“Five.” His ruffled feathers were smoothing over.
“You have five guns in here?”
“Five that are hidden. I’m carrying two.”
“That seems like an excessive amount of weapons.”
He shrugged. “I’d rather have them than not. I like them.”
“Do you sleep with one under your pillow? I bet you have hidden compartments under your bed. Do you have a fake wall that turns into an artillery display when you push a secret button?”
“Jet, you’re walking a fine line. If Greyson was around, I’d ask if I’m allowed to cuff you and leave you somewhere. Maybe I’ll do it anyway.”
I grinned ear to ear. This was the most entertainment I’d had in a while, and Remy couldn’t do anything about it.
“Your threats don’t scare me, Remy. I know how to annoy you. You couldn’t keep me cuffed long. You’d let me go just to get rid of me.”
Remy groaned and steered into the casino parking lot. “Get your ass inside. Wait for me at the bar. I’ll contact security to make a sweep for Cat and Mya. I’ll meet you back at the bar. Do not leave the area!”
I nodded and stepped out of the car. Remy followed me then veered off in a different direction. He was tall enough that I could see him move through the sea of casino enthusiasts, but eventually he was out of sight. I made my way to the bar.
I placed my drink order with a cocktail waitress and sunk into a chair with a small table next to it. I may as well start with a margarita. Hopefully Mya would be along soon to catch up with me.
My eyes drifted through the bar. It was decorated in the same casino theme: underwater with ancient-ruin pillars and artifacts. Fish swam through the glass ceiling and walls. A starfish hung out next to me. I lightly tapped on the glass to say hello. He didn’t seem in the mood to talk, so I left him alone.
This is the bar where I met Greyson. Unfortunately, the circumstance of our meeting was embarrassing. And even though I dumped my drink on Greyson’s head, I wouldn’t have changed a thing; otherwise, we’d never have met.
As I sipped my margarita, I watched casino patrons through the glass. It was a sea of slot machines and lights. A walkway gap allowed patrons through and around the machines. It was first-rate for people watching. I especially enjoyed watching the men who wore socks with their sandals and carried a fruity drink in a neon plastic cup with a swirly straw. My lips curved in amusement.
The margarita eased my stress.
Remy, David, and Sergio were working hard to retrieve the trophy, find Mya, and neutralize Dagor. There wasn’t much I could do, and they didn’t want my help. After my rounds with Dagor and Catarina, I wasn’t keen on getting bruised or sprayed. But I didn’t want to wait either. If Greyson was able to help, then there would be one more person on the lookout.
I dug out my phone and pressed Greyson’s name in the contact book. It automatically dialed his number.
“Fiona Watkins speaking. How may I help you?” Her syrupy polite greeting was caustic to my ear.
“You already know who this is. I want to speak with Greyson.”
“I’m sorry, but he’s busy. Would you care to leave a message?”
“Where is he?”
“He’s here with me,” she nearly purred.
Her intonation wasn’t lost. I understood what she was implying. And normally, Greyson was attracted to women like her. I wasn’t on the phone to fight for Greyson. I was on the phone for his help.
“This is a family emergency. Please give him the phone.”
“You’ll need to set up an appointment.”
My fingers coiled around the phone with a python grip and squeezed until I was sure circuits and wires would pop out.
“Fine,” I hissed through gritted teeth. “When is he free?”
“He’ll be busy for the next three months.”
“Did you even look at the calendar?”
“I didn’t have to.”
I was sure I heard the phone’s casing crack from my grip. “How far away is he?”
“He’s right next to me,” she said as if with a giant smile.
My patience was at the end. If he was truly next to her, he would hear a loud noise. I took a deep breath and screamed in the most annoying, blood-chilling, high-frequency b-movie scream I could produce.
Hundreds of eyes were on me in a nanosecond. Everyone stopped what they were doing and froze at my scream. I listened in the phone.
“What was that?” I heard Greyson in the background.
“Wrong number.” Fiona hung up.
