so he could inherit her enormous fortune.
Ever since that fateful marriage, there’d been a lull, and for the last few years Brigette seemed at peace. All the same, Lucky kept a close eye on her.
Bobby, on the other hand, was Mr. Cool. He had a Kennedy-esque air about him—great looks and charmingly self-deprecating. Girls fell at his feet and he took his pick, working his way through the pack.
“You’re my hero,” Gino Senior told him every time they got together. “Screw the Stanislopolous bloodline—you’re a Santangelo all the way, an’ doncha forget it.”
Gino, who resided in Palm Springs with his decades-younger wife, Paige, was crazy about all his grandchildren, especially Bobby, who reminded him of his own womanizing youth.
Lucky felt fortunate to have such a great family, but having a family didn’t mean sitting around doing nothing. Money had never been a problem for Lucky—her name said it all, plus she was a savvy businesswoman with all the right instincts. She was totally psyched about getting back into thehotel business. The last hotel she’d built was the Santangelo in Atlantic City—a fine hotel—but Atlantic City wasn’t Vegas, so after a few years she’d sold it, garnering almost three times her investment. Now, in Las Vegas, she had created the Keys complex—a hotel casino with luxury apartments. It was her dream hotel, and she couldn’t wait for opening night, which was in a few weeks’ time.
In the meantime she had Gino’s ninety-fifth birthday party to plan. She wanted it to be ultraspecial, so she’d hired a party planner to take care of all the details. Gino would love being the center of his own party; he lived for action. At almost ninety-five he was as active as ever, full of energy and a zest for living.
Gino the Ram was his nickname when he was a teenager running riot on the streets of Brooklyn.
As a kid, Lucky couldn’t wait to hear all about Gino in his wild days—clawing his way up from nothing, making his fortune, scoring with dozens of beautiful women, until one day he’d met Maria, and she’d turned out to be the love of his life.
Maria. Lucky’s mother. Brutally butchered and left for five-year-old Lucky to discover floating on a raft in the family swimming pool, the blood draining from her lifeless body.
Her mother’s death had forced Lucky to be strong and independent. It had taught her how to be alone and to never be scared again.
The violent and unforgettable
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