Betting on Both

by Sheryl Nantus

  Jacob stood. “Your mother had the same stubborn streak. I loved that about her. But she knew when to obey me.” A shadow crossed his face and she spotted the sly businessman underneath. “See you tomorrow, Katherine. Don’t be late.”

  Cole found Julien sitting at the bar, nursing a beer. Nearby the band played on, the trumpet player warbling out a fantastic solo.

  Julien motioned at the busy bartender. “I don’t want to get drunk alone.” He drew a staggered breath. “I danced with the dragon today and lived.”

  Cole smiled in spite of the situation. “Jacob McMaster. I saw him too. Man might be old but he’s still scary as hell when he puts his mind to it.”

  “I’ve always been told to respect my elders. I can only hope to be half as intimidating when I reach his age. He won’t fire us until after the reopening tomorrow.” Julien tipped the long-necked bottle and drank. “That is, of course, if we don’t slink off in the darkness.”

  Two fresh bottles of beer came from behind the counter, the bartender giving them a fast wipe with his towel before popping the caps and placing them in front of the two men.

  “He’d love that.” Cole went to pay for the drinks and was waved off by the bartender.

  “Tonight it’s on their bill,” Julien explained with a smile and a nod. “Consider it part of our termination package.”

  “Thanks.” Cole rolled the cool bottle in his hands, savoring the chilled sensation on his skin. “I’m not slinking anywhere. McMaster wants me to leave, he’ll have to tell me to my face. I’m not embarrassed about who I am and what I’ve done. If I’m leaving, I’m leaving by the front door.” He turned and surveyed the busy floor, the gamblers surging back and forth in a never-ending wave of want, need, and greed. “Place is full up.”

  “And these aren’t even the regulars,” Julien said. “These are the invited ones, the privileged few.” He snorted. “They’ll lose their money and be glad of it, brag about dropping a few grand on the Majestic.”

  Cole nodded. “So what did he say to you?”

  He didn’t need to clarify who they were talking about.

  “The usual. Corrupting his granddaughter, get out of town, blah blah blah.” Julien flapped his hand like a talking mouth.

  “The usual?” Cole couldn’t help smiling. “Do you get that a lot? Angry men demanding you leave their daughters or granddaughters alone?”

  Julien gave a low chuckle. “Not as of late. Not that I’ve missed it. Kat’s a force of nature I’ve never seen the like of before.” He made as if to snatch something out of the air. “Woman stole my heart and then stole yours. Have to respect a woman like that and the bloodline which produced her. I respectfully laid out my argument and went back to finish my set.” He eyed Cole. “What did he threaten you with?”

  “The usual,” Cole deadpanned. “Either way, we’ll both be out of work in about twenty-four hours.”

  “Most likely.” Julien tipped the bottle into his mouth. “Have you seen her?”

  “No. David made it clear I wasn’t welcome in her room tonight. I’m sure they’ve got standing orders to keep us away from her.” He paused. “Until tomorrow when they fire and ban us from the property.”

  Julien spun the bottle on its edge, the dark green bottle making a hollow sound as it turned. “I’ll be there at the ribbon-cutting, of course. I’ve put too much work into this place to walk away.”

  Cole studied the level of beer in his bottle before taking another drink. He was in the mood to get drunk but knew it wasn’t going to solve anything. The last thing he needed was to wake up with a killer hangover and have to deal with the ceremony.

  He hated not knowing all the answers. “And Kat? What do you think she’ll do?”

  Julien eyed Cole. “She’ll decide what’s right for her.” He pointed the bottle back toward the front of the riverboat. “I heard she had dinner with Jacob. I have no doubt our names came up at some point.” He took another drink. “I made my stand with Jacob. So did you. She has to figure this out for herself; we can’t tell her what to do.”

  Cole sighed. “I know. I just don’t like being in charge.” He pressed the cool glass to his forehead.

