Even back in high school, when his friends were dating and throwing around the wordlovelike kids sometimes do, John never thought he’d foundthe one.
That changed the moment he’d met Trixie.
He’d tried not to be distracted on that mountain. And he was fully aware of how ridiculous the notion of loving her at first sight seemed. But it didn’t matter.
He knew then and he knew now.
They would need time to build a real relationship. He knew their feelings would evolve and mature the more time they spent together. And he wouldn’t rush her, either. This wasn’t something he’d try to force—though he suspected there was no need to, anyway. The look in Trixie’s eyes told him that she felt the same way.
His little cutie didn’t want him to leave. She needed Daddy to stay with her.
Good. He had no intention of going anywhere. Nothing was going to happen to his babygirl. He’d make sure of that.
Tonight probably wasn’t the right time to spring all that love-at-first-sight stuff on her, though.
She’d been through a lot. The last thing she needed was him adding more to what she was already trying to process.
When all this was over, there would be time to properly get to know one another. The relationship would be built on a good foundation. That couldn’t happen until all this was handled, though, and she was safe. So John was of a mind to get to it.
Every second that his sweet Little was in danger was a second too long.
Once he’d seen her upstairs to hang out with the other girls, he went back down to the den to join the discussion.
The den was a spacious room with a built-in bar, a pool table, a back wall made up of mostly glass, and a bank of monitors resting atop a desk that was set in a little alcove in the wall. There was also a large sitting area with leather furniture. John took a seat in one of the chairs and said, “Sorry I’m a few minutes late.”
“Don’t be sorry at all. You get Little Trixie all squared away?” Jack asked, standing at the front of the room, near the TV that was mounted to the wall.
“Yeah. The adrenaline has worn off and she’s coming to that exhausted, foggy-minded phase.”
John assumed all the men in that room knew what he was talking about. Every first responder experienced it at some point. Most more times than they could count.
“Well, she can get plenty of rest here. And all the girls have been through some pretty tough stuff. They can help her come down from this and decompress,” Jack said. “You want a drink?” He jerked his head toward the bar that was along the other wall.
John craned his neck to look at the impressive display of bottles that was spread out on the shelves but decided mixing a drink was more trouble than he cared to go to right now. “I’lltake a beer.” He started to rise, but Jack put up a hand to stop him.
He strolled to the bar, reached behind it, and it sounded like he was opening a mini fridge. A moment later, he returned with a bottle of beer that he handed to John. “Cheers, brother.”
John thanked him, pulled the top, and took a long swig. The cold, amber liquid felt refreshing as it went down.
“We were going to lay out the facts,” Jack said. “Sort of organize our thoughts and figure out what we know and what we don’t. Plus, we haven’t had a chance to relay all this to everyone, so it’ll be good for us all to be on the same page.”
“I’m all ears,” John replied.
Addressing the group, Jack started, “Trixie works for Vegas Property Management. Or she did. Until she suspected her own employer was trying to silence her through violent means.”
Just hearing that made John fighting mad, but he focused on the coolness of the beer and his pleasant surroundings, keeping his temper in check. It was important that he listen and gain a fuller picture.
Trixie’s life might depend on it.
“She’s an accountant and, from what we understand, a damn good one. Really knows her stuff. So much so that she was able to detect irregularities in the company’s books.”
Isaiah raised his hand. “What exactly does that company do? I mean, the name isn’t very creative, but do they just manage buildings and stuff?”
Jack grinned. “Yeah. It’s a bit too on the nose… But yeah, they manage properties in Vegas but it goes beyond just leasing space to businesses and handling things like maintenance. They also run some casinos. They don’t own them, though. Just handle the day-to-day operations for a few of the smaller ones downtown.”
“Downtown, huh?” Kendrick said. “Old Vegas. The relics left from when the mob ran the town.”
“Organized crime still runs it,” Ace said. “They’ve just cleaned up their image. Now they’re publicly traded Fortune 500 companies that offer benefits and good retirement plans. Controlled by Wall Street rather than Chicago or the Five Families in New York.” He shook his head, snorted, then took a drink of his cocktail. “In the old days the enemy was clear. Vinnie from Brooklynn or Carmine from Jersey who came out to work for the organization. They had a code and rules. But these Wall Street types, nah. They’ll do anything to make a buck. They’re worse than La Cosa Nostra ever was, if you ask me.”
