Two of Hearts

by Christina Lee

  “Mrs. Nakos,” Shane said, his eyes turning soft. “I’m deeply sorry. I respected him, loved him.”

  “He loved you, too, like a son. Was so proud of your accomplishments,” she said, and then tilted her lips into a grin that didn’t match her sorrowful eyes. “Even hoped you’d work for him again someday.”

  Shane shifted uncomfortably on his feet as my eyes darted to the wall. “I know.”

  “So tell me something good,” my mother said, letting him off the hook. “Tell me about your job.”

  “It’s been . . . decent,” he said as if he was unsure of his feelings or how much he should confess. This was surprising in itself. That might have been because his job was the one thing that had kept us separated or because it was a sticky point for him. “It’s pretty rigorous, and I travel a great deal.”

  Just hearing him talk solidified in my mind that I’d made the right decision where he was concerned. He was active, gone a lot. I was busy, too, and that was his biggest complaint about me—that I was always preoccupied, always working. But at least I was always right here. He knew exactly where to find me—and he never came looking.

  My mother’s eyes darted to me and then over my shoulder as somebody new entered the house. She placed her hand on my shoulder and I turned to glance at our new guests. “Your uncle Jack is here.”

  I looked back once more at Shane, who stood rooted to that spot. He briefly held my eyes until I turned myself away.

  Chapter Four

  DAKOTA

  I stared at the warrior painting on the far wall of my father’s office. Even with each passing day, it still proved difficult to see this space as my own. His large and all-encompassing presence remained here—in his worn leather chair, the soothing tan fixtures, and the black-and-silver nameplate at the edge of his desk. He had always been such an enormous influence in my life and I couldn’t help feeling like all of my work, my ambition, my dual degree in business and finance was to prepare me for this day.

  This past year, my father had begun to lay the groundwork, to offer further opportunities for me to run the casino in his absence. He said that he trusted me implicitly, that he and Mom would eventually retire and I’d be managing it myself one day. That the staff was familiar with me and knew that my philosophy was comparable to his.

  My eyes stung with tears and I swallowed them back. I was glad to be able to give him that—the peace of mind that his business would be safe in my capable hands.

  Those same proficient hands now shook remembering when we got the call that he had been mugged. That suffocating punch to the gut when we learned that he was DOA. My parents had only returned from a vacation in the Netherlands right before that tragic day. He had seemed so relaxed and at peace.

  “Oh Dad. I miss you so much,” I said, running my fingers along the weathered arms of his chair.

  He had worked hard to employ indigenous people even though Uncle Elan, his own brother, publicly argued that casinos were evil and stripped our people of their dignity. My dad debated that our community’s soul had already been sucked dry, proof of it in the high alcoholism and unemployment rates. He was doing his part by building it back up, brick by brick.

  A knock on the door threw me back into reality.

  “Come in.”

  Stuart entered with a somber face. I was so thankful to have him here with me, since there was so much unrest on the reservation. Yet in his own way, my father had even prepared me for this, by showing me how to fight for the things I believed in when the times were tough.

  What my father had not factored in was that he would die before my Dutch mother, leaving her as sole proprietor of the casino. That there would be outrage and resentment and greatest of all: fear. It disheartened me that the same community who had become familiar with my mother over the years suddenly seemed to not know her heart and to not trust her to make the right decisions where our people were concerned.

  The issue came down to our birthright. I was mixed race, part Dutch from my mother’s side, and preserving the Indian identity was key. Anxiety whirred through the community that we wouldn’t keep their best interests at heart, even though I had always identified myself as Indian. I even looked the part, outside of my dark blue eyes, which I’d inherited from my maternal relatives.

  Stuart took a swift look around the space and squared his jaw. I suspected he missed my father just as much. “Is your mother prepared for the meeting?”

  “I’ll be picking her up,” I said, nodding. “I think having Aunt Emily here has helped.”