“Damn it!” I slammed the phone onto the table.
A security guard appeared next to me. “Ma’am, you’ll need to come with me.”
“I want to talk to Greyson Miller.”
The guard gave me a second glance. “Sorry, no one can talk to him unless it’s business, and even then you have to go through Fiona Watkins. Please come with me.”
I stood and followed him through the casino and out to the lobby. Eyes from every corner of the casino followed the guard and me until we were beyond their sight.
I wasn’t too shaken by being escorted like a naughty child to the lobby. I knew it would attract someone’s attention. Unfortunately, it attracted trouble too. Remy would sort it out when he came to collect me.
“How can I get in touch with Greyson?” I asked.
“You can’t.”
“Do they just stay up in the penthouse?”
He nodded. There was a moment when I perceived he was going to say more, but he clammed up.
“What do you think they do up there all day? She goes home at night, doesn’t she?”
He opened his mouth. I could tell I hit upon something. But again, he clammed up. I waited to see if he would speak. We arrived at the front doors, and he was ready to kick me out.
“As far as I know, they work,” he said. “Even if they never leave his penthouse.”
“They never leave?”
He shook his head. “You didn’t hear it from me.”
My hand fisted into a knot. They never leave? She was just hired, so it’s not like they’ve been shacked up like newlyweds for weeks. But I didn’t like the fact that she hasn’t left his penthouse. Was she sleeping on the couch or with Greyson? My blood boiled.
Yes, he gave us a six-month break. And yes, he’s free to do what he wants, and I’m free to do what I want. But that doesn’t give him the right to cut me off and leave me stranded with pepper spray in my eyes and Mya missing. I tapped my foot.
“Do you know who I am?” I asked the guard.
He nodded his head. “I know who you are. I also know that Mr. Miller wouldn’t keep you out if he knew you were down here. I’m just following orders.”
“Can you escort me to the penthouse?”
“No one has penthouse access except for Greyson and Fiona.”
“What about housekeeping?”
“Fiona lets them in.”
“How did Fiona get so much security clearance?”
The guard shifted. “Assistant directors normally rank top security clearance, but she’s abusing it. As far as I know, Mr. Miller isn’t aware of what’s happening below his penthouse. No one can get word to him.”
“That’s not like him. He always knows what’s going on.”
The guard’s eyes shifted and he lowered his voice. “The word is he’s not working but is having relations, if you know what I mean.”
“I don’t buy it. I’m not saying he wouldn’t have sex with her. But he’s married to his job. It comes first and women come second or third. I’m not sure on the placement exactly, but I know it’s not first.”
He shrugged. “All I know is what’s being said by the employees. Some of them are saying she’s a witch and has been keeping him hostage. But that’s just nonsense.”
Or is it? Perhaps the few sips of margarita had affected me, but maybe she did take him hostage. He wasn’t taking his own phone calls, and he hasn’t left the penthouse
. Could it be so far-fetched to consider that she had some sort of hold on him to keep him in line? Drugs?
“I’m sorry, but I have to ask you to leave,” the guard said.
“Can you get in touch with Remy? I’m not supposed to leave without him.”
“I’ll tell him you left.”
I smirked. “Because you were nice, I’ll warn you not to tell him yourself. Have your boss tell him. Remy will hit the roof when he finds out.”
I stepped out the door and headed toward the parking lot. I had no intention of leaving. Now, I knew exactly what to do. I was going to sneak to the top of the Lost City Casino and into Greyson’s penthouse even if it killed me.
Chapter 15
I stood in front of the casino as if I was waiting for a taxi. I’d been taking taxis for weeks now so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary. Through the lobby windows, I peeked at the guard. He turned from the lobby and stepped back into the casino. Cameras would watch to make sure I didn’t come back in. But if I made it appear as though I left and then circled back, no one would be the wiser.
I waved down a taxi and waited for a couple to step out of the backseat and pay their fare. I slipped in behind them and smiled at the driver.
