Page 2 of 4 Weddings and a Feud

The bride protested, “No, he’s?—”

“In fact,” Mary interrupted, “it’s time to get you back to him. Night, guys. Ladies, shoes off if you’re going to stand on the seats.” She checked that the women followed her instructions, then circled around to the driver’s seat and punched the ignition. The engine purred to life like her brother Michael’s cars always did.

Michael had offered to drive the party tonight. But he’d spent the day repainting his pet project, a ’71 Mustang Mach 1, and the paint fumes always gave him a headache. Her other brother Rafe, who was scheduled to drive tonight, had broken his finger in the shop when a car hood had unexpectedly crashed down.

Rafe had argued that he could still drive with his splint, but years later, she remembered the agony of a broken finger. She’d been only eleven and all too aware of her family’s precarious finances when she’d hidden her hand in the pocket of her school uniform skirt. It was only later, when the side of her hand swelled and she couldn’t hold a pencil, that she finally told her dad what had happened and he took her to the ER. By then it was too late, and her pinky was permanently crooked.

She’d taken better care of her baby brother than that, driving him to the ER herself and putting the enormous deductible on her credit card. He couldn’t drive tonight’s bachelorette party with the pain meds, and none of their part-time employees were available that night. That left her, the co-owner of Forza Elite Motors, to do it.

Someday, if her plans worked out, they’d have full-time employees who weren’t named Forza to pick up the slack. But until she’d achieved her dream of branching out into event planning, she was stuck as the backup chauffeur.

Signaling, she pulled the limo into the porte-cochère of La Villa. The hotel’s location toward the end of the Strip meant it wasn’t quite as crowded as the larger ones in the prime locations, but Mary was glad to see people entering the revolving door. She hoped it would be even busier when she came back in a few hours for the wedding expo.

She heaved her tired body from the driver’s side, circled the hood, and opened the rear passenger door. The fresh air had done its job, putting color back in Sistol’s cheeks. She leaned on a friend as she shuffled toward the door.

Bristol waved exuberantly. “Greg!”

The groom, a slender man no taller than Mary and certainly no Jason Momoa, scurried toward the limo.

Bristol bounded to him and all but fell into his arms. “Why aren’t you at your bachelor party?”

“They’re still in the suite watching…uh, a movie. But I missed you.” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “Did you have fun?”

“The best time. Thanks to Mary.”

Mary realized only then that she’d been watching the couple like a creeper. She busied herself by scanning the interior for forgotten shoes and handbags. She picked up a tiara, which had “MOH” spelled out in rhinestones.

“Can you give this to Sis—to your sister?” She held it out to Bristol, but Bristol was lip-locked with her groom.

Mary sighed. She’d seen some couples too caught up in strippers and porn to remember what they were celebrating during their weekend in Vegas. But Bristol and Greg were adorable. He’d left his bachelor party to check on his bride, and now they’d spend the night together.

Would she ever find a love like that?

She shook it off. She didn’t have time for romantic love. Besides, she had all the love she needed from her brothers. Her family. And tomorrow at the wedding expo, she’d find customers for her new side hustle, enough to pay off Rafe’s medical bill and maybe even enough to find the security they all craved.

ChapterTwo

Alessandro Villa hardly noticed how his Italian oxfords sank into the thick pile of the silk Persian rug as he paced across it. The unfamiliar bubble of hope made him soar like a tourist on the zipline over Las Vegas Boulevard.

“Alex?”

“Say that again.” Gripping his phone, he planted his feet and stared at the polished mahogany surface of his desk.

“The rumor is that the Paradise is for sale,” Lev said.

His heart thudded in his chest. He’d never thought this day would come, the day when he could show everyone how far he’d risen above the rubble his father had made of their lives.

“You want it, right?” his real estate operations manager prodded. Alex had been silent too long.

“Yes.” He didn’t have to think about it. “You know I do.”

“The gaming board will have to approve it.”

Alex heard what Lev didn’t say. He’d had a prickly relationship with the board since he’d opened the doors of his casino, La Villa. In Vegas, he didn’t think there was such a thing as too over the top, but the gaming board disagreed.

“They’ll approve it.” He’d use all the levers at his disposal to ensure they did. He’d even grovel to his chief critic, Ray Richardson. He had a feeling Ray would demand it.

“Listen.” A note of worry softened Lev’s tone. “Remember, it’s not personal. It’s business. Stay focused.”

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