by Kelly Wood
“What? Too soon?” I raised my hands innocently. After five years of traveling together Gray knew my twisted sense of humor. Technically, we were homeless. Gray and I lived out of backpacks moving around wherever the urge sent us. We’d seen the world together and loved every minute of it.
My home base was now a hotel room at the newly remodeled Magari Hotel. I shared a room with my younger sister, ‘Passion,’ an aspiring showgirl, while Gray stayed at his parents’ house. I secretly relished that I didn’t have to stay in his parents’ home. I liked his dad, but his mom was an acquired taste. Like turpentine.
I gladly would’ve shared a room with Gray, but he was insisting on keeping some separation until the wedding. My mother loved him even more for it. Since birth, she’d been drilling it into us, “Marriage first, no living in sin.” Peyton, my fraternal twin sister, had followed that rule, making our mom proud.
Rules? They’d never been for me. I was destined for a life of never meeting my mother’s standards but her loving me anyway.
The waitress came our way, and I wanted to order a yard of margarita, a staple in Vegas for tourists walking around, the frozen beverages bringing relief from the heat of the desert. I held back and got a Caesar salad. Gray went with a burger. He almost always ate red meat because he said it was manly.
“I got a job today,” I offered up.
“That’s great. What are you doing?”
“A small article on the remodel and reopening of the Magari Hotel. I just found out this morning. I figured I had a leg up in landing the job since I’m staying there, but I’ll take it.”
“Staying where? I thought your sister was at the Bellagio?” Gray asked.
“Nope. Magari. Didn’t I tell you? It’s pretty nice now, but I guess it used to be a dump. Her room is pretty amazing. Anyway, the Magari was like the ugly sister constantly standing next to her bigger, better, prettier sister, the Bellagio. I’m going to head to the library later to do some local research on it for some... um, hello?” I stopped talking when I realized he wasn’t listening. Gray sat facing me, but his expression was a million miles away. I waved my hand in front of him to snap him back to this world.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay there. Why don’t you stay in the guest room at my parents’ house? There’s a desk in there, and you could start the novel you’ve talked about.”
“We could stay in your parent’s hotel?” I prodded.
“Nope. Nice try. I told you we don’t go there. It’s run by a management company. We are strictly hands-off owners.” Gray waved his hands in front of him.
“What’s wrong with the hotel I’m in? We’ve stayed in much worse places. It’s fine. Anyway, I’m heading to the library after this,” I said. I instantly pushed the thought aside about staying with him. I just didn’t think I could handle his family morning, noon and night. I was a social butterfly at heart, but only when I wanted to be. Forced interaction with people I barely knew sounded terrible.
The waitress interrupted us by delivering our lunches. I stared longingly at my salad wishing it would turn into steak. No such luck. I gave in and picked up my fork. I had put on some weight since I’d sprained my foot back in Chicago. I hadn’t been able to run since and could feel myself pushing maximum density. Having a curvy figure just meant I was five pounds away from chubby at any given moment.
The Bellagio water show started up, and I turned to watch it. The other diners were torn between the water show and the emergency crews. In my opinion, this was the best part of Vegas. The show was beautiful and elegant in a city where gaudy prevailed.
I thought back to the first time Gray brought me here. I had never been to Vegas before and had been excited. We’d arrived after dark and had driven down to the Strip immediately from the airport. I was on the edge of my seat trying to take it all in. I took so much in that I had a panic attack. All of the lights and sounds and people had overwhelmed my little brain until it forgot to breathe. I had to ask Gray to pull off the Strip before we had even made it halfway down. He brought me back the next day with the sun blaring, and the neon lights turned off so I could see everything. During the day, I didn’t find it as overwhelming as in its full glory after dark. In the full sun, the Strip looked sad to me... Like an aging, truck-stop stripper.
“Regan, I don’t think you should be doing this job,” Gray said, picking up the conversation again. He put his fork on the plate and sat back in his chair. Even eating a cheeseburger and fries, Gray made it look classy. I never would’ve been caught dead with a fork. I would’ve been shoveling the fries in my mouth by twos.
