Vegas, Baby : Volume 1, page 12
Drew lifted his chin towards the exit. “Security,” he stated before walking away. I pulled my arm back and Zack easily let it go, then I quickly followed after Drew.
“Anything I can do?” I heard Griffith ask. I assumed Zack’s response was physical because I didn’t hear him reply.
As we reached the door, Zack spoke up. “We’ll call you about rescheduling.”
“Yeah, of course. No problem. Go take care of his girl.”
My mind focused on Lia, and I couldn’t really hear anything else above the din of the casino and the rushing in my own ears.
Drew was holding the door open to the main security office and I brushed past him, rushing up a couple of steps to an area filled with monitors and equipment.
Knox was already leaning over a computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard. When I entered the room, he tipped his head to the left, indicating a trio staring at the monitors in front of them. “Fin, Marquita, and Kevin are going through footage,” he told me.
“I’m going to look for her,” I informed him, spinning around but I was blocked by Zack and Drew, the latter putting a firm hand on my chest.
“This hotel is over 150,000 square feet, Becket. You’ll waste more time running around than waiting here to see if security can come up with something.”
I knew he was right, but I was having a hard time being rational while I was seething with anger and consumed with fear.
“Got it,” Knox announced suddenly. “Third floor. East side by the gallery. She’s…” he trailed off as he bent to take a closer look at the computer. “Is that a custodial closet?”
“What the fuck?” I shouted, not waiting another second to bolt out the door. The nearest stairwell was behind the check in desk near the bank of elevators. My hands were shaking so it took me two swipes to get my security card to unlock the damn door, then I took the stairs two at a time. The heavy, metal door banged against the wall when I yanked it open, the sound bouncing ominously off the cinderblock walls.
My feet hit the floor running, the steady thump, thump on the carpet matched my pounding heartbeat. I vaguely heard directions being shouted at me from behind and when I finally reached the door I was searching for, I grabbed the handle and wrenched. Only to have my arm almost pulled from the socket. The door was locked. “Fuck!” I roared.
Just then, Knox skidded to a stop next me, and he waved a key card in front of the reader on the left side of the door. I heard a faint click and attempted to fling the door open again, succeeding this time.
My eyes combed every inch of the closet frantically until they landed on an overturned shelf. I felt like a million-ton weight was lifted off of me when I spotted Lia lying on the ground behind it. Until I realized she wasn’t moving. I leapt over the shelf and spilled contents so I could kneel at her side. I immediately checked for a pulse and when I felt the fixed beat of her heart, I exhaled harshly. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding my breath.
I started to look her over and that’s when I noticed the gag in her mouth and the rope around her wrists and ankles. Rage like I’d never experienced began to build inside me. I pushed it back, knowing I needed to focus on my girl at that moment. Carefully, I removed her restraints and the gag before sitting on the cold floor and gently lifting her onto my lap.
“Lia, sweetheart. Wake up, baby,” I pleaded softly, brushing her hair away from her pale face.
“Is she alright?” Zack asked. I looked up and realized they’d all followed behind me.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted, pain lancing through my chest. However, the fury was still growing, and it needed an outlet. I locked my gaze with Knox’s and my jaw hardened. “Find the motherfucker who did this to her.”
“Done.” Then he was gone.
Lia moaned and her head moved from side to side, a grimace marring her beautiful face. “Ugh.” She blinked a few times then squinted up at me. “How could you let me drink so much?” she grumbled.
“Pardon?” I was confused by her question.
“This is one hell of a hangover, Becket. Shouldn’t you have stopped me?”
“A hangover?” I was still lost.
“Yeah,” she groaned but her tone had sass. “You know, that thing you get when you drink too much. With the pounding headache and the dry mouth. A hangover.”
I suddenly realized that she hadn’t remembered what had happened to her and was assuming the effects from—my guess was chloroform—were symptoms of a hangover.
“You don’t remember what happened, sweetheart?” I asked gently. She tried to sit up but got dizzy and fell back into my arms.
Her expression turned thoughtful and she winced, as though thinking was painful. Then it was as though a lightbulb came on and she sprang up so she was sitting in my lap. Then she dropped her head into her hands and whimpered. “Fuck. That man. He dragged me in here and…” Her shoulders tensed and her head lifted, a dark scowl on her face. “The son of a bitch kidnapped me!” I almost laughed in relief that she seemed to be okay and because her indignation was adorable.
“Did he say anything to you?” Drew asked, casing her head to fall back so she could peer up at him.
“No. Well, just something about keeping me out of the way for a couple of hours.”
Drew frowned. “Do you know about what time he grabbed you?”
His words reminded me of what could have happened, and I started to get worked up again. Clearly in tune with me, Lia put her hand on my arm and rubbed up and down, her tender touch soothing me.
“A little after six, maybe?” she guessed.
Drew cursed, then pressed a button on the ear piece in his right ear. “Check the cam footage of the registration area and get the list of anyone who signed up between six and seven-thirty.”
Lia’s brows rose as she grasped what Drew was insinuating. She looked at me and shook her head. “Someone didn’t want me playing in the tournament?” She ran an agitated hand through her tangled hair. “That was really worth kidnapping me?”
