Covet Read online

  One of Wade’s team members stood sentry outside the door. His face somber, he nodded at Alex.

  Wade held the door open and Alex walked in, not sure what he expected to see. The smell of fresh paint hit him.

  Someone had defaced the pristine white tilework. A message had been scrawled in enormous red paint letters.

  Alex Markov is a murderer!

  Some of the paint was still dripping, giving the message the appearance of blood. Each letter had to be about ten inches in height and the entire sentence ran across two full walls.

  “It’s fresh,” said Wade. “Whoever did this, he can’t be far.”

  Shannon’s voice sounded in Alex’s head. It’s all your fault.

  He cursed under his breath. “Call someone to clean this mess up.”

  “Alex, no. What we need to do is call the police.”

  “Because some gambler got drunk and decided to deface the washroom? Wade, come on. Don’t waste their time.”

  “This isn’t the work of a drunk. People don’t exactly carry red paint around with them when they hit the casinos. Vice was targeted. You were targeted.”

  “Okay, fine. Maybe this was intentional. Still, no one’s been hurt. As far as I can tell, this is just a case of mischief. You know as well as I do the cops will make a few notes, pat us on the backs, and tell us to install more security cameras.”

  “There aren’t any cameras in the johns, of course, but there are a few outside. I’ve already got someone checking the footage from the ones in the hallway.”

  “Good. Once you see who it was, we can put this to bed.”

  “You’re taking this calmly.”

  “I don’t do hysterical.”

  “Alex, this sounds personal.”

  “Wade, I promise you someone’s just having a laugh at my expense. I’m an easy mark and my name’s been in the papers.” As much as Alex tried to dismiss the message as the work of some inebriated fruitcake, his memory teased a fingernail down his back, making him bristle.

  Murderer!

  He’d almost forgotten about the letter.

  Maybe he needed to be sensible here. “Look, I don’t want to get the security team up in arms, but a letter came for me this week. Anonymous. It said the same thing.”

  Wade’s face darkened. “I need to see it.”

  “Sure. It’s in my office. I kept it, just in case.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I figured it was just some prick getting his jollies.”

  “Yeah, right. Just some prick, huh? I’m glad you kept it. It’s evidence.”

  “Of what?”

  “I can think of at least a dozen things and none of them good. How many of these letters did you get?”

  “Just the one.”

  Wade paced the length of the washroom. “I don’t like this.”

  “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  “It doesn’t matter. It wouldn’t be the first time the owner of Vice was threatened. Back when Liam was here, he got a few strange letters too. At the time, we figured they were from some environmental group who got their noses out of joint because he opened a third hotel instead of turning the land into a community garden. There was a lot of name calling, death threats, that sort of thing.”

  “Nice.”

  “Thankfully, that’s all they were. Threats.”

  “Which is worse than what we have here. No one has threatened me. I’m not in danger.” Alex waved at the paint job. “This is just the work of a sad, lonely troll. You know what people are like.”

  “Still.”

  “Wade, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  Wade’s hum sounded less than convinced. “I can put guards on you twenty-four-seven.”

  “I don’t want to go down that road.”

  “Alex…”

  “I mean it. I don’t need a security detail. We have guards all over the hotel and I’m always here. It’s a non-issue.”

  Wade scowled.

  “I’m taking this seriously, I promise. I just don’t want to make a mountain out of a mole hill.” Alex peered at the painted message, shaking his head. “You’ll let me know if anything comes up on the security cameras?”

  “Yeah. I’d like to see that letter.”

  “Sure.”

  Wade spoke to the guard on duty. Alex then led him back toward his office. Despite wanting to believe the messages were nothing more than the work of trolls, a bead of perspiration dotted his upper lip. In spite of himself, he looked over his shoulder a couple of times.

  He’d been doing that a lot lately.

  The anonymous nature of the messages had him on edge. If someone had an issue with him, he should be man enough to confront him and tell him to his face.

  He tried to think of who might want to rattle him like that but couldn’t think of anyone who might hold that sort of grudge. As far as he knew, the only people who hated him were Shannon’s family, but they’d never been shy about telling him so. They told everyone they could. Subterfuge wasn’t exactly their style. The Deans, however, were in New York, not Nevada.

  No, this was a hater, nothing more, and he’d already wasted too much time worrying about the pathetic loser. Now that Alex knew Liam had dealt with the same sort of deranged shit, it was easier to shelve his initial misgivings.

  All he really wanted right now was to get back to Dana and make sure he hadn’t ruined everything with his “woe is me” routine.

  He liked her. She made him smile. She made him laugh. Not too many people managed that these days.

  Back at his office, Wade examined the letter. “We might be dealing with a real sick fuck. We need to call the police.”

  “I don’t want any bad publicity. I mean it, Wade. I’m sick to death of it.”

  “Alex, if this is the same person, there’s a chance he’s been on the property at least twice now. If that’s the case, not only is he a danger to you, he could be a danger to others.”

  “You’re right.”

  As Wade called the police, Alex texted Dana and let her know he might be a while. Without revealing all the details, he told her there was a situation in the hotel that needed his attention.

  She didn’t text back.

