Page 37 of Reckless Chance

“Can you ask Rob now? Unless the police made IT save the videos, the files could be deleted at any time.”

“I’ll text him.”

“Also, I’ve been wondering how the audience member was selected. You said something about it being the person in a particular seat, didn’t you?”

“That’s correct.”

“Is it always the same seat? If so, is that seat available for anyone to purchase, or is it given to VIPs?”

“I’m sure that it depends on the night. Why?”

“I’m wondering whether Mr. Brentwood selected the seat not knowing he’d be invited on stage or was he given the ticket because he’s a VIP?”

“He’s not a VIP. I already checked. I don’t know how he ended up in that seat. I’ll look into that tomorrow. Now, it’s time for that surprise I promised. Should we walk or ride?”

“How far is it?”

“A block or two down the Strip.”

“Definitely walk. I’ve been cooped up forever. Breathing fresh air would be heavenly. First, I’ll pop downstairs to my room and change into lower-heeled shoes.”

“I didn’t know you owned any.”

“Don’t worry. They still have red soles.”

“I should have known. You’re always the pillar of fashion.”

“Look who’s talking. I rarely see you wearing anything other than a suit with French cuffs, perfectly arranged.”

“There’s nothing wrong with dressing for success. Let’s go find your walking shoes. Tomorrow you should have Jenny move the rest of your clothes up here.”

“We’ll see. By the way, is there any news on our annulment?”

“Apparently, Nevada treats annulments seriously. While you can get married easily, there are more hoops to jump through to untie the knot, but don’t worry. My attorney will get it done.Let’s give him a little time. The judges’ calendars are likely full, and annulments aren’t their top priority. Who knows, it’s possible the judges take their time hoping couples will change their mind.”

“No way. I know the process for marrying is faster than that for an annulment. This is still slow. I should talk to this attorney myself. Are you sure he knows what he’s doing?”

“I’m certain he’s got this under control. He knows we both want the marriage to end. He’ll take care of it. We need to be patient a little longer.”

“I swear if he doesn’t give us an update showing progress by next week, we’re both going to meet with him.”

“We’ll deal with that another day. Tonight let’s find you that fresh air and have fun. Does that work for you?”

“Absolutely.”

What was I thinking? I never walk down the Strip for security reasons. As the owner of the Athena, the possibility of being kidnapped is a real threat. But there’s no turning back now. I loved the smile on Lowri’s face when I offered a walk. Grabbing my phone, I text security. They can assign someone to follow us.

It will be fine.

24

LOWRI

Nothing compares to the electric vibe of the Las Vegas Strip at street level. At night it’s beyond spectacular. Tourists from around the world fill the sidewalks as we pass from city to city and country to country. Where else can you find Paris across the street from New York City, Monte Carlo, and Italy?

It’s like we’re all actors on a movie set where anything can happen. My point is proven as we approach a small crowd. I do a double take to make sure my eyes aren’t deceiving me. Everyone is watching a woman in a skintight, black leather bodysuit using a crop to spank a bent-over middle-aged man. His wife, laughing uncontrollably, is filming it with her phone while encouraging the woman with chants of “More, more, more.”

“What happens here stays hereprobably doesn’t apply given all the phone cameras aimed in his direction,” I whisper to Sean.