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“Mr. Cerelli would like me to escort you up to the penthouse.”
“I see,” her voice is a thready whisper as she does her best to resume her proper posture and haughty expression, but her attempt falls flat. “I’m ready then.”
When she stumbles a little with her first step, I slip my hand under her elbow, cupping it carefully and leading her into the private elevator. Her shoulders slump further the higher we rise. She blows out a shuddering breath as the elevator doors slide open and we approach the penthouse. She hesitates for just a moment and looks up at me, her eyes bleak, but she doesn’t say anything when I knock, announcing our arrival before I punch in the security code, open the door and guide her inside.
She perches on the very edge of the chair I motion to, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her dress. I stride across the room to stand beside Travis and Xavier by the unlit gas fireplace. Faye and Ana sit close together on the love seat on the far side of the room their eyes darting between X and Margot, worried frowns on their pretty faces.
The strained silence vibrates in the room for long moments before Xavier speaks.
“You know why you’re here?” he inquires tightly, his feet planted on the floor.
She says nothing, just lifts her eyes to us and nods once.
“Okay, then,” he continues, his voice harsh with barely restrained fury, “Since you know why you are here, why don’t you tell us why you have been spying on me.”
Margot cringes subtly before squaring her shoulders with a deep breath. Her words take all of us by surprise, “Did you know that I’m a grandmother, Mr. Cerelli?” she asks him, her voice trembling as much as the hands that she now has twisted in a knot on her lap.
He shakes his head slowly, his brows furrowed. She looks to Ana, her eyes softening. “My granddaughter is fourteen.”
My stomach tightens with anticipation, or maybe a premonition. Nothing good is going to come from this. I just know it.
“Your uncle Dominic took her. He gave me the recording devices and told me to get information that helps him get you out of Vegas…” her voice crack with emotion and tears race down her cheeks in streams, “He says he already has a buyer for her.”
Ana is out of her chair and wrapping the sobbing woman in her arms before I even realized she was moving. I didn’t think she could move so fast as pregnant as she is.
“Fuck!” Xavier mutters, more to himself than to anyone else.
I shake my head, disgusted and horrified by what we have just learned, “Totally FUBAR.” Needing to do something, anything, to help the weeping woman who is now seated on the couch being comforted by Ana and Faye I stalk into the dining room. My computer is there waiting for me. It’s good to work with someone who knows me so well. Travis must have set it up knowing that there was a good chance I would need it.
“Ms. Smith, does your granddaughter have social media accounts?” I call out, my fingers already racing over the familiar keyboard.
Wiping her eyes on the hem of her sweater, she rises and tentatively approaches, watching Xavier the whole time like she expects him to snap and pounce on her.
“Yes, Mr. Stone,” her voice is still raw with unshed tears, but stronger now. “She does.” She pulls out a chair and sits beside me feeding me all the details she is aware of regarding her grandchild’s online presence, her friends and her habits. I’m going to find this kid if it’s the last thing I do.
“Margot,” the soothing tone of Xavier’s words is almost a surprise. He’s done a complete one-eighty in the last few minutes. “We will do whatever we can to help you get your granddaughter back. Are you going to be able to maintain contact with Dominic without him knowing that I’m aware of what’s going on?” he asks, his concern for her seems genuine.
Gathering the remnants of her bruised pride around her, Margot stiffens her spine and answers him confidently. “Yes, Mr. Cerelli. I can do anything if it means getting Gracie back.”
Xavier smiles, patting her shoulder comfortingly before leaving us to our work. Margot says that Grace hadn’t come by the casino in months, so she is sure that Dominic discovered her some other way. I’m sure that he targeted Margot and dug up whatever information he needed to get her on his side. Who better to exploit than the head of housekeeping? There isn’t anywhere in this building that she doesn’t have access to, and no one pays attention to housekeepers, as I’ve already discovered. I just have to figure out where he’s holding the girl. Talking to Ellie is going to have to wait.
Again.
It’s late when I finish setting up additional cameras in housekeeping and in the alley outside. Usually I enjoy the intricate work, finding camera angles that capture as much footage as possible while being hidden from all but the most professional eyes. Not tonight. Tonight the work feels tedious and frustrating. A headache pounds behind my eyes as I drag my feet across the carpeted hall, making my way slowly to my suite. It’s much too late to call Ellie or show up on her doorstep and insist that she talk to me. It’s too late to do anything but strip off my clothes and try to get some sleep. I will track her down tomorrow and I will figure out why she ran the way she did.
The deep blue of night brightens into a golden haze over the distant mountains visible through the wall of east-facing windows in my temporary bedroom. It’s a spectacular view, one I can readily admit that I’ll miss when I get a place of my own here. I can’t imagine that I will find anything in my price range with a similar one. My phone is beeping when it shouldn’t be. Rather it should be, but only if my facial recognition software identified Dominic Cerelli somewhere inside Luminoso.
Oh shit! He’s here. My hazy brain pops to instant attention, washing away the remnants of last night’s headache with a rush of adrenaline. My feet hit the floor and I hurry into the clothes I left in a heap on the floor by the bed a few hours before. The same alert should go to Travis, as well as Xavier, Geno and Grayson. Geno, I’ve spent time with and have the utmost confidence in him… the jury is out on Grayson. The guy is hiding something. I’m not sure what it is, but I don’t like not being well-acquainted with everyone in X’s inner circle. That’s something I’m going to have to work to rectify.
It only takes me a couple of minutes to get to the security room. Geno is already there, which is no surprise since he has a small room set up as a studio apartment directly across the hall. His hair is a wild tangle and the scruff on his face indicates that he, like me, hasn’t taken the time to shave for at least a couple of days.
“The camera caught him outside of the service entrance,” he gives me a status report as I enter the door and sit in front of the monitors. He points at the screen indicating one of the cameras I just set up. Good to know that I was right about how he was getting inside.
“He went directly to Ms. Smith’s office.” He continues, pointing to a second screen where Margot sits stiffly behind her small desk. The camera is set up to show the whole room, but the only way to hide it from an observer was to put it over the door, so all we can see is the back of a man with silver hair and wide shoulders sitting across from her.
Travis and Xavier enter together while we watch her open her desk drawer and hand something to him. I smile. It’s the memory cards with the staged conversations between Xavier and Ana that we gave her to pass along.
“Nice of you to join us,” Geno says to them. There is mild amusement in his voice. I can’t help my small snort of laughter.
