KING: Las Vegas Bad Boys(70)

“Oh, not at all,” she says, closing her book. “You kids must have had a fun night; this house is as quiet as a mouse.”

“It was a good time,” I say, sitting in the chair beside her. “Though, I was surprised when I woke this morning. I had a note from Landon that he had to leave on business?”

“He did? I don’t know anything of it.”

“Really?” I pull back in surprise. “Where did he go then?”

She shrugs delicately. “I’m not sure, Claire, but he said he’ll be back tomorrow, and I’m sure he will stay true to that.”

“Right.” I smile tightly. I so wanted to talk to him today, to get everything off my chest, so that, however we move forward with our relationship, we can at least stop being dishonest with everyone.

I hate sitting here with Helen now, knowing she thinks Landon and I are something we aren’t.

At least not exactly.

Because while we aren’t really engaged, we are really in love.

Which is why him leaving like this is so strange.





Landon


When Ace’s private plane lands, I step into the desert air with a grin. McQueen and Jack are waiting for me. I’m fucking glad Ace called them, because we have a lot of shit to discuss.

“What the hell, man?” Jack asks, the moment I take a seat in the limo. “Ace said you fucking proposed to Claire?”

“Right. I did. But.”

“But what?”

“Okay, can I be straight with you guys? Like, you promise not to go ape-shit on me? I couldn’t tell Ace, because he’s at my parents’ place, and Claire and I want to keep this on the down-low. I mean, it won’t matter in the long run, but now–”

“Dude, just fucking say it.”

The limo is turning onto the freeway and I give the driver the address of where I need to go first.

“Okay, so we aren’t really engaged. She’s my fake fiancée.”

I explain the deal to them, and they shake their heads the whole time.

“Man,” Jack says. “Claire seems so straight-laced, so put together ... I can’t believe she agreed to this.”

“Well, I told her I’d give her a quarter of a million dollars if we pulled it off.”

“So what’s the problem?” McQueen asks.

“Two things. One, my dad’s company is bankrupt, as I told Ace to explain.”

“He did,” Jack says.

“And, two, Claire and I fell in love, for fucking real.”

“You’re not messing with us?” Jack asks.

“No. Swear to God. But here’s the kicker: Claire has a daughter.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” McQueen asks, punching me in the arm. “Shit, you are so over your head, bro.”

I shrug. “I disagree. I love that woman, and her having a daughter doesn’t change that.”

“Love conquers all, right?” Jack shakes his head. “Fuck, man, I don’t know. I have a feeling nothing is as easy as that.”

“That’s just because you’re dating a fucking superstar,” I tell him. “Your judgment on how real women act is skewed.”

As I tell them this, I realize maybe I should have consulted Ace before I left.

But, fuck it, I want Claire to know I’m all in. When I return to my family’s estate with a job and house and a fucking plan for my dad’s business, she’ll know I’m the only man she needs.



The limo stops in the parking lot, and I explain my plan to McQueen and Jack.

“It’s fucking go time, bro,” McQueen says.

I take a deep breath, nodding, and then I open the door.

“Good luck,” Jack says through the open window.

I turn toward the building and knock on the door.

I don’t know what to expect. I just know I need to ask to speak to Claire’s mom alone, and then lay it out there.

I’ve never been so goddamned nervous in my life.

I’m never nervous when I’m with Claire. With her, life makes sense. But right now, I don’t have my woman by my side.

I knock. The door opens after a moment, and a woman who looks a few decades older than Claire opens the door.

“Hello?” she asks, eyebrows raised.

“Eva?” I ask, remembering the name Claire told me was her mother’s. I reach out my hand to her. “I’m Landon, a friend of your daughter?”

She takes it, shaking it slowly. “Aren’t you supposed to be with her, in England? For work?” She lets go of my hand and tilts her head to the side, trying to understand. She’s a trim woman, with cropped blonde hair and those same green eyes Claire has.

“I was.”

“Is she here?” Eva asks. “Because I just spoke with her earlier and she never mentioned....”