by A. M. Brooks
“No,” I tell him, stepping back, clutching my cell closer to my chest, “Who is Mamacita? What does that mean?”
He takes my phone effortlessly before I can protest then hands it back. “Do not repeat that name to anyone, got it? Only Trent. I know you met him.”
“How do you…” I feel the blood leave my face. “Oh my god, are you spying on me?”
Seth’s head tilts back with a laugh. “That’s fuckin’ hilarious considering who you’re in bed with. No, I don’t have to fucking stalk you, Blaise. Trent texted me. Ask him if you aren’t sure.”
“Why would he talk to you?” I question. “I thought he was a cop and was working with Jay, I mean McCall.”
Seth grunts. “Trent doesn’t work for anyone. He’s in so deep even he doesn’t know which end is up anymore. Go talk to him more. Then text me.”
“I don’t have your number,” I remind him, a smug smile pulls at my lips.
“You do now,” he tells me before flipping the lock and popping my window up. I blink and he’s completely gone. I flip on my light and make my way over to the window. There is no sign of him on the fire escape or below. Closing my eyes, I inhale the evening desert air and breathe out while counting to five. When my eyes slide open, I glance around the room. The imprint of where Seth had sat on my bed is still there, meaning it wasn’t my imagination looking for answers.
“I should have run longer,” I mumble to myself, closing the window and locking it before yanking the curtain shut. I move over to my bedroom door and lock that, too, before sliding under my covers with the baseball bat, cuddling up to it for safety. My fingers hover over the screen, tempted to text Jay to come over after work. Seth’s warnings freak me out. He looked like shit and to be honest, everything he told me felt sincere.
“What should I do?” I whisper into the darkness of my room. Closing my eyes, I can see Blake leaning against my bed, sitting in the same spot Seth just vacated. His face is concerned because he knows. He knows the answer, but can’t tell me. Light shines behind my eyeballs and I crack one eye open to find my phone lit up. Blood pounds in my ears when I lift the screen to my face.
Jay: How was your shift? Are you in bed yet?
I exhale the air from my lungs before typing out an answer.
Me: It was long but the usual. Yes, I’m in bed :-)
Me: Are you still at work?
Jay: Yup. There are a shit ton of parts and of course they sent some of the wrong ones so we’ve had to catalog those.
Jay: I would rather be with you
Me: I would rather you be here too ;)
Jay: Hang out tomorrow?
Me: Text me when you wake up.
Jay. K. Night babe
Me: Night :-)
Sleep that night was more exhausting than being awake. Every dream was me chasing Seth or me driving after Blake only to end at the same place over and over again. Instead of Blake’s car around the tree, it’s mine and all Jay can say at my funeral was that I trusted the wrong people. My heart is pounding, my shirt was drenched in sweat when I wake up. My eyes adjust to the light filtering through the room. The air is stale and sticky, making me question what time it is, and what woke me up from a dead sleep. My hand slides to my phone on the nightstand.
1 New Message
Glares back at me. I tap the screen open and bring up my messages.
Boyfriend #2: I meant what I said. I’m sorry. I would have been there if I could have been. Remember what I told you. Stay Smart.
I glare at the text. I guess it wasn’t a dream and is just my own messed-up reality. I slump back against my pillows wishing the bed would swallow me whole. This situation continues to get more complicated every day. I check my phone again, also noticing that there are no new messages from Jay. My pulse kicks up. My heart is filled with shame and I can’t shake the small slice of betrayal pie I’m feeding to Jay. I’m ready for answers. I don’t want to be the dumb girl in the horror movie that stays home because her boyfriend is protecting her, then she ends up dying anyway because the bad guy was plotting the entire time for when she is alone. It’s a cliché I want no part of. The asshole who killed my brother will pay. The innocent will be protected and I will finally move on.
