13. Cole

CHAPTER 13

COLE

“ Y our phone is buzzing.”

“Huh?”

Phone? What? It was still dark, and it took Cole a moment to get his bearings. Bella elbowed him in the ribs and then shoved the offending article into his hand. The flashing screen told him two things. Firstly, it was a quarter past four in the morning, and secondly, the duty manager at the Galaxy was calling. It was too damn early for this.

“Yeah? It’s Cole,” he added, just in case a staff member had—hopefully—dialled the wrong number.

“There’s been an accident…” The words were rushed, the voice breathless, but Cole recognised Perry Scott’s Texas twang. He’d worked at the Galaxy for the past twelve years, and he was trying as hard as Cole was to keep the place running, even as he struggled to adapt to the loss of Uncle Mike. “In the parking garage. It’s Lucy McCall.”

Lucy McCall… Lucy McCall… Cole pictured the curvy brunette who worked in the Library. Which was a bar on the second floor—Uncle Mike’s idea of a joke. Men could tell their wives they were going to the library instead of out drin king, and it wouldn’t even be a lie. Anyhow, front of house, Lucy was always smiling, but she looked exhausted whenever Cole saw her in the break room. Fuck. Bella’s arm fell away as he pushed himself up to sitting. He was too tired for this. Too tired and ill-equipped to survive in this world he’d been dragged into.

“A car hit her?”

“She dove between two parked vehicles to get out of the way, but she landed wrong. Her arm’s broken. The bone was…” Cole heard Perry swallow. “The bone was sticking through her skin.”

“Where’s she at now? Didn’t her shift finish at eleven?”

“She’s in the ambulance. Maybe at the hospital by now. We were overrun by bachelor parties tonight, and she volunteered to work extra hours.”

Cole’s mom had always said that life was a balance, and she’d been right. Every time something good happened, the bad rode in to counteract it. Take tonight, for example. Bella was in his bed, but now he had an injured employee and another smear on the Galaxy’s reputation to deal with.

“I’m on my way,” he told Perry.

Except he wasn’t. He was halfway out of bed when he remembered he’d drunk three glasses of wine with dinner, so he wouldn’t be driving anywhere. A DUI would be the frosting on the cake this month.

“What happened?” Bella asked, rolling onto her side to watch him. Damn, she was beautiful. A curtain of shiny brown hair framed delicate features, and when she wasn’t writing, she must have spent time in the gym because she had the body of an athlete.

“An accident at the Galaxy. Do you have the number of a local cab firm? I drank too much to drive.”

“You don’t have an Uber account?”

“Uber isn’t a thing in San Gallicano, and I’ve been driving Uncle Mike’s car since I got here. ”

“Want me to drive? I only had half a glass. It’s not a stick shift, is it?”

“It’s an automatic. You don’t mind?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I did.”

“In that case, I’d be grateful.”

Even with the cast, Bella moved smoothly as she rolled out of bed. Unlike Cole, she hadn’t slept naked. After the second round, she’d put on her panties, and his disappointment that she was covering up was quickly eclipsed when she pulled on one of his T-shirts before she climbed back into his bed. Seeing her like that brought the word “mine” to his lips, and he wasn’t talking about the outfit. But he kept his mouth shut. Bella had made it clear she wasn’t looking for commitment, and he didn’t want to scare her off.

She donned a pair of baggy blue jeans, and rather than switching out his oversized shirt for her own tank top, she just knotted it at her waist. For the first time ever, Cole considered sticking around in Las Vegas long-term.

“Aren’t you getting dressed?” she asked. “I thought we were in a hurry?”

Fuck, he’d been standing there like a fool.

“We are.”

“Where are the keys? I’ll get the car out of the garage.”

Five minutes later, they were on the road. Bella drove the old Prius swiftly but precisely, staying mostly within the speed limit, and she obviously knew the city well because she didn’t turn on the satnav or ask for directions. When they arrived at the Galaxy, it was clear where the problem lay. On the top floor of the parking garage. The flashing red-and-blue lights gave it away.

