Authors: A. E. Jones
“Yes. Are you my ten o’clock appointment?”
“Yes, we called you earlier about The Casino.”
He opened the door further and stepped back. “Come in.”
We entered and walked down a hall into the living room. The room was sparsely decorated with mission-style furniture, and a built-in bookcase covered the entire far wall of the room. Hilliard gestured to the couch and chairs, and we sat down while introductions were made.
“How can I help you?” he asked.
Griffin led off. “We’re researching casinos for a series of online articles we may write, and were directed to you as a potential expert on The Casino. We’re fascinated that not much is mentioned about it. It doesn’t even have a website.”
Hilliard sported a gap-toothed smile. “That is intentional. Exclusivity implies power and money. You have to know the right people to be invited there.”
“You have to be invited?” Jason asked in a surprised voice. “How can they be successful using that strategy?”
“They’re very successful. Look at it this way. When you’re told you can’t have something, what normally happens?”
“You want it even more,” I answered.
Hilliard beamed at me like I was a slacker student who’d somehow come up with the right answer. “Exactly. In five short years, this casino has become the most sought-after place in Vegas for those in the know. It has been an amazing study in group dynamics, which is why I wrote the articles I did. In some ways, it reminds me of cult mentality.”
“How so?” Jason asked.
“The Casino’s staff is rabidly loyal. Turnover is practically nonexistent, which for a casino is virtually unheard of. They almost appear to worship their leader.”
“Lucas Chambers,” I prodded.
“Yes, he’s reclusive. Very much a Hugh Hefner personality, although there are no pictures or descriptions of him. For all we know, he could be walking up and down the strip and no one would know it. He also has an extremely vigilant security force that protects him and the hotel. This, too, is reminiscent of a cult leader.”
“Have you been able to talk to the staff?” Jean Luc asked.
“Yes. I’ve been curious about their loyalty. But I’m also interested in the types of people The Casino recruits. Lucas has recruited several brilliant recent grads. You see this in other casinos. Management will hire math majors to make sure players aren’t trying to count cards. But Lucas has taken it one step further. He is hiring engineers and biologists as well.”
“If we wanted to speak to the staff, where would be the best place to find them?” I asked.
“Your best bet is at one of the local bars. Most of them congregate at the Stampede Bar. You can certainly try to get them to talk about work and their elusive boss.”
Griffin spoke up. “And what do you think of this Lucas?”
“My wife, who is a psychologist, often says the leader of a cult, or business for that matter, is a dynamic force of nature. They have to be in order to persuade people to become a member of their cult or organization. These leaders are sure of themselves and their abilities. In the extreme cases they can be sociopaths with a God complex. Which doesn’t mean they believe in a religious higher power, but rather believe they, more than anyone else, are in the right, and therefore should be followed. What I have observed is that Lucas has his staff eating out of the palm of his hand.”
Jason cocked his head. “Why would someone join a cult?”
Hilliard smiled. “I might ask you the same question about why you joined the military.” Jason tensed, and Hilliard held up his hands. “I apologize, but I have spent my life reading people, and it’s not hard to see you have a military background.”
“I was an idealistic kid when I joined. I guess I was looking for a sense of belonging, of working toward a higher purpose.”
“Exactly, which is ultimately what we all want. To fit in with someone. To be a part of something bigger and better than ourselves. No one wants to be alone.”
After a few more minutes, we finished our conversation and walked out into the hall. Hilliard went to fetch the list of names he had promised, and I waited while the others walked to the car. I examined the pictures lining the hall. One caught my attention. It was a framed newspaper clipping of a young-looking Hilliard. It was identical to the vision I’d had when Jason had said his name the evening before, right down to the smudge on his cheek. When Hilliard came back, I pointed to it.
“Do you mind me asking you what this is from?”
Hilliard reddened a bit in the ears before answering. “My wife insisted on hanging that. She calls it my heroic moment and says it should be memorialized.”
“What happened?”
“Around forty years ago, our neighbor’s house caught fire. Everyone in the family had escaped but the son. I saved him by breaking a window, crawling in, and pulling him out. The sad thing is, it was discovered later he was the one who set the fire. The family moved away soon after. I’ve always hoped he received the help he needed.”
“Did you ever follow up to learn what happened to him?”
“No. Back then we didn’t have the Internet, so it wasn’t easy to find out that kind of thing.”
I thanked him, accepted the file, and then left. For some reason, I had a strong urge to find out what happened to the boy.
Chapter 41
“You got nothing from him?” Jason asked.
I poured cream into my coffee. “What was I supposed to
get
from him?”
Jason leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I don’t know. A feeling, a vision, something?”
“Nada. Although I did call Misha and ask him to do some research on a boy Hilliard rescued from a fire years ago. But it’s more out of curiosity than anything else.” I turned to Jean Luc. “Did you get any supe vibes from him?”
“No, he felt human to me.”
I looked around the motel diner. It was mid-afternoon, and the place was practically deserted, which gave us freedom to talk. “It’s interesting that the casino is recruiting biology majors and engineers.”
Griffin spoke up. “Makes sense if they’re looking for the right people to help manufacture shifter weapons like the sound guns and drugs.”
“Misha is running the list of names Hilliard gave us,” Jean Luc added. “He will supply background on as many as he can.”
“Okay, what are our plans for tonight?” I asked.
Griffin spoke first. “I’ll go into the bar and talk to some of the staff.”
Jason sat bolt upright. “That’s not a good idea. I think Kyle, Jean Luc, and I should go into the bar to scope things out. If there are any shifters in there, we don’t want them recognizing you by sight or smell.”
