Regan Harris Box Set

by Kelly Wood

  I took a minute to answer. Our conversation opened the door for me to ask any more questions and share my doubts. He may think I was romanticizing the idea of the danger, but I wasn’t. I clearly understood all of the ramifications. Even outside the danger involved, there were other more practical worries. Like interviewing for a job? Background checks were standard. Would Gray and I be considered known associates of the criminal activity because of the relation? I didn’t know. The stigma of the relation would also follow us. There could be gossip. There probably would be gossip. Good for him, I was from a small town. Gossip made the world go ‘round.

  “Did I ever tell you about my senior prom?” I asked, a smile on my face.

  “No.”

  “I was nominated for prom queen along with my friend Dan, for king. We’d both gone to our junior prom and realized the hype was way bigger than the reality of it. We didn’t have a good time. Anyway, we decided to ditch out on our senior prom and have a bonfire on Lake Michigan. We invited some other friends. We had a great time, sitting around in jeans and roasting marshmallows.”

  “This sounds like a nice story, but I’m not following.” I held up one finger.

  “I’m getting there. Anyway, we ditched out, had a great night. The next day, Dan drove me home. We laughed the whole way, recapping the night. When we got to my mom’s house, Dan’s parents’ car was in the driveway along with my dad’s car. We knew something was up so Dan came inside with me.”

  “And?” Gray asked. A smirk tugging on the corner of his lips.

  “And we made the front page of the paper. In print and electronically. I’m sure my mother cut it out and has it in an album somewhere.” I resettled on Gray’s chest, resting my cheek against my hands. I kept my head turned so I could look into his eyes. “Dan and I were not only nominated for prom court, but we’d won. The newspaper dubbed us ‘Missing King and Queen.’ There was a big ol’ picture of the announcer holding our crowns and looking confused right next to a photo of us dancing barefoot in the sand next to the bonfire. Oh, and our senior pictures so that way everyone knew what our faces looked like.”

  “Only you would make the paper for ditching out on prom. But, I don’t see the point.”

  “The point is I know what it’s like to walk into a room and have people whisper and point.” I held up one hand before he could object. “I realize the difference. I realize Dan and I weren’t hurting anyone. I’m just letting you know that I get it. And, if you think it’s easy to be the person the whole town is gossiping about, then you haven’t experienced it.”

  By this time, Gray was laughing at me, or my story. I didn’t mind. He got the point. If I had to relive that night of the senior prom, I would do it all exactly the same. I cherished the memory.

  “One question?” Gray asked. I nodded at him. “Why were both your parents together the next day waiting for you?”

  “Oh... well... they kinda didn’t know we planned on ditching prom. They were a little upset, but only because we made the paper. None of them knew we were even nominated for prom court. The nicest thing my mother could say that day was at least I didn’t have to get arrested to make the front page of the paper. Then she pointedly looked at my father.”

  “Your dad was definitely wild, from what I hear. Your sister, Peyton, didn’t tell your parents your plan for prom night?”

  “No. She was at the beach with us.”

  “Regan, you will keep life interesting.” Gray kissed my forehead. “I’ve seen the doubts in your eyes. Gossip is one thing, but what about the danger of marrying me?”

  “That’s an easy one.” Gray cocked an eyebrow at me. “I was concerned.”

  “Was? I knew it. A shadow came over you last night.” Gray tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

  “Yes, was. But, I realized something. I’ve been in danger since we’ve been together and nothing has happened? Why should it now?” I smiled at Gray. “I’m a glass-half-full kind of person.”

  “Very logical. Now, time to get up.”

  Like a flash, he rolled me over and was gone. Cold air blasted me and I pulled the covers back over my body.

  “What’s on your agenda today?” Gray asked, peeking his head out from the bathroom door.

  “I need to tour the hotel and take some notes on the amenities. See them firsthand and all. You?”

  “I’ll be with you.”

  “Doing what?” I asked.

  “Escorting you.” I rolled my eyes before remembering that I’m not doing that anymore.

  “Why?” I asked. Gray didn’t respond to me. I heard the shower running and his voice singing an old Sinatra song. I already knew the answer. Not only had I gotten myself hired to write a story on a mob-related hotel, but last night the big boss himself was cozied up in my room with my sister. There was no way Gray was letting me out of his sight.

  I gave up, got out of bed and sat at the desk in my room to make some notes about my impressions of the hotel so far. Aesthetically, it was beautiful, but I still needed to check out the services provided. Booking a last-minute wedding would actually be a great way to test it.

  Could I get married in just a few days? What would I need? Dress, shoes, hair and makeup? The thing I’d hated about prom was all the fuss and build up. Throwing together a quick wedding would eliminate all that. All of these things were available right here in the hotel. Chapel? Check. Salon? Check. That just left my parents and any other family that could make the last-minute trip. I searched through the clutter to find my phone. I shot a quick text off to Peyton asking if she could still fly. At eight months pregnant and with two small children already, it was probably not going to happen. My phone dinged immediately. Are you crazy? popped up on my screen. Guess I had my answer.

