“Be careful,” she said. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
He winked at her. “You know I will. I’m getting married next week. I’d hate to miss that. And I have a lot to do between now and then. I need to find a church, rent a tux, find us a place to live.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m gonna be a busy man.”
“You won’t even have time to miss me,” she said, sniffling.
“Not true, Katy. I’ll miss you every minute of every night that we’re apart.”
“I love you.”
“I know. And I love you.” He looked over her head at Drake. “Take good care of my girl.”
Drake nodded curtly.
“Take care of yourself,” Elena said, giving Zack a hug.
“I’ll see you all soon.” He drew Kaitlyn into his arms and kissed her again, a long, drawn-out kiss. “That one has to last me awhile,” he said.
And then he was gone.
A week, Kaitlyn thought glumly. How was she going to last a week without him?
Chapter 39
Zack stood in the dark, staring at the burnt rubble and debris that was all that remained of his nightclub. The acrid smell of smoke was still strong as he walked the perimeter of the carnage, his senses searching for some clue that would tell him who had set fire to the club, but there was no scent he recognized. Nevertheless, he was certain Nadiya was responsible for the fire. Whether or not she had set the blaze herself didn’t matter. He knew in his gut that she was behind it. It didn’t really matter who’d lit the match.
He blew out a sigh. Ten years of his life, up in smoke. He swallowed his anger, knowing it was a waste of time and energy, and focused on the future. He had built the place from the ground up once, and by damn, he could do it again.
Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he called Scherry to let her know he was in town. He had talked to her before he left Wolfram to let her know he was on his way.
“Hey, boss,” she said. “How’s it hanging?”
Zack shook his head. “It’s hanging just fine. Meet me in the lobby of Harrah’s in ten minutes.”
“Yessir, boss. Whatever you say, boss.”
With a shake of his head, he ended the call.
Scherry was waiting for him when he arrived at the hotel. Harrah’s was an impressive place, eighteen stories high, with everything a tourist could ask for—six restaurants, a luxurious pool, a spa that featured Roman baths, Turkish steam, Finnish saunas and Swedish massage, a nightclub, and a casino that offered all the latest games of chance.
“I booked you a luxury suite under the name Christopher Lee,” Scherry said, giving him a hug.
“Christopher Lee?” Zack arched a brow in amusement. Lee was an actor who had played Dracula in a number of Hammer horror movies.
“The very same,” Scherry said, grinning. “The concierge assured me your suite is the best the hotel has to offer.”
“You’re staying here, too, right?”
“Are you crazy? I can’t afford to stay here on what you pay me,” she teased, “especially now that I’m out of a job.”
“Don’t give me any sass, or you’ll be permanently out of a job. Now, get yourself a room. I’m footing the bill.”
“Thanks, Zack. As requested, I scheduled an appointment with your insurance man for tonight at ten. He’ll meet you here, in the lobby.”
Zack nodded. “Were you able to get in touch with Waters?”
“Yes. He canceled a trip out of town to meet you here at eleven.”
“I should have hired you to be my personal secretary instead of my bartender.”
“I used to be an executive secretary, in a former life.” Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a keycard. “Here you go. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”
“Thanks, kid.”
“Are you going to rebuild in the same place?”
Zack nodded. “Just as soon as I can. Have you been in touch with any of the other employees?”
“Yes. They’re all eager to come back.” She smiled at him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date.”
“Yeah? With who?”
“Just a guy I met last night. His name is Wayne. He’s a dealer here in the casino.”
Zack nodded. “Have fun. Oh, by the way, I’m getting married.”
“Married! You? I don’t believe it.”
“Well, it’s true. She’ll be here next week.”
“It’s her, isn’t it? That woman I saw you with a couple of times.”
“Yep. Thanks for taking care of things while I was away.”
“No problem. I’ll expect an invite to the wedding, ’cause I won’t believe it unless I see it with my own eyes.”
“Right.”
Whistling softly, Zack took the elevator to his suite. He didn’t know what it was costing him, but he had no complaints. The sitting room was grand. Two comfortable chairs stood on either side of a round table. There was a desk and a chair, should he feel the need to write a letter, a high-backed sofa and a coffee table in front of an entertainment center. Large windows on either side of the room afforded spectacular views—one of the lake, the other of the Sierra Nevada.
The bedroom was separate from the sitting room and featured a king-sized bed flanked by twin end tables, each of which held a lamp and a phone. His favorite feature was the room-darkening drapes.
There were two bathrooms—one for him, one for her. Both had TVs and phones. One bathroom had a Jacuzzi big enough for two; the other had a walk-in shower, also big enough for two.
He smiled as he imagined himself and Kaitlyn relaxing in the Jacuzzi, making love in the shower.
Ah, Kaitlyn. He missed her already.
She was much on his mind as he left the hotel. His first stop was at a clothing store. When he had more time, he was going to have to buy a whole new wardrobe, since just about everything he owned had been burned in the fire or left behind in Romania. But for now, he only needed a few things—jeans, shirts, underwear, socks, boots. He bought four of everything, then tossed in a long black coat, not because of the weather, but simply because he liked it, and it looked good on him, judging by the admiration in the eyes of the voluptuous saleswoman. He thanked her for her help, paid the bill, and asked her to send his purchases to the hotel.
Leaving the store, he went in search of prey.
It wasn’t easy to find a woman alone. They were either with husbands or boyfriends, or in groups. He strolled down the sidewalk, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. There was no hurry. He had three hours until his first appointment.