I didn’t know if Jason’s shifter side was vulnerable, but I definitely didn’t want Griffin going in there alone.
Griffin looked like he was going to argue, but Jean Luc said, “I agree with Jason.”
Griffin reluctantly conceded.
I stirred my coffee. “And how should we get them to open up?”
Jason shot me a “duh” look. “It’s a bar, Kyle. Jean Luc will have no trouble getting the females to talk to him. You and I will need to small-talk our targets.”
I closed my eyes for strength. I wasn’t good at small talk. It always seemed pointless to me. I opened my eyes at the sound of Jason chuckling. “Don’t worry. I’ll do the talking for both of us.”
I frowned at him. “Okay, Great Communicator, how are you going to approach them?”
“We pose as a couple both looking for jobs, which is why we’re hanging out in a local bar. Once we zero in on The Casino staff, we ply them with questions related to working there. It should give us some legitimacy if we come across as nosy.”
I accepted grudgingly. His idea made sense. “Fine, but at some point I would like an undercover gig where you
aren’t
my boyfriend.”
“Ouch, you wound me.”
“I’m going to go back to my room for awhile,” Griffin interrupted us. “Jean Luc, let me know when Misha gets back to us with the intel.” He stood and went out the door.
I followed him outside, across the parking lot, and right up to his hotel room door. I called to him. “Hold up.”
Griffin stopped.
“You’re sure it’s okay for Jason to go into the bar?”
“Yes, if there is a shifter there, they shouldn’t be able to smell him.” He opened his door and closed it. In. My. Face.
I pushed open his door and stalked into the room. “Rude, much? This ‘I am an island’ BS is getting old.” Griffin scowled at me in tight-jawed silence, but I wasn’t intimidated. “If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.”
His eyes narrowed on mine. “I want to make sure I get this straight. You’re pissed at me because I wanted to do this on my own to protect anyone else from getting hurt.”
“Yes.”
“And yet, you have been keeping a secret for months because…?”
I mumbled, “I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“Speak up, I didn’t hear you.”
“I
said
,” raising my voice, “you’re a self-righteous jackass.”
He grabbed my arms. “And you’re a hypocrite. When I think about you going through this alone for months, not knowing what the hell these memories mean, what the hell the Key actually is, and whether it can hurt you, I want to scream.”
“What about you? You’re so busy playing fearless leader, you won’t let anyone help you. We had to blackmail you in order to come along to Nevada. What are your people going to do if you get yourself killed?”
“Tim will take my place and rule.”
I clenched my fists. “How can you be so glib?”
“I’m not being glib, Kyle. As leader of my pack, I deal with life and death decisions. Everything I do affects my people. How can I send someone into harm’s way if I won’t do it myself?”
“Your people know you’re a good leader. That you’re willing to die for them if necessary. But only if necessary. In this case we’re here to help.” I tried to wrench out of his grip.
He let go of my arms. “Did I hurt you?”
“I’m not that fragile.”
His eyes softened. “It’s okay to admit you’re not invincible.”
I breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. This was getting us nowhere. “How about this? If you admit you can’t do this on your own, I’ll admit it too. Deal?”
His eyes widened. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch. We compromise.”
He glanced around the room.
“What are you looking for?”
“A hidden camera. Kyle McKinley just used the word compromise. This has to be a trick.”
I laughed. “No trick.” I held out my hand. “Deal?”
“Deal. But for something this momentous a simple handshake won’t do.”
He reached out and drew me to him, and I gasped like a silly schoolgirl. And I normally did not act like a silly schoolgirl.
“Do you think everything is forgiven so easily?” I asked, trying to maintain a stern expression.
“Probably not, but we can work on it, right?” He nuzzled my neck.
“This is not a good idea. I’m going to smell like you.”
“You can take a shower and scrub. I’ll help.”
“Again, not a good idea. How am I supposed to get Eau d’Griffin off my skin if you take a shower with me?”
“You’re right. No shower. I’ll just help you undress.” He ran his hand down my side and dipped under my shirt, skimming his fingertips along the waistband of my jeans.
Shivers ran up my body, and every reason we shouldn’t do this evaporated. I pushed his hands away and unzipped my pants, shoving them and my underwear down my legs. Then I reached up and yanked off my shirt and unhooked my bra, flinging it onto the growing pile of clothes. His eyes flared and ran over my body, taking in every nuance. It was scary and exhilarating at the same time, exposing myself to him.
He locked onto my eyes and smiled. “You are breathtaking.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding to suck in my stomach. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
He stepped closer. “Just you.”
I gasped when he ran his fingertips over my lips and down my neck onto my collarbone. My skin was coming to life under his touch, tingles shooting out from the rough tabs of his fingers, zipping along my body like static electricity.
He continued his exploration, and I moaned when he caressed my breast, his palms coming into play when he cupped them. I arched toward him, and a predatory gleam shone in his eyes.
“Why are you still wearing clothes?” I demanded.
He laughed. “You said we couldn’t take a shower together.”
“I’m rethinking my position.”
He leaned toward me and toyed with me a bit more. “Are you sure?”
I squirmed in his hold. “Yes!”
He grabbed my hand and led me into the bathroom, stripping as he walked. He was an amazingly talented shifter.
I turned on the shower while he finished undressing, and I stepped into the tub first. The water was warm, but I shivered when I turned toward him. He was impressive and, for the moment, mine. His eyes were glowing orange, and it was empowering to know I had such an effect on him. He watched as the water ran down my body, actually flexing his hands at his side, as if he was holding himself back from touching me.