“I’ve done a hundred of these hotel write-ups, what’s the big deal?” I reached over to sneak a fry. Gray pushed his plate toward me, offering up all of them. It was his style. Always giving.
Gray sat back and stared at me. I resisted the urge to look away while I nibbled my one fry. I wanted to make it last. His constant scrutiny was making me itchy.
“Ok, I’m ready. Tell me whatever it is,” I said. Gray looked around him before leaning toward me to whisper.
“The mob still runs Vegas.”
I laughed.
I relaxed my shoulders and took a deep breath, holding it in my lungs until it started to burn and the need for air pushed another laugh out.
“Oh, come on, Gray, this is ridiculous. Like an Al Capone wannabe is here hiding out from the IRS?” Another giggle escaped me as I sat up straighter.
“You can mock me, but it’s true. I can prove it.”
“How?” Gray ignored the question.
“Use your imagination, Regan. Maybe that guy was pushed off a balcony?”
“Even if it’s true, what does it have to do with me?”
“Hopefully, nothing. Tell you what, let me give you a special tour, and then I’ll take you to the library later.”
“I like special. Done.”
Chapter Two
Gray and I entered the Magari through the front doors. The sounds of the casino instantly overwhelmed my senses. I’ll ever get used to the lights and sounds. Or the ceilings painted like a cloudy blue sky. I studied psychology for two semesters in college and was astounded to learn that I could’ve made a career in planning casinos with the knowledge. The amount of money that went into the décor was amazing. Every aspect of it, and furniture placement, chosen to affect the mood of a customer to want to stay longer and gamble more.
The remodel of the main lobby and guests’ suites had been completed, but the grand opening for the ballrooms and shopping areas were scheduled for the next week. It was all very posh and metropolitan. I shared a room with my little sister here. She worked odd jobs in Vegas to make a living. Right now, she was working as a showgirl, taking pictures with tourists who walked through the lobby. Every time I saw her, I wanted to throw a blanket over her body. Dental floss would cover her better than her ‘uniform.’ I used the term ‘uniform’ loosely since I could see her fanny and hoo-ha rather clearly.
Passion changed her name from Marie three years ago when she moved out here. Peyton and I swore that she was the mailman’s baby. Peyton and I were complete opposites, but Passion was out of this world. She was our hippity-dippity sister. She had the mind of a saint and the body of a sinner. I wanted to feed her a sandwich whenever I saw her. Nobody should be that tall and thin and statuesque. I’d hate her if I didn’t love her so much.
Gray and I continued through the chaos of the casino. Even during the day, there were a respectable number of gamblers here. With the remodel, the crowds had been drawn in. Everyone wanted to check out the new look.
I wanted to lean against a wall and take a break. Walking through a casino was hard work, especially with a healing foot. The doctor had warned me it would take forever to heal, but I hadn’t believed him. Since the injury, I was supposed to ‘take it easy’ and ice it as much as possible, but that wasn’t really my style. I could feel my butt getting wider because I wasn’t able to run to work off the junk food I prefer
red.
I spotted Passion smiling and talking to some customers. I waved and slowed down to look around the casino. Frank Donato owned the Magari. He was a popular figure in the hotel, known for walking the casino floor and greeting people personally while his entourage followed behind. Frank would grace those he touched with free gambling chips, free five-star meals, and tickets to shows in his theater. Everyone who stayed here knew who Frank was and hoped for a chance to meet the man in person. I had never seen him up close or spoken to him, but I had witnessed the moment of awed silence when he walked through the casino this morning. Frank lived and worked on the top floor of the hotel, giving him the opportunity to keep a close eye on it and everyone in it. Gray tugged on my hand to get me moving again.
“Where exactly are we going?” I asked Gray.
“Watch and learn, woman.”
“I think that seems unlikely,” I said but continued to follow him.
“Have you started to wonder yet why everyone calls Frank ‘Dickweed’?”