“I have a favor,” I said.
“I don’t do favors,” she said, and she looked like she meant it. Her dyed hair was the blackest shade of black. Tattoos littered every inch of her skin from the neck down. A bull-ring nose piercing detracted from her otherwise simple face.
“I have two dollars. Can you drive out of the parking lot and then right back?”
“You’ve been kicked out of the casino, haven’t you?”
I nodded. “Yes, and I have to get back inside.”
“It rarely works when people try. I’ve had a few like you. They always come right back out the door with a security guard attached to them.”
“I’m hoping for a miracle. Will you do it for two dollars?”
“That won’t even cover starting the meter.”
“Can you do it without starting the meter?”
“Does this taxi say ‘charity’ on it? Get out so I can pick up a paying customer.”
Crap! She wasn’t helpful, and I needed her help desperately.
“Listen, I want to sneak up to the penthouse and no one is able to so far. I’m going to try the stairs and see if I can’t sneak around security.”
This perked her curiosity. “What’s so important up there?”
“The CEO is in the penthouse. I have to see him.”
“Jilted lover?” she asked with a chuckle.
At least it amused her. “Yes, and I’m going to make sure he pays.” Actually, I was going to make sure Fiona paid, but Greyson and I were going to have words too.
“Sure, why not,” she said. “Give me the two bucks. I’ll drive you around the block.”
I handed her two dollars, and she pulled out.
“Does this CEO have a new girlfriend and you’re ticked?”
“He has a new assistant, and she’s duping him.”
“Or he could like her.”
“Possibly.”
I didn’t want to think of it like that. Even if he did like her, it didn’t give him the right to allow her to take over his life and cut everyone off. Or did it? No, I had to stick to my plan. Any pondering or wavering would stall me. I’d end up talking myself out of it, and then I would have to sit around waiting for people. That’s not going to happen. If they were risking their necks, then I should be helping . . . and so should Greyson, dammit!
“You don’t happen to have a crowbar, do you?” I asked.
I thought she would tell me no, but instead her eyes sparkled when she said yes. “I like a girl who fights for what she wants. It’s not like you’ll get too far, especially with a crowbar in your hands.”
“Will you pull over and give me the crowbar before we return to the casino?”
She pulled the taxi over to the curb and popped the trunk open. She jogged to the back, retrieved the crowbar from the trunk, and hopped back into the driver’s seat.
“Here you go,” she said as she passed me the crowbar. “Just give me your name and phone number in case you sneak past security. I’ll need the crowbar back at the end of my shift. I don’t give this much help to anyone, but I love a good man-beating story to tell my customers. It makes the day go by faster.” She winked at me in the rearview mirror.
I scribbled my name and phone number onto a crumpled receipt I found in my purse and handed it to her. “I’ll make sure to bring it back.”
The taxi turned the last corner and stopped at the front door. Sergio’s pants were loose enough on me to slip the crowbar in without it sticking out. I looped the claw end over my waistband and yanked my shirt over to cover it.
“Good luck,” she called with a chuckle. “I’ll see you soon.”
I dashed inside with a run-hop due to the crowbar. I veered to the elevator and saw the doors open. I sped my run-hop to make it before the doors closed. I slid in with a few other passengers and pressed the button for the floor right below Greyson’s. Keeping my head down, I tried to avoid camera exposure.
The elevator stopped on the seventh and tenth floors, and my fellow elevator riders stepped out. I was alone to ride the remaining floors. I tapped my foot on the floor. Being the only person in the elevator, I was easy to pick out on a security monitor.
The elevator dinged, and I flew out. There had to be a staircase close by. I turned to the left, but there were only guest rooms. I turned around and ran-hopped to the right. A stair sign hung on a plain door. Twisting the door handle, I breezed through. My heart thudded against my chest. I only had to climb one flight of stairs to Greyson’s floor. I removed the crowbar from my pants so I could climb the stairs without hard metal jabbing me.