  Maybe she had her phone on mute.

  The police arrived in good time. Alex listened as Wade recounted the details.

  “Mr. Markov,” one of the officers asked, “can you think of anyone who might want to upset you?”

  “Honestly? It could be anyone.” In building his company, he probably had offended numerous people. It came with the territory when one had to make decisions. Could this be the work of a disgruntled contractor or former employee? Somehow, he couldn’t credit any past or present associates with that much hate.

  Only three people in the world hated him. Shannon’s parents and her brother Gordon. They’d all made it abundantly clear. And yet something prevented him from mentioning the Deans by name.

  Wade didn’t share his misplaced loyalty. “Someone needs to talk to the parents of Shannon Dean. A year later, they’re still trying to pin her death on Alex.” Wade sat up. “And don’t forget the paparazzi. They’ve been hanging around. A couple of them are real scummy. I can give you names.”

  Wade provided those details, making sure to spend a few minutes detailing exactly how Bill Patterson had tormented both Alex, as well as Liam in the past. It seemed Patterson didn’t simply stalk the halls at Vice. He’d basically parked himself outside the administrative offices during the period when Liam was being harassed by the environmental group. Patterson had bothered numerous employees at the time, digging for dirt on Liam. Of course, he’d never uncovered anything because there was nothing to uncover.

  It hadn’t stopped him from being a nuisance.

  Alex kept an eye on the office clock. He’d been gone for an hour, if not more.

  There was no way Dana would have waited.

  Pacing his office, Alex almost didn’t hear the p
olice officer when he said they were done. The cops handed them both cards, told them to contact them if anything else happened, and left.

  Alex thanked Wade for his persistence. The men shook hands and Wade returned to his work.

  By the time Alex was making his way back to the club, his dander was up. His shoulders tense, he reminded himself to breathe.

  Whatever was going on, they would get to the bottom of it.

  Rolling his shoulders, he realized he looked forward to seeing Dana even more now.

  When he finally reached the door to Covet, he spotted her right away.

  Two guys were grinding up against her on the dancefloor, sandwiching her. Her eyes were glazed. She barely moved and seemed to be held up by the two men, rather than by the power of her legs.

  As red flashed before Alex’s eyes, he dashed into the crowd and put his hands on both men’s shoulders. “Back off.”

  “Hey, man,” said one of them. “This is our party. Go get your own.”

  His hands curled into fists. “I said, back the fuck off.”

  The men scurried away.

  Dana’s eyes widened, barely, and recognition lit them up. “Alex! You’re here.” She pulled on his arm. “Dance with me.”

  He grabbed her by the arms. “Not right now. Look at me, Dana.”

  She swayed. “I love this song. Do you love this song?”

  “It’s a good song. Is your sister around?”

  “I don’t know. I never found her. Maybe she went outside. Oh! But I met Ron and Dave. They’re such nice guys.”

  “Yeah, real nice. Listen to me. Did Ron and Dave bring you drinks?”

  “Nope. I told you, I’m a big girl. I got my own drinks.”

  At least it didn’t appear she’d been roofied. “I’m taking you back to your suite. Where’s your key card?”

  “In my bag.” She looked at her empty hands. “Wait. Where’s my bag?”

  He extricated it from around her shoulders. “It’s right here. Do you mind if I open it so I can get your key?”

  “Go ahead.” She rested her head on his shoulder and grinned. “There was something I wanted to say to you…oh, yeah! I like you, Alex.”

  “I like you too.”

  “You have a very tight ass. Did anyone ever tell you that?”

  He led her out of the club. “Not lately.”

  “Well, you do and you deserve to know. I would so hit that.”

  “I’m glad, but I think you need to hit your bed right now.”

  “Only if you hit it with me.”

  When her lips curled into a smile of flirtation, he found himself wishing she was sober. “Dana, I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to be honest with me. How many drinks did you have while I was gone?”

  She held up two fingers. “The Golden Oblivions are so much better than the drinks I had in my room.”

  “You drank before as well?”

  “A little. But I think you need to talk to your bar staff. That last one was stronger than the others.” She giggled. “I’m not a very good drunk, am I?”

  As they left, she stumbled. The bouncer at the door stepped forward. “Need some help, Mr. Markov?”

  “No, thanks. I’m good.”

  “You’re so, so good, Alex,” drawled Dana. “You’re the best.”

  When she stumbled again, Alex picked her up. She gave a whoop, like a kid who’d just boarded her first rollercoaster. With her in his arms, he carried her down one of the quieter hallways toward the private elevators for the penthouse level.

  As he got closer to the elevators, she hiccupped. “Oh.” She began to turn green and touched her belly. “That doesn’t feel good.”

  “Hang in there. We’re almost home.”

  At the elevator, he swiped her key card and hurried inside, careful not to knock her feet on the walls.

  When the elevator started moving, the green tinges in her face turned grey. “You’d better put me down. I may have to make a run for it.”

  He gently set her on her feet, cursing the elevator. Even though he knew it wasn’t moving slowly, it seemed to crawl. He reached for her arm to support her but she surprised him by falling into his embrace. He stiffened and then wrapped his arms around her. For some reason, the gesture seemed even more intimate than what they’d done at Covet. “I’ve got you. It’s going to be all right.”

