Chapter 21

Greyson

I informed the bank that I might be making a withdrawal of one hundred thousand dollars, and then Meek and I returned to The Citrine. My head was on a swivel as we hurried through the front doors and made a beeline straight to the freight elevators. I needed to get to the security room to make sure Luccio Bravo hadn’t shown his face on my property again. I also wanted to discuss the events with my security team to make sure everyone was on guard for his reappearance, and keeping an eye out for the delivery of a check to my office tomorrow afternoon.

Meek was hot on my heels. We drew a couple of stares from the hotel check-in staff and some of the waiters and waitresses in the casino. I didn’t make eye contact with them.

Once we were on the elevators and the doors were closed, I let out an exasperated breath. Meek was still and quiet beside me.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” I said finally as the elevator hit the basement floor and the doors opened up.

“It’s fine. You have a lot on your plate. And you made a good point. You are responsible for everyone here. I am only responsible for you. There is a difference. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt, either.”

I rested a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Words were unnecessary.

We went to the security room where Cameron was still watching the monitors like a hawk. He greeted us with a grunt as he sipped water through a straw. I leaned over and rested my hands on the desk as I peered at all the monitors.

Seeking out a tall blonde man in a black suit was tricky business, especially in a casino with a business center and conference room. There were a lot of men in black suits.

I told Cameron about Luccio Bravo and asked him to keep an eye out and pass the news around to the rest of the security team as soon as possible. I wanted photos of Luccio posted in the security office and staff rooms so that if anyone spotted him, they could avoid him. Meek and I were to be immediately contacted. From there, I would handle the rest.

Cameron agreed with wide eyes, and Meek proceeded to give him further instructions as I resumed my inspection of the cameras.

On the monitor at the bottom right, I spotted Skylar.

All my worries and stress evaporated as I watched her cross the casino. She was walking with purpose to her room, probably going to get her sister. I knew she wanted to spend the day with her. I also knew I had been monopolizing her time.

I shook my head to get her out of my thoughts.

“Meek,” I said. “I want us to be on the floor today. We have the best chance of spotting him.”

“All right,” Meek agreed.

We left Cameron with his new assignment and returned to the casino floor where we took up our watch post near the entrance to the slot machines. Anyone who wanted to gamble or get anywhere else within the casino had to pass this point. It was the most strategic place to put ourselves.

I watched my guests with my arms crossed over my chest, searching for a head of shocking blonde hair above the sea of guests. I didn’t think Luccio was stupid enough to show his face again on the same day, but I wasn’t willing to take the risk. I didn’t want him anywhere near my hotel or my guests, and if I spotted him prowling around, I knew I was going to have a serious temper to deal with. I would take it very personally if he was bold enough to try something on my casino floor.

As I watched, eyes narrowed, jaw tight, I heard my name spoken behind me.

I turned to see an older gentleman. He was dressed in plain brown slacks and a button-up, short-sleeved shirt with palm trees on it. The lenses of his silver-framed glasses were so thick that his eyes were magnified to twice their size. He walked with a cane and shuffled across the floor toward me, extending a spotted hand between us.

“Mr. Kline,” he said. “I imagine you might not remember me.”

I shook his hand and racked my brain. He looked familiar, but not familiar enough for me to place his name. “I apologize, sir. I see a lot of faces every day. Though you do look very familiar to me. How do I know you?”

The man smiled as he shook my hand. His grip was stronger than I expected. “I’m Klaus Weber. My late wife and I spent our fiftieth wedding anniversary at your hotel two years ago. You sat with us over drinks in the bar over there.” He pointed a shaking finger to the bar overlooking the casino floor. “My dear Sophia enjoyed your company thoroughly and had a few too many martinis, if you recall.”

“Sophia.” I grinned. “Yes, I remember. She ordered the side of Maraschino cherries.”

Klaus beamed at me. “Yes, yes she did.”

“I am sorry to hear that she is no longer with us,” I said, feeling an ache in my heart as Klaus’s smile faltered. “Listen, I have a spare moment. What do you say you and I get a round of martinis in her memory?”

Klaus smiled again and nodded eagerly. “I would like that very much, Mr. Kline.”

“Very well,” I said, falling into step beside him. I glanced at Meek. “Keep your eyes open. My phone is on. Call me if you see anything, all right? Anything.”

Meek nodded.

Klaus and I found a seat at the bar in the corner where it was quieter. I ordered us a round of martinis and some appetizers. Klaus made himself comfortable, which took a while. He shifted in his seat for several minutes before he settled on a comfortable position. His cane was propped up against the wall behind him, and his eyes flicked back and forth between mine as he regarded me.