  I continued to make a list of my needs. I tapped the pencil on the notebook between ideas. In my opinion, I wouldn’t need a lot. Gray and I could run down to the courthouse for all I cared, but I felt I should put in at least some effort. I ignored the nagging suspicion that I liked the idea of a quick wedding because it wouldn’t give me time to change my mind.

  The door to the bathroom opened. Gray emerged wearing only a pair of jeans. They rode low on his hips. The zipper was pulled up but the button was gaping open. Stray water beaded on his chest. Gray followed my gaze, noticing it lingered on his chest. He wiped the water away with his hand.

  “Should we move the wedding up?” Gray asked. I yanked my eyes away and moved them up to his. A cocky grin split his face.

  “I was thinking we could pull this off in three or four days.”

  “This is Vegas. We could pull it off in hours, not days.” Gray stalked across the room like a jungle cat. I swiveled completely in my chair to face him. Anticipation curled in my belly.

  “I want my parents here.” Gray leaned down until our mouths were almost touching. His arm reached behind me. My body hummed with the anticipation of the kiss. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back.

  The cold, hard case of my cell phone met my lips. My eyes flew open in surprise. Gray held the phone, tapping it against my mouth.

  “You’d better call them, then.”

  “You’re not getting away that easy,” I said. I grabbed the phone, jumped out of my chair and launched myself at him. We both laughed as he caught me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my hands in his hair, pulling his head back to get my kiss.

  “Regan!” Frantic knocking followed Passion’s bellowing of my name.

  Chapter Ten

  “If I kill her, will you help me bury the body?” I whispered to Gray in all seriousness. Gray relaxed his hold. I slid down his body. Passion continued to bang on the door. Gray didn’t respond to my question. Maybe joking about killing and hiding bodies was frowned upon in his family?

  “What, Marie?” Passion didn’t wait for me to open the door. She flung it aside as I was belting the hotel robe over my pajamas.

  “Do you wanna go work out with me?” Passion raised her arms above her
head, stretching her torso. I worried her boobs were going to fall out. She wore a sports bra and teeny-tiny shorts set in hot pink and white. Covering her body in the smallest scraps of fabric available seemed to be her preferred style of clothing. I eyed her body enviously. I didn’t know how she escaped our childhood of down-home cooking without a layer of fat.

  I looked to Gray. He raised an eyebrow in answer. I did just say I needed to see the hotel amenities. I shrugged in response. Gray told Passion to give us five minutes to brush our teeth and change.

  Passion sat on my bed sending texts. She didn’t share who they were with, but a small smile played across her lips whenever one came in. Gray and I took turns changing in the bathroom since she didn’t seem to want to leave our room. Passion probably thought I’d try to escape. In under ten minutes, we were ready to go.

  I tried to keep up with Passion as we walked through the hotel, her long legs giving her a faster pace. The place was massive with twisting hallways and large open areas. She seemed to just have an intuitive sense on where to go even though it all looked the same to me. I looked around as we went, trying to get my bearings, but quickly gave up. I’d need a map to find my way back.

  “Frank put a lot of thought into the redesign. To the right is the main lobby and down here,” Passion pointed to her left, “the shopping bazaar will open. Wait until you see it! Those doors lead to the golf course. Frank bought the hotel behind us, tore it down and put it in. Vegas was made for golf. Dad would love it here. He wouldn’t have to take five months off playing every year. Ooh, and over there is the new hair salon. The staff is ah-maz-ing. I’ll get us an appointment.”

  Passion jumped a little in excitement. She practically vibrated with the tour. I tried not to tune her out since the information was good for me. After another turn, double doors loomed before us. Passion stopped us before entering, putting her back to the shining doors. After a pause, she pushed them open, extending her arm like Vanna White revealing a new puzzle.

  The hotel workout room was pristine with every conceivable piece of equipment. I ran my finger along one of the treadmills. Its sleekness reminded me of a spaceship. Not that I had even seen a spaceship. But everything gleamed and looked futuristic.

  The gym was located in the back of the hotel, built slightly underground. The windows were high above our heads but let in the Nevada sunshine. The equipment practically glowed from the rays of sunshine. There were a few people in the facility, but its large size made it feel almost empty. Passion, Gray, and I chose three treadmills along the back wall. This was the highlight of the gym. The wall was made of glass and the other side was the pool. It was like looking into a tank at an aquarium with the fish replaced by people. Sunlight glinted through the water, creating a surreal feeling. At this early hour there weren’t any swimmers but by looking up and to the side, I could see glimpses of people as they walked around the edge.

  I set my treadmill to a fast walk, easing my foot into the workout. So far, it felt good and I had no pain. Sandwiched between Passion and Gray, who were both set to a smooth run, energized me. I upped my speed and thought, “To hell with it.”

  Passion talked nonstop. Not even losing her breath as she plugged on. I huffed and puffed trying to respond to her questions. Gray never said anything. I looked at him with jealousy. He was obviously tuning her out. I stabbed at the pace-setting button on the machine, slowing it down to a manageable pace for me. It was amazing how quickly the body went back to being out of shape.

  “So, Passion, tell me about Frank?” Since she insisted on talking nonstop, I decided to use it to my benefit. The question ended her diatribe on the show and her outfit changes.