  My mother would remain in my childhood home and then return to work here, where she had always been head of finance. Still, there was no way to escape him; my father’s aura was everywhere. We had shut down for a couple of days after his death, telling the public that we were remodeling. But I was quickly faced with the realization that we needed to get things back to normal as soon as possible.

  We held a meeting with the managers, explained what would happen going forward—that essentially nothing would change. We wanted to assure them that we weren’t going to ruin a good thing—that we believed in everything my father had built.

  I had been so proud of my mother. She’d stood strong, knowing she had to prove the Nation wrong, understanding that my father would have wanted that. Yet even afterward, I continued to look into worn, suspicious, and fearful eyes.

  Still, I understood their concerns on a soul-deep level, given our compelling history. And that left me feeling more conflicted than anything had in my entire life.

  There were ten casinos in our area, operated by eight tribes, and the owners had formed their own allegiance to keep order and uniformity across the businesses. The Casino Association had immediately intervened, which had frustrated me because my mother was grieving. Their prompt action made it feel like they were playing on that emotion. They asked her to sell the business to one of the other owners, a man by the name of Flint Thornfall.

  Flint was Ridge’s father and he had been interested in a majority share on the casinos for as long as Dad has known him. Dad seemed to like Ridge, but he had never cared for Flint. He thought he was slick and hotheaded. Dad might’ve felt sorry for Ridge because his mother had died young and he was left to be raised by a father who seemed greedy and impulsive.

  Ridge was more soft-spoken than Flint and the two did not meet eye to eye, a fact that seemed to be on everybody’s tongue. Ridge always seemed to be apologizing for his father’s brash behavior he’d displayed for the sake of getting ahead in business. One look at Flint and there had been no doubt in my mind exactly who was feeding the rumor mill, leading to doubt and hesitation in our own backyard.

  In contrast to his father, Ridge was handsome, kind, and a successful businessman in his own right. I had enjoyed our short time together, just not enough to make it something permanent.

  “To-tsu-hwa,” Stuart said and my eyes snapped to his. He only called me that when something was important. In rough translation, it meant daughter of the sun, based on a legend of a redbird translated through the centuries by our people. I braced myself for what he was about to say.

  “After the funeral . . . I spoke briefly to Shane.” I closed my eyes. I didn’t know if he was already gone. In a lot of ways, I didn’t want to know. Not knowing meant I didn’t have to track his every move. “He was very interested in the investigation.”

  “No,” I responded immediately without even listening to the rest of what he had to say.

  “Hear me speak,” he said, meeting my eyes, and I reluctantly nodded.

  “Shane is law enforcement, skilled in what he does. He can use his contacts, find out if there are any more leads,” he said. “We’ll have our regrets if the police close the case and questions remain.”

  Stuart was right, but still my entire body bucked the idea. Finally I sat down in my father’s chair. For a moment I imagined that it was warm from him, that the leather had molded from a recent hour he’d spent sitting in it. But in rea
lity, it was cold and harsh and I practically shivered as grief lanced through my heart.

  “He’ll be here for a few more days, on extended leave,” Stuart informed me. I sucked in a sharp breath. God, I wish I hadn’t known that. “He plans to come to the casino to meet with us shortly.”

  I shut my eyes and tried to steady my pulse. I had to regain control. I was a professional. I could handle seeing an ex-boyfriend. Get ahold of yourself.

  “Have I done the wrong thing?” Stuart asked, his eyebrows creased into one anxious line across his forehead.

  “Absolutely not,” I said through clenched teeth. “It was smart. You’re looking out for my family. Thank you.”

  As Stuart headed to the door, he turned to face me once more. “You should repaint. Make this office more to your liking.”

  “I . . . I don’t want them to believe . . . ,” I said without finishing. He knew what I was getting at. I didn’t want the staff to think I was erasing his memory. I wanted the operation of the casino to feel as natural and normal as possible.

