Behaving Badly in Vegas (Vegas Love #3)

28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Hunter

Ten minutes before Rose was supposed to arrive, I logged into my home security system and set up my phone where I could watch the cameras. I bought the system long before Carina arrived, but it never showed me anything interesting until I hired Charli. At first, I used it to spy on the stranger I’d invited into my home.

It quickly became an obsession.

Watching Charli was my favorite pastime.

Her hair was in a high ponytail as she rolled on the floor with my daughter, giving her the extra little nudge she needed to flip herself over. Carina smiled and laughed as Charli praised her hard work.

Although I doubted Charli’s qualifications when I hired her, I didn’t have a single regret. Besides the small kitchen fire, she’d done an amazing job, proven to be responsible and attentive to my daughter’s needs.

Mine too.

I didn’t hire Charli to take care of me, yet she seemed hell-bent on doing it. Morning to-go cups of coffee, evening meals, laundry washed and folded—I appreciated all of it. But the thing I valued most was the way she quietly listened and offered encouragement.

I’d fought my way to the top, never showing weakness. I might have shown up on my father’s porch as a toddler in stained and tattered clothes, but I spent the rest of my life proving I deserved to be a Dorsey. I worked harder, aimed higher, and achieved more than Trent, yet he still came out on top. The golden boy who couldn’t be touched. The heir to our father’s legacy.

When Gia got hired at Mystique, I saw my opportunity and I took it. Wanted to prove Trent wasn’t so perfect after all. That his weakness for women would be his demise.

Releasing that video backfired spectacularly. All it did was prove I was exactly who they thought I was—the black sheep who put ambition above integrity and family.

Being ousted from the company and the family was a relief from working day in and day out to be accepted, appreciated, and respected. Being alone wasn’t a hardship, it was my destiny… or so I thought.

Then a tiny pink bundle with chubby cheeks showed up and the neat, orderly life I’d built no longer existed. Calling my father and admitting I needed help was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I expected judgment and condemnation, but what I got was understanding and empathy.

It was the first stone in rebuilding the bridges I’d blown to smithereens with my family. Yes, I hated my new job, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it felt like home to be back at Mystique. Since returning, everyone was dead set on inserting themselves into my life.

It unnerved me.

I didn’t trust it.

No one ever stayed.

But what if someone did?

I watched the camera as Charli answered the door and let Rose in. They greeted each other with a warm hug, something I rarely got as a kid. I was almost jealous that Charli was able to bond so quickly with Rose when I’d struggled my whole life to feel wanted .

It was best for Carina.

It was best for Carina.

It was best for Carina.

I continued the mantra over and over as I watched Rose pick up my daughter and kiss her round face. She bounced the baby on her hip as Charli showed her around the apartment, opening cupboards and giving instructions.

It made me twitchy, but knowing I could watch what was going on in my apartment gave me a bit of reassurance that everything would be fine. Rose wasn’t my biggest fan, but there was no way she would do anything to put her granddaughter in danger. It was a seed of trust planted by my nanny.

The woman who continued digging herself further into my life, making me rethink my stance on relationships and… love ?

I depended on Charli. Respected her. Trusted her. Bathed in her positive energy. She filled my tank when I had nothing left.

It didn’t hurt that she was gorgeous and sexy as fuck without even trying, such a contrast from the women made of plastic and paint trolling Vegas, searching for their next payday in the form of a wealthy man who would tend to their every need. Obviously, Charli took the job because of the money but she was intent on returning to Oasis and earning her own way.

She was a go-getter, and I admired that.

I watched Rose on the screen, still not a hundred percent comfortable with the situation. The longer I watched, the more I realized there was nothing to worry about. Her attention was on Carina, not going through my drawers or snooping in rooms where she didn’t belong.

“Excuse me, sir.” My head snapped up, breaking me from the haze of staring at my daughter and her grandmother.

When I worked here before it was a power trip to be called sir but now it irritated me. Maybe it was that everyone knew I’d been previously fired. Maybe it was my new shitty office. Or maybe it was guilt because the only person I wanted to call me sir was this guy’s sister. Preferably on her knees, blinking up at me with her big blue eyes. “What can I do for you, Tom?”

“Mr. Dorsey would like to see you in his office.” He hitched a thumb over his shoulder.

“I’m Mr. Dorsey,” I said with a straight face.

Tom pushed his glasses up with one finger. “The other Mr. Dorsey.”

I knew who he was talking about but decided to fuck with him anyway. “My father?”

“No, sir.” I had to give it to him, Tom barely cracked. If it weren’t for the slight twitch of his jaw, I’d think he was completely unaffected.

As much fun as this game was, I didn’t enjoy it like I used to. “Listen, Tom, I’m yanking your chain.”

