The Presidential suite was second only to Reno and Trina’s luxurious penthouse apartment at the PaLargio, and Alex and Kari were the guests of honor inside that suite.  But what was to be a wonderful day in Vegas, and a wonderful night in that very suite, turned out to be a nightmare.

Alex had been on the phone since they returned from the crime scene, as he paced the floor ordering his security team to get a detail to Vegas, and to find out everything they could about that planned attack.  He was also calling contacts he knew in the underworld, to find out if they’d heard anything too.  But so far, he was turning up blanks.

Kari was on the sofa, with Trina sitting beside her with her arm around her.  Trina knew exactly how she felt.  She’d been in so many ambushes with Reno, and the kind of close calls that still gave her chills, that she could write a book.  But right now, she just wanted to make sure Kari was okay.

“I’m okay,” Kari said to Trina for what felt like the tenth time.  “I’m still a little antsy, that’s all.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through it,” Trina said.  “Especially with Alex.  I never knew he . . .”

“Had that kind of background?” Kari asked her.

Trina nodded.  “Yeah.  He’s a businessman.  That’s all I knew him to be.  I mean, I heard that his family in Greece might have some dealings, but I never thought he had that in him too.  That he was one of them.”

“He’s not,” Kari said.  Alex had told her that he had been very much involved in his family’s business back in Greece, but that he gave it all up after he relocated to the States.  She assumed, at the time, that he had told her that very personal info in confidence.  And although she liked Trina very much, and was looking forward to getting to know her better, she wasn’t going to go into details about what she’d been told.

But Trina shared with her, and in that moment changed their relationship.

“I hear what you’re saying,” Trina said.  “You’re saying he’s not involved in his family business, but he is involved in it too.  I know how it goes.  It’s just like my husband.  His father’s enemies became his enemies.  His father’s business became his burden.  And is to this day.  Trust me, I know.”

Kari was shocked.  Was Reno Gabrini, the owner of the famed PaLargio Hotel and Casino, connected to the mob?  Was that what she was telling her?

Trina smiled when she saw Kari’s reaction.  “You didn’t know,” she said.  “Didn’t you?”

Kari shook her head.  “No, I didn’t.”

“Not even a quick Google search?” Trina asked.

“Not even that.  I didn’t think there would be anything to find out.  He owned the PaLargio.  That, I thought, spoke for itself.”

Trina nodded.  “And for the most part, it does.  But people have pasts.  Sometimes we can live them down, like you and me.  Sometimes we can’t, like my husband and your man.”

Then the door to the suite was opened, and Reno walked in.

“Speaking of the devil,” Trina said with a smile.

“I love your ass too,” Reno responded.

“I’ll call you back,” Alex said to the person on the phone, and ended the call.  He looked at Reno.  “Found out anything?” he asked.

“This is my town,” Reno said.  “It happened in my town.  What do you think?  Have a seat,” he said, as Alex sat in the chair.  Reno took the seat beside Kari and his wife.

“What did you find out?” Alex asked.

“First of all,” Reno said, “where the fuck is your security?”

Kari looked at Alex.  She knew how badly he already felt about that oversight.  Alex crossed his legs.

“I mean, come on now,” Reno continued.  “You can’t make that kind of mistake.  Not when you’ve got a woman now.  Not when you just lived through that ambush in Florida.”

Kari was shocked.  “An ambush?” she asked.  “There was another attack, Alex?”

Alex had no intention of Kari ever finding out.  But that cat was loose now.  “Yes,” he said.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“There was nothing to tell,” Alex said.  “I defused the situation.”

“Like hell you did,” Reno said.  “You took out Vito Visconni--”

Kari was surprised.  “Vito?” she asked.

Now Trina was surprised.  “You know this Vito person?”

“Yes.  I used to live with him.  What about Vito?” she asked Alex.

“He’s the one I was told had hired guys to ambush me.  And I had to take care of that.”

Kari fully understood.  They could have taken Vito out even before then, but he was suffering and they decided to let him suffer.  He was begging to die then.  He didn’t give a damn about getting revenge.  He just wanted to die.  What changed?

“After you took care of that,” Reno said, “my sources are telling me that his uncle didn’t take too kindly to the way you took care of that.”

“His uncle?” Kari asked.  “What uncle?”

“His uncle,” Reno said.  “Wise guys have uncles.  Some are related to them by blood.  Some are related to them by other means.  His uncle.”

“Did your sources say where this uncle could be located?” Alex asked.

“Yes,” Reno said.

As soon as Reno spoke that word, Alex rose to his feet.

“Alex?” Kari said, rising too.  This prompted Trina and Reno to stand as well.

“Where is he?” Alex asked.

