Las Vegas Sidewinders: Karl (Book 3) (24 page)

“What’s going on,
baby?” His voice was soft and comforting.

“Therese showed up at
Dante’s house and Emilie had to climb out the window and get a cab, and now
it’s too late for her to get a train or a flight or—”

“Hey, slow down!” Karl
spoke loud enough to make her pause. “Hang on, baby. One thing at a time. Where
is
Em
now?”

“In a cab heading to
the airport. She can’t get a flight this late but I’m sure there’s a flight I
can get her on in the morning.”

“How the fuck did
Therese find her?!” he growled. “And where are you?”

“Larissa told her and
I’m at my apartment in New York.”

“Pack a bag and get to
a hotel. Can you get Lana to book it in her name so Therese can’t call around
and find you?”

“Of course.” Kate
immediately started packing.

“All right, just to be
safe you do that now and I’ll call
Viggo
. I want him
to go over to
Toli
and Zakk’s—”

“Erin said you were
with
Viggo
.”

“I’m on my way home but
I’m getting ready to turn around. I’ll call you back, okay?”

“Okay.” Kate made a
reservation online for Emilie and spontaneously booked one for herself as well;
she needed to get back to Karl and this was the catalyst she needed to get them
in the same room together. She finished packing and pulled on shorts and a
T-shirt; it was hot in both New York and Las Vegas in late July and she wanted
to be comfortable. Pulling her small bag behind her, she headed down to get a
taxi. It was late and she didn’t want to deal with the subways even though that
had never stopped her before.

She was on her way to
the airport when Karl called her back. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine. I talked to
Emilie and she’s at the airport. She’s going to buy a baseball cap to hide her
face and wander around so she can keep an eye on everything until the flight
boards.”

“Hopefully Therese
won’t figure out she’s at the airport.”

“Did you get
Viggo
moved?”

“I just dropped him off
at
Toli’s
.”

“I have to call Dante,”
she said after a moment.

“We have to talk,
babe.”

“I know, but not on the
phone, and not while all of this is going on.”

“So what do you—”

She interrupted. “Dante
is calling—let me call you back!” She disconnected and answered Dante’s call.
“Where are you?”

“What’s going on,
Kate?” His deep rumbling voice soothed her nerves.

“Your fucking fiancée
gave us away. She got in touch with Therese! Apparently, she thinks we brought
Emilie to you to take you away from her.”

He cursed in Spanish,
growling under his breath. “Is Emilie okay? I saw two messages from her but the
game went extra innings and then we had a meeting after.”

“She climbed out the
window and the guys at the front gate got her a cab. Thank God she thought to
grab her purse!”

“Do I need to come
home?”

“No one knows what to
do. I think we should all get back to Vegas.”

“I think so too. You’re
stronger in numbers.”

She flinched even
though he couldn’t see her; she knew that was a barb at her situation with
Karl. “I’m heading to the airport now.”

“We’re heading to
Milwaukee in the morning for four days. I don’t know if I can get away unless
you think I can help. What can I do?”

“You should warn Trey
to stay the hell out of that house.”

“Yeah, for sure.” Dante
was still grumbling under his breath. “I just can’t fucking believe Larissa.
I’ve finally given her everything she ever wanted—living with me, a ring, a
baby. Why would she do this to me?!”

“She’s insecure and
jealous,” Kate said. “I can relate, but I could never betray Karl like that.
I’m the queen of just walking away.”

“And you need to stop
that shit!” Dante was halfway annoyed with her too. “That’s not how you treat
the man who loves you. You know how much I care for you, Kate, but you were
wrong this time. Get home to Vegas,
querida
.
He loves and needs you right now more than ever.”

“I know,” she
whispered. “I’m going.”

“Listen, you call me
day or night if you need me. When I get back to Philly, Larissa will be dealt
with. She’s out of my house and out of my life. That’s it. And if that Therese
piece of shit is in my house, I’ll have her arrested for trespassing!”

