Chapter Four Brigit

CHAPTER FOUR: brIGIT

Seeing Wildcard shot down spurs me into action. Shit! Two shootings in one day? What are the odds? Ignoring the calls of the prospect, I speed walk back to the cab and climb into the back seat.

"Was that a gunshot?" he asks when I close the door.

"We should go," I tell him.

He nods and slams the car into gear. He does a 180 instead of driving past the clubhouse gates. "Where to?"

I have no idea. I'm shaking. All I can see is the image of that man shooting Wildcard. Why?

"Mommy, what's wrong?" asks my son, Colt, as he puts his hand on my arm.

Fuck. I have to be strong for him. "Nothing, sweetie, just need to find a place to stay."

"Do you have a place in mind?" the driver asks.

"Any hotel not owned by the mafia?" I ask.

He chuckles like I was making a joke. Granted, I made the statement with a bit of tongue-in-cheek, but my reality right now is that I need to stay away from any place that might make it easier for Misha to find me.

"I know the perfect place," he assures me. We return to The Strip.

"Look at all the motorcycles, mommy!" Colt calls out, bouncing in his seat as he stares out the window. Rows upon rows of motorcycles fill the parking lot of a sleek hotel and casino. Lights above the entrance flash the words ‘Ride or Die' above the name; The 1%, Hotel and Casino.' The hotel looks new and I know it wasn't here when I lived in Vegas.

"What is this place?" I ask the cabbie.

"It's owned by the Demon Dawgs. They built it soon after their new President, Puma, took over. He's a former NBA player, Maklin Brooks. Maybe you've heard of him. No? Doesn't matter. He knows how to draw a crowd. This is the most popular casino in Vegas."

"It's a biker casino," I muse. "Is it dangerous?"

He laughs. "Not more dangerous than going to their clubhouse." My heart hurts at the memory of seeing Wildcard shot. I can't break down. Not yet. I need to get Colt and myself somewhere safe. I'm not sure a casino built and run by bikers is safe. "But seriously, it may look intimidating, but it's safer than any other casino on the strip. The Demon Dawgs have more security and they're fanatic about safety. I promise you that if I were going to bring my family to stay at a hotel, this is the one I'd pick."

I glance at the man to gauge his honesty and I can see that he means what he's saying. I glance back at the hotel and bite my lip as I consider my choice.

"Do they have a pool?" Colt asks the cabbie.

"They do. It's pretty awesome. They have an entire area just for kids to play. They have a team of attendants who have gone through vigorous training and background checks. I know because my sister is one of them."

"Can we stay here, mommy? Can we? Please?" Colt begs, and I smile at his enthusiasm. Two motorcycles pull up near the cab, pulling his attention away. A striking woman with long blonde hair climbs off the back of one. She's laughing as she leans over to kiss the man.

I'm teetering on the edge of saying yes when the cabbie speaks quietly.

"Not sure what you're running from," he says, glancing at Colt to make sure he's paying more attention to the newcomers than us. "But they take care of women here. Trust me. I'll take you to the front desk and help you get settled in. They'll make sure no one can find you."

I glance at him with hope, and he gives me a nod of assurance. "If anyone asks me about you, I won't talk, either. As far as anyone is concerned, I dropped my fare off at the clubhouse. You're safe here."

"Thank you," I whisper as I reach into my wallet to pay the fare.

"You already paid me. Now, let's get you inside."

Taking Colt's hand, I crawl out of the cab and follow my driver inside. We're behind the couple with the motorcycle. He's wearing a kutte that has an image of a shadowy figure resembling the Grim Reaper riding on a motorcycle. The name of the club is ‘Shadow Borns' and the rocker under the logo reads Las Vegas. Huh, I don't remember Vegas having another club. Squiggy didn't like competition. But my knowledge of biker clubs is not extensive. Preacher kept me away from the club.

The cabbie leads me to the registration desk while the couple veers towards a man standing off to the side. The man continuously scans the surrounding activity. His mannerisms remind me of Mike Perry, my late boss. He, too, kept his head on a swivel in the hotel. He was always looking for an anomaly that could show a problem.

"Jason, how are you doing?" the woman behind the counter asks my driver with a friendly smile. "I see you brought us another guest. Maybe the casino should put you on retainer."

