Page 13 of Don't Bet On It
Ryder’s eyes went wide with innocence. “I don’t know who told you that, but they were mistaken.” He puffed himself out. “I’m in charge. This is my casino.”
Tallulah and I snorted in unison.
“Last time I checked, you didn’t even have a seat on the board any longer,” Tallulah shot back.
“Well, you’ve been lied to.” Ryder’s tone was grave. “I don’t know who told you that—I can assure you they’ll get a strong talking-to and an official reprimand in their file—but it’s untrue.” He unleashed what he likely thought was a charming smile. “I’m back, and I’m going to be taking back the reins of my company.”
Tallulah rolled her eyes. “You’re going to give Zach a formal reprimand?”
Ryder was caught off guard. “Zach who?” he asked evasively.
“Your son,” Tallulah replied, not missing a beat.
Ryder’s eyes narrowed. “Wait.” He examined her. “I know you.” His upper lip curved into a sneer. “You’re friends with that manipulative witch my son married.” He straightened. “You have no say here. I don’t even know why you’re in this hallway, in fact. You don’t work here.”
Tallulah grinned. “I do now.”
“No.” Ryder vehemently shook his head. “I never agreed to that.”
“Well, then I guess it’s good you don’t have a choice in the matter.” Tallulah linked her arm through Ryder’s in a wholly unfriendly manner. “Why don’t I show you to the exit?”
“That’s where I was trying to go.” Ryder started toward the door that led to the casino floor, but Tallulah tugged him back.
“No.” She clucked her tongue. “I was talking about the back exit.” She pointed down the hallway. At the far end, an external exit led to the parking garage.
“I’m not leaving.” Ryder was firm. “You can’t make me.”
I opened my mouth to suggest calling Rex—if anybody could handle this problem, he could—but voices exiting a storage room caught my attention to my right.
“As you can see, we’re a well-oiled machine here at Stone Casino,” Ruby Stone announced in her tour guide voice. “If you want to invest in a casino, this is the one you should invest in. We have grand plans for an amphitheater and additional parking. We’ve already secured the property. By the time we’re finished, Stone Casino is going to be the biggest and best casino on the Strip.”
That was her saleswoman voice. I recognized it. Ruby was all sarcasm and snark … unless she was trying to sell something.I knew, thanks to gossip running rampant through the casino, that Stone Group—the company that owned Stone Casino—was looking for investors for its next big project. Ryder had left his family in something of a financial bind, thanks to his embezzlement.
The investors were important, and Ruby was giving a group of them a casino tour. The last thing she needed—the last thing any of us needed—was Ryder making a scene. I opened my mouth and glanced at Tallulah. Now was not the time to fight with her. We needed to work together.
She was already two steps ahead of me. That was how she’d always been. She was smart and thought on her feet better than most anybody I knew. “Storage room,” she blurted, angling her head toward the door five feet in front of us.
I didn’t hesitate. It was our only option. I grabbed Ryder’s other arm, and together, we muscled him toward the door.
“What are you doing?” Ryder sputtered, his voice ratcheting up a notch. “Stop it!” He slapped at Tallulah’s hand.
I put my muscles into it and shoved with everything I had. Somehow—I’m not quite sure how—we managed to get him through the door and into the storage room. It was a huge space and had table linens and bedding in bins as far as the eye could see. I shoved harder when Ryder tried to fight me and claw his way back toward the door.
Tallulah, clearly realizing that Ryder was going to start yelling, slapped one of her hands over his mouth. I grabbed the hand Ryder aimed at her in an attempt to free himself, and we managed to get him to the far end of the storage room. There, we covered his mouth and held him tight.
“How long do you think they’re going to be out there?” Tallulah asked after several minutes. She looked worried.
I was right there with her. “We can’t risk letting him go.”
“If I’m late for work, my boss is going to give me a hard time.”
I was expected on the casino floor in less than five minutes. I could explain myself to Rex—he would, without a doubt, thank me—but I didn’t want to go that route. “Look for something to tie him up with.”
Tallulah’s eyebrows practically flew off her forehead. “Are you being serious?”
“Do you have a better idea?” I was matter of fact. “We can tie him up, and I can tell Rex what is going on when I get back to the casino floor. I think it’s our only move.”
Ryder tried to argue with me through Tallulah’s hand, but all that came out was a muffled series of sounds.