Kate smiled. “I love
you, Dante.”

“And I you,
querida
. Now go home and make up with your husband.”

“I will.” Kate hung up
and leaned back in the seat. Staring at her phone, she saw that her battery was
at 1% and she wouldn’t be able to charge it until she got to the airport, so
she sent Karl a text.

Phone battery is dying.
I’m going to the airport instead of hotel. I’ll call as soon as I get some
juice.

Be careful, please. I
love you.

The phone died before
Kate could respond and she groaned, letting her head fall back in frustration.

It was late when Trey
got home. Another dud of a date with a guy who made him feel like a pampered
little queer with a rich sugar daddy. No one understood how hard he worked to
take care of Dante’s professional, and sometimes even his personal, life.
Shaking his head, he dropped his wallet and phone on the dresser and kicked off
his shoes. He missed the guy he’d been dating in New York, but he didn’t want
to live in Philadelphia and obviously Trey couldn’t leave. He wondered how much
more of his life he would have to give up for Dante, but he really loved what
he did. Dante was a pain in the ass sometimes, but they came from the same
background and Trey knew what he’d gone through. It had been tough growing up
in Cuba and then coming to the U.S. and adjusting to everything.

It was worse for Trey,
though, being Cuban, physically small and homosexual too. That didn’t fly where
they’d grown up, but he and Dante had bonded in a high school English class for
Spanish speakers. Trey had been the one who helped him get through school, kept
the girls from distracting him from baseball and then stepped in to help
navigate the waters when the MLB had come sniffing around.

He’d never intended to
become a sports agent, and Dante was his only client, but he made a lot of
money and knew he could get more clients if he tried. He could probably even
get them in New York, where he had a great guy waiting for him. But at the end
of the day, Dante needed him and he wasn’t going to abandon his homeboy. Not
now that he was all tangled up in this bullshit with Larissa. Especially with a
baby on the way. Trey wouldn’t say it out loud, but he was almost as excited as
an expectant father to become Uncle Trey. Shit, if he could get away with it,
he’d take the kid and raise it himself.

Looking at the clock,
it was after two in the morning, and he was still wide awake. Boring dates and
lack of sex made him restless, so he wandered down to the kitchen, looking for
a snack. He was surprised to hear voices and wondered if Emilie and Larissa
were talking. They didn’t like each other at all, so he would stay away from
them. Maybe a sandwich and a few fingers of bourbon would make him sleepy.

He’d just started to
rummage in the refrigerator when movement behind him made him turn around.
Larissa came waddling in with a tall, slinky blonde next to her and Trey
narrowed his eyes slightly.
Shit
. Was that Karl’s crazy ex-girlfriend?
What the fuck was she doing here?

“Hey, Trey.” Larissa
smirked at him. “You know Therese? This is Dante’s little faggot agent, Trey.”

Trey and Larissa had
never gotten along because she blamed him for Dante’s wandering eye. However,
Dante put his foot down when he and Larissa got engaged and she’d been on her
best behavior until now.

“You’re adorable!”
Therese laughed, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

Trey stepped back,
shutting the refrigerator. “What’s she doing here?” he asked Larissa. “You know
Dante won’t like this.”

“Dante isn’t here,”
Larissa shrugged. “And we got things to do.”

“Like make trouble for
the man giving you everything you ever wanted?”

She rolled her eyes.
“Every time I turn around that prick is panting after some other
puta
.”
Whore
.

“He’s going to marry
you,” Trey said. “He
ain’t
got no one else.” Only
because Kate was in love with Karl.

“Don’t lie,” Larissa
snapped. “I know he got a thing with Emilie. Little blond bitch. And she run
out on us tonight too!”

“What do you mean?”
Trey got a funny feeling in his stomach. “Emilie isn’t here?”

“No, she snuck out like
the little bitch she is.” Larissa reached into her pocket and pulled out a pack
of cigarettes. She pulled one out and fished around for her lighter.