He folded his arms and leaned on the doorframe. “Honestly, I thought you were just being a dick.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Wow! Didn’t realize the snappy one-liners ran in the family. Although Charli has never called me a dick, she’s partial to jerk face.”

His lips tipped up. “If the face fits.”

I chuckled. “You two are definitely related. On a more serious note, don’t call me sir. It makes me feel old and there are too many Mr. Dorseys around here, so Hunter is fine.”

“I was trying to be respectful.”

Tom was actually one of the few people here, besides family, who hadn’t treated me like a pariah when I returned and, considering my current circumstances, it spoke to his integrity. “I appreciate that.”

He edged his way into my office. “So, how is my daredevil sister? I haven’t heard from her recently.”

I leaned back in my rickety chair and folded my hands behind my head. “She’s at the training center, climbing and spinning or whatever it is she does.”

“Damn. I was hoping she’d give it up after her accident, but she’s too damn stubborn. Every time I see her up in the air, it gives me a heart attack, but then she does her thing, and I forget it’s my sister. She truly is amazing. ”

I let out a sigh. Thinking about the risks Charlotte took with her life gave me heart palpitations. “I understand passion. What I don’t understand is her addiction to danger and taking the chance of killing herself.”

Tom tilted his head to the side. “You actually sound like you care.”

“She’s a damn good nanny.”

“That’s it?”

“What else would it be?” The last thing I needed was Tom snooping around in my business too.

“Right,” he said with a nod as he backed out of my office. “Anyway, Trent wants to see you.”

“Tell him I’ll be down in ten minutes.”

I wasted the next few minutes responding to inconsequential emails and checking on my daughter. Trent was trying to pull a power play by sending his lapdog to fetch me. I’d accepted the uneven footing we had, but that didn’t mean I had to run every time he snapped his fingers. I’d get there when I was good and ready.

When I showed up in his office exactly twelve minutes later, I found him staring out the window that overlooked the casino floor. Even in the middle of the day, it was packed with people flirting with Lady Luck. The odds weren't in their favor, but that didn’t stop them from throwing around an exorbitant amount of cash like it was Monopoly money.

“It doesn’t make sense to me,” he finally said. “How can we possibly be losing money?”

I shoved my hands in my pants pockets. “Because dad hired a scam artist to replace me.”

Trent narrowed his eyes at me. “You got proof of that yet?”

I’d been scouring spreadsheets for two weeks and came up with zip. There wasn’t one thing out of order, but that didn’t mean I was wrong. “Not yet, but I will.”

“I hope you do. I’ve never been a fan of Leonard’s. He’s arrogant and walks around here like he owns the place. It pisses me off.”

“Finally, something we can agree on.” Lord knew the list was short.

Trent huffed. “Might be the first time ever. ”

“That why you sent Tom to fetch me or is there something else?” I hated having my time wasted and Trent knew it.

“There’s something else.”

“Is this a guessing game, or are you going to tell me?”

“Hold your fucking horses.” He looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. “Why do I even listen to my wife?”

“Because she carries your balls in her purse,” I deadpanned.

“Fuck off.” Trent opened his desk drawer, pulled out two tickets, and shoved them in my hand. “You’re welcome.”

I stared down at the tickets with confusion. “Rissa Black is playing here?” Tickets were notoriously hard to get and highly coveted.

“Yeah, Gia reached out to her agent and offered her a residency here. She declined the offer but agreed to add a show at Mystique to her tour schedule. One night only. The tickets sold out in minutes. Gia snagged six of them for the front row with backstage passes. It’s going to be Gia and me, Brett and Penny, and you and Charli. If you don’t want them, no big deal.” He reached for the tickets and tried to take them from my hand.

I yanked my hand back and pushed the tickets into my pocket. “What makes you think I’d take Charli?”

“Why wouldn’t you take Charli? You have a girlfriend I don’t know about?”

Trent and I weren’t close growing up. I tried to forge a bond with him when we were teenagers, but the constant rejection was a hard pill to swallow.

I moved on. Went to a different college. Made new friends. Got my own apartment.

Through all of it, I never had a girlfriend. I had friends who were girls. Plenty of dates. Women who I hooked up with.

Never a relationship. No one I trusted enough to keep around for more than a few nights.

“No. No girlfriend.”

Trent threw his hands in the air. “Exactly.” Then he narrowed his eyes and tapped a finger against his lips like I’d seen Gia do. “Wait. Is there a guy friend? I mean, it’s cool if there is… ”

I held out a hand to stop his train of thought from running off the track. “No guy friend. No girlfriend. Just Charli.”

He gave me a smug smirk. “That’s what I thought. We’re going to dinner before the concert if you want to join us.”