“The purse is almost a million dollars,” Zack muttered as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Money is a powerful motivator. If they knew about your reputation and were desperate enough, they might have figured they had no chance to win if you were playing. We should be grateful locking you in a closet was all he did.”
I stiffened and Lia’s gaze flew to my face, recognizing that I was on the edge of losing my shit. She cupped my cheeks and softly kissed my lips, releasing some of the tension. Then she scowled up at Zack. “How about we not dwell on what ifs and get me some food. I’m freaking starving.”
Ignoring everything and everyone besides Lia, I latched onto her request, giving myself something else to focus on. I stood swiftly, keeping her cradled in my arms. Her fingers toyed with the hair at the back of my neck, melting away any last vestiges of fear and anger.
Once we were on the elevator, headed back to her suite, I studied her gorgeous face and got lost in her incredible gray eyes. I’d known how much I needed her even before the fear of losing her. But now I knew I couldn’t live without her.
Chapter 12
Lia
I woke up with a jolt, surprised to find myself sprawled on the plush mattress of my bed with Becket sleeping next to me. My last memories from the night before were devouring the food delivered to the room and then cuddling into his side while he talked to Drew, Zach, and Knox. Becket and I had barely gotten a minute alone in my suite before the guys charged in behind us. He’d wanted to kick them all out, and I’d been fully on board with that plan. All I’d wanted was food, a shower, the chance to tell Becket that I loved him, and some much-needed sleep.
Then Drew mentioned that he’d arranged for the chef in the Lennox’s best restaurant to send up enough appetizers, entrees and desserts to feed an army, and my stomach had growled so loud that it echoed around the room. At that point, Becket was wholly focused on getting some food into me, and it would’ve been rude to make Drew leave when he was the one providing it. And if he was staying, then the other two might as well too. So I took a quick shower, inhaled my dinner, and then apparently conked out for the night.
“Ugh,” I groaned after rolling over. My head was pounding, and my body ached in several places. I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that bruises had formed on my arms, butt, and back overnight. It was going to wreak havoc on my game play today, being stuck in a chair for hours on end playing in a tournament I badly wanted to win...the one I never got the chance to register for yesterday because I’d been kidnapped. “Shit!”
Becket rolled over and wrapped his hand around my middle before I could scamper off the bed. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
I dropped my head against his chest and squeezed my eyes shut. “I can’t win a tournament unless I play in it, and I never made it to registration.”
Becket tilted my head back and pressed a gentle kiss against my lips before reassuring me, “You don’t have to skip the tournament. Drew had his assistant add you to the registration.”
“He did?” I grinned at him. “That’s so awesome! I’ll have to hunt him down to say thanks at some point today.”
His eyes narrowed, and he pulled me closer. “Fuck no! Your gratitude belongs to me, just like the rest of you. Besides which, I already thanked him for us.”
“You’re picturing something along the lines of how we apologize to each other, aren’t you?” I squirmed a little, thinking about all the ways I could express my appreciation to Becket.
“Maybe.” He flashed me a grin and kissed me again, deeper this time.
I reluctantly pulled away from him to glance at the clock on the bedside table. “I hate to say this, but it’s going to have to wait until after the tournament since I barely have enough time to pop some pain relievers and get dressed before I need to head downstairs.”
“Shit, sweetheart. I should’ve grabbed you some pills and water first thing this morning.” After he slid off the mattress and padded into the bathroom, I went over to the closet to grab my outfit for the day. I paused in dressing to swallow down the ibuprofen he handed me and spent maybe five minutes on my hair and makeup once I was done.
“You look fucking amazing.” Becket came up and wrapped his arms around me. Our eyes briefly met in the mirror before I turned in his hold to stare up at him. “Ready to conquer the poker world?”
I nodded. “Damn straight.”
We walked hand-in-hand out of the room and to the elevator. “Sorry we had to rush this morning.” I traced my finger up his palm. “I promise to make it up to you later.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I had to get up anyway since I’m dealing at the tournament. But we’ll add that thank you owe me to our celebration of your big win. Plan for a long night.” He winked at me right as the elevator doors slid open.
I loved how confident he was of my capabilities, but I wasn’t quite so sure that I’d win this one. “There might not be anything to celebrate. It’s going to be so hard to concentrate, knowing that I could be sitting across from the person who shoved me in that closet.”
Becket pulled me over to a corner and cupped my cheeks with his hands. “Don’t give that fuckhead another thought. You won’t be seeing him ever again, let alone playing in a tournament against him.”
“I won’t?” I reached out to grab his arms and held on as relief coursed through my veins and made me a little weak in the knees.
“Knox already tracked his ass down, beat the shit out of him for me because I didn’t want to leave you alone, and handed him over to the cops. By the time he was through with him, the motherfucker was more than willing to explain to the cops how he figured he’d be a shoo in to win with you out of the way. So he drugged you and tied you up in a closet to stop you from registering. With his confession, they won’t need you in court,” Becket explained.
I wasn’t stunned that they’d found the guy so quickly considering the level of security at the Lennox. But knowing Becket placed my need for him—even while I was sleeping and might not have noticed he was gone—over his desire for retribution left me speechless. “Oh.”
