Page 16 of Cocky Prince
Despite my disinterest in the shy girl, and Jaeg’s obvious claim on her, I found myself searching for her on campus. And that was as far as it went. I never asked who she was, or who her friends were. Never asked Jaeg about his interest in her. Even if Jaeg hadn’t been spending time with her, I would have never gone near a girl like that. She was different from the girls I spent time with back then. She was the real deal. And at sixteen, that scared the shit out of me.
It still does.
A small part of me is happy things didn’t work out between Hayden and Jaeg. Not that I wouldn’t take away the events that had her fleeing town if I could. But even back then, when I was an extremely selfish prick, I would have spared Hayden the pain of dating me. I would have hurt her in the end, and Hayden endured enough bullshit in high school. She didn’t deserve my brand of emotional baggage on top of it.
Things are different now. I’m older. Smarter, I hope. But that just means I know better than to even consider a relationship with her. Like Jaeg pointed out. I feel too much around her. That doesn’t mean I like the idea of her with someone else. Damn her for avoiding my question about whom she’s dating. That ate at me, but I let it go. I have no claim on her. Not then, and not now.
I set the cards down and stare at Cali. “Are you finished grilling me?”
“Yup,” she says cheerily. “Just wanted to make it clear that you need to watch yourself around Hayden, or experience my wrath.”
That was obvious. And not because I’m afraid of a pint-sized Cali, though she is a formidable fireball I don’t wish to piss off. I could never hook up with Hayden. Even I draw the line at going into something, knowing I might hurt someone. I have a history of leaving women behind, and Hayden is the last person I want to cause pain.
Chapter Six
Hayden
Iloadup my tray with a salad, chicken fingers, and a cookie. Some women forgo desserts, but that’s madness. If my sweet tooth doesn’t get quenched once a day, I’m cranky. I accommodate by eating my delectables at noon instead of right before bed. Gives me plenty of time to work it off while running around this crazy casino.
Mira plops a tray in front of mine on one of the cafeteria tables. Her meal is about as sensible as the one I have, minus the salad. Our metabolisms, however, are not the same. Mira has a supermodel’s figure, while I’ve got what some might call an hourglass. Or a pear shape when I’m hard-core PMSing. “What have you found on Blackwell?”
“Nothing,” I grumble.
Mira pauses mid-chew, her cookie dangling from her hand. She eats her desserts first, which I’ve got to admire. “Nothing? It’s been months since Drake was convicted.” She sets her cookie down. “He’s already serving time for the assault and that bullshit money-laundering thing the casino pinned on him. Drake was a bully, but no one gets caught that spectacularly unless they’re a pawn. Someone else is in charge.”
“I know.” I dismiss the healthy food and eye my cookie. Maybe Mira’s got the right of it. Dessert first.
I’ve tried to find something on Blue Casino to take to the police. I’ve scoured every database and file I have access to, which has taken weeks in between working. I’ve even spent my personal time at functions the casino holds, thinking I might catch something. But nothing. Not one darn thing has gone down lately that I could label as suspicious, unless you consider Adam’s promotion. Which I do.
Unfortunately, it’s not illegal to promote someone, just like it isn’t illegal to fire someone for poor performance. Adam’s boss was fired after the file that held information on the suite Mira and Tyler found landed in my hands while the woman was out sick. It’s clear the old hospitality manager got fired for inadvertently leaking information—information that went mysteriously missing from my desk.
On paper, Blue Casino is as clear as the lake it’s named after. But dig deep enough, and there’s a murky center. I just know it.
Like Mira said, it’s hard to believe Drake was the only criminal in this place. Maybe I’m allowing past bullies to tarnish my relationship with the CEO. There are shitty bosses out there who aren’t involved in illegal activities. And I might believe that—if Blackwell wasn’t so adamant about keeping me out of the business he has going on with his Blue Stars, and if Mira and Tyler hadn’t found the suite filled with drugs the casino seemed to be supplying.
“I can’t pin anything on him, and believe me, I’ve tried.” I bite into my cookie. I don’t believe for a minute that the Blue Stars quit what they were doing in that suite just because it was suddenly stripped. And there’s something about these guys getting away with it that really pisses me off. Maybe it’s because I was on the receiving end of people ruining lives—different bullies, same town—but there’s no way I can walk away from this.
I set my half-eaten cookie down. “I can’t find a paper trail. Blackwell and his Blue Star assholes have been extra cautious since Drake Peterson was jailed.”
Mira winces. “I’m glad, in a way. Maybe they’ve cleaned things up?”
I shake my head. “I’ve considered that, but you said they were clearing things out when you and Tyler found the suite, not closing up shop. I’m happy there haven’t been recent reports of assaults and that we haven’t found another suite with drugs, but the casino is hiding something. Why else would Blackwell keep me out of the hiring of new employees? It’s like he’s setting something up he doesn’t want me involved in.”
“You’re right. That is strange.”
“I’ve given up looking internally. Blackwell keeps everything buttoned up around me. I can’t get into his little Blue Star crew, so I’ve started researching his background. Maybe I’ll find something there.”
“Can’t hurt.” Mira takes a bite of her main dish, now that she’s eaten her cookie. She studies my face as if deciding something. “There is one person among Blackwell’s sapphire ring boys you could get close to.”
I take a bite of the chicken finger. Okay, maybe grease is just as good as sugar for a pick-me-up. I swallow the bite in my mouth. “Pretty sure there isn’t. I’ve tried, and not without a good deal of humiliation. Those jackasses who kiss Blackwell’s ass taunt me. They let me know I’m not welcome, all while flirting shamelessly. I’m sure one or more would be game to sleep with me, but I wouldn’t be getting any information out of it. Not that I would ever consider doing something so disgusting.” I shiver at the thought of sleeping with Paul, or any of the men who walk around the casino wearing Blue Star rings.
“I wasn’t referring tothoseguys.” She smiles knowingly.
“Oh no.” The sparkle in her eye should have warning signs. “Don’t even go where I think you’re going.”
“Come on, Hayden. What do you have against Adam? I know you want him.”
I choke on that last bite of chicken. “Want him?I’d rather have my eyebrows shaved than get close to that oily bastard. He’s all charm and good looks, but you can’t trust him.”
