Chances (Mystic Nights #1) (11 page)

“Still at it?” Joseph was just as tall as he. He stood in the doorframe filling it. He was larger, worked out more than Jonathan had the time for. His suit masked his tattoos. Most of them, anyhow. He too looked the professional in every sense of the word while at work.

He nodded. “We have to figure out where the money is going. Millions are missing.”

Joseph walked further into the room. He sat beside his brother who looked exhausted, had dark circles under his eyes, and picked up another stack of print outs.

Just then both Dawn and Eve, his sisters, came in. Dawn was a good six inches taller than her younger sister by one minute. They were not identical, but each beautiful in their own way.

Dawn had long brown hair, like Tawny’s, while Eve’s was darker, almost black, like his and Joseph’s. She was curvier too than her leaner sister. She must take after their father’s side of the family they had assumed as children. She looked like none of the women on his mother’s side. But Dawn was almost his mother’s mirror image.

The girls were laughing as they walked in, but stopped dead in their tracks when they found their two brothers hunched over a massive mound of papers. They were there to invite them to dinner. It had been awhile since they had spent any time together, though when their mother was around that rarely happened. Both of the girls still lived at home with their mother and they saw each other every day at the hotel, but it wasn’t the same as having a family gathering which was mandatory at least twice a week with Tawny.

Joseph explained what they were looking at and Jonathan shook his head at having dinner. He still hoped to see Aliya, but kept it to himself. Announcing that would have delayed him even longer and his sisters would have demanded all of the details. It was enough they had already commented that rumors were spreading about him and a certain dancer just two days ago.

“Can I help?” Dawn asked perching behind Joseph and looking over his shoulder.

Jonathan sighed and sat back, stretching the muscles that had stiffened from his long position on the sofa. “No, I was about to pack up anyway for the night.” Jonathan ran his hand through his closely cropped dark hair. He was exhausted. And his eyes were starting to blur from looking at all those numbers.

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “An extra set of eyes can’t hurt.”

Jonathan laughed. “No, but thanks, Eve. Focus on finishing school this semester. I’ll figure it out.”

Eve rolled her eyes at her brother behind his back. She was used to his dismissing her help. They had always babied her, even though she was just one minute younger than Dawn. Dawn patted her on the back as she crossed around behind them and perched herself on the other arm of the sofa on Jonathan’s other side.

“Then have dinner with us,” Dawn interjected brightly.

“I can’t. I, um, already have a dinner engagement.”

Dawn sighed. Her brother worked way too hard. Especially when their mother was away.

“You’re no fun. You need to live a little too.” She pouted, worrying her bottom lip. It was a habit of hers.

“Having dinner with my sisters does not constitute the type of fun you are implying.” He got up and stretched his cramped limbs. He hadn’t realized he’d been sitting there so long in the same position. He began to pace the room to get the feeling back into his legs. He thought about mentioning Aliya, but if he did the girls would grill him and he would never get out of there.

“Yes, well, I’m sure we are better company than some stuffy board member or council person,” Dawn pronounced.

He was about to let her assume that until Eve interjected. “Peter is kind of cute.”

Jonathan snapped and Joseph jumped out of his seat.

“He’s way too old for you.” Joseph looked shocked and appalled.

“And the guy is bad news. Stay away from him, Eve,” he added. Eve was the wild one. He wouldn’t put it past her to make a play for a much older man. She enjoyed her personal life way too much. As her brother, he’d often had to intervene when one of her friends had become too bothersome.

“Geesh, I was just making conversation.” Eve got up. “He’s not my type anyway.”

“Thank God!” both brothers blurted out in unison.

“She likes the bad boys,” Dawn chirped, laughing. Both brothers shot her a look then. Dawn knew that look. She put her hands up in self defense. “Kidding. Kidding.”

Eve winked at her from across the room. Both girls dated, Eve more frequently, but their brothers could put a damper on it, and had on more than one occasion. But it did not mean they didn’t like to tease their overbearing brothers at times. It was one way to loosen them up.

“How is construction going on Spirit in the Sky?” Jonathan asked, brazenly changing the subject.

Eve smiled broadly. She loved her job and this expansion project was her baby. “Great. In fact, they’re about a week ahead of schedule. It’ll be open for the 4
^th
of July as expected.” Eve was proud of her idea. The rooftop club would draw in a huge crowd. The bands she planned to have and the DJs, both would bring a whole new crowd, a new element to the Mystic. The entertainment venues in the other casinos drew a younger crowd, and she hoped to take some of their clients, and lure in more from the locals and tourists.
Spirits in the Sky
would rival the clubs in Manhattan and Vegas. The retractable roof would allow them to use the facility year round, and the massive screens she planned to place inside the club would be a stellar attraction for bands, and high end parties.

