Falling Free: What happens in Vegas... (The Fall Series) Read online

  I poked at the package. The temptation was killing me, and I felt like a naught little girl about to snoop under the Christmas tree. Finally I caved.

  I removed the white envelope carefully and turned it over in my hands. The words Walker, Inc. were embossed on the flap. Why does that sound so familiar? I opened the card slowly, and my hands started to shake as I read the words inscribed inside.

  I just wanted to say thanks you son-of-a-bitch. I don’t know where you found this Jake Kennedy, but he’s an ace. He’s exactly what I was looking for. Have a beer on me. Enjoy!

  –Clay Walker

  President, Walker, Inc.

  My knees buckled under me. I felt for the barstool and sat down as I continued to stare at the note. Why would this Clay Walker be thanking Parker for sending Jake to him? Did Parker have something to do with Jake finding the job in Tennessee? The more I connected the dots, the more my adrenaline pumped wildly through my veins. It was him! Parker was the one deceiving me all along! It was too horrible to even imagine, but there it was in black and white. Parker set Jake up to leave me. He manipulated both of us so that I would take his twisted offer and wind up in his arms.

  I jumped to my feet, thankful my bags were already packed. I had to move fast. My fingers were shaking so badly I had to dial Alex’s number twice before it finally went through.

  “This is Alex, how may I help you?”

  “Alex, I need your help,” I blurted out, “I’m going down to the lobby right now to catch a cab. Can you please get me an earlier flight?”

  With the phone propped on my shoulder, I dragged my luggage out the door and pressed the button on the elevator. Between the panic in my voice, the sound of the door slamming and the elevator dinging, Alex was instantly alarmed.

  “Lauren, where is Mr. Blackwell?”

  “At a meeting. Can you help me or not?” I was impatient and anxious as I waited for the elevator to creep to a stop. When the doors opened I prayed that Parker wouldn’t be standing on the other side. To my relief he wasn’t.

  “Lauren, I really think I should call Mr. Blackwell, and we can sort this all out. Please, just go back to his suite or wait in the lobby until I reach him, and I’ll call you right back.”

  “No, you don’t understand!” I yelled in frustration as I punched the “L” button impatiently. “I have to leave right now!”

  “I know you’re upset, but whatever it is, I’m sure we can work this out. Now please, let me call Mr. Blackwell and…”

  “No!” I screamed. “Listen, Alex, have you ever thought you were head-over-heels in love with someone only to find out that the someone is a rotten, no-good, lying bastard? Well, if you have then you’ll understand why I need to get out of here right now!”

  Alex didn’t answer right away, but I could still hear the sound of her breathing on the other end. “Go downstairs and wait in the lobby. I’ll be there to pick you up in fifteen minutes.”

  “Thank you!” Relieved, I slipped my phone in my purse and followed her instructions. Exactly fifteen minutes later I was climbing into the back of the limo next to Alex. Her all-business attitude was gone, and I was thankful when she held my hand and gave it a squeeze as if to say she understood.

  “The minute you got off that plane I wondered how a nice girl from Michigan ended up being Parker Blackwell’s flavor of the week. I knew you weren’t cut out for this, honey, and that’s a compliment.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” I sobbed. She was right. How could I be so stupid! Parker Blackwell’s flavor of the week? That said it all! “Parker and I knew each other years ago. We sort of grew up together.”

  “Well, that explains it,” she replied.

  “Alex, if you don’t mind, I really don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Of course, dear. I understand.”

  When we arrived at the airport she gave me my flight information and hugged me goodbye.

  “Good luck, Lauren.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate this more than you know.”

  And I did, too. I could’ve booked my own flight, but I could hardly think straight let alone see clearly through the endless stream of tears.

  The next few hours passed by like a blur. I was numb. By the time the plane landed I felt like a zombie from crying until I had no more tears left. I must have looked like one, too, I realized as a mother protectively shielded her little boy from me in the aisle like I was an addict going through withdrawals. She wasn’t that far off. I gave in to my addiction, and I got burned. Now I had to face the consequences.