“You look the same as you did the last time we met,” Klaus said. “My dear Sophia would have been pleased to see you again. She spoke very highly of you. She wished we had a granddaughter to introduce you to.”

I laughed. “Don’t embarrass me, Klaus.”

Klaus smiled wistfully and shook his head. “I suspect you are a difficult man to embarrass. I am happy to see you again. I wasn’t sure if I would run into you. A man running a casino must be busy.”

“I can prioritize,” I said, taking a sip of my drink. “Time with guests is more fun than business meetings, anyway.”

“You said the same thing last time we met.”

“Because I mean it,” I said, lifting my glass in a toast. Klaus raised his as well, and we tapped the glasses together. “To Sophia, who I can remember vividly now. She wore earrings the size of my fist, if I recall.”

Klaus nodded. “Yes. That, she did.”

I leaned forward intently. “May I ask you something, Klaus?”

Klaus nodded and sipped his drink. His eyes watched my mouth as I spoke, and I began to wonder how poor his hearing was. He was wearing hearing aids, as he had been the first time I met him and his wife. They had been sitting at a table on the other side of the bar from where we sat now. A pianist was playing, and Klaus had gotten unsteadily to his feet, pulled Sophia up with him, and they proceeded to do the waltz in the middle of the bar.

The end of the dance had earned them a smattering of applause, and I hadn’t been able to stay away. I approached their table, ordered us all drinks, and spent the entire evening basking in their company. Their love had been the realest thing I had ever seen.

“Why did you come back to my casino?” I asked. I wanted to ask him why he came by himself. The thought of returning to a place that had memories of him and his wife confused me. I could only imagine the pain he was feeling at his loss.

“It is a happy place to be, Mr. Kline,” Klaus said. “I have some very fond memories of this place. Sophia and I never expected to enjoy Las Vegas the way we did. You were a very bright light on that trip for us. You treated us so kindly. Sophia said that you would never change. I wanted to come to see if she was right. And, of course, she was. My Sophia was smarter than anyone I have ever known.”

I stared at my martini. For the first time in a long time, I was having a hard time keeping my emotions under control.

“Please do not feel sorry for me, Mr. Kline,” Klaus said.

I looked up at him.

“I had fifty two years with my wife. There isn’t anything more a man can ask for than that. More than half a century with the woman he loves. I devoted my life to making her happy. Even though I miss her every day, I know that what we had can’t be touched by death. I will spend my remaining years remembering her and missing her until I am reunited with her.”

I swallowed and cleared my throat. “I hope I can find something like that with someone one day.”

“It happens when you least expect it,” Klaus said. “Sophia was my best friend’s sister growing up. She was right under my nose my whole teenage life. We only ended up going on a date because the guy she was seeing stood her up, and I happened to be picking up takeout from the same restaurant. I saw her sitting by herself and sat down across from her. And then, the rest was history.”

A series of thoughts raced through my head as I watched Klaus take another sip of his martini. First, I knew I wanted to have a love like his. One that lasted a lifetime. One that two people fought for and committed to and made work.

Second, I knew I wanted to ensure he had a good time in my casino again. He was alone, and I didn’t want him to feel lonely.

Third, I knew I wanted to spend my life making someone else happy. I had spent the last two days doing just that, and I had never felt better. Skylar was special. I had known it the second I spoke to her. I was certain that she could be my Sophia.

“What room are you in, Klaus?” I asked.

Klaus chuckled. “You are asking a very old man to remember a number. It is not going to happen, Mr. Kline.”

“Please, call me Greyson. It will say on your room key.”

Klaus fished around in his pocket and pulled out his gold room key. He squinted at it and read the number aloud. “Twenty seventy-seven.”

“Consider your entire trip paid for,” I said. “I will have my staff apply a credit to your account to cover the cost of the room. You will be reimbursed for what you have spent. Anything you purchase or do in this casino will be free. Just have them scan your card.”

“Mr. Kline, no. That is far too much—”

“It’s Greyson,” I said. “And I insist. It’s my way of thanking you for the kindness you’ve shown me. To be remembered the way you have remembered me, this is the best part of my job.”

Klaus smiled. “I do so wish I had a granddaughter for you, Greyson.”

I threw my head back and laughed. Klaus laughed with me. It felt good to forget my troubles for a while and sit with an old friend. I ordered us another round, and we sat for another two hours while he told me stories about his wife and their marriage.

All the while, I thought about Skylar.