Here and Gone Page 7

  “Okay, so the street crew members actually do the crimes, the Capos run the street crews and report to the Underboss. The Underboss reports to the Don. Why are they called Dons?” I asked.

  “Because Don in Italian means boss.”

  “That’s a boring answer.” In my mind, the first mafia family had been run by a man named Don who was such a legend that only his first name needed to carry on. Like Napoleon. Everyone knows Napoleon. And Madonna.

  “So, the street crew members are like factory workers, getting dirty and doing all of the heavy liftings. The ‘made men’ are like the shift supervisors, walking around, not doing much, but getting all of the credit. The Capos are the managers, basically pushing paper and handing out disciplinary action if necessary. The Underboss is the vice president, the one everyone sees. The big boss, so to speak. The Don is the president, the man in the ivory tower. He never gets his hands dirty with day-to-day dealings but gets all of the power and glory and money. I got it.”

  “I think you’ve mastered it.” The elevator dinged and the doors opened. We entered and I pushed the button for our floor before snuggling back into Gray’s side.

  “How do the Dons keep their power?” I asked.

  “Honestly? Reputation. Make a name for yourself early. Be deadly and cunning. People will learn to get out of your way.”

  “But how do they keep it?”

  “By knowing everything. Everyone’s secrets.” I pondered this. After our trip to Chicago, I could see the power in knowing secrets. I could also see the power in hiding secrets. In all of my questions, fear kept me from asking the most important ones. Who was Michael’s Underboss? Where did Gray fit in? One day, would Gray be expected to come back here and take over?

  The elevator spit us out on the twentieth floor. I led Gray down the hallway to my room, the room keycard ready in my hand. Two men in suits were standing near my door. I nodded an acknowledgement to them and walked past. Gray took a step closer to me and eyed the men. Voices and laughter floated through the door. I hoped Passion wasn’t having a party. I wasn’t up for cocktails and entertainment anymore tonight.

  I pushed the door open, pausing in the entry. Passion and Frank were standing by the balcony doors. Passion’s cheeks were flushed a bright pink. The color enhanced her already beautiful face. All color drained from Frank’s face. Tension filled the room, confusing me.

  “Um, hey,” I said. Gray pressed up to my back. I glanced over my shoulder to sneak a peek at him. Gray nodded at his Uncle Frank.

  “Gray, Regan. Welcome.” Frank snapped out of his trance. He extended his hand to me while walking over. He clasped my hand in between both of his pulling me into the room. Gray must’ve followed because I heard the door shut behind me.

  “Hello, Mr. Donato,” I said.

  “Call me Frank. Did I see your name on my schedule in a few days?” I blushed at the intensity of his gaze.

  “Yes. I’m covering your grand re-opening party And, of course, I hope to be taking in my sister’s show, too, while I’m here.”

  “Regan’s a writer, Uncle Frank,” Gray said.

  “Fascinating. I look forward to it. I just stopped down here to talk to Passion about the party myself.”

  “Sorry to interrupt.” I glanced between Frank and Passion. Passion waved her hand in the air like it was no big deal. Frank let go of my hand to reach into his pocket. He pulled out a cell phone, his face scrunching in displeasure.

  “Unfortunately, I must run. Always a problem somewhere in a hotel this size.” Frank slipped his phone back into his pocket, looking distracted.

  “I hope everything is okay,” I said.

  “It’ll be fine. Just a construction snafu that came to light. It’ll be fixed by morning.” Frank said his goodbyes and left the room.

  A construction snafu that involved the police? I wondered.

  Passion, Gray and I stood staring at one another, nobody speaking. A giant, pink elephant was standing somewhere in the room, but I seemed to be the only one who didn’t know what it was about.

  Chapter Nine

  “We’re going to have to move up this wedding if all we do is cuddle now,” I said to Gray upon waking up. Gray put the kibosh on any sexy time until the wedding night. I liked the idea of it, but the reality wasn’t so much fun.