The parking garage had six floors, and guests had two options. They could either exit via the first floor and enter the Galaxy through the main lobby, or if they had a room card, they could use that to open the door to the fourth- floor skybridge. The sixth floor was reserved for staff use, and employees usually exited via the skybridge and took the elevator or the stairs to their vehicles.

Bella drove up the ramps a little too fast for comfort, but Cole kept his mouth shut because in his experience, women didn’t like to be criticised. Besides, she’d managed to keep the Porsche in one piece, hadn’t she? Its paintwork was pristine. Once she’d parked on the edge of the chaos, Cole jumped out of the car.

“Sir?” a young-looking cop asked, but without an actual question to follow.

Perry was leaning against a car beside a pool of vomit, and Cole made a beeline for him.

“This is Cole Gallagher,” he announced, relief evident in his voice. “He’s the boss.”

Was it possible to resign from your own company?

Cole steeled himself as a tall, forty-something Black man in an ill-fitting suit strode in his direction. Judging by the way everyone moved from his path, he was the guy in charge. A detective?

He offered a hand. “Mr. Gallagher? I’m Lieutenant Hamill.”

They shook, and as Cole looked around the garage, he saw reddish-brown streaks of what appeared to be blood on the concrete parking deck.

“What happened? Perry said one of our employees nearly got run down?”

“From what Ms. McCall was able to tell us before she was taken to the hospital, the vehicle pulled out of a parking slot and drove right at her.”

What?

“Drove right at her? Why the hell would someone do that? Were they drunk?”

“We’re hoping you’ll be able to shed light on that.”

“On whether they were drunk? How would I know? We don’t track every guest from bar to car.” The lieutenant was watching Cole closely. Could the cop smell the alcohol on his breath? “And yes, I’ve had a couple of glasses of wine tonight, but I didn’t drive myself here.”

“I saw you arrive. That your wife? Girlfriend?”

Bella had climbed out of the Prius, and she was leaning on the fender with her bad leg crossed over her good one, watching them. How was he supposed to describe their relationship? Was there a relationship? He could hardly tell the cop she was a three-time hookup.

“She’s just a friend.”

“I see. And I meant that you might know the reason for the incident. After Ms. McCall fell between those cars”—he waved a hand toward the bloodstain—“the driver reversed back to where she was lying and gave her a message.”

Even in the still heat of the parking garage, a shiver ran down Cole’s spine.

“What was the message?”

“That she should tell her boss that this was his second warning, and he’d regret waiting for a third. And—Ms. McCall’s memory is hazy for this part—they’ll get what’s owed to them, no matter how many tricks he plays.”

A second warning? That made no sense. A warning for what?

“I don’t understand.”

“You’re Ms. McCall’s boss?”

“Yes, technically I am, but there hasn’t been any first warning. What tricks? I haven’t played any tricks on anyone.”

“I’m only relaying the message. You said you’re ‘technically’ her boss? What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that I recently inherited this hotel, and I’m just trying to keep everyone in a job.” Cole felt rather than saw Bella hobble closer, and he was grateful for her presence. Even though they’d met less than three weeks ago, it felt as though she was the only person in Vegas who had his back. “My uncle owned the Galaxy, and he died unexpectedly. The place isn’t in good shape, not physically or financially, and I have no managerial experience.”

“I see.” The lieutenant made a note on his phone. “You mentioned the place isn’t in good financial shape—who do you owe money to?”

“Several banks and a host of suppliers. We’re still unpicking the accounting system, but we’ve been making the loan payments.”

The accounts payable clerk had been sick for months, and rather than replacing her or bringing in temporary help, Uncle Mike had tried to do the job himself. The invoices had piled up.

“And the suppliers?” the cop asked.

“We’re behind on some of those payments,” Cole admitted. “If this is about the ‘they’ll get what’s owed to them’ part, I doubt a reputable company would send a man to run down an employee in the parking garage.”

“Did your uncle deal with any disreputable companies? Sorry, but I have to ask.”

Cole thought of the strange guy who’d shown up unannounced in his office. Jimmy. Even during the first visit, when Jimmy had been civil, congenial even, there had been something about him that left Cole uncomfortable. Not just the fact that he was demanding money the Galaxy didn’t have, but the man’s demeanour. Cocky. Used to getting his own way.

