Inside Out: Behind Closed Doors

by Lisa Renee Jones

  “Aren’t you in Vegas with Red Bull?” he asks, clearly having chatted with the ever-so-talkative side of Molly.

  “Is that your business?” I ask, glowering as if he can see me.

  “It doesn’t sound boring,” he comments dryly, and when I offer nothing more, he thankfully runs down some report details, locks up my town house, and then puts Molly back on the line.

  “I’ll handle things for you, honey. Do you need me to check on this Ella person?”

  “No,” I say quickly, not about to put her in danger, too. “I’ll be home this afternoon. Thank you for your help.” I punch the elevator button, end the call, and text Jason: Went to the room. The rest can wait until he gets upstairs.

  The elevator doors open and I don’t hesitate to enter, already dialing Ella, but by the time I face forward, Daniel is stepping inside with me.

  And claustrophobia doesn’t begin to describe what I feel in this moment.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “OBVIOUSLY YOU DON’T understand instructions,” Daniel snaps, holding the doors open. “I said, don’t leave the event area without telling me. Come back. Now.”

  I breathe out with the realization that in his asshole way, he’s only trying to protect me. “I can’t. My town house was robbed and my friend is missing.”

  Understanding registers in his expression and he steps fully into the car, the doors shutting on us instantly, but we aren’t moving. “Give me your key card,” he says. “I’ll get you to the room safely and then get Jason the hell away from Davie.”

  “I forgot about the card,” I say, opening my purse and handing it to him, while my phone sounds with a text. I grab it and look at the message from Jason: You okay?

  “It’s Jason,” I say, and start typing a reply.

  “Well, for God’s sake,” Daniel says, “don’t tell him what’s wrong while he’s filming. He’s human, despite what he wants everyone to believe. Tell him I walked you to the room.”

  “Right,” I say, typing: Yes, and Daniel is making sure I get to the room safely.

  The elevator sways, and I grab the wall, but right now, my fear for Ella seems to be prevailing over my fear of confinement. “They ripped my furniture to shreds.”

  Daniel’s lips thin. “I’d say it’s safe to assume that someone thinks you found something they want in that storage unit.”

  The chip, I think, though it wasn’t in the actual unit. And while I’m feeling safer than before with Daniel right now, I’m not even close to a place where I’m willing to share this kind of detail with him. “Why let the unit get sold at auction, then?” I ask, thinking out loud. “Why not pay it off before that happened? It makes no sense.”

  The doors to the car open. “It makes plenty of sense,” he says, as we exit and start down the hallway. “Stephanie isn’t driving this boat anymore, if she ever was at all. One of these pricks is jealous of Jason and is trying to fuck with his game, and I don’t like it.”

  As logical as his summary is, it just doesn’t feel quite right, and I don’t know why. A tidbit I open my mouth to express, but discomfort forms with the realization that we’re at the door and he’s still holding my key. He reaches up and swipes the key card, opening the door, and now, my discomfort turns to outright concern.

  “Here,” he says, and as if he’s read my mind, he hands me the key. “Do not,” he says, as I take it, “I repeat, do not leave the room without me or Jason, until we get a better handle on what is happening.”

  “I won’t,” I promise, but he just stands there.

  When I do the same, he gives me one of his scowls. “Go inside and lock the door,” he orders.

  My heart thunders in my chest with the impossible-to-ignore idea that he could follow me into the room. But that’s silly. Jason knows I’m here. Daniel knows this. Still, adrenaline surges through me as I turn and head into the apartment, whirling around to face my would-be attacker, only to have the door firmly shut in my face. “Lock it,” Daniel calls out, but it’s some fancy lock I can’t figure out. I shove the button from black to red.

  “Done!” I shout, and I don’t wait for his reply to head to the bedroom and the closet, where I grab my suitcase, set it on the bedroom floor, open it, and then hurry to the bathroom to start placing toiletries in a travel bag.

  “Skye!”

  At the sound of Jason’s voice, I set down the items in my hand and start walking. “I’m here!” I call out, rounding the corner as he enters the bedroom.