  “We can get married at any time. Let’s get your parents out here.” Gray rolled over in the bed to face me. I snuggled into his arms laying my head on his chest.

  “Where would we get married?” I asked.

  “Here. There’s a chapel right downstairs.”

  “What about your parent’s casino? Why haven’t you shown it to me?” Gray’s hand traced circles on my back. The movement was lulling me back to sleep. If he kept it up, he’d never get me out of bed today.

  “Our casino isn’t like this one. Frank is very involved; the staff know his face. Ours is managed by a company. My parents aren’t involved in the day-to-day stuff at all. I don’t even know if the employees would recognize any of us if we walked in.”

  “Isn’t that weird?”

  “My family is weird.” Gray rolled me onto my back, his weight pressing into me. He kissed my neck. The sleepiness left me as blood coursed through my body.

  “Tell me more about them.”

  “Like?”

  “Like where did it start? The mob thing.” Gray rolled again. This time finishing with me on top. I rested my chin against my folded hands and looked at him. Gray’s hands traced lightly up and down my spine. I resisted the urge to laugh, the touching tickled slightly.

  “I don’t know exactly. It’s been there for generations.”

  “Why don’t your parents go to the hotel?”

  “That I can answer.” Gray raised his head for a quick kiss. “When I was young, my father tried to separate himself from the criminal activity. He turned the hotel over to a managing board to distance himself from my grandfather. Grandpa was old school gangsta. He liked to be seen and to intimidate. The casino was his kingdom.”

  “I find this fascinating.”

  “Don’t.” Gray’s hands stopped moving. “This is fascinating, Regan. I know you are romanticizing the story, but it is much worse than that. It’s dangerous and it’s real.”

  “Then why did you bring me here?” I kept my eyes locked on him, wanting to see the truth in his answer.

  “Because it was the right thing to do.” I ignored my promise to end my bad habit and rolled my eyes. Gray grabbed my chin between his thumb and finger, forcing me to look at him. “Don’t mock it. I couldn’t marry you without you knowing. It wouldn’t have been fair to you and it would’ve eaten away at me, ultimately ruining us. This will be your life, Regan. Even if we never come back here, this will follow you. Do you understand?”

  I took a minute to answer. Our conversation opened the door for me to ask any more questions and share my doubts. He may think I was romanticizing the idea of the danger, but I wasn’t. I clearly understood all of the ramifications. Even outside the danger involved, there were other more practical worries. Like interviewing for a job? Background checks were standard. Would Gray and I be considered known associates of the criminal activity because of the relation? I didn’t know. The stigma of the relation would also follow us. There could be gossip. There probably would be gossip. Good for him, I was from a small town. Gossip made the world go ‘round.

  “Did I ever tell you about my senior prom?” I asked, a smile on my face.

  “No.”

  “I was nominated for prom queen along with my friend Dan, for king. We’d both gone to our junior prom and realized the hype was way bigger than the reality of it. We didn’t have a good time. Anyway, we decided to ditch out on our senior prom and have a bonfire on Lake Michigan. We invited some other friends. We had a great time, sitting around in jeans and roasting marshmallows.”

  “This sounds like a nice story, but I’m not following.” I held up one finger.

  “I’m getting there.
Anyway, we ditched out, had a great night. The next day, Dan drove me home. We laughed the whole way, recapping the night. When we got to my mom’s house, Dan’s parents’ car was in the driveway along with my dad’s car. We knew something was up so Dan came inside with me.”

  “And?” Gray asked. A smirk tugging on the corner of his lips.

  “And we made the front page of the paper. In print and electronically. I’m sure my mother cut it out and has it in an album somewhere.” I resettled on Gray’s chest, resting my cheek against my hands. I kept my head turned so I could look into his eyes. “Dan and I were not only nominated for prom court, but we’d won. The newspaper dubbed us ‘Missing King and Queen.’ There was a big ol’ picture of the announcer holding our crowns and looking confused right next to a photo of us dancing barefoot in the sand next to the bonfire. Oh, and our senior pictures so that way everyone knew what our faces looked like.”