  I had the cab drop me off at a coffee shop just outside of town. I couldn’t go back to The Grand just yet. I wasn’t ready to face anyone. I sat there for a few hours starring out the window and ordering coffee every now and then in exchange for taking up the table. I glanced at my luggage on the floor. I felt like a homeless person who had nowhere else to go, and in a couple months when The Grand went up for sale I might be homeless.

  Just before closing time, I finally found the nerve to Nina before the staff kicked me out on the sidewalk. I was grateful when she answered on the first ring.

  “Hey, Nina can you come pick me up?”

  “Ah, sure. What’s going on, Lo? You sound like you’re half dead! Are you at the airport? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to need a ride?”

  “I feel like I’m dead, Nina, and no, I’m actually at The Brew Moon and they’re about to close.”

  “What the hell are you doing there? How long have you been there?”

  “Look, we can talk about it when you get here. Please just get here soon.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  I barely had the energy to drag my bags to the car when Nina arrived. She saw me struggling and jumped out to help. When we came face-to-face my best friend came unglued like a mama bear defending her cub.

  “Oh my God, Lo! What the hell did that bastard do to you?” She grabbed me by the shoulders to get a better look. “Did he hit you? Tell me what happened?”

  “Nobody hit me, Nina. Can we go to the park and sit in your car for a while. I don’t want to go back to The Grand until it’s dark.”

  Nina agreed, but it took the next fifteen minutes to convince her that my face was only swollen from hours of crying. After that I slowly began to tell her the rest of the story. When I was finished, she sat there looking out the window holding her head like she was in pain.

  “So it was him. He was the one deceiving you all this time. I knew it, Lo! That fucking son-of-a-bitch! I knew he was trouble!”

  My fingers found the locket around my neck, and I wasn’t sure if I would ever trust my own judgment again.

  “So now what? What about Jake? I feel sorry for Parker when Jake finds out. He’ll want to kill him with his bare hands!”

  I looked at Nina with wide eyes. She was right. “Jake can never find out, Nina! It wouldn’t change anything if he did. It would only make things worse for everyone.”

  “How the hell can you say that? You were supposed to marry Jake until Parker interfered, and now you’re alone and heartbroken, and Jake is in Tennessee!”

  “No, Nina. You don’t get it.” I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. “When Jake chose to take the job he had no idea that Parker was behind it. Nobody did. Then he expected me to sell The Grand! The Grand, Nina! The way I see it Parker did me a favor. Jake would still be here if this is where he really wanted to be.”

  “Ugh, when you stick up for him like that it makes me want to throw up! He manipulated you, he lied to you, and I’ll never forgive him for that. Never!”

  “Believe me! Parker Blackwell is the last person in the world that I would stick up for, but those are the facts, Nina.” It hurt me to say the words out loud. When I was with him I felt like I was soaring, and I never wanted to come down. I was ready to move mountains to make things work between us, and now… Now I know the truth.

  “Are you ready to go home now? I think it’s dark enough to get up the back stairs un
noticed.”

  “Yeah. Take me home.”

  Nina insisted on staying the night at my place. I tried to convince her that I was fine, but after arguing about it all the way home I finally gave up. I thought I wanted to be alone, but when we walked in the door of my suite I was glad she was there.

  “I’ll take the couch. Do you have a pillow and blanket for me?” We stopped at her place on the way so she could pack a bag, and she was heading for the bathroom to get ready for bed.

  “Yeah, I’ll get you some bedding. Make yourself at home!” I yelled as I heard the bathroom door shut. I glanced at my luggage and decided it could wait until tomorrow. What was I going to do with a bunch of designer clothes and shoes anyway? I’d probably end up donating them to Goodwill after letting Nina take her pick. I didn’t want them anymore. I didn’t want to keep anything that had to do with Parker. I touched the necklace again. Well, maybe not anything. I wasn’t ready to give the locket up quite yet, but I vowed to do it someday soon.