“I’ll tell you where,” Reno said, “if I go with you.”

“No,” Alex said.  “I work alone.  Where is he?”

Reno stared at Alex.  A man had to do what a man had to do.  “You’ll need more firepower than I’m sure your ass brought with you.”

“I might have left security at home,” Alex said, “but I didn’t leave my protection.  Give me the address, and I’ll take it from there.”

“There’s no address.  This crazy fuck lives in the woods.  But I can draw you a map.”

“That’ll work,” Alex said, and Reno went over to the bar counter with pad and pen.

But Alex looked at Kari.  His eyes, she thought, were hard and soft at the same time.  It was as if he was telling her, with those eyes, that everything would be alright, but only if he made it so.  And then he followed Reno.

Trina looked at Kari.  She knew what it felt like to stay back while your man went away to war, as it were.  But when Kari returned her gaze, and Trina could see the unshed tears in her bright, brown eyes, she put her arm around her.

“He’s beating himself up enough over this,” Kari said in a voice Alex nor Reno could hear.  “I don’t want him to see me this way.”

Trina’s heart went out to her.  She was falling hard for Alex.  “Come on,” Trina said, took the younger woman in her arms, and escorted her toward the balcony.

But when Alex saw them heading that way, he stopped them.  “Kari?” he asked.  “Where are you going?”

“She’s okay,” Trina said.  “We’re just getting some air.”

“Is it safe?” Alex asked anxiously.

“Is it safe?” Reno asked.

“This is the PaLargio, Alex,” Trina said.  “Reno runs this place like it’s Fort Knox.  There’s no sharpshooters waiting to mow us down this high up.  Trust, okay?”

Alex exhaled.  He wanted to make eye contact with Kari, but Trina had her well buried within her bosom like some mother hen.  Since he knew Kari undoubtedly needed that comfort, especially from somebody like Trina who understood turmoil, he didn’t interfere.  And Trina and Kari went outside.

Once outside, Trina sat Kari on the leather couch away from the sliding glass door and Alex’s view, and sat down beside her.  She kept her arm around her.  And it was only then did Kari shed a tear.

“I’m sorry,” Kari said.  “But it can be difficult sometimes.”

“I know,” Trina said, wiping Kari’s tear away.  “You think you’ve met the man of your dreams, only to find out he comes with an occasional nightmare too.”

“But Alex is wonderful.  I’ve never met a man like him.  And the way he treats me, oh, Trina.  It’s far and above the way anybody’s ever treated me.”

“But?”

“But that occasional nightmare you mentioned,” Kari said, “is because of me.  It’s my ex-boyfriend that caused all of this.  It’s my poor choices that led him to have to risk his life over and over.  He’s no gangster.  He was out of that life.  But I--”

“But you nothing, Kari,” Trina said firmly.  “And don’t think for a second the gangster life is something you can put down like a bad suit and never have to pick up again. Truth is, he’s going to always have to pick it up.  Tonight, it might be because of your ex.  Tomorrow night, it might be because of his ex.  The night after that, it could be because of some enemy he doesn’t even remember.  Whatever the reason, it’s all the same.  And trust me, nine times out of ten, it’s going to be about him and his past, not you and yours.”

Kari understood what Trina was saying, but still!  “I should be used to upheaval,” Kari said.  “I’ve been around crooks and gangsters all my life.  Beginning with my own father.  But this is on a different level, Trina.  That was child’s play compared to this.”

Trina smiled.  She remembered feeling that same way early in her relationship with Reno.  “And that will always be nothing but the truth,” she said.  “But what it means is that there’s only two questions to answer.”

Kari looked at the older woman.  “What?” she asked.

“Is he worth it, number one,” Trina said.  “And are you worth it, number two.”

“Yes, he’s worth it,” Kari could easily answer.  “Am I worth it?  You mean to him?”

“Are you going to be able to handle the hell days, that’s what I mean,” Trina said.  “Do you have what it takes?  When the shit hits the fan, and it’s fight or flight, are you going to stay and fight, or turn tail and run?  Are you up for the danger, the challenge, and the monumental rewards?  That’s what I mean.”

Kari thought about it, but it really wasn’t close.  “If it means I’ll have Alex?” she asked.  “Hell yeah!”

Trina smiled, and then laughed, and then hugged Kari vigorously.  “I knew you was down,” she said.  “No shade, but I knew it when I first saw you!  I said to myself, now this sister right here got game.  Oh, yeah, she’s been around that block a time or two.  Just like me.  Ain’t no shrinking violet nowhere in her!”

Kari smiled too, and despite the craziness she’d just endured, and the craziness Alex had yet to endure, she couldn’t help but laugh.