  Julien laughed and cuffed him gently on one ear. “Silly man. We stopped being in charge when we fell in love with her.” He pulled out his phone and laid it on the bar, the tiny screen lit up. “Better finish your drink. She’ll be calling one of us soon and we should be ready to move.”

  Cole stared at the wafer-thin device. “How do you know that?”

  “Because she loves us as much as we love her.” Julien smiled. “And love always finds a way.”

  Kat couldn’t settle down enough to contemplate going to bed, despite being bone-tired after her dinner with Jacob. The mental and physical stress of the day’s events had finally caught up with her.

  She felt like a limp washrag, soaked through and threadbare.

  Now it was after midnight and she couldn’t sleep, couldn’t stay awake. The ceremony was at eleven o’clock in the morning and the entire press corps would be there, much like when she graduated from college and arrived fresh-faced and eager at the front steps of McMaster Industries.

  This was supposed to be her defining moment in the business. Instead it was going to be the worst moment of her life.

  Kat snatched up her phone and called Julien.

  It rang only once before he answered.

  “How are you?” he said.

  She wiped her eyes before speaking, choked up by the mere sound of his voice. “I’m fine.”

  “Not if you’re alone.”

  “Are you okay? What did my grandfather do to you?” Kat asked.

  “Not as much as I thought he would.” Julien chuckled. His voice sounded strained, as if he was walking quickly. “He does love you.”

  “I know. Which is what makes this so much harder.” Kat shook her head. “It’d be easy if I could hate him or at least actively dislike him. Please promise me you’ll be there at the reopening no matter what happens. You worked so hard to make this place successful, I can’t imagine doing it without you.”

  The low chuckle soothed her jagged nerves. “Of course I’ll be there.”

  A metallic click echoed around the room.

  “We’ll both be there,” Julien said. “As we are here.”

  Kat dropped the phone and stood as the door between her suite and Cole’s opened, revealing the two men.

  Julien laughed and held up his manager’s keyring. “They might have suspended me but they forgot to take this.” He twirled the metal ring around his finger. “The master opens every door in this hotel from all sides, in case of emergency.” He raised one eyebrow, giving him a swashbuckler’s grin. “Which I believe this is.”

  She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe as she ran across the room to embrace them. Cole’s tight grip burned her skin as Julien pressed his lips to her neck.

  “We can’t stay for long,” Cole murmured. “I convinced Andy to turn the other way for a few minutes so I could bring Julien into my room. He’s not dumb; he’s got an idea we’re meeting. But he’s skirting the line and I don’t want him to lose his job doing a favor for us.”

  “No. Of course not.” Kat stepped back, wiping her tears with the backs of her hands. “I needed to see you.”

  Cole jerked a thumb at Julien. “He figured you’d call us at some point. We were in the bar and I arranged it with Andy. Devil’s in the details. Technically he hasn’t let anyone into your room and I can say without lying that I didn’t unlock the door.” He glanced at his watch. “We don’t have much time left.” He delivered a blistering kiss that left her breathless and more than a little dizzy.

  His grip tightened on her skin, the dominating tone sending a tremor through her veins. “I’ll be at the ceremony tomorrow. They can’t deny me that.”

  “Nor me.” Julien followed up with an intense kiss, reaching around to caress her ass through the thin shorts. He growled as his long, slender fingers
slipped under the fabric. “If we had a bit more time . . .”

  She gasped, the desire surging at his touch.

  Cole laughed and tugged him free. “Enough, Romeo. I won’t let Andy go down so you can cop a feel.”

  Julien gave a low chuckle. “Going down was definitely on my mind.” He blew Kat a kiss as they retreated back through the door. “We’ll be there tomorrow. I love you.”

  Cole stared at her as he began to shut the door. “I love you too. Don’t forget that, no matter what happens.”

  She raised her hand and waved as the pair disappeared. The locks reengaged, securing the door again.

  Kat curled up with a cushion and soon fell into a disturbed sleep, her mind racing through scenarios.

  All she wanted was to be happy.