  “Isn’t he great? I love him and working here.” Passion touched some buttons on her machine and the base inclined a few inches.

  “Sure. I don’t know him, I mean. What was he doing in our room last night?”

  “Frank’s super hands-on. He knows all of the dancers by name. He even stops in to see our rehearsals.”

  “Is that normal?”

  “No. I’ve never seen an owner take so much interest in a show before. I think he’s nervous for the grand reopening. He just wants everything to be perfect.”

  I didn’t ask her any more questions because I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs. My side burned and my lungs screamed for relief. I slowed my machine down even more. I watched the light play off the water. Through the window, the sight was mesmerizing. If my body allowed it, I could run down here just as easily as outside along the lake in Chicago.

  Passion jumped off the treadmill, literally. She bounded away to the weight machines located on the side of the room. I checked Gray’s progress. He had plugged in his headphones and was currently watching the TV in the corner. I could see some news anchor delivering her information with a passive look on her face. Personally, she looked Botoxed enough for ten people. She probably couldn’t make any facial movements at all.

  I focused on my breathing, taking long, deep breaths in and out, looking straight ahead. A man stood on the opposite edge of the pool wearing European-cut swim trunks. He stretched his body, twisting this way and that. I pegged him to be in his forties, but in excellent condition. He didn’t have the middle-age paunch of most forty-somethings. Sun glinted off his head, obscuring his hair color. He had a trimmed beard – a mix of salt and pepper, as my mom would say.

  As I watched him, he raised his hands above his head and dove into the pool. He swam straight for us. No wonder he was in such good shape if he swam laps every day. As he neared, I noticed he was bald. Not in the old man way, but as a style statement, I thought. His movements were fluid with the grace of a natural athlete. As he neared the wall, he took one last breath and plunged under the water. He looked me straight in the eye as he placed a small black square on the glass. I looked down at it in confusion and then up again to him. His mouth moved as if he were trying to convey a message to me, before turning around and swimming away. When he reached the edge, he pulled himself up out of the water and walked away. I lost sight of him when he walked behind a cabana.

  I touched Gray’s arm to get his attention. His focus was still on the TV mounted in the far corner. I pointed to the black square and told him what the man did. I couldn’t explain what happened next. One minute I was talking to Gray and the next my chest hurt. Like a soundless wave had passed through me. I stopped the treadmill and rubbed my sternum.

  Gray got off his machine and walked to the glass. He reached out a finger and tapped the glass wall where the black box could be seen. A popping noise had us jumping. A crack started at the box and spread diagonally to each corner. Each jump in length echoed another popping sound.

  “Run!”

  Chapter Eleven

  Franky June 1988

  Frank reacted. He never knew how he did it so quickly. Maybe it was years of sensing the danger in his old man, or a self-preservation kicking in. Frank grabbed Antonio’s head, pushing it between the man’s knees. Frank covered him with his own body. The first shot broke the passenger window and grazed Frank’s shoulder. Frank lost count of the others until one pierced through the door. The bullet lodged in Frank’s hand, coming close to Antonio’s side. A gut shot would’ve been bad. Painful way to die.

  Glass rained down on them. Tires screeched, as the car sped away, signaling safety for them to sit back up. Frank kept Antonio down for another moment, afraid to let him up in case the danger wasn’t gone. His hand hurt like it had been run over by a freight train and his shoulder burned. He needed to see his hand. See if it was even still there, but he continued to hold Antonio down until Antonio started to fight against him.

  “You alright, Boss?”

  Antonio sat up. Frank used the bottom of his shirt and his good hand to put pressure on the wound in his hand, ignoring his shoulder for now. Frank ran his finger along the edge of the bullet sticking out of his hand.

  “Can you drive?”

  “I think I can. We’re close.”
Frank used his good hand to drive. Ignoring all speed limits, he raced to the hotel. He sped around slower traffic. Frank used the pain to stay focused on his job; getting Antonio to safety. He screeched to a stop under the awning of the back door to the hotel. He knew Antonio wouldn’t want to use the front entrance in case there was another ambush.

  Valets rushed for the doors when he stopped the car, quickly realizing it was their boss and something was wrong. Frank’s adrenaline waned as they were walked to safety. He heard Antonio yelling orders but couldn’t make out the words. His only focus was the pain now. He tightened the pressure on his injured hand with his shirt acting as a bandage. Antonio’s men hustled them further inside the hotel and to the elevator.

  They exited on the floor for Antonio’s offices. Antonio would never bring trouble home to his penthouse one floor up. That was his safe place. Frank sat in an office chair, trying to breathe through the pain. He was determined not to act like a fool in front of Antonio even though he felt the tears threatening to overflow from his eyes. He blinked rapidly, knowing how to fight through the pain. After all, he’d been doing it his whole life.

  He looked up only when Antonio put his hand on Frank’s shoulder causing him to start from the pain there. He had forgotten about that wound when the bullet struck his hand. Antonio pulled his hand away surprised at the blood. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to Frank’s shoulder wound.

  “Doctor’s on his way, Franky.” Frank didn’t know whether to be more shocked that Antonio had called for his personal doctor or that he had called Frank by name.