Page 25 of What Happens in Vegas..
Dad, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can be only friends with him. Please don’t hate me.
The second I step into my apartment Mary tackles me with a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay! I was so worried about you last night.”
I hug her back. “I’m okay. Knox got me out, and he’s going to help me with my case. I swear I didn’t do anything wrong.”
She pulls back and shakes her head. “I never thought you did. You wouldn’t steal from there. You know better. You love that place. You wouldn’t jeopardize your job there.”
I walk more into the apartment and see Tyler sitting on Mary’s bed. “Hey, Tyler.”
He gives me a chin salute. “Hey, I’m sorry about what’s going on. That sucks.”
Yeah, that’s putting it lightly. “Thanks. It is what it is. I have to have faith that once it’s proven I wasn’t there at all, that they’ll see I didn’t do it. This is just a case of mistaken identity. I know Knox will be able to prove my innocence.”
Mary comes over and sits next to Tyler. “Do you want me to come into work with you today? I have today off, but I can work with you to be emotional support. Also, when do I get to meet this Knox?”
I shake my head. “No, you can stay here with Tyler. I know he’s not working until the evening shift. So enjoy your day off. I suspect soon. He lives in the penthouse in this building.”
Her jaw drops. “Seriously? Small world, it sounds like it was meant to be for you to meet.”
I keep in the fact that he was also my dad’s best friend. I still have to work through that, but she’s right. It certainly feels that way. “Yeah, it’s crazy. I need to shower and get dressed. My car is still at the casino, so I have to get an Uber.”
Mary nods. “If you need anything, let me know.”
Leaving them I grab my clothes and then take over the bathroom. My gaze goes to the picture by the mirror of my dad with his two friends. The picture that started it all and sent me here in the first place. Now that I know it’s him I recognize Knox instantly. I can’t believe I didn’t before this, but now it’s so obvious. How did this happen? How did we meet and have such instant sexual chemistry? I still want him despite feeling guilt. I shouldn’t feel guilt. We’ve done nothing wrong. I’m an adult and so is he. It’s not like we’ve known each other since I was a kid. We met as strangers at the casino. I believe him when he said he didn’t know who I was at first.
It doesn’t change the fact that all of this is weird. I guess we’ll just have to navigate this one step at a time.
Chapter Twelve
Knox
After a shower and getting dressed,I sit at the end of my bed and stare at the pictures on the wall of Paul, me, and some with Carson. How the hell did this happen? How did I not only find his daughter, but I slept with her as well? This wouldn’t have happened if Paul was alive, but would he think about it? Would he hate me?
I know the right thing to do is to end things. I should be there to support her like he would’ve wanted me to do when she was a kid if Tracy hadn’t hidden her from me. But even as I know that’s what I should do, I know that’s not what’s going to happen.
Not after that goodbye kiss this morning. I hadn’t expected her to kiss me after the news, but even with the confirmed information of her identity, kissing her still felt like the best thing in the world. I’ve never gotten married because I’ve never met a woman that made me want more. I used to sleep around and be a man whore, but that’s calmed down the older I’ve gotten.
None of the women in my wild years made me want to marry or have children with them. I could always pick up alternative motives that they had.
I haven’t gotten any selfish vibes from Carissa. She knows I make good money, but it doesn’t seem to be the thing that sways her to want to be with me. It feels like her attraction to me is genuine and natural like mine is for her.
I stare at Paul’s hazel green eyes. The same as hers. Now I get why she felt familiar to me and I couldn’t pin why. “Do you hate me?”
I wish he could respond and tell me what I should do here. Now that I’ve had her multiple times, I don’t think I could just cut it off and become someone who cares for her as a friend. I don’t want that. I’ve never had this kind of pull with anyone. My mind craves her as much as my body does.
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. Standing, I grab my room card off my dresser. I need to go look around the casino, see if there’s anyone obviously working the day shift that would match the body that was in the footage. I need to talk to the casino pit manager as her lawyer and get her things. There’s a chance I could get them to drop the charges against her without this going to trial. I’ve had to deal with the casinos a lot in this town, and if they can avoid spending money on legal fees they’re going to do it.
It would be even better if I can provide evidence of who did commit the crime. If they haven’t already tried to cash one of the valueless chips. In that case, they’ll make it obvious. This entire situation is asinine and could’ve been avoided. If the real perpetrator had used their brain.
I’m just thankful that I was around Carissa when it happened, so I can get her out of this.
The drive to the casino only takes about fifteen minutes, and that’s because I hit every red light. The crosswalks are surprisingly busy even though it’s nearly noon on Thursday.
I enter the hotel and decide to go to the casino floor first and head to the back where the pit manager should be. I find his office and knock, but no one answers. I sigh. I guess I’m going to have to call him and arrange a formal meeting. That would be the better option, then I can have my paralegal transcribe the meeting as documentation that it happened.
I look around. Trying to see if I spot any employees I’ve seen working the nights that Carissa has been here. My eyes land on the dealer I had the first night I was here, I think his name was Daniel. He’s working the Blackjack table and there’s only one very old man sitting at it.
I hurry to get five hundred in chips and head his way, hoping he’s not off his shift soon.