“No, since I didn’t know that was his nickname. My guess? Doesn’t every employee talk a little smack about their boss?” I asked.
“Yes,” Gray conceded, “but that’s not the reason.” A hotel security guard and a man in a suit exited the elevator as we walked up. Gray bumped the man as he put his arm out to hold the elevator doors open for me.
“It’s his mob name,” Gray whispered in my ear as the doors closed with barely a sound.
“Oh, please, that is the most ridiculous mob name I have ever heard.” I rolled my eyes at myself in the mirrored ceiling. Gray studied the floor selection buttons before pushing one on the bottom that wasn’t marked.
Nothing happened.
He pulled a white card out of his pocket that looked similar to the room key I had, but this one didn’t seem to have any markings on it. My room key had the hotel logo on one side and a black swipe on the other. Gray stuck it in a slot below the unmarked button and then pushed the button again. A green light came on next to the card. Gray pulled it out but kept it in his hand. The elevator started to rise in response.
“What was that and where did you get it?” I pointed at the card.
“A security card and I pinched it off of the guy when I bumped into him.”
Gray’s grin reminded me of a wolf about to pounce as he backed me into the corner. I couldn’t help but smile to cover the fluttering of my heart. He could always make it race.
“You ‘pinched’ it? How very bad guy of you.” I looked away and giggled nervously. I felt trapped backed up against the elevator wall, but I didn’t want to push him away. I wanted to throw myself at him. Now just wasn’t the time.
“Do you like that?” My lips tingled from the quick peck he planted.
“Your overconfidence isn’t going to leave much room in here for us,” I said.
“Don’t go changing the subject.” He pressed his body against mine. The heat from his body warmed me while the coolness of the elevator wall helped keep me focused. Until his lips touched mine again. I lost all thought and control. I threw my body against his and wrapped my arms around his neck.
The elevator dinged, and the door opened. Gray broke the kiss, planted one more quick peck and then moved away from me. I brought my hand up to fan my face before exiting, heat from the kiss making my cheeks pink.
The elevator opened to a small room with a desk and waiting area. The room was well-appointed with an oriental rug and muted artwork on the walls. Two doorways led to other spaces. One was closed, but the double doors stood slightly ajar. The desk was a beautiful walnut and looked more like a showpiece than an actual functioning desk. The whole room felt like a magazine shoot set-up. I expected a photographer to come in any minute and start snapping shots of the office.
Gray moved through the room with barely a glance. I assumed since the desk was empty he didn’t feel the need to stop. Voices drifted out to us from the double doors. Someone with a deep voice was barking orders about what happened earlier today with the jumper.
I started to slow, but Gray kept plowing forward with me at his heels. I kept close to him to use his height as a shield. I have an aversion to loud people. I just wanted to shush them all the time, but I’ve learned the hard way that people get offended by that. Who knew?
Gray pushed the doors open further, and I was able to take in the room. I guessed this to be Frank’s office since he stood behind the desk now. His suit jacket was slung over the back of his desk chair, and his shirt sleeves had been rolled up. An unlit cigar graced one hand. It moved through the air as he spoke, jabbing home the points. Up close, Frank was beautiful. Dark blonde hair was smoothed away from his face with pomade, the cut trim and well-kept. He eyes were a warm brown with a hint of defiance. I contained my gasp as I took in Frank’s beauty. It was the only way to describe it. He could easily pass for a model or actor with his looks.
I pried my eyes away to take in my surroundings. While Frank looked polished and put together, his office was another story. It clearly was worked in and not a showpiece like the reception area. The décor was minimal and functional, but quite large, almost overpowering the room. A bar and seating area took up one side while his desk and two chairs took up the other.
“Hello, Uncle Frank.” Gray’s voice snapped my head in his direction. This time I didn’t contain the gasp that escaped my mouth.
A moment ago, Frank’s face had been all hard lines and anger, but the moment Gray spoke a shift occurred. His face softened and relaxed. A genuine smile lit up his face, not the photo-friendly ones from pictures I’d seen online. It made him even more good-looking.