His thumbs swept over the perfect circle my lips formed. “I can’t wait to see these wrapped around my cock tonight.” I thought about getting a taste of him and my tongue darted out to wet them, making him groan. “Are you sure you need to win this tournament?”
The reasons it’d been vital to me only a few short days ago no longer seemed quite as important now that Becket was in my life. My parents might never understand the life I’d chosen to lead, but he did. And it’s not like they didn’t still love me anyway. “As long as I have you, no.”
His lips crashed down on mine, claiming my mouth in a deep kiss. When he finally lifted his head, I was seriously thinking about tugging him back into the elevator so we could head back to my suite. Before I could suggest it, he blew me away with his declaration. “That’s something you’ll never have to worry about. You’ve got me forever, sweetheart.”
“Forever, huh? I like the sound of that.” I twined my arms around his neck.
“Only like? I was thinking more along the lines of love.” My heart raced at the depth of feeling shining from his dark eyes. “Because I love you, Lia.”
“I think I’ve loved you since you returned my hundred-dollar tip, but I just realized that’s what I felt when I wasn’t scared to be locked in that closet. Not when I knew you’d tear the world apart to find me.” I felt something cool slide onto my finger in the middle of my confession. When I glanced down to see what it was, I found a four karat, radiant cut diamond solitaire engagement ring on my hand. “Isn’t there a question that’s supposed to go with it?”
“Marry me.”
It was more of a demand than a request, but I wasn’t going to argue when I was getting what I wanted—a lifetime with the man I loved. “Yes.” I stared down at the ring and shook my head. “Nobody will doubt that I’m yours forever when they see this, that’s for sure.”
He lifted my hand and kissed my finger just below where his diamond rested. “Go big or go home, right?”
“Now that’s a motto I can get behind, especially when it comes to diamonds.”
Becket looked up at the framed poster for the tournament on the wall. “And poker too, right?”
“It’s how I’ve always played. My grandfather taught me that you’ve got to take big risks to earn even bigger rewards.”
Becket tugged on my hand and led me towards where the tournament was being held. “I know you said you don’t need to win the tournament, but you still want it. Right?”
Part of the reason I’d done so well was because of my competitive nature, and I’d never been one to back down from a challenge. “Yeah, of course I do.”
“Then let’s get in there. You’ve got asses to kick and a tournament to win.”
Almost eight hours later, that’s exactly what I did. But the thrill of winning the almost million dollar purse paled in comparison to having Becket at my side when I claimed it.
Epilogue
Becket
“Sweetheart, I really don’t think it would be a good idea for you to play in the tournament this weekend.” I tried to make my tone soothing and not wince when she squeezed the fuck out of my hand.
Lia bent over, one hand on her back and the other on her swollen belly as she groaned in pain. “We aren’t having this argument again. I’m playing, Becket!” she snapped. “If your son would just hurry the hell up.” She struggled to straighten back up and I waited for her to ask for help, having learned my lesson when she punched me earlier…just barely missing my groin. She turned her head and glared up at me but put her weight on my hand and allowed me to assist her.
“Do you want to walk some more?” I asked gently. She shook her head and I led her over to the hospital bed where I carefully helped her up. She sighed and leaned back, resting her head on her pillow. As I pulled the blankets up to her waist, her head lolled to the side and she watched me while I fussed over her.
“Why are you being so nice to me? I’ve been a complete bitch to you over the last twenty-four hours.”
I tried not to laugh but a chuckle escaped, earning me another scathing glance. “Sweetheart, you are having our baby. You get a free pass to do and say just about anything right now.” I grabbed a damp towel from the table next to her bed and wiped the perspiration from her forehead. “Besides, you’re my wife, the love of my life. That will never change.”
Her gray eyes filled with tears, and I panicked as they spilled over her flushed cheeks. She could scream and curse at me all she wanted but tears? Fuck. I hated it when she cried.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart,” I begged.
“You’re just so wonderful,” she said with a sniff. Then a contraction hit, and she bared her teeth as her fingers tightened around my hand, the nails digging in like claws. “I’m going to kill you, Becket Parker!”
When it passed and she was resting, I tried one more time. “Lia, the tournament is in three days. Even if the baby comes today, I don’t think you’ll be up for it.”
Her expression turned murderous and I slammed my mouth shut. When I didn’t say anything more, she simmered down. I’d lost this round, and I knew it.
“Lia?” I whispered, hating to wake her from her peaceful sleep. “Sweetheart.”
Pax wasn’t so patient, and his piercing cry had Lia jolting up in bed. Her head turned toward the sound and when she saw me standing there with our infant son in my arms, her expression softened. “He’s hungry?” she asked as she hit the button to elevate the back of her bed.
“Just like his daddy.” I winked as I handed him over. “Can’t get enough of your tits.”
Lia’s face flushed red and she rolled her eyes, but her lips tipped up in amusement. Pax latched on and she relaxed, her face filled with wonderment as she watched him eat. She winced at one point, then snickered. “He’s barely eight hours old but he’s eating like it’s his last meal. Maybe he’s more like you than I thought.”