I didn’t stop to search for cameras. They were in the stairwell somewhere, and they were on the penthouse floor too. Security rarely roamed the hotel hallways and were mainly stationed in the casino and high-traffic areas. If they spotted me, it would take a few minutes to catch me.
I climbed the last stair and ran to the door. I tested the handle with a jiggle to make sure it was locked. I would have felt like an idiot breaking into an unlocked door. It was locked. Wedging the crowbar into the doorframe, pesky bits of reasoning and second thoughts were jabbering, but I was concentrating on yanking the crowbar with all my weight.
The door creaked and shifted on its hinges but didn’t give way. I had to pop it open, and it wasn’t budging with my weight. Muscle power was required. Since my arms weren’t strong enough, I had to use my legs.
I eyed the surrounding walls and picked a good position. Placing one foot onto the wedged crowbar, I tested it to make sure it was sturdy enough. I leaned against the wall with my back and brought my other leg up to the crowbar. The door didn’t budge, but I hadn’t put all my muscle and weight on it. With, unfortunately, no limbs on the ground to keep me from falling on my butt, I proceeded. I pushed my back into the wall and my feet against the bar. The resounding crack of the door and the thud of my body crashing to the floor echoed through the stairwell. Groaning as I rolled over, I picked myself up off the ground. Perhaps I should have listened to my inner voice. This was going to hurt tomorrow.
I snatched the crowbar off the ground and raced through the door, which was now bent and hanging crooked. Security had to be aware of my location by now. I scurried down the small hall and halted in front of Greyson’s door.
I held up my hand to knock, but I stopped before I could make the sound with my fist. What if he didn’t want to see me? What if Fiona and Greyson came to the door with robes on? My heart dropped. I would die. My heart would keel over and I would die. I’m sure it would happen.
Security would tackle me in less than a minute. I had to make a decision. Do I turn back? Do I run away? Do I continue no matter what’s behind that door? I was here for Mya’s sake, for David’s sake, and for Remy’s sake. Not for mine. I wasn�
�t in any danger, but the rest of my friends needed help . . . and Greyson was going to help, dammit!
I slammed the door with my fist . . . again and again until it opened. Fiona cracked open the door. Her eyes were wide. A scowl replaced all shock that I was standing in front of her. Shocked that I was able to access the one place she didn’t want me.
“I’m calling security,” she said, slamming the door. I heard the locks sliding into position.
“I don’t think so,” I snarled through the door. “Get your ass out here!” I banged on the door. “Greyson, I need your help!”
When the door didn’t open, I pressed my ear to it. It was silent. All I could think about was security coming to drag me away while Greyson was in his bedroom waiting for Fiona. It was irrational and emotional but consuming. I needed help, and Greyson was off playing with Fiona.
Argh! I slammed the door with the crowbar, splintering off a wood chunk. The vibration from the hit zapped my arm with a shockwave. I gritted my teeth and slammed the door again.
“What the hell is going on?” I heard Greyson shout from inside.
“I’ve already called security,” Fiona said.
Greyson whipped open the door. His face was hard and angry . . . so angry. He glared at me with his piercing gray eyes. The crowbar clattered to the floor as I stood there, speechless.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I need your help,” I squeaked. All those pesky bits of reasoning were back and scolding me, telling me how stupid and ridiculous I was acting.
“So you break down my door?”
“No one has been able to talk to you. Not even Remy.”
I was on the brink of tears. I didn’t know why. I just knew that I didn’t want Greyson to see them. I had to stay strong. All my emotions were coming to a single point, and I was beyond containing them. Greyson was furious. I’d never seen him so mad and it was directed at me. The eyes I never wanted to see for fear of forever haunting me were pointed at me in full force.
“You’re out of your mind,” Greyson said. “Anyone can talk to me by calling.”
I shook my head. If I spoke, I’d end up crying. If I had a few moments to collect myself, I could explain, open his eyes, and even yell at him.
High Stakes Page 16