  I got ready for bed and found Nina searching through the fridge a few minutes later. “Wow, you have nothing to eat here, Lo.”

  “What do you expect? I’ve been gone for five days, and I wasn’t exactly expecting company,” I smirked.

  Nina rolled her eyes. “I’m glad to see your sarcastic sense of humor hasn’t changed.”

  “You’re lucky! I’ve been saving it up just for you!”

  Nina gave me a mock slap across the face, and the two of us stood there hugging and laughing like two sisters who hadn’t seen each other in years.

  “I’m going to ask Steve to bring us something from the kitchen when his shift is over. Do you want anything?”

  “No thanks, I’m really not hungry. I think I’m just going to go to bed. Can I get you anything else?”

  “Unless you have a hot fudge sundae hiding somewhere in this place I think I’m all set,” she giggled.

  I shook my head. “No, sorry. You better call Steve,” I said as I walked toward my bedroom.

  “I will. Goodnight, Lo!”

  “Goodnight, Nina!”

  I dug my phone out of the bottom of my purse and plugged it in on my nightstand like I did every night before bed. An uneasy feeling swept over me at the sight the flashing light that represented several missed calls. There were three missed calls from Parker, and oddly one missed call from Jake. I unplugged the phone, deciding to let the battery run out instead and made a mental note to change my phone number as soon as possible. Then I climbed into bed for what would be one of the loneliest nights I’d spent since my mom died.

  Fourteen

  THE UGLY TRUTH

  I left the meeting a few minutes early. I missed most of it anyway, because I couldn’t stop thinking about when we could see each other again. I came up with a plan to visit her as soon as I got back from Australia. I would have a three week break between tournaments, and I couldn’t wait to tell her the news.

  Waiting in the elevator, I checked my watch. We had four hours left together, and I didn’t want to waste one more minute. I burst through the door, flipped my phone up on the kitchen counter and briefly noticed a package sitting there. I wondered who it was from, but decided it could wait. I was on a mission to find her and make sure she wouldn’t forget who she belonged to when she was three thousand miles away.

  I checked her room, her bathroom and the workout room. Nothing. I couldn’t stop smiling as I headed to my bedroom with visions of her naked and waiting in my bed. I was lovesick and needing a fix, but she was nowhere to be found. That’s when panic set in. I went back to the kitchen for my phone and dialed her number. No answer. Again. No answer. Then I called the front desk.

  “Get me the manager now.”

  “Of course, Mr. Blackwell. Is everything okay?”

  “No, I need to speak to Beverly right away.” A few minutes later Beverly was on the other end.

  “What can I do for you, Mr. Blackwell?”

  “Bev, my lady friend is missing. You may have seen us together the past few days. She’s medium height, long blonde hair, beautiful and amazing and fucking perfect?” I was losing it. Where the hell could she be? “Did the front desk call a cab for her within the last hour? Can you check the salon, the gift shop? Fuck! Anything, Bev, anything you can do to help me find her. Please.”

  “Yes, Mr. Blackwell. I get on it right away.”

  “Thanks. Call my cell as soon as you have any information please.

  “Will do.”

  Next I called Alex’s office. Her assistant was screening her calls.

  “I’m sorry Mr. Blackwell. Alex is in a meeting right now. Would you like to leave a message?”

  “No, Seth, no message. Just get her on the phone right now.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I can’t do that. She gave me strict instructions not to...”

  “You can, and you will, Seth, or I’ll come down there and find her myself. Do you understand?”

  Alex was instantly on the other end and madder than hell. “What could be so important that you would feel compelled to threaten my staff, Mr. Blackwell?”

  “I’m sorry, Alex, but Lo, I mean Lauren, is missing. I can’t find her anywhere. Have you heard from her today?”

  “Actually I have. She called and asked me to get her an earlier flight,” she replied nonchalantly.

  “AND? Did you?”

  “I did. She left for Michigan about half an hour ago.”