It was easy. The lies that fell from my tongue were too easy. Jay believed I was going with Jenna and Molly to visit UNLV for the weekend. That I was finally taking those steps to being independent again and planning for a future. He went on and on about how it was perfect timing and he would be busy working between Sarge’s ranch and the shop to keep up appearances. I packed my bag without sweating over it. I even left my mom a note with the same lie. Hell, I told it so many times this week that even I almost believed it. Everything fell into place like I had planned. I was cramped in the back seat with Antonio while Joe sat shotgun and Stone drove us the couple hours north to the Vegas strip. They were going to work at the newest hotel and casino on the strip, La Flor. A single text from Seth sat unopened in my inbox. I hadn’t had time to seek out Trent like he suggested and frankly, I had no reason to believe either of them. My gut told me that what I needed to know I was going to find in Las Vegas.
“Sin City,” I whispered when the neon lights from the Strip were starting to glow in the early evening dusk and could be seen from my small vantage point in the back.
“Where demons hide.” Antonio wags his brows at me, a look of excitement and knowing crosses his face. My breath catches and I play it off quickly like his words don’t send shivers down my spine.
“Where millionaires fall and the underdog can become someone,” Joe adds from the front seat before rolling down his window and letting his hand coast through the air.
“Where the depraved can be left in peace while the weak-minded are held accountable.” Stone joins their twisted word game. I fight the urge to roll my eyes, not fully understanding where the conversation is going. Believing they sound like coked-up frat boys on their first weekend of rush at college, only they’ve already been graduated for fifteen years, and now they’re the creepy guys at the bar. Seriously?
“Er,” I hesitate. “Are we staying at this hotel, too, or just working?” It’s been a few years since I’ve been on a Vegas run and even then, I never had a hand in the actual planning. The guys had the jobs lined up, and Blake took care of the hotel, sometimes plural, that we stayed at.
“Yup,” Antonio replies, using his index finger to poke my forehead. “No worries, B, it’s all taken care of.”
“Things are going to seem a little different this time, Blaisey,” Joe warns me, turning in his seat to meet my eyes. “We’re pretty well known in these parts.”
“What he means to say,” Stone interjects, his deep black eyes finding mine in the rearview mirror. “Is it’s less manual labor now. And we usually celebrate at the club afterward these days.”
“In style,” Joe throws in there, smirking proudly.
“Oh,” I tell them. “I didn’t bring anything to go out in.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Stone assures me. “I’m sure one of the girls will have something you can borrow.”
I nod along and put a plastic smile on my lips, not wanting to be a bitch, but the idea of borrowing a dress from a random chick to wear to a Vegas nightclub is not appealing. Deciding not to argue, I sit back in my seat and watch the scenery fly past me. I could people-watch on the Strip all day long. Such a variety of humans live and vacation in Vegas that it can entertain me endlessly.
In no time, we’re pulling into the valet parking of what looks like the tallest building on this side of the Strip. Large, turquoise lettering spells out La Flor on the front. Giant red and pink neon flowers surround it. We step out onto gold carpeting and wait while Stone gives the valet driver a handshake.
“Let’s check in.” Antonio nudges me with his arm. I follow him through the glass revolving door, praying the whole time that I don’t get stuck, before stepping into the elegantly decorated lobby. Gold marble covers every surface al
ong with a bouquet of brightly colored flowers, not overly gaudy, but obviously expensive. The atmosphere exudes equal amounts of business and pleasure.
“He’s looking for you,” the icy looking receptionist warns before Antonio even gives her his card to check in with. His brown eyes roll almost behind his sockets.
“We just got here. We’re early. We’ll be down in fifteen,” Toni states. The woman doesn’t respond and quickly taps out a message on the smartphone next to her keyboard.
“He said ten,” she replies before handing us four room keys.
Toni grabs my arm and leads me toward the elevators. “Can you go up on your own? We’ll be up in a few minutes, we just have to take care of a few small things first.”
“Roll call?” I asked curiously.
“Something like that.” He laughs before handing me one of the keys.
