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“Unbelievable.” I glared around the lobby.
“You need a ride?” He grinned, and I shook my head.
“Once was enough.” I shuddered at the memory of Rail’s driving skills. Plus, Trig’s wife Tess told me that once you accepted a ride on a guy’s bike it meant you belonged to them. I loved Rail, but it was strictly platonic. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
My phone rang, and I quickly fished it out in case it was Sonny trying to contact me.
Hanna? My mind spun with the things I needed to do, and I knew if I answered her call at that moment, it would take away some precious time. Hanna and I had met in Morocco when we were both doing an internship abroad. She became close with my family, and I loved her like a sister. If she was calling, I had to answer, if only to let her know I couldn’t talk.
“Shit, hello?” I answered as I spotted one of the drivers for the hotel heading my way with a phone to his ear.
“Kenna!” She sounded as stressed as I felt. “I need to talk to you.”
“I’m so sorry, Hanna. I’d love to talk, but now’s not a good time.”
“Kenna, please.”
“Hey!” I waved and grabbed the driver’s attention, so I didn’t need to chase down a cab or find parking.
“Come on.” He didn’t even ask what I wanted, and I didn’t have time to explain.
“Hanna, I’ll have to call you later, okay?”
“Okay, but soon. Promise me you will.”
“I will.” I dodged around a bunch of tourists. “Can you text me whatever it is?”
“No. Just call me back tonight.” The line went dead as I slid into the back of the car and tried to catch my breath.
To say I was furious was a total understatement, but Grim thrived on getting under my skin, so I needed to calm down and gather myself.
Deep breaths.
“Under the armrest.” The driver’s voice reached me. I looked up to meet his eyes in the rearview mirror then swung open the lid to find a good bottle of bourbon nestled inside. “Mr. Gates takes this car sometimes when he wants to be a little more discrete.” He winked.
“How devious of him.” I chuckled and unscrewed the cap then took a deep swig. I really needed a little liquid courage. “Yikes, that’s strong,” I breathed out as I felt the heat seep down my throat like honey. I grinned at the lipstick mark on the rim as I replaced the bottle. I didn’t wipe it off and turned a satisfied look at the back of the driver’s head. “Your name is Shore, right?”
“It has been for the past fifty-one years.” He switched lanes, and I realized I never told him where I was going.
“Did Gavin call you to help me out?”
“That, he did.” He checked the mirrors. “You’ve been good to my cousin over the years you’ve been coming here, and I was on my way here to pick up a guest anyway. How else am I supposed to keep up on what’s going on.” He shrugged and smiled, and I matched it. He pulled around the big circular driveway, and the door was immediately opened for me.
For a brief moment Hanna filtered her way into my thoughts. She’d had her fair share of man problems. I only hoped the last loser wasn’t back, as he’d been a hard one to get rid of. I figured I’d better crack a bottle of wine and put my feet up when I called her back. But Hanna would have to wait. I had to focus.
“Thanks, Shore.” I handed him a tip, which he gladly took, and shimmied out of the car. Feeling much better about everything, I hurried into the hotel, through the sea of gamblers, down a very long hallway, and finally slowed my walk and straightened my shoulders as I got close. I stopped for a moment and pulled out the tiny perfume bottle from my clutch and dabbed a little oil on my wrists then massaged a little into my neck. I let the delicious scent settle my head.
Here we go.
Feeling like I’d won, I smoothed my hands down my tight black dress, checked if the girls were ready, which they were, and put a swing in my hips which immediately caught the eye of a guest. I gave him a glance as his eyes dragged down my body. I smiled but kept my momentum toward their table.
To my surprise, I saw Salazar was at their table. When he saw me, his smile wavered as he glanced over at Sonny. What was my number eight doing here with Sonny Conti, of all people?
I wasn’t a fan of Sonny at all. I knew what he was capable of, but I’d been told to go after him by both Jim Gates and my father. I hadn’t earned the reputation I had by backing down from a challenge. This was what I did, and I was damn good at it.
“There she is!” Sonny beamed as Grim turned around and shot me a baffled look. It turned angry then morphed into something wicked. I almost hesitated, suddenly a bit rattled, but refused to let it show and pushed on. This was my deal, not his.
“My apologies for arriving late.” I smiled around the table but swallowed hard as Grim continued to stare at me. “Thank you, Mr. Gates, for keeping my guest company.” I kept my voice cool.
