Behaving Badly in Vegas (Vegas Love #3)

22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Hunter

We pulled up in front of Trent’s building with ten minutes to spare. Plenty of time to park and get upstairs. I grabbed Carina’s car seat from the back of my Escalade and started toward the elevator.

Charlotte’s heels clicked on the cement floor of the parking garage. “Jeez, slow down, will ya?” Her legs weren’t short, but she was practically running to keep up with my long strides.

I dreaded this dinner. “The faster we get in, the faster we can leave.” I hit the elevator button repeatedly, urging the doors to open.

Charli put her hand on mine and gently pushed my finger away from the call button. “What’s the problem? Why don’t you get along with your brother?”

“Because he’s a pompous asshole who thinks he’s better than me.”

The elevator doors finally opened, and we stepped inside. “And you don’t think you’re better than Trent? ”

“Of course, I’m better than him. I’m smarter, better looking, and I have a winning personality.” I gave her a big, toothy grin that was about as cheesy as you could get.

She rolled her eyes. “So, it’s sibling rivalry.”

The elevator started rising and my heart rate ticked up. “This goes way beyond sibling rivalry. I never stood a chance. Trent has always been my parents’ favorite. I’ve been trying to catch up my entire life.”

“I’m sure that’s not completely true.” Charli grabbed Carina’s sandaled foot and gave it a little shake, making her giggle. “You have the first grandchild. That should be worth something.”

I let out a huff. “Yeah, because I didn’t wrap up my dick properly, not because I planned it.”

Charli’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying you regret her?”

Looking down at my daughter, the only thing I regretted was the words that came out of my mouth. I never wanted her to feel unloved or unwanted. “I don’t regret her. I feel sorry for her that she ended up with a father like me and a mother who didn’t care enough to stick around. I wouldn’t give up my daughter for anything, but she deserves better.”

Charli put her hand on my arm. “It’s a tough situation, but you’re doing the best you can. No one expects you to be a perfect parent in a matter of weeks.”

“Obviously, you don’t know my family. The minute we walk through the door, everyone will be judging me. Watching my every move and waiting for me to fuck up again.” I felt like an idiot for telling the nanny my insecurities. Verbal diarrhea wasn’t normally a problem for me. I guessed I was more anxious about this dinner than I’d admitted.

She crossed her arms. “Then don’t fuck up. Be the doting father I know you can be and forget about everyone else. The only one that really matters is Carina.”

The doors opened on the top floor and Charli stepped out of the elevator, leaving me standing there with my mouth open. She managed to scold me and give me a pep talk in a matter of a few sentences… and honestly, I felt better .

I don’t know how she did it, but Charli never stopped surprising me. She turned over her shoulder. “Are you coming or what?”

“I’m coming,” I grumbled as I stepped out behind her. I still didn’t want to go to this dinner, but having Charli with me made it more tolerable. Leading her to Trent’s penthouse, I knocked on the door, hoping no one would answer and we could go home. I looked at my watch. Six o’clock on the nose. No one could say I wasn’t punctual.

Luck was not on my side because Gia answered the door within seconds. “You actually showed,” she said with disbelief.

Knowing my brother, those two had probably bet on it. I wondered which one of them won. “I didn’t think it was optional. Are you going to invite us in or make me stand in the hallway holding this carrier?”

Gia’s eyes dropped to the bundle I was carrying, and her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my god! She’s beautiful.” My sister-in-law backed away from the door to make room. “Come in, come in!”

We moved into the sitting room, and I set the carrier on the floor. For a little thing, Carina was heavy to lug around.

“You must be Charli,” Gia said, reaching her arms out and wrapping them around my nanny.

“That’s me,” she answered, returning the hug and giving me a confused look.

“What? No hug for me?” I asked.

Gia propped her hands on her hips. “You haven’t earned a hug yet, but I would like to get my hands on that baby of yours.”

“Let me get her out of the carrier,” Charli offered.