“I’ll think about it.” The amount of thought required to decide if I wanted to take Charli to the concert was zero. The amount of thought required to decide if I should take her… was infinite.

She was my employee.

I was her boss.

There were plenty of reasons we shouldn’t be together.

And one really big reason why we should.

At ten minutes to two, I strolled into the conference room and sat next to Gia. She’d become an unexpected ally in my quest to take Leonard down. I wasn’t quite sure why she forgave me so quickly for the atrocities I committed against her, but I didn’t question it. An ally was an ally, and there was no one better than someone who shared my suspicions.

Despite our rocky start when I returned to Mystique, my sister-in-law transformed into somewhat of a cheerleader for me, both professionally and personally.

Weird, but nice.

Leonard strolled in with his cocky attitude seconds before the meeting started, taking the seat on the left side of my father that belonged to me. The sooner he was gone, the better.

I bided my time, not making eye contact with him. I took my standard notes and participated in the meeting as if I were any other head of department. I wasn’t—and technically I shouldn’t have been included in these meetings—but I was grateful my father insisted I attend. It was nepotism at its finest and there wasn’t a damn thing Leonard could do about it .

Twenty minutes into the meeting, a tentative knock came at the door. Teresa, our administrative receptionist, stuck her head into the conference room with an apologetic look on her face. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Dorsey, but there seems to be a problem.”

My father, who hated interruptions, furrowed his brows. “What kind of problem?”

Two female officers pushed their way into the conference room. “We’re looking for Leonard Moroski,” the blond officer said.

My boss spun around in his chair. “I’m Leonard.”

“Mr. Moroski, we’re going to need you to come with us,” the brunette said.

All eyes were on Leonard and his lips flattened into a thin line. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what this is about.”

“That’s fine,” the blond responded. “We can do this right here.” She yanked him by the arm and pushed him up against the wall, roughly pulling his arms behind his back and handcuffing him. “You’re under arrest.”

“Holy shit,” Trent blurted, his gaze focusing on me.

I subtly shook my head with wide eyes. The scene playing out during our meeting had everyone in shock.

Leonard’s face turned bright red. “Under arrest? For what?” he shouted. “This must be a mistake.”

“Sadly, it’s not,” the brunette said as she pushed him back down into the chair. “You’re under arrest for not having enough fun on your birthday.”

Music began to play and both women ripped open their uniform shirts to reveal tiny sequined bikini tops covering their big breasts. One woman began to ride Leonard’s leg in a sexy lap dance, as the other woman tore away her pants revealing a matching thong with her ass cheeks hanging out. She loosened Leonard’s tie and unbuttoned his shirt. The whole thing was completely absurd.

“What the fuck!” my father yelled.

Unfazed, the woman giving the lap dance pushed her pants down her legs and wiggled her ass in Leonard’s face. The other woman lifted his chin with two fingers. “Apparently, Lenny’s been a very bad boy. He refused to take the day off of work on his birthday and go golfing with his buddy. Greg said to tell you if you wouldn’t come out to have fun, he’d bring the fun to you.”

“Oh my god!” Gia gasped. The other employees were trying to have the decency not to watch the spectacle, but how could they not?

“This is ridiculous! Uncuff me right now!”

“And move this show out of my conference room!” my father screamed. “This is a place of business not a strip club.”

“Edward, you have to believe I didn’t know about this,” my frazzled boss pleaded.

“We’ll discuss this later. Take the rest of the day off, Leonard. Enjoy your birthday somewhere else.”

“But, but…”

“Go!” My father pointed at the door.

“Boo! You’re no fun,” the blond complained with a pout as she uncuffed Lenny . The brunette picked up their clothes from the floor, giving the entire room a spectacular view of her ass.

The trio exited the conference room, Leonard looking like a scolded puppy.

The room was bathed in silence, everyone still shocked. “Well, that was unexpected,” someone finally said.

“It’s Vegas,” said Greta, head of housekeeping. She was older than dirt and had worked at Mystique forever. “I’m just disappointed it wasn’t two young bucks instead of those floozies.”

I tried to keep in my laugh, but it bubbled up my chest and escaped, starting a chain reaction. Soon everyone was talking at once and laughing it up, even my father, who ended the meeting when he realized he’d lost control.

Trent turned to Gia and me. “What the hell was that?”

“Apparently, ol’ Lenny boy is a freak.” Gia laughed.

“Completely unprofessional,” I added .

The camera and audio equipment I planted in Leonard’s office hadn’t revealed anything about Mystique’s finances, but they gave me a little nugget of information that was almost as valuable.

Best five hundred bucks I’d ever spent. The look on his face was worth every penny.