  “It’s important to work in a space that feels comfortable to you,” he said softly. “You need to be able to do your job the best way you know how.”

  “I don’t want to forget him,” I whispered. I was certain the other side of my grief showed plainly on my face now.

  “To-tsu-hwa,” Stuart said, his eyes heavy with affection. He was more family to me than my uncle Elan. “He’ll always be around. In the sound of the wind, the melody of the crickets, and the brilliance of the sunset.”

  I nodded and allowed my eye to squeeze out a single tear. Just one, before I straightened myself and fired up the computer. “Thank you, Stuart.”

  Chapter Five

  SHANE

  Pulling into the Golden Arrow Casino parking lot was surreal in many ways. The place was so familiar and the long route I’d taken down the dirt road had felt almost automatic. I avoided the row where the employees parked and found a space on the patron level. Everything looked the same.

  Apparently West had young kids under his charge at the garage—either that, or I was getting older. The boy who took my ticket looked to be about sixteen, with shiny black hair and a laid-back attitude. Man, those were the carefree days. Beer and school and bonfires. Nowadays, I threw back a cold one only after a long and crappy day to settle my nerves.

  Taking the elevator to the second floor, I stepped into the ornate lobby. My gaze immediately darted to the awe-inspiring frescoed ceiling and the giant chandelier that centered the entire room. I was greeted with nods and shoulder pats by a couple different employees I’d already seen at the funeral and noticed that Marcus was still managing concierge and hospitality. He was busy with a line of customers.

  It always felt good being here, almost like it was a second home. I didn’t know if that was because I’d worked here for so many years or because of the person who anchored me to this place. Dakota. There had always been an atmosphere of acceptance here, but now the faces I saw looked tense, troubled even. I needed to get to the bottom of it. If I left here without figuring out what was causing this place to stir, it would never sit well with me.

  I moved down the long hallway, heading straight for the security desk and avoiding the curious looks that I received from the employees at the gift shop.

  When Grayson, one of the chief security personnel, recognized me, a huge grin split his face. “Shane, you’re home.”

  Those words produced a funny feeling in my gut, even though I’d just had a similar thought. “I guess you can say that. Just came to see what was happening around here.”

  “You’ve bulked up,” Grayson said, crossing his strapping arms across his chest. I never used to be able to hold a candle to his physique. “That fancy job treating you well?”

  “It keeps me on my toes,” I said, smiling. “How about you—been on your toes around here lately?”

  A serious look crept across his features as he glanced around the place, his eyes roaming to make a quick security sweep. A few slot machines and card tables were occupied, but it was still considered early in the day. Grayson’s job would be more challenging when this place became packed.

  He turned toward me and nodded. He didn’t have to say much to make me understand that he was thinking about Mr. Nakos. I knew I couldn’t ask him confidential questions but was hoping he’d somehow still keep me in the loop.

  “A tragedy, what happened to the boss man. Some days I can’t believe he’s gone.” He looked toward his office door located on the far wall, near the high-roller tables. “Still think he’s going to step out onto the floor and do his usual scan of the place. He was such a strong authority around here. The staff definitely feels the hole.”

  I, too, could still feel his presence in the casino. How he was larger than life, but a softie with his wife. He was hard on his kids, especially Kai, who might’ve deserved it in those years before he’d graduated from college.

  “How do you like the new boss lady?” I said, knowing from experience that’s what she’d be called behind her back.

  “She’s just as tough as him,” he said with a smirk. “Most of the staff accepts her. She’s familiar, and I think she’ll do a good job.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  I suddenly wanted to ask what else he knew about her. Was she dating anyone new or was she just as driven as before, barely allowing room for anybody in her life?

  I thought of our stolen moments that one summer when we had finally given in to our desires. The first time I had gotten a taste of her was after a field party behind my parents’ house. Everyone had gone home, including Rachel and Kai, and she had been too tipsy to drive. I offered her my bed and she had lain down mumbling my name, blurting all kinds of things she wouldn’t normally say had she not been drinking.