  I pounded my fist on the counter. “Why? Did she say why?”

  “I’m not at liberty to discuss that with you, but she was very upset. I’d give her a few days if I were you.”

  I sat there with my head in my hands. I was two seconds away from calling the airport and having my jet prepared for the flight to Michigan when I spotted a white envelope on the floor. It suddenly seemed strange that the package arrived while I was gone. Something wasn’t right.

  I reached down and picked up the envelope. The first thing I noticed was the words Walker, Inc. stamped on the outside. No alarms were sounding yet, but in hindsight they should’ve been blaring. I read the note and realized what happened. She had read it, too.

  I wanted to punch something. I wanted to rip something apart. I should’ve told her everything. Why didn’t I tell her everything? Because I did some things I wasn’t proud of that’s why, and because what I found out would only hurt her. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was hurt her again. Fuck! What now? Would she give me a chance to explain?

  I tried her cell one more time. Voicemail. There’s no way I could tell her on the phone. There was only one option left. If I wanted her back she had to know the truth, and it was going to hurt. I had to tell her everything that I tried so hard to protect her from. Only now I couldn’t tell her. She wouldn’t speak to me. I would have to find someone else to tell her. Someone else who loved her. Someone who would be there for her when she broke down and cried.

  The thought of her crying was like a blow to the gut. For a minute I considered keeping it to myself just to save her from the pain, but I couldn’t. Maybe I was being selfish, but I loved her too much to let her go, and I couldn’t sit back and watch her get hurt again. I had to do something. Desperate, I made one last call.

  “Stan Urban here.” Stan’s gravelly voice fit his burly appearance. As a retired cop turned private investigator, he came highly recommended, and the information he dug up for me was worth every penny.

  “Yeah, Stan, it’s Parker Blackwell calling about that job you did for me in Michigan. Could you mail a copy of the documents and pictures to someone for me?”

  “Sure, where do you want me to send them?”

  “Send them to The Grandview Inn, please. Attention Nina Davis. Oh, and Stan? The sooner the better.”

  Fifteen

  IT’S NOT OVER ‘TILL IT’S OVER

  For the next two days Nina stayed holed up with me in my suite. Steve brought food up twice a day like we were a couple of prisoners. By the third morning I
practically pushed Nina out the door.

  “For the ten millionth time, Nina, I’m sure. I’m okay.”

  “Okay, Lo, but I’ll be back to bring you something for lunch.”

  “Okay great. Now go. Have fun!” I called after her as she walked out. She and Steve had been taking yoga classes together, and I didn’t want her to miss another one on my account. Besides, I could use a few minutes alone to unpack without having to explain how I ended up with a designer wardrobe. I told Nina enough, but I didn’t tell her everything, and I didn’t feel up to explaining the rest right now.

  I knew I would have to face the rest of the world eventually. Nina told the staff that I arrived home exhausted and that I’d caught a case of the flu on the plane. It was the perfect cover. No one disturbed me for days, but I couldn’t hide out forever. Time was running out, and I would have to tell everyone the truth about The Grand sooner than I cared to admit. In fact, it was about time to face it. It was time to set up the appointment to talk about putting The Grand on the market, and I decided to call Barry when Nina returned with lunch. Just the thought made me sick to my stomach, and I didn’t want to make the call without her by my side.

  At twelve o’clock sharp Nina came bounding up the stairs with containers full of chicken noodle soup, warm bread and salad. Everything smelled great, but I was in no mood to eat it. I watched from the couch as she started setting the table for us, and my heart swelled with gratitude. What would I do without her?

  “Hey, Nina!” I called from the other room. “Do you think the new owners would consider hiring me as the general manager?” I was half joking and half serious. All kinds of crazy thoughts crossed my mind the past few days, but mostly I’d been wondering how the hell I could ever leave this place. I would have to move. I would have to leave my home, my parent’s dream and all the memories that it held. It seemed impossible.

  Nina turned around white as a ghost. “Lo! Why would you say such a thing?”