  “Daniel just told me,” he says, crossing to pull me close and kissing me, that tiny action telling me that, at least right now, I’m not alone, and no matter how safe alone feels, Jason feels safer. “We’ll handle this,” he adds, easing back from me, his hands settling on his hips. “What are the police saying?”

  “My furniture and pictures were shredded, but nothing obvious was taken. They said it looked like someone was looking for something.”

  “And nothing from Ella?”

  “No. Nothing.”

  “Pack,” he says. “I’m going to get the plane ready and we’ll be there in three hours.”

  “Yes. Thank you.” My cell phone rings where I’ve left it on the bathroom counter. “Please let that be her,” I say, rushing to the other room, relief washing over me when I find Ella on the caller ID. “It’s her!” I announce, shouting as if Jason hasn’t just shown up in the doorway.

  Relief washes over his face as well. “Thank God.”

  “Ella,” I answer.

  “Skye, honey,” she says. “I’m here in the hotel. Can you come get me?”

  “You’re here?” My eyes meet Jason’s, and we share a look of confusion. “Why are you here?”

  “I wasn’t handing this ‘item’ off to anyone else, and an old acquaintance of my father’s not only lives here, he’s well connected to the underbelly of the gaming world. He’s with me, and I think he might be able to help.”

  Ella’s father is connected to the underbelly of the gaming world? “I’ll come get you,” I say.

  “Tell her Daniel will bring her up,” Jason instructs, already selecting Daniel from his contact list. “I’ll have the doorman help them with a key card.”

  I nod and say, “Jason’s manager, Daniel, is coming to get you. Where are you?”

  “I’ll meet him at the elevator banks. What’s your floor and room?”

  There is a back-and-forth between me, her, and Jason before Ella and I hang up and I describe her to Jason for Daniel. “Red hair. Twenties. Pretty.” I cringe, adding, “She has a friend of the family with her she thinks can help us.”

  “What?” Jason asks, in a rare moment of unbridled reaction from him.

  “I’ll explain when you hang up,” I say, and listen as he relays the information to Daniel and then disconnects the line, immediately asking me, “Why is she here and who is this man?”

  “It’s a little odd,” I confess, “but it seems well intended.”

  I relay the conversation, but he doesn’t seem any more pleased about this news than moments before. “How do you know Ella, and how well?”

  “Yoga class, for about two months,” I reluctantly admit.

  “This is not instilling confidence in me.”

  “When she hands you that chip, you’ll see why I trust her.”

  And on that note, we wait. And wait, ten minutes passing like ten hours, in which Jason stares out of the window and I pace in the hallway. The instant the doorbell rings, I rush forward, open the door, and see Ella with her porcelain skin and beautiful red hair. “My God, woman,” I say, motioning her forward and wrapping her in a big hug the moment she’s inside.

  She laughs and hugs me back. “I’m glad you’re happy to get the chip, but wow. Talk about gratitude.”

  I lean back and grab her arms. “My town house was robbed and you wouldn’t answer your phone. Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

  “Sorry. I was in the air, then we fought with the cab driver, and then we were just her
e. That’s what counts, right?” She glances over my shoulder, to where I can feel Jason hovering, and then back at me to whisper, “He’s even hotter in person than on TV.”

  “Enough of the mush,” a gruff male voice complains. “Let’s get to this.”

  “That would be Buddha,” Ella says, indicating the heavyset, dark-haired man to her left. “What he lacks in charm, he makes up for in resources in the gaming industry.”

  “I can attest to the lack of charm,” Daniel mumbles dryly, standing to the right of Buddha.

  “Hello, Buddha,” I say, really not sure what to make of the man.

  “Yeah, yeah, hello,” he replies, looking to Jason as he steps to my side. “Good run last night.” Then he indicates the familiar box in his hands, where I’ve stashed all the paperwork from the storage unit. “Let’s go somewhere and talk about this heavy-ass load.”

  “Daniel, take the box,” Jason instructs.

  “I tried,” Daniel says, grumpier than ever. “He’s holding on to it.”

  “Where can we sit and talk?” Buddha asks.