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Why the hesitation?”

Shit.

Bella put a hand on his arm. “The guy in the car said it was a message for the boss, right? Is this Lucy’s only job? I only ask because half the people I know have a side hustle these days, and a girl in my writing group was dating this guy who turned out to be a pimp, and— Never mind. Anyhow, you might want to check that out.”

Lieutenant Hamill didn’t look pleased at being told what to do, but he did call Perry over.

“Mr. Scott, how well do you know Ms. McCall?”

“N-n-not that well. I mean…” Perry glanced around and lowered his voice. “I prefer men, and I’d never get involved with a colleague because?—”

“I’m not talking about personal involvement. I need to know if she had another job besides her role at the Galaxy.”

“Oh, sure. She works here Monday through Friday, and on the weekends, she waits tables at the Steel Horse.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“She said the tips are better than she gets here, but there are more fights. If I could give her extra shifts, I would, but we don’t have the budget right now.”

“I see. We’re going to need copies of the recordings from your cameras.”

“I’ll give you whatever we have, but there’s no footage from this floor. The camera malfunctioned, and it’s on the list for replacement.”

“Is your camera supplier one of the payments you’re behind with?”

Probably , Cole thought. “I’ll have to check with accounts payable.”

Hamill huffed and tucked his phone into his pocket. “Mr. Gallagher, I’ll need to speak with you in the morning, but you’re free to leave for now.”

Why the abrupt finish? “Where’s the Steel Horse?”

“If you don’t know, be grateful for that.”

Cole watched alongside Bella as the lieutenant returned to his Ford Explorer and began talking on the radio. What did that mean? Calling for reinforcements? Or did he believe that this Steel Horse was somehow connected to Lucy’s accident? Bella started hobbling back to Uncle Mike’s Prius, and Cole hurried to support her with an arm around the waist.

“I’m not an invalid,” she grumbled, but she didn’t push him away.

“What’s the Steel Horse?” he asked, perching beside her on the hood. She leaned her crutches against the side mirror. “Do you know?”

“The Steel Horse Saloon. It’s a bar in Sunrise, and it’s owned by the Vegas chapter of the Diamondback Devils.” Bella must have recognised his blank look because she elaborated, “It’s a motorcycle club.”

“Like the Hell’s Angels?”

“Yeah, but with hotter members and more guns. And I’m speaking objectively regarding the temperature—I hear their clubhouse has a fully equipped gym.”

“How do you know about stuff like that?”

“Another girl in my writing group has a sister who married a member of the Devils. She was shitting herself when they got serious—my friend, not her sister—but it turns out he’s an asshole to everyone except his wife. He treats her like a queen.”

“You think they’re the type of people who would try to run down a woman in a parking garage?”

“Who knows? But the alternative is that it has something to do with you. Why did you hesitate talking to the detective?”

Cole blew out a breath, watching as crime scene techs took pictures of the area and a couple more cops spoke with staff.

“You remember I mentioned that guy? Jimmy? He made me nervous.”

“He threatened you?”

“Not exactly. It was more his attitude. He sat in my office as if he owned the place, and when I said I wasn’t going to hand over an obscene amount of money without any evidence that it was owed, he said that I’d come around to his way of thinking eventually.”

Bella rolled her eyes. “That was a threat.”

“You think so?”

“Of course it was. He’s not going to come right out and offer to break your legs. He probably figured you had a camera in your office. Do you have a camera in your office?”

“Not in my office, but there are cameras in public areas of the hotel. He would have passed one. You don’t think…?”

“How long do you keep the footage?”

“A month, I think?”

“And how long ago did Jimmy last come here? If he’s going around harming the women in your life, it would be good to know what he looks like so I can get out of the way.”

Cole’s emotions warred within him. Bella admitting that she was in his life and not a fleeting hookup made his heart swell, but the thought of an enemy of his harming her left him cold. Jimmy had visited a month ago, give or take. Fuck. He should have thought about this sooner.

“I can give you a piggyback to the security centre?”

The look she gave him was scathing.

“I can walk.”