“I don’t know where I’m going,” I remind him.
“Oh, shit,” he responds, grabbing a Sharpie out of his backpack and writing on my room key. “Room 2666. Twenty-sixth floor at these elevators, go left then it will be the sixth door on your right.”
“K,” I tell him before hoisting my backpack up farther. “See you soon.”
“Later.” He waves before heading back to meet up with Stone and Joe.
Thankfully, no one else enters the elevator and I have a few minutes alone to breathe. Plucking my phone from my pocket, I stare at the three unanswered texts from Jay.
Jay: Did you girls make it okay?
Jay: Make sure you try the In And Out by campus. I swear it’s the best one in the entire state.
Jay: Baby, give me something here. I’m kind of worried.
I sigh reading the last text. Lying to get out of town was one thing. Continuing the charade now that I’m not under his supervision feels like crossing a line we might not come back from.
Me: I miss you.
I tap out quickly while navigating down the long hallway. It’s the truth and at least he’ll know I’m alive. I nod to myself believing my justification trumps all the secret keeping he does.
Jay: I miss you too. Behave yourself :P
“Shit.” I groan into the empty space. The door to the room looms in front of my face, yet it feels far away. Once I go in there, I’m really in deep with this plan of mine. Which means playing the role of Blake’s little sister, following around the coolest guys and being in awe of everything.
The minute the door opens to the room I’m fully aware that I may have made a mistake. I see you’re running with the Baby-Face crew. Trent’s observation haunts me while I look around the very elaborate, very expensive suite. The main living area alone is larger than my whole apartment. Padding over to the crystal bar, I notice all the liquor is top shelf. The television on the farthest wall is almost the size of a movie theater screen and the smaller flight of stairs that leads to a separate sitting area before splitting off into three bedrooms and a bathroom is something out of a catalog. These are the rooms hotels usually use to set up the VIPs and the high rollers. Basically, the type of guests they want to keep happy and keep at their hotels and casinos. Not just three guys helping the workers who are hoping to make a little extra cash.
I type out a quick group text to see when they will be up. My stomach has a dull ache warning me I need food and soon. Stone replies instantly telling me to get room service and that they will be out for a while. Joe replies next, telling me to relax and enjoy myself. Toni chimes in last, letting me know that there are a few good movies on the TV and I can charge it to the room. Shrugging, I place an order with the kitchen before plopping down on the couch and flipping through the channels. Nostalgia floats around me in a protective bubble. Memories of every other time I would join the guys in Vegas plays out in my mind. My body attempts to relax while trying to ignore the reminders of how this time is also different.
When the food arrives, Stone, Joey, and Toni are still not back. I text them again letting them know the food arrived. Unlike the last time, they don’t respond. I try making myself comfortable on the spacious couch while balancing my burger and fries on my lap and the beer from the mini-fridge next to me. Each crunch from my french fries echoes in my ears reminding me how alone I am. Did I make the right choice to come here? I could be at my house with Jay right now. Or actually at UNLV with Jenna and her friends checking out the campus and parties, acting like most eighteen-year-olds.
After eating and my brain quiets down, I grab a blanket off one of the beds upstairs and decide to lay on the couch. If the guys come back, I’ll hear them and can ask what they’ve been up to. Tucking my phone into the pocket of my hoodie, I try to concentrate on the rerun episode of The Big Bang Theory, the silence lulling me into sleep.
Sun filters through the curtain in the room the next morning, pulling me out of a deep sleep. I sit up when I realize I’m still on the couch. A loud snore from upstairs. I frown, realizing I slept through them coming back and have no idea what they’ve been up to. Standing to my feet, I survey the room quickly. Nothing is out of place. The room service cart is gone and three pairs of shoes now lay by the door. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I shuffle to the bathroom to splash water on my face. On my way out, I run face-first into a warm slab of concrete flesh.
“Ow,” I mutter, almost falling back on my heels.