  “He can help,” Ella assures us. “I promise you. He knows the underbelly of Vegas.”

  “You’re a friend of Ella’s father?” I ask, certain Jason wants more details about this man.

  “I knew her father,” he says. “He was a bastard, but I owe him, so I’m helping. Now where the fuck can we sit?”

  Jason narrows his stare on Ella. “Who exactly was, or is, your father?”

  “IRS,” Ella says.

  Buddha laughs. “Corrupt motherfucker, too, or he wouldn’t have helped me.”

  “I’ll pretend you didn’t say that,” Ella says, and my sweet little friend seems to be issuing a warning to this big, rather scary man.

  “I’m all about the truth, honey,” he says, “and you know it.” He looks at Jason. “Last call. We go talk now or I leave you to the wolves, which is fine by me. But in case you’re hoping the chip is fake, it’s not.”

  Jason is silent a beat that turns into three, then: “Dining room,” he says, his tone decidedly tight. “Lead the way, Daniel.”

  Daniel’s expression clouds with disapproval, but he does as instructed. “This way,” he says, walking past us and down the hallway with Buddha and Ella on his heels, while Jason and I stand our ground.

  “What do you think?” I ask softly, facing him.

  “If you’re around gaming long enough, you know how to spot the mob. He’s one of them, which is trouble, but then so is blackmail. Unfortunately, we’re also backed into a corner and we need to hear him out. Equally unfortunate, that’s how way too many people make bad decisions with these people.”

  “Ella knows him,” I say. “That has to count for something, right?”

  “If her father runs in a crowd that allows him to hold something over Buddha’s head, her father’s dangerous. Which also means Ella is not what she seems.” His hand settles at my back. “Let’s go hear what he has to say.”

  The mob. Ella’s father is dangerous. Blackmail. It’s like something out of a movie we’d rather watch than live. A movie that just gets worse as Jason and I enter the dining room, where Daniel is at the head of a table for twelve, and Buddha and Ella are side by side on the left. “What kind of name is Buddha?” Daniel demands. “We need a real name.”

  Buddha locks gazes with Daniel. “Buddha stands for He Who Shall Fuck You Up If You Talk Shit About His Name.”

  “Jesus, Buddha.” Ella looks at Daniel, while Jason and I claim the seats across from her and Buddha. “It’s a nickname. He’s the one you call to save your ass when no one else can. He becomes your Buddha.”

  “Holy fuck,” Daniel chokes out. “That is—”

  “Don’t,” Buddha warns, and there is something about him in that moment, a sharp crackle beneath the surface, that has Daniel shutting his mouth.

  “This is going well, I see,” Jason says, clearly trying to get us focused on the chip and the box.

  “For Buddha,” Ella says, “this is actually pleasant conversation.” She looks at Daniel. “But tread cautiously. I only have one favor to call in.”

  “I don’t need a favor,” Daniel says. “Or the kind of help Buddha offers.”

  Buddha snorts and looks at Jason. “Good thing I bet on you and won as much as you last night, or I’d be done with your manager.”

  “Why do I think I don’t want to know what ‘done’ means to you?” Jason asks.

  “You know what they say,” Buddha replies dryly. “Don’t ask, don’t tell. Get rid of him.”

  Good God. Does he mean forever, as in dead, or just right now?

  “He stays,” Jason says firmly, seeming to have none of my concerns, or simply bluffing without a blink.

  “At his own risk,” Buddha replies.

  “I’ll Braveheart it,” Daniel states dryly, and as much as I admire his determination to protect Jason, his brassiness with Buddha is making me nervous.

  “What do you do exactly here in Vegas?” Jason asks quickly, and I’m pretty sure it’s to take attention off Daniel.

  It works. Buddha focuses on Jason. “Contract work for the highest bidder.”

  Jason arches a brow. “The mob?”

  “The highest bigger,” Buddha repeats.

  “Is this where we get extorted?” Daniel asks.

  Ella’s gaze jerks to Daniel. “I told you, there is no fee. Buddha will take care of this.”