“But the acts. Still need those secured.” He glanced her way. She’d already booked two DJs. Paulie D. was on board, and he would be a huge draw. She had him booked for the last Thursday and Friday of every month. But she knew he was referring to Stryker. The band. She had been working on that for over a month now. His manager had come to see the casino two weeks ago. The lead singer, Lucas Stryker, was off the chain talented. Writing the music and the lyrics for his band, he was beginning to make a real name for himself. And she wanted to book him before someone else snapped him up.

She had one other band booked in case he fell through. She also had a few showcases for opening night. But having Lucas Stryker, well that would be the coup de gras. She hadn’t been able to get close to him yet, make her own pitch in person, until last weekend. She’d attended one of his concerts in New York. She remembered the evening all too well. The man had been incredible. The crowds had gone wild. But Fiona was still giving her a difficult time. The red head was hard to figure out. Negotiations were currently stalled. The woman was busy. She managed several up and coming bands, but Lucas Stryker was her star and so far she kept him on a very short leash.

“It’s coming along,” she murmured and then quickly changed the subject and directed her attention towards her sister. “Well come on, Dawn. I’m hungry. And if suit 1 and suit 2 won’t join us, let’s go. Maybe we can go dancing afterwards.”

“Sounds good to me,” Dawn agreed immediately. “I’m ready to let my hair down a little even if these two aren’t.” She laughed as her brothers both glared her way.

“Don’t overwork yourself. And remember you’re epi-pen, Dawn,” Jonathan implored as the girls exited the room. Dawn ducked out with another infamous eye roll, with Eve right behind her shaking her head. They exchanged a silent look and laughed in unison.

“If this job doesn’t suck the life out of us,” Joseph murmured as his brother put his suit jacket back on, “they sure will.”

“Well, keep an eye on them for me tonight. Eve looked like she could be up to some mischief. I have a date.” The words were out before he could stop them.

“A date? Is it Aliya?” Joseph pounced. He waggled his eyebrows at his brother.

Jonathan gave him a look. “Yes, the rumors are true. I’m just surprised that the twins haven’t harassed me more about this.”

“Shit!” Joseph blew out a low wolf whistle. “She’s smoking hot. And they didn’t harass you because, um, they thought it was a rumor. This is good.” His brother teased him but clapped him on the back while he finished putting on his jacket and fixed the cuffs.

His brother was still eyeing him waiting for an answer. “For your ears only right now.” He waited for his brother’s nod, and then spilled. “I like her. A lot. Can you keep that under wraps for a bit? We are still . . . um . . . exploring this thing.”

Joseph’s smile stretched across his face. His brother had never been serious with anyone before. This was something. But he understood him wanting to have the time and space to explore what this was before the three meddling women in their lives caught wind of this. “Gotcha,” he winked. “And for what it’s worth. I like her. She seems like a good girl. And she’s a real beauty.”

“Thank-you,” Jonathan murmured as he began to walk to the door to his office. It was nearly eight. He had put in one hell of a day. But as tired as he was, he still needed to see her. The books could wait until tomorrow. One more day. But Aliya, he needed her now.

‡

W
hen Jonathan called
Aliya from the elevator, he knew it had been her evening off. Her understudy performed the Friday evening performances. She also had Monday’s off. She readily agreed to him coming over and was excited, but she’d nearly given up hope when the snow started to fall. They had been announcing it all day.

On the phone he sounded tired, and she suggested they just stay in. Order a pizza. For that he’d been grateful. Although tired, he stated that he wanted to spend more quality time together. Even if it was just watching a movie, and eating pizza off of paper plates. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done it.

*

He drove his
car quickly through the back roads of Lantern Hill. It was frigid outside and the wind chill made it feel like it was below thirty degrees. Wind whipped around his vehicle in huge gusts and he felt the pull of it against on his car. He felt the resistance of the north easterly winds blowing in and focused on his driving and the curvy roads. He wondered if a storm was brewing and he’d missed hearing about it on the news. No one had mentioned it at the office. There was no snow. Yet. This winter they hadn’t seen much. Just the cold, and just the bit left from the last snowstorm right before New Years.

Jonathan was nearly there when the snow started to fall in swirling droves.

*

As Jonathan pulled
into her drive way, he saw the delivery guy pulling out. She must have ordered it when he called, and he was glad for that. In another twenty minutes, no one would be traveling much. Just the thought of the pizza had his stomach growling. He was suddenly famished, too. And not for Aliya.

When he rang her bell, she was there to greet him. He stepped in out of the cold, and saw her shiver, but she went behind him and helped him off with his jacket. Once she hung it up on a hook by the door, she couldn’t resist. She wrapped her arms around him, and he took her mouth in the gentlest of kisses. She felt the undeniable passion, but the urgency was not there. When she pulled back, she saw his eyes.

“You’re tired,” she stated for him. “Come sit. Eat.” It was an order, and she ushered him to a chair.