  Why was it so hard to achieve that goal?

  The next morning Kat looked at her reflection in the large mirror. The long black dress with silver highlights was perfect, a mixture of the old-fashioned style now being worn by the staff and a flair of the current fashion trend. She’d commissioned it for this event and now that she saw it in the mirror . . . it was perfect.

  Kat knew her grandfather would wear his usual suit, and, for one of the few times she could remember, it was appropriate. Jacob had never been a fashion horse, sticking to his three-piece suit in all climates, in all situations. It was a constant he prided himself on.

  Along with being successful.

  She’d seen the keen look in his eyes when he’d spotted the traffic around their table, the waiting line at the front of the restaurant. He liked and approved of the decor, knew it was going to make the Majestic a winner.

  Now all she needed to do was keep it for herself.

  Kat opened the door and saw David standing there. His stoic face gave no impression he knew about the stunt Julien and Cole had pulled last night.

  He extended his arm and she took it, allowing him to escort her to the elevator and to the main lobby where the ceremony would take place.

  “Where’s Cole?” she whispered as the doors shut in front of them.

  “He’s around.” The security director smiled. “You know how he works.” Another bodyguard stood behind them in silence.

  Kat’s pulse pounded in her ears as they came to a soft stop and the doors opened.

  “Showtime,” David said.

  Julien stood in the middle of the crowd, easily mingling with the other employees. They’d all greeted him politely and given their thoughts on the situation with Kat, most of them disagreeing with Jacob McMaster’s handling. The curses flowed freely along with suggestions on places he could find work, and more than one offering their connections to help him move on.

  He in turn had pointed out no matter what happened to him and Cole and Kat, he expected them all to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. The best revenge they could give him was to make the Majestic the best hotel and casino complex in New Orleans.

  It was hard to do.

  He wanted to tell them to slack off, toss dishes against the wall, and strike illegally; walk out and bring McMaster to his knees, but Julien knew that wouldn’t work.

  And it wasn’t what he needed right now.

  The Majestic had to survive, to thrive.

  Cole appeared at his elbow, startling Julien.

  The man could move like a damned ninja, surprising given his height and size.

  “I see you dressed up for the opening,” Cole murmured. He wore his usual black suit jacket and slacks, the white dress shirt unbuttoned at the top and the black tie hanging loose.

  Julien chuckled and ran a finger along his dark purple shirt lapels. “I left the hat at home.” He looked at the podium set by the front door and the ceremonial red ribbon waiting to be cut. “Word is the media’s going mad at the variety of scandals available for them to cover today. Already been approached by a few reporters looking for a statement.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  Julien arched one eyebrow.

  Cole grinned. “Me too. But they’ll write what they want to write anyway.”

  “C’est la vie.” The words caught in Julien’s throat as he spotted Kat at the side, waiting for Jacob.

  Cole followed his stare. “God, she looks beautiful.” He swallowed hard. “Damn it all.” He pulled his fingers into fists, pressing them against his legs.

  Julien couldn’t fault him. They’d thought about this moment for weeks, joked about it in bed with Kat. Now they had to stand and watch, far from the woman they loved.

  They watched her climb onto the low stage, followed by Jacob McMaster. The elderly businessman looked sharp in his suit and tie, his granddaughter a beautiful match. She stood by his side, strong and proud despite the traumatic events of the previous day.

  Julien couldn’t imagine how he could love her more, but he did.

  Jacob McMaster started to talk, his unlit pipe in his hand. He gestured at the walls, the ceiling, the crowd, the media at the side with their cameras rolling.

  It was nothing Julien hadn’t heard before. Jacob droned on about how the Majestic was the newest jewel in the McMaster crown and so forth. How proud he was of his granddaughter and how the family legacy would continue for yet another generation.

  “And now a few words from Katherine McMaster, without whom all of this wouldn’t have happened.” Jacob gave a broad smile as he motioned her up on the stage.