  Buddha’s response is to toss the envelope with the chip and note in it across the table to land in front of Jason. “I hear there’s two of those floating around, and you’ve only got one of them.”

  “That’s right,” Jason confirms.

  “And this cat-and-mouse blackmail game has gone on for months,” Buddha says.

  “That’s right,” Jason again confirms.

  Buddha isn’t done yet. “And some woman you fucked is supposedly behind this.”

  “Right again,” Jason says.

  “But she’s made no contact with you in that time, outside of these random notes?”

  Jason gives a tiny nod. “Correct.”

  Buddha smirks. “And you’ve hired a PI firm who’s supposed to be good at their job, but can’t find her.”

  “Two PI firms,” Daniel interjects. “One in LA and one here.”

  Buddha looks at Daniel. “Get them out of Vegas and off the hunt for Stephanie. They’ll get you attention you don’t need or want.” He refocuses on Jason. “Crazy stalker exes don’t operate with the kind of patience this person is showing. They come hard and fast. And blackmailers don’t wait to ask for money. It gives them time to get caught.”

  “I’ve figured those things out,” Jason replies. “And I’m assuming someone wants me to start losing.”

  “And yet knowing this, you keep winning,” Buddha observes.

  “Because it’s what I do,” Jason says. “And initially, I thought appearing cool under pressure would make Stephanie second-guess her actions. A plan that seemed to be working when the demand for money didn’t come.”

  “But the threats and the toying with you did,” Buddha comments.

  “Yes,” Jason says, “with my father, and now Skye, named as targets along with me.”

  Ella straightens, her gaze rocketing to me. “They threatened you?”

  I nod, and Jason explains, “A waitress handed me a note last night during the tournament, with Skye being the subject matter.”

  “And since this is my first time here with Jason,” I add, “Stephanie had to have been here at the hotel, or had eyes on me.”

  “Give me the note,” Buddha states.

  Jason glances at Daniel. “My office drawer.”

  Daniel is on his feet in an instant, exiting the room, while Buddha leans back in his chair, rocking while studying Jason. “We both know that chip isn’t a problem unless there’s video footage of you stealing it.”

  “I didn’t steal it,” Jason says, not missing a beat. “But there doesn’t have to be proof
to destroy my reputation, and put Skye and my family through hell.”

  Buddha straightens, leaning forward. “If this Stephanie bitch was going to do that to you, she would have already done it.”

  “You think,” Ella snaps. “Skye was threatened. I need you to know for certain, Buddha.”

  He looks at Ella. “I’ll find the woman and get her story.”

  “I’m taking you at your word on this,” Ella says, completely unintimidated despite his connections. She’s definitely not what she seems.

  “It’s handled, woman,” Buddha bites out, still focused on Ella. “I get it. It’s important to you.”

  “The note,” Daniel announces, returning to hand the napkin, now in a Ziploc bag, to Jason.

  “He fetches,” Buddha says. “Good boy. Now leave.” Buddha glances at Daniel, and then Jason. “To be clear, I deal with you. Not him.”

  Jason simply slides the note across the table, while Daniel reclaims his seat. Buddha eyes the plastic bag, reading the note on the napkin. “The scorned lover,” he says, barking out laughter and eyeing Jason. “You fucked her once or twice?”

  Jason’s expression is without reaction, his tone even. “She’s fucking me. That’s the issue here.”

  “Either you’re really good in bed, or really bad.” Buddha slides the bag back to Jason. “Or that wasn’t from her at all, but from someone fucking with your head—which fucks with people like me who bet big on people like you. Mark my word, Red Bull. The Vegas odds are on your side. No one fucks with our guy without getting fucked up.”

  Jason holds up his hands. “I don’t want anyone hurt.”

  “You don’t get to choose, if this person gets on the wrong radars,” Buddha says. “And you don’t fuck around in Vegas and not get on the wrong radars. Did you check the hotel security footage for the tournament?”

  “Even if we could get to it, which I can’t, I’d have to bring attention that I can’t afford to this matter.”

  “Okay, then,” Buddha says. “We’ll start with me looking at the footage.”