I let the girls fuss over Carina while I stood awkwardly staring out the window. Of course, Trent had a penthouse with a magnificent view, the city lights shining in the distance. He’d never been shy of flashing his money around. My apartment was nothing to sneeze at, but it wasn’t… this.

“Where is my dear brother?” I asked. If nothing else, I knew he’d have top-shelf booze, and I was in desperate need of a drink.

“He’s in the kitchen. ”

I wandered through the dining room—taking note that the table was set for eight—and into the kitchen to find Trent shoving aluminum containers into the trash. When he saw me, he closed the trash can lid and stood in front of it, trying to hide what I’d seen.

“Don’t judge,” he said. “Gia’s not a good cook, so we decided to order food from Valentino’s. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.”

I chuckled. Gia was always so put together at work; it was nice to know she had some flaws too. “Did you order lasagna?”

“That and about a half dozen other entrées, along with salad and bread. Don’t tell her I told you. She wanted to make a good impression on Mom and Dad.”

That explained two of the extra place settings. “Who else is coming besides Dad and Rose?”

“Brett and Penny are coming too. Everyone was excited to meet Carina.”

“Jesus Christ!” I ran a hand down my face in an effort to calm my irritation. “Carina is my daughter, not a goddamn circus sideshow. You might as well have invited Tom too, then the gang would all be here.”

“I hadn’t thought about that. Do you think I should have? I don’t want him to feel left out, especially with his sister being your nanny.”

This dinner party was getting worse by the second. “Absolutely not. It’s already too much.” I started opening cupboard doors, searching for the liquor. “Please tell me you have booze. And don’t hold out on me; I want the good stuff.”

He frowned at me but took out two rock glasses and poured us each a splash of Glenfiddich.

I motioned with my fingers for him to fill it up. “Don’t be stingy. You dragged me here. The least you can do is ply me with liquor.”

“Technically, it was Gia’s idea.”

God, he was whipped. I didn’t sign up for this. It was bad enough Rose was coming, but Brett and Penny too? Brett and Trent had been best friends forever. I used to try hanging out with them when we were kids, but they always ditched me, making me feel like a dingleberry on a dog’s butt that had been shaken off. Eventually, I quit trying .

Although I resented that Gia insisted I bring Charli, I was thankful she was here. Charli was the only one that didn’t make my skin feel too tight. I genuinely enjoyed her company, something that couldn’t be said about the rest of the guests.

Downing my drink in one gulp, I motioned for Trent to fill it back up. “You sure that’s a good idea? You need to drive home.” Sometimes his big brother tendencies were annoying as fuck. I wasn’t a child.

“It’s a perfect idea. Charli can drive if necessary.” We carried our drinks back out to the girls, where Charli was telling Gia about her job at Oasis while Gia held my daughter, making funny faces at her and eliciting a ton of giggles. The sound had become one of my favorites.

Over the next few minutes, my father and Rose arrived, along with Brett and Penny. I prepared for one of the most miserable nights of my life.

Everyone sat around the table while Gia and Trent brought out the food. Gia had transferred all the take-out food into fancy bowls and platters. It looked homemade, even if I knew better. I could have called her out on it but figured I should count my blessings instead. Valentino’s was one of the best Italian restaurants in town.

I had Carina on my lap, and she squirmed, not wanting to be held. “That’s not going to work,” Charli whispered. “There’s no way you’ll be able to eat while holding her. Why don’t you let me take Carina to the other room so you can enjoy your dinner? It’s my job as the nanny.”

“You’re not going in the other room while we all eat. That’s ridiculous. She’ll be fine.”

“What about another chair? We could put her carrier on the chair between us.”

It could work. “Trent, do you have another chair? ”

“Oh my gosh! I totally forgot,” Gia interjected. She motioned to Trent, who hurried off and returned with a high chair.

“You bought Carina a high chair?” I asked, flabbergasted. “Thank you. I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever done for me.”