  “Shane, please. I know you’re trying to hold back. But I want . . .” she had said, reaching out for me. That’s when I knew she’d been feeling it, too, wanted me just as badly. Leaning over my bed to tuck her into my sheets, her fingers curled around my neck and her mouth lifted up to taste mine. She had made the initial move and fuck, I had practically come out of my skin. I had been waiting for that first kiss since I was fifteen.

  I sat down on the bed and tunneled my hands through her dark and silky hair. I remembered how she smelled like grass and how she had tasted like sweet wine.

  I lay down next to her and we made out for what seemed like hours. Slipping my tongue inside her mouth, I became accustomed to her noises and how her warm, soft body had felt next to mine. Damn, just thinking about that night from all those years ago would make me hard as hell, and all we had done was kiss.

  “Is she using her father’s office?” I asked.

  He nodded as Meadow from housekeeping walked by and gave a little wave in our direction.

  “I still recognize a lot of faces,” I said to Grayson as his eyes trained briefly on Meadow’s moving form. Loads of the guys had been into her over the years.

  “Plenty of us love working here and want to stay. But with Mr. Nakos’s death, some employees feel unsettled and wonder if their jobs are secure,” he said, lowering his voice. “They’re wondering if they should look elsewhere for work. But it’s not my place to speak for them.”

  The hair stood up on the back of my neck as I nodded. Grayson and I had worked closely together and shared plenty of things, so him confiding in me like old times didn’t surprise me. His father was Native American and had worked for the tribal nation police force, so our dads were similar in a lot of ways.

  I needed to talk to Stuart and Dakota to get the gist about what the hell was happening. This sounded like more than a few employees trying to get used to change.

  After I shook Grayson’s hand, I progressed across the floor past the roulette, craps, and blackjack pits looking for Stuart. I still hadn’t spotted him anywhere. I considered entering the employee locker room, but I no longer had the clearance to do so. Instead, I continued on to Mr. Nako
s’s former office door, tipping my chin at one of the blackjack dealers named Sam. I knocked steadily, my heart repeating the action in my chest.

  “Come in,” she said, her voice steady and confident.

  Mr. Nakos’s office looked exactly the same, and seeing Dakota sitting behind his large oak desk produced a stab of grief that things had definitely changed. I closed the door behind me and stood staring at her for a long beat.

  As usual, she was dressed professionally with her straight skirt and a designer blouse unbuttoned to the top of her breasts. Her hair was pulled up and lay atop her head in a bun, her beautiful tan neck on full display. Fuck, how long would this girl own me?

  “Shane,” she said and then swallowed as if to get hold of the slight tremble in her voice. And that’s how I knew she was still affected by me after all of these years as well.

  Suddenly I wanted to ask her why she let me go so easily. Why she put up her solid wall to shut me out and made me feel like I hadn’t meant as much to her as I thought I did. I wanted to finish the messy business between us once and for all.

  I stalked closer to her and she inhaled sharply. But then she seemed to pull herself together and the mask came crashing down, the one she wore so easily. The one that frustrated me to no end. “Why are you here?”

  I gritted my teeth. “I’m visiting the casino. Seeing old friends.”

  “It’s not like you haven’t been home before,” she said.

  “I want to know what’s going on around here,” I said, looking at Mr. Nakos’s nameplate, which was still noticeable on the desk. “Why it feels like there’s this tension, from the employees, you, Stuart, and Kai. I want to know the truth, Dee.”

  She shook her head nearly imperceptibly and then licked her lips, but it caused me to focus in on her plump, red mouth. “Don’t you have a plane to catch?”

  “Don’t do that,” I bit out. “Don’t dismiss me so easily.”

  “Me?” she said, snubbing her nose at me. “You’re pretty good at dismissal yourself.”