Page 31 of Can't Win 'Em All
I waited, but he didn’t say anything else. “I need to drop this stuff off in my suite.” I was giving him an out. “Then I have to get to work. I’ll get out of your way.”
“You’re not in my way.” His voice was low. “I just … I don’t know what to do.”
“It’s okay.” I meant it. “I can do this alone. I’m not pressuring you.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if I want that.”
“Well … you have time. Just because I’m reading books and buying stuff, that doesn’t mean you have to do the same. I’m a planner. It’s who I am.”
“Yeah.” He made a growling sound. “I won’t leave you hanging for long.”
“Okay.” I refused to start crying even though, for some odd reason, that’s exactly what I wanted to do. “You know where to find me.” I kept my shoulders squared for the walk to the elevator. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time.
It wasn’t until I was in the elevator, the door safely shut, that I allowed my shoulders to slump. This was harder than I thought it was going to be. When I gave Rex time to think things through, it had been the correct thing to do. I just didn’t realize how torturous it was going to be for me.
I was still lost in thought when I let myself into my suite. That’s why I didn’t initially realize that the door hadn’t fallen shut behind me. It wasn’t until I heard footsteps on the floor, even though I wasn’t moving, that I understood I wasn’t alone.
My first reaction was fear. Vegas wasn’t known for being a safe city. We had security guards everywhere, but our crime statistics weren’t good. Theft was our biggest problem. Pickpockets mostly. That didn’t mean violent crimes weren’t something to fear, though.
When I turned, my first thought was to find a weapon. I didn’t keep much in the living room, but if I could get to the kitchen, there was a big block of knives on the counter. My plan fled when I realized it wasn’t some random robber coming toward me. No, it was something worse.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded of my father as he stalked to the middle of the living room. “Didn’t you read the ‘losers need not knock’ sign on the door?”
My father had never found my biting sarcasm funny. Obviously, that wasn’t going to change today. “I want to talk about your mother,” he replied. There wasn’t even a hint of a smile on his face. That wasn’t unusual in recent months. Sure, he faked a smile when he thought he could manipulate us. The real deal had been in hibernation ever since my mother ousted him from the company he got his ego boost from running, however.
“If you have a problem with Mom, then you should take it up with her.” I threw the shopping bag on the couch. “I have nothing to talk about with you.”
“Well, I believe otherwise.” He clenched his hands into fists at his side as he took a menacing step toward me. “You’re going to get with the program, Ruby. I’m sick of you guys stonewalling me. This is my company, and I’m taking it back.”
The laugh that ripped out of my throat was harsh. “You’re not taking anything back. In fact, you’re not welcome here. You need to get out of my room.”
Dad looked haughty. “Oh, and I suppose you’re going to make me, huh?”
I didn’t have time to respond. The door, which hadn’t latched properly behind him, flew open to reveal a seething Rex. My father, while fit for his age, was no match for Rex’s hulking form.
“I believe that falls under my job description,” Rex said dourly.
Dad almost came out of his skin when he saw Rex. “What do you think you’re doing here? Also … who even called you? I’m not doing anything. I’m just having a simple conversation with my daughter.”
“Right.” Rex wasn’t an idiot. There was fury coursing through him, and for some reason, it made him even hotter than normal. “Do you want him here?” he asked me.
I shook my head. “No. He wasn’t on the guest list for the day.”
“That means you’re going.” Rex glared down my father. “You can leave under your own power, or I can remove you from the premises. Those are your only options.”
Dad’s laugh was hollow. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Fine.” Rex was blasé. “Remember, though, you asked for it.”
9
NINE
I’d never felt so much rage before. Ryder had never been my favorite person—not by a long shot—but hearing Ruby’s voice when she ordered him out of her suite was enough to get my blood boiling.
I didn’t know why I’d followed her. She hadn’t been pushy on the casino floor. There had been something so sad about the way she regarded me, however, that I couldn’t let it go. I didn’t want her sad. I most certainly didn’t want Ryder abusing her—verbal or otherwise. Now, staring down at the man, my fists wanted to fly. It was as if they had minds of their own.
“I’m the one who got you this job,” Ryder snapped, his temper flashing. He wasn’t bigger than me physically. For years, he’d been the big boss, though. That had allowed him to feel more important than he really was.