Trent rolled his eyes. “It was Gia’s idea, and we did it for Carina, not you.” He wedged the chair between Charli and me. “We were going to need one anyway,” he said.

Rose snapped her attention to Gia. “Are you pregnant?”

Gia shook her head. “Not yet, but we’re trying.” She crossed her fingers and smiled sheepishly.

Funny how that worked out. I hadn’t been trying, nor had it ever been an inkling in my mind, yet here I was with the first grandchild. I lifted Carina into the high chair while Charli fastened a bib around her neck.

“It’ll happen,” Penny said as she began to pass the food around the table. “Things have a way of working out when you least expect it.”

Rose clapped her hands excitedly. “I can’t wait to have two grandbabies to spoil. Though Hunter’s done a good job of keeping that little angel all to himself.”

I scooped a piece of lasagna onto my plate along with a slice of fresh bread, skipping the salad. “It’s barely been two weeks. We’re still getting adjusted.”

“Well, just so you know, I’d be happy to watch Carina for you.”

“That’s what Charli is for,” I grumped. It was a dickhead thing to say, but the last thing I wanted was Rose being all up in my business and criticizing how I raised my daughter.

“I understand, but surely Charli needs some time to herself.”

I doubled down. “I pay her to be available twenty-four seven.”

Charli kicked me under the table. Hard. “Actually, Rose, that would be wonderful,” she said. “I need to get into the training center a couple days a week. You taking Carina for me would be super helpful.”

Rose beamed while I scowled. Rose hadn’t been a bad stepmother per se, and she would probably be an excellent grandmother if I gave her a chance. She said all the right things, did all the right things, provided for me as a mother should, but I never felt like her heart was in it. I guessed that’s what happened when a kid showed up on your doorstep from an affair you didn’t know your husband had. I was a little prick, and she was resentful. We were both thrown into a situation neither of us wanted.

“That sounds like a great plan,” my father said. He still wanted to pretend we were one big, happy family.

Happy wasn’t a word I’d ever used to describe our family. Dysfunctional would be more accurate. “We’ll see.”

“Call me, Charli,” Rose said with a wink. “I’m more than happy to help.”

“Absolutely.” Charli smiled.

It was like I wasn’t even in the room, which pissed me off even more.

“Did you hear back from the investigator about Carina’s mom?” my father asked.

I gnashed my teeth together so hard I was liable to crack a molar. “You mean birth giver. Just because she pushed a kid out of her vagina doesn’t make her a mom. A real mother wouldn’t abandon her kid with a note. There’s a right way to do things and a wrong way.”

“Fair point,” my father said with a nod. “Don’t worry. Rudy will find her.”

My body vibrated with anger. “The only thing I want from her is a signature. Then she can fuck right off back to where she came from.”

Charli put her hand on my knee under the table and gently rubbed it. The heat from her skin seeped through the fabric, calming me a fraction.

Needing an outlet for my aggravation, I turned to Brett and Penny. Brett was born with a silver spoon and probably shit gold bricks every morning. He’d been a thorn in my side for almost as long as Trent. Penny, although relatively harmless, was guilty by association. The girl really moved up in the world since marrying the golden boy. It was a classic Cinderella story, and the two of them were fodder for the Las Vegas Not So Confidential .

I pointed my fork at them. “Rumor has it you two have a bun in the oven. Any truth to that?”

“You can’t believe anything in that gossip rag,” Gia said .

“Actually… this time you can,” Penny answered with a barely contained smile.

“What?” Trent practically choked on his chicken piccata. “I thought you guys were waiting.”

Brett wrapped his arm around Penny’s shoulders. “Things have changed. It’s early, so we didn’t want to say anything yet.”

Congratulations erupted around the table, and everyone started talking at once. It pissed me off that they were so happy.

I’d been deprived of this moment. I missed the joy of anticipating my own damn daughter’s arrival. Instead, she showed up like a dirty secret that’d been shoved under a rug.

Carina deserved better.

When I finally found Jennifer Johnson, I was going to destroy her.