  “Only you would make the paper for ditching out on prom. But, I don’t see the point.”

  “The point is I know what it’s like to walk into a room and have people whisper and point.” I held up one hand before he could object. “I realize the difference. I realize Dan and I weren’t hurting anyone. I’m just letting you know that I get it. And, if you think it’s easy to be the person the whole town is gossiping about, then you haven’t experienced it.”

  By this time, Gray was laughing at me, or my story. I didn’t mind. He got the point. If I had to relive that night of the senior prom, I would do it all exactly the same. I cherished the memory.

  “One question?” Gray asked. I nodded at him. “Why were both your parents together the next day waiting for you?”

  “Oh... well... they kinda didn’t know we planned on ditching prom. They were a little upset, but only because we made the paper. None of them knew we were even nominated for prom court. The nicest thing my mother could say that day was at least I didn’t have to get arrested to make the front page of the paper. Then she pointedly looked at my father.”

  “Your dad was definitely wild, from what I hear. Your sister, Peyton, didn’t tell your parents your plan for prom night?”

  “No. She was at the beach with us.”

  “Regan, you will keep life interesting.” Gray kissed my forehead. “I’ve seen the doubts in your eyes. Gossip is one thing, but what about the danger of marrying me?”

  “That’s an easy one.” Gray cocked an eyebrow at me. “I was concerned.”

  “Was? I knew it. A shadow came over you last night.” Gray tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

  “Yes, was. But, I realized something. I’ve been in danger since we’ve been together and nothing has happened? Why should it now?” I smiled at Gray. “I’m a glass-half-full kind of person.”

  “Very logical. Now, time to get up.”

  Like a flash, he rolled me over and was gone. Cold air blasted me and I pulled the covers back over my body.

  “What’s on your agenda today?” Gray asked, peeking his head out from the bathroom door.

  “I need to tour the hotel and take some notes on the amenities. See them firsthand and all. You?”

  “I’ll be with you.”

  “Doing what?” I asked.

  “Escorting you.” I rolled my eyes before remembering that I’m not doing that anymore.

  “Why?” I asked. Gray didn’t respond to me. I heard the shower running and his voice singing an old Sinatra song. I already knew the answer. Not only had I gotten myself hired to write a story on a mob-related hotel, but last night the big boss himself was cozied up in my room with my sister. There was no way Gray was letting me out of his sight.

  I gave up, got out of bed and sat at the desk in my room to make some notes about my impressions of the hotel so far. Aesthetically, it was beautiful, but I still needed to check out the services provided. Booking a last-minute wedding would actually be a great way to test it.

  Could I get married in just a few days? What would I need? Dress, shoes, hair and makeup? The thing I’d hated about prom was all the fuss and build up. Throwing together a quick wedding would eliminate all that. All of these things were available right here in the hotel. Chapel? Check. Salon? Check. That just left my parents and any other family that could make the last-minute trip. I searched through the clutter to find my phone. I shot a quick text off to Peyton asking if she could still fly. At eight months pregnant and with two small children already, it was probably not going to happen. My phone dinged immediately. Are you crazy? popped up on my screen. Guess I had my answer.

  I continued to make a list of my needs. I tapped the pencil on the notebook between ideas. In my opinion, I wouldn’t need a lot. Gray and I could run down to the courthouse for all I cared, but I felt I should put in at least some effort. I ignored the nagging suspicion that I liked the idea of a quick wedding because it wouldn’t give me time to change my mind.

  The door to the bathroom opened. Gray emerged wearing only a pair of jeans. They rode low on his hips. The zipper was pulled up but the button was gaping open. Stray water beaded on his chest. Gray followed my gaze, noticing it lingered on his chest. He wiped the water away with his hand.

  “Should we move the wedding up?” Gray asked. I yanked my eyes away and moved them up to his. A cocky grin split his face.

  “I was thinking we could pull this off in three or four days.”