  She smelled so good, fruity and powdery all at once, but he resisted the urge to bury his nose in her hair.

  Alex had known they were crossing a threshold when they entered the private nook at Covet, but this outcome caught him off guard. It had been some time since he’d cared for a woman and he wasn’t sure what to do with the emotions that now hammered his chest.

  She mumbled against his shirt but he couldn’t tell what she was saying. Surely she could hear how hard his heart was beating.

  When they got to the fifth floor, he sighed. “We’re here.”

  Her chest heaved as they left the elevator, but not with the spasms of nausea. She was quietly sobbing.

  “Dana, sweetheart. Are you all right?”

  “No.”

  It was such a small, quiet word, and yet no sound had ever hurt his heart quite so much.

  Whatever she was going through, it cut deeper than he’d ever imagined. She wasn’t just hurt.

  She was devastated.

  Her face was streaked with tears.

  “Hey.” He touched her chin. “Don’t cry. I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

  “I’m not okay.” She sniffed. “I’m defective.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing works inside me. I’m broken.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re just feeling a little sick right now. Come on. Let’s get you to your room.”

  She continued to cry softly as they walked to her suite. What did she mean by saying she was defective? Her strange words put him even more on edge.

  He unlocked her suite and helped her inside. As soon as he turned on the light, she lurched and groaned. Knowing what was coming, Alex followed her as she raced to the bathroom. She dropped to the floor before the toilet, one high heel on and the other falling off, and vomited what looked like a thousand Golden Oblivions.

  Fuck. Just how much had she had? She hadn’t looked anywhere near tipsy when he left her.

  Alex kneeled behind her. With a gentle hand, he pulled her curls back and made a ponytail in his hand. He rested his other hand on her upper back, slowly rubbing. “Let it out. It needs to come out.”

  Her sobs continued between spasms and his guilt skyrocketed. He never should have left her alone.

  Just as he never should have left Shannon alone that night.

  He wouldn’t make that mistake again. Dana needed his help, perhaps in more ways than one.

  I’m broken.

  Her words haunted him and he knew they would keep haunting him until she explained herself. He might not have a right to question her. He barely knew her, but he wanted to know her. This thing may have begun as pure sexual interest, but it was changing, and he wasn’t sure he had the power to stop it.

  She groaned. “Oh, God. I’m disgusting.”

  “No, you’re not.” Vomit or no vomit, she was the furthest thing from disgusting. Even still, Dana was a proud woman. He didn’t think she’d remember this moment fondly.

  Her body calmed. She breathed in and out and eventually grew very still.

  “Better?”

  “Maybe. Not really.”

  “I’m going to get you a washcloth. Just rest.” Keeping an eye on her, Alex stood and reached for a clean washcloth from underneath the vanity, dampening it with warm water. He handed it to her. “Here you go.”

  She took it and wiped her face. She then angled her face toward him. Her beautiful brown eyes pinned him to his spot. When her lip wobbled, he knew he was a goner.

  “I’m sorry.” Her quiet voice insinuated itself into his heart. “I don’t know what came over me.”

&nbs
p; “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not. Would you believe it if I told you this isn’t like me? I don’t drink a lot of alcohol, I really don’t.”

  “I believe it.”

  She touched her forehead with a shaky hand. “My head’s spinning.”

  “I’m sure it is. I’ll help you over to the bed. I’m going to call someone to get your sister.”

  “No.” She moaned. “Not her.”

  “Why not?”

  “She’ll judge me.”

  “Dana, you’re hardly a raging drunk.”

  “It’s not that. I’m just always in control and I feel so weak right now. I don’t want her to lecture me.” Supporting herself on his arm, she kicked off her remaining heel and got to her feet. “Are you going to lecture me?”

  “No. We’ve all been there.”

  “You haven’t been where I am right now.”

  “We all feel weak from time to time. I know I have. We’re all human.”

  She didn’t look convinced as she poked his biceps. “I don’t know. This feels genetically enhanced to me.”

  She was definitely operating under a little buzz and it clearly hadn’t worn off yet. “I promise, I’m all natural.”

  When they made it to the bed, she noticed the sick on the front of her dress. “Shit. I just bought this. It cost a mint.”

  “I’ll send it to dry-cleaning for you. They’ll take care of it.” And if they didn’t, he’d find her a new one. “I can wait outside if you want to change.”

  “No.” She spun and almost fell.

  Alex righted her, pulling her to him. His hand landed on her hip. Her very luscious hip.

  She looked at him, her face full of awe and sadness. “You look like Zeus.”

  “Are you saying I look like an old man?”

  “No, young Zeus. Glorious Zeus. You light up the sky.”

  His voice grew husky. “I think the drink’s just making you see lightning bolts.”

  “Not lightning bolts,” she whispered. “Stars.”

  Alex let out the breath he was holding. He needed to stop this before he lost track of his good sense.

  Steadying her, he removed his hands from her body. Being alone with her in her room, having her in his arms, was too much of a temptation. He wanted Dana, but this wasn’t the way he wanted her.