  Kat stepped next to him and waved, earning a loud cheer from the assembled employees, media, and guests. Julien stood a bit straighter, pleased with the reaction. No matter what they might think of her personal life they couldn’t deny her this success.

  “First, I want to thank all of you for coming here today.” She beamed, searching out individual faces in the crowd. “I think it’s important to acknowledge how much work you, the employees, have put into this project.” She turned and waved at the lobby. “The Majestic has become a success due to your devotion and efforts to bring her back to life.”

  Julien noticed a slight frown on Jacob’s face.

  This wasn’t the speech she was expected to give.

  Kat spun around. “And I’d like to point out a few individuals who helped make all this happen.” She pointed into the crowd. “Eddie Calpert, who works in the kitchen all day to create those dishes you love.”

  Eddie, a stout African American man, lowered his head with a smile, stammering to himself as everyone clapped.

  Julien joined in, as did Cole.

  “Come on up,” Kat prompted with an outstretched hand. “You deserve to be here as much as anyone else.”

  The chef found himself shuffled to the front of the crowd, reluctantly climbing up beside Kat. She hugged him, and Jacob shook the man’s hand before moving him to the side.

  Jacob’s frown shifted to a fake smile, rolling with Kat’s punches.

  “Alfred Prudhomme, who greets you at the door when you first arrive. He always has a smile ready.” The uniformed doorman, obviously shocked, took the applause with a reddening face. “Laura Henderson, one of the many housekeepers who keep this place going and the bathrooms filled with toilet paper. Without her we’d all be in trouble.”

  This brought laughter along with applause, the junior cleaner giggling as she accepted the praise. Both employees came onto the low stage and joined the chef, shaking Jacob McMaster’s hand with a combination of fear and envy.

  “Last but not least, I’d like to point out two men without whom all of this couldn’t have happened.” Kat pointed directly at Julien and Cole. “The two most important men in my life. My facility manager and my bodyguard.” Her eyes teared up. “Julien Devereaux and Cole Harrison. My best friends and my lovers.”

  She spread her arms out, reaching for them.

  Chapter Twelve

  Cole could have sworn he felt the earth shake.

  His own security team moved in, forming a line between him and the stage, from Kat.

  Hands landed on his arms, tugging him forward. C
ole realized with a start it was the general staff, pulling him up and past the guards.

  The confused looks on the security men’s faces said it all. They could grab him and drag him away, causing a commotion in front of the cameras. Or they could back off and let things proceed in whatever insane way they were going to work out.

  Ed made the decision for them all.

  He shot Cole a wink and stepped aside, letting the two men climb onto the stage.

  Cole looked around and saw Julien, grinning like a madman, sidestepping around David to jump into Kat’s arms and deliver a deep kiss that had the crowd screaming for more.

  The delighted musician/manager gave them more.

  Julien reached out and pulled Cole into their embrace, laughing as he handed Kat over.

  Now it was Cole’s turn to kiss Kat and he did so with all the pent-up hunger he’d held at bay for the last day, adding in a sensual, dramatic dip that had her arching back until her loose hair almost hit the floor.

  She laughed into his mouth before finishing the kiss with a mouth-devouring hunger, leaving him breathless and hopelessly, painfully aroused.

  The gesture sent even more shockwaves through the assembly. He saw the flashes through his closed eyes and knew the images were going live, going out through the world, out to everyone and anyone. There were no more secrets to be kept, no slick media stories to be placed explaining away the rumors.

  This was as far out there as it could possibly get. And there was no going back.

  And that, as he pulled her back and hugged Julien, was the final win.

  People stamped their feet, cheered, roared at the top of their lungs as Jacob’s own security staff made their way onto the stage and surrounded them, cutting them off from the Majestic personnel. Cole caught David’s eyes and saw him give a small shake of his head, his lips pressed together in a tight frown.

  They were preparing to pull them away from Kat forever.

  Kat gripped Cole’s hand, her other tight in Julien’s grip. She looked at Jacob, her mouth pulled into a tight line.