“Whoa.” Joe laughs, using his arms to steady me. “I called your name, but you were zoned out.”
“Oh.” I frown, rubbing my forehead. “I was just about to order breakfast, do you want anything?”
“No worries,” Joe replies, smiling. “We’re actually about to get ready and grab some food down by the poolside cabana. Work, ya know?” He shrugs.
“The pool?” I ask, not wanting to appear too excited. Relaxing by a pool sounds amazing right now.
“Mm-hmm,” he replies while walking up the stairs before yelling over his shoulder. “Hurry up and get ready!”
I waste no time running to my backpack and grabbing my suit and cover-up. I run my hands through my hair and quickly pull it into a topknot on my head. I just finished slipping my flip-flops on when Joey and Stone head down the stairs. My jaw drops when I notice them dressed similarly in light jeans and button-up short sleeve shirts. Joey’s hair is gelled and styled to perfection, he has a large silver watch placed on his wrist that screams expensive. Even Stone cleaned up, his bun slicked back, no unruly curls anywhere. He has all black Ray-Bans clutched loosely in his fingers.
“Did I miss the formal invitation?” I ask, raising my eyebrow at them. I am simultaneously freaked out because I’ve never seen them look this put together while at the same time overly curious as to why. Not to mention a small part of my heart skips a beat because they look mature and grown up and I should be happy for them.
“Yeah, yeah, smartass.” Joey laughs. “Let’s go.” He signals for me to follow.
“What about Toni?” I ask just before another snore can be heard from upstairs.
“He was out, a little late last night,” Stone answers while closing the room door behind me. “He’ll be down later.”
I let it go and follow them back down the hallway and to the elevators. By the time we reach the lobby and take an outside trail to where the pool is, my back had a light sheen of sweat from the hot temps. The surprises keep coming when the guys lead me to a private poolside cabana where we are instantly waited upon by a chick who clearly works out daily, and probably skips meals, in a bright neon turquoise swimsuit.
“Aren’t you working?” I ask them while stuffing another bite of French toast into my mouth.
“Yes, Palmer,” Stone answers, showing me a stack of cards. Leaning closer, I take one from him. The front is black and shiny. Gold lettering spells out Corazon with NightClub in English underneath. “These all need to get handed out today,” he tells me. Nodding, I sit back in my chair. They get up and walk around the pool in shifts, sometimes disappearing from my view before coming back. When the food and mimosas are gone, I peel down t
o my swimsuit and lounge back in a partly sunny area. My phone still shows no new messages, so I tap a quick text to Jay telling him I’m having fun before grabbing my earbuds and playing my playlist and closing my eyes.
A shadow moves over me causing my eyes to fly open. Right away, I’m met with Toni’s smirking expression and I can’t help the sneer that moves over my lips. “What?” I ask, feeling annoyed at being woken up.
“Making up some extra z’s today, Blaisey?” he inquires, the smile only getting bigger. “You were sawing logs when we got home last night and drooling all over the cabana recliner this afternoon.”
“Was not,” I reply defensively, touching my fingers to the corner of my mouth. All this does is earn a laugh that causes a small blush to tinge my cheeks.
“It’s okay,” Toni replies, shrugging before lifting his eyes to me. “T’s a sexy look.”
“Shut up,” I tell him while sitting up in the chair. By now, the majority of the people have left the pool area. The sun is lower in the sky, close to creating that pinkish-orange glow.
“Guess I was really out of it,” I mutter to myself while checking for signs of a good sunburn.
“Sure were, babe,” Toni agrees. “I was sent to get you. The guys already went up to get ready for tonight.”
“What’s tonight?” I ask while sliding my cover-up over my head and locating my phone and shoes.
“Grand opening of La Flor’s nightclub,” he tells me. We fall into step next to each other as we head inside. “We’ll be working there tonight, but at least you can enjoy it. It’s crazy cool on the inside.”