  “This is Vegas. We could pull it off in hours, not days.” Gray stalked across the room like a jungle cat. I swiveled completely in my chair to face him. Anticipation curled in my belly.

  “I want my parents here.” Gray leaned down until our mouths were almost touching. His arm reached behind me. My body hummed with the anticipation of the kiss. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back.

  The cold, hard case of my cell phone met my lips. My eyes flew open in surprise. Gray held the phone, tapping it against my mouth.

  “You’d better call them, then.”

  “You’re not getting away that easy,” I said. I grabbed the phone, jumped out of my chair and launched myself at him. We both laughed as he caught me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my hands in his hair, pulling his head back to get my kiss.

  “Regan!” Frantic knocking followed Passion’s bellowing of my name.

  Chapter Ten

  “If I kill her, will you help me bury the body?” I whispered to Gray in all seriousness. Gray relaxed his hold. I slid down his body. Passion continued to bang on the door. Gray didn’t respond to my question. Maybe joking about killing and hiding bodies was frowned upon in his family?

  “What, Marie?” Passion didn’t wait for me to open the door. She flung it aside as I was belting the hotel robe over my pajamas.

  “Do you wanna go work out with me?” Passion raised her arms above her head, stretching her torso. I worried her boobs were going to fall out. She wore a sports bra and teeny-tiny shorts set in hot pink and white. Covering her body in the smallest scraps of fabric available seemed to be her preferred style of clothing. I eyed her body enviously. I didn’t know how she escaped our childhood of down-home cooking without a layer of fat.

  I looked to Gray. He raised an eyebrow in answer. I did just say I needed to see the hotel amenities. I shrugged in response. Gray told Passion to give us five minutes to brush our teeth and change.

  Passion sat on my bed sending texts. She didn’t share who they were with, but a small smile played across her lips whenever one came in. Gray and I took turns changing in the bathroom since she didn’t seem to want to leave our room. Passion probably thought I’d try to escape. In under ten minutes, we were ready to go.

  I tried to keep up with Passion as we walked through the hotel, her long legs giving her a faster pace. The place was massive with twisting hallways and large open areas. She seemed to just have an intuitive sense on where to go even though it all looked the same to me. I looked around as we went, trying to get my bearings, but quickly gave up. I’d need a map to find my way back.

  “Frank p
ut a lot of thought into the redesign. To the right is the main lobby and down here,” Passion pointed to her left, “the shopping bazaar will open. Wait until you see it! Those doors lead to the golf course. Frank bought the hotel behind us, tore it down and put it in. Vegas was made for golf. Dad would love it here. He wouldn’t have to take five months off playing every year. Ooh, and over there is the new hair salon. The staff is ah-maz-ing. I’ll get us an appointment.”

  Passion jumped a little in excitement. She practically vibrated with the tour. I tried not to tune her out since the information was good for me. After another turn, double doors loomed before us. Passion stopped us before entering, putting her back to the shining doors. After a pause, she pushed them open, extending her arm like Vanna White revealing a new puzzle.

  The hotel workout room was pristine with every conceivable piece of equipment. I ran my finger along one of the treadmills. Its sleekness reminded me of a spaceship. Not that I had even seen a spaceship. But everything gleamed and looked futuristic.

  The gym was located in the back of the hotel, built slightly underground. The windows were high above our heads but let in the Nevada sunshine. The equipment practically glowed from the rays of sunshine. There were a few people in the facility, but its large size made it feel almost empty. Passion, Gray, and I chose three treadmills along the back wall. This was the highlight of the gym. The wall was made of glass and the other side was the pool. It was like looking into a tank at an aquarium with the fish replaced by people. Sunlight glinted through the water, creating a surreal feeling. At this early hour there weren’t any swimmers but by looking up and to the side, I could see glimpses of people as they walked around the edge.

  I set my treadmill to a fast walk, easing my foot into the workout. So far, it felt good and I had no pain. Sandwiched between Passion and Gray, who were both set to a smooth run, energized me. I upped my speed and thought, “To hell with it.”