My heart sinks as I wonder if maybe all that he's said about the casino being safe was just a sales job.

"I'm good, Becky. I brought a guest of Alisa's."

Becky's expression shifts from joking to concerned. She gives me and Colt a bright smile full of compassion. "Don't worry about a thing. We'll take care of you, I promise."

I glance at the cabbie, Jason, and he gives me a nod. "See, you're all set. Becky will look out for you. If you need anything, just call me." He hands me a business card before turning away. I spot the man and woman from the motorcycle waylay him. The man glances at me, but his eyes widen when he looks at Colt. I pull my son closer to me just as Becky grabs my attention.

"Here is the key to your room. I put you in a two-bedroom suite. If you need anything like food, clothes, or amenities, just call me. I'll have someone bring them up to you. Serena will take you to your room. That floor is empty and the only people with access work for the hotel. However, if you need assistance, call security and someone will be at your door in seconds."

I take out the credit card Wildcard gave me and hope that the credit line is large enough. "I don't know if this will work, maybe I should take a cheaper room…"

Becky holds her hand up. "No, we don't need a card. We'll take care of it later, and I promise, we won't charge you for the upgrade or for anything you order."

I feel the emotion building into tears and garble out a thank you before a young woman wearing a kutte grabs my bags and leads us toward the elevators.

"I'm Serena. I'll take you to your room and get you settled. You are safe here. I promise."

I follow Serena and notice that her kutte differs from the others. It has the logo for the hotel on it, a giant 1% symbol, with Las Vegas on the bottom rocker. The top rocker has ‘Hotel and Casino' instead of the club's name. I spot others with similar kuttes and realize that they must be part of the employee uniform. She leads us past the large bank of elevators to a smaller set. "These elevators are reserved for the suites. None of the other elevators can reach these floors. Place your card against the reader there," she points to it, and I hold the keycard for the room against it. The light flashes just before the doors open.

"You have this floor to yourself right now. The other three suites are empty." Serena explains as we exit the elevator to a hallway that curves away from us on both sides. We follow the curve until she stops in front of a door and waits for me to hold the card up to the reader. I gasp when I see the room. We're standing in a curved living area with a massive couch lined up under the windows. There is additional seating and a massive television against the wall. A small kitchenette sits to my left. It has a microwave, a two-burner mini stove, a mid-sized refrigerator, a sink, and lots of counter space. "The bedrooms are down to your right, along with two bathrooms. If you need anything, just use the phone there. Someone will bring up whatever you need. There are several menus for our restaurants."

"Thank you," I say, pulling out a few dollars and pressing them into her hand.

"You two have a good evening."

Once the door closes behind her, I take a deep breath. My mind goes straight to the sight of Wildcard falling backwards.

"Mommy, I'm hungry." Colt breaks through my thoughts.

Brushing aside the single tear that escaped, I focus on my son. Dinner and then bed. Once he's asleep, I'll allow myself the chance to grieve.

"What are you hungry for?" I ask Colt, forcing a brightness into my tone. "They have hamburgers, chicken tenders, spaghetti, Mac and Cheese, pizza…"

"Pizza!" Colt shouts, making me laugh. God, I need his enthusiasm and light today.

I order the pizza, along with soda and a bottle of wine. I debate about getting two bottles, even though I don't want to get drunk. Well, that's not true. I want to get drunk, but I can't. I don't think Misha will catch up with me tonight, but I can't take the chance.

We eat while watching Buzz Lightyear for probably the tenth time. Colt loves the movie, but for me, it's just white noise. I'm not sure of my next steps. Wildcard was my hope. Now I don't know if he's alive or dead. Only that he can't help me. I know it's selfish of me to think that way, but I've got to think of Colt first and foremost. Always.

When all that's left of the pizza is crust and the credits play, I hustle Colt off to get ready for bed. While he takes a shower and brushes his teeth, I pull out my iPad. I know he'll want to read. However, I take a minute to check the news coming out of Boston. I immediately wish I hadn't. The lead story chokes me with fear.

"The police are looking for Brigit Jones, the HR Manager for the Sunset Hotel. Ms. Jones is the primary suspect in the murder of the hotel manager, Michael Perry. She was last seen fleeing the scene…"