“Grayden, my boy! I heard you were back in town. Come in, come in.” Frank motioned us forward. “We’ll finish this later,” he said to the woman in the room. I mouthed, “Nice shoes,” as she went by. I could spot a pair of Jimmy Choos from fifty paces, and hers were amazing. I made a mental note to ask her about them later.
Frank came around the desk to hug Gray. The thumping from his back-slapping echoed in my ears. Frank was magnetic. I found myself taking a step to be closer to him. I wanted to tap on his shoulder so his attention would be turned on me, but was unprepared when it happened.
“Who is this lovely lady?” Frank’s eyes widened for a brief moment. Almost like he knew me already. Frank held me by the shoulders, keeping me in place. I watched his eyes zig-zag back and forth as he took in my features. Whatever he saw, he must have approved because he gave me a quick hug and welcomed me to the family.
“This is my fiancée. Regan, meet Uncle Frank. Uncle Frank, Regan.”
“A fiancée? Does your mother know about this?” Frank waved his hand in the air. “Clearly not or I’d have heard all about it. Good luck breaking the news, kid.” Frank winked at Gray.
Gray shrugged off the comment. I didn’t know how to feel about it. Obviously, Gray’s mother was going to find me lacking in all aspects, judging by her comments. No sense in worrying about it now. I took a step back and tried to melt into the background. I instantly liked Frank and worried if I’d be able to deliver an unbiased interview with him for the article I was writing. The thought crossed my mind that he would also be judging me nonstop since he found out I was marrying his nephew.
His nephew?!
My brain made a loud grinding noise while I tried to figure that one out. How was Grayden Garrett Thomas related to Frank Donato? I didn’t even know Gray was Italian. I needed a cocktail.
I massaged my temples and tried to focus on what Frank was saying. He hadn’t stopped talking to Gray since I zoned out on the nephew part.
“...We should celebrate. Dinner? Tonight? I’ll have my secretary set everything up.” Frank walked back around the desk reaching for his phone. “No, not tonight. I can’t tonight. I need to clear up this nonsense with the fellow that jumped. I can’t believe it. God rest his soul. Did you hear about it?”
“We, unfortunately, saw it happen when we were meeting for lunch out front. Was it
an accident? What happened?” Gray asked.
“We don’t know anything yet. The police are in his suite now with his wife. They’ve thankfully agreed to keep a low profile while here and use the back hallways and exits, but it will still make the news.”
“Well, all publicity is good publicity...” I trailed off when I caught the shocked looks on their faces. “Just trying to find a positive spin.” I finished with a shoulder shrug. Gray picked up the conversation again.
“Anyway, we are having dinner tonight with my parents. Another time? We’ll be here for a while.” Gray put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. I received the nonverbal message loud and clear. It’ll be fine. I had not, absolutely not, agreed to dinner with his parents.
“Yes, dinner with the fam. It’ll be great,” I said through gritted teeth. Maybe I could come down with meningitis in the next hour.
A knock on the door turned my attention. Two men walked in, and I laughed.
Gray pinched the back of my arm.
“Ow,” I said while rubbing the spot.
“Who’s this broad, boss?” the taller one said, jerking his thumb my way. He reminded me of a pencil. He was very tall and thin. I had decided years ago not to trust any man that had a smaller waist size than me.
“I don’t like her attitude,” the smaller one said.
The two men looked like caricatures of gangsters to me. Both wore black suits with black ties. The suits were a dated style, but still well-made. The look was very Rat Pack or Al Capone-like. They even sported the greased-back hair and all, which is why I had laughed.
“Sal, Tony, this is Regan. Gray’s fiancée.”
Gray nudged me forward with the force of a sledgehammer. I smiled brightly to cover my murderous rage and extended my hand to them. Neither man stepped forward to greet me. My hand wavered in the air awkwardly. I took the snub as a challenge. I was going to stand here with my hand out until one of them shook it or commented on it.
