Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“In the security office.” His face gives me nothing.
“Am I in trouble? I haven’t been doing anything wrong. Where’s Dan?”
“Dan’s not involved. Can you come with me?”
I clear my throat, feeling like my limbs are all going numb. “Kent, seriously, what’s going on? You’re scaring the crap out of me.” I start walking after him, and he has to slow a lot so he doesn’t outpace me.
I think watching me struggle to keep up softens him a little bit. I don’t like the pity, but at least he’s talking. “Look, honestly, I have no clue what’s up,” he says softly, his eyes darting toward the security room on the far side of the floor. We pick our way through the crowd of guests, ignoring shouts of dismay and cries of ecstasy. It’s all just another night of work for us. “Costa doesn’t look happy. Will, Trish, and Zach are with him.”
My jaw falls open. Will Hyde is Adler’s second-in-command, the pit boss that oversees daily operations throughout the casino, and I’ve spoken to him maybe four times in all my years at Sunrise. The man’s infamous.
Then there’s Trish Wane, the head of hotel operations, third in the hierarchy. I’ve never even seen her before—she’s practically a mythological creature.
Zach Layton is chief of security and the fourth most important person at the Sunrise.
Which means I’m meeting with the four people that run this place.
Floor dealers like me aren’t supposed to have a meeting with people like Will, Trish, and Zach, much less with Adler Costa himself.
They’re so far above me, it’s like I’m a tiny ant, and they’re elephants staggering around.
Fear, cold and intense, fills my body.
“This is crazy,” I mutter as I force myself to walk faster. Adrenaline floods me, making my heart go wild.
“I know,” Kent says then looks sheepish. “I mean, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on, but maybe it’s no big deal? Maybe they’re doing an audit?”
“Those four don’t audit. Those four chop off heads.”
Kent grunts, not looking happy, but he doesn’t argue.
What the heck is going on here? I’m freaking out as we approach the security office. Zach’s standing out front, his face neutral. He’s tall, dark hair, good-looking in a former linebacker sort of way. A big guy, muscular, dominates a room. Kent drops me off with his boss and gets out of there.
“Casey,” he says, frowning at me. “Come on in. Mr. Costa wants to talk to you.”
I’m too afraid to ask Zach what’s going on. Of everyone in this room, I know him the best since he works closely with the floor staff. I’ve gone to him with a dozen problems over the years and we have a good relationship.
But once we’re inside, the friendly, helpful Zach is gone, replaced by a no-bullshit doppelganger.
Four people stare at me as I stand in the doorway of the main security office. It’s a small, cramped room, but feels tiny at the moment, and it’s taking all my self-control not to scream and run away. I’m sweating and my hands tremble, and I’m pretty sure they can hear my teeth clacking.
The moment I spot Adler sitting in the control chair in front of the security monitors, I can’t seem to look away.
He’s staring right back. Up close, the man’s even more impressive. Muscular in an athletic way. His clothes are perfectly tailored, and his watch is obviously expensive. His graying hair makes him look distinguished, not old, and his deep blue eyes are distracting and beautiful.
I see him from afar all the time, but getting this close is overwhelming.
Now I understand why every woman in this place would happily let him get them pregnant.
“Ms. Kiernan.” Adler speaks first. His voice is a low rumble. Will and Trish say nothing, only stare at me from their chairs, and Zach remains standing at my elbow. “Thank you for joining us.”
“Uh,” I manage to say and my voice is suddenly very squeaky.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here.” Adler ignores the noise that came out of my face, since it wasn’t really language. “Something very disturbing came to light recently.”
Trish sighs, looking at her nails. She’s an attractive woman in her early thirties, young for her position, with sleek brown hair and pale skin. “Come on, Adler, put her out of her misery. The poor girl looks like she’s going to pass out.”
“Fire her and be done with it,” Will grunts. He’s Adler’s age, stocky and hard looking. Handsome in a rugged way.
I nearly scream.
Fire me? Fire me for what? I’ve been a loyal member of the Sunrise team ever since my accident seven years ago. I owe this place my life—and the lives of my family members. I’m the primary breadwinner for my parents and my brother, which means if I lose this job, we are so beyond screwed.