“What the fuck are you
doin
’?” Trey demanded. “You can’t be
smokin
’!”

“Oh, shut up.” Larissa
took a long drag. “Like I give two shits about this baby. Only reason I let him
put it in me was so I get the ring.”

“Larissa, knock it off!”
Trey snatched the cigarette out of her mouth.

“You little fucker!”
Larissa swung at him, but Trey was quick and light on his feet, dancing out of
the way.

“You want me to get rid
of him?” Therese asked, folding her arms across her chest. “You’ve got all
sorts of problematic people in your life.”

“I hate this little
bastard, always
struttin
’ around here like he’s
something special. I’d be surprised he’s not
suckin
’
Dante’s dick too.”

Trey didn’t react, just
made a face at her. “Okay, whatever, Larissa. When I tell Dante you’re smoking,
he’s going to cut you off and throw your fat ass out.”

Larissa hissed at him.
“Shut up, asshole! You better not say one word!”

“Or what?” He met her
eyes. “You
gonna
sic your big blond pussy on me?”

Therese laughed. “Oh,
you notice pussy? I thought guys like you were all about cock?”

He shrugged. “Pussy,
asshole—anywhere I can stick it works for me. You? All you
got’s
an empty hole no one wants to fill.”

Therese narrowed her eyes
and glanced at Larissa. “If he tells Dante about the smoking, you’re screwed.”

“I know!” Larissa
glared at Trey. “I should let her fuck you up.”

"I'm
going to bed. Fuck both of you." He turned, heading for the stairs.

"Hey,
what are you doing—aren't you
gonna
stop him?"
Larissa was shrieking at Therese.

"Must
I do everything for you?" Therese sighed. "God, you Cubans are
fucking stupid."

"Hey,
fuck you, bitch!" Larissa sounded mad now.

"What
are 
you 
gonna
do, fatso?"
Therese was laughing.

"
Ahhhh
!" Larissa let out a shriek of rage but Trey
didn’t stick around to see what she would do next.

Trey was
halfway up the steps when he heard the sound of a scuffle followed by a gurgled
gasp and a heavy thud. He turned, confused, and saw Larissa on the ground, blood
pouring from her chest as Therese loomed over her, a knife in her hand. He felt
his stomach clench as he realized how crazy this woman was and he took off up
the stairs. He'd just reached the top when he felt a hand in his waist band and
then he was yanked down the stairs, landing with a hard bump. He felt pain
shooting through his leg and he knew he was in trouble. He looked up at Therese
with a glare. "What the hell is wrong with you? What are you doing?"

"I
don't play games with little boys like you," she whispered, her eyes so
dark they seemed black. "Or with fat cows like her."

"What
do you want?!" Trey put up his hands when he saw the flash of the blade of
the knife.

"You'll
never know."

Staring at his phone,
Karl realized that she wasn’t going to answer and he finally put the phone in
his pocket. He’d gotten
Viggo
settled in the guest
room at
Toli
and Zakk’s house and was finally on his
way home. He’d spoken to Emilie briefly and was relatively sure she was safe
for now, but his stomach churned with worry about both her and Kate. He hated
that they were so far away from him, and he really hated the emotional distance
between him and Kate. He needed to fix things between them, but there was so
much going on. She’d been right that she wasn’t his priority right now, and he
felt a twinge of guilt, but that couldn’t be helped.

He sat on the couch
when he got home, the phone on his chest as he waited for Kate’s call, and
finally drifted off to sleep. The next time he opened his eyes, it was morning
and Erin was making breakfast. He sat up with a start, looking at his phone in
dismay when he realized Kate had called three times. She’d finally texted at
3:00 local time, 6:00 in New York, that she was flying to Philly where she
would meet Emilie and they would get on the 8:00 flight to Las Vegas together.
He got up and called a greeting to Erin, who turned to him with concern on her
face.