Chapter 21
Tashi
The wait felt endless.
I sat on the sofa next to Marta, my hands twisting in my lap, watching the door like it might reveal answers before the brothers returned. Every minute that passed felt like an hour. Every sound in the hallway made my heart jump.
“You have to tell me something,” said Marta.
“What?” I twisted a tissue in my hands.
“All three of them?”
I pressed my lips together. “I guess so.”
“You guess? Are you referring to the incident in the elevator? Was that a one-off or what?”
“We haven’t discussed it because we haven’t had time. But no, I don’t think it was a one-off. Though I can say this—it’s only one of the possible combinations.”
Marta’s face flushed as if contemplating the Kolykos brothers in various scenarios. “Including sharing?” she said hopefully.
“What? Marta Acosta!”
“You can’t share the wealth with your best friend?”
For the first time today, I laughed. “I would think that would be up to the men.”
“Yeah,” Marta agreed with a touch of disappointment. “They do seem rather stuck on you.”
I nodded, thinking of each one who had pursued me ardently in their unique styles. I didn’t know where this was taking us, and I hated to think that if the brothers lost the hotel, that would be the end of us. The thought twisted my gut, and a tear formed unbidden at the corner of my eye.
“It will be okay,” Marta said quietly, squeezing my hand.
“You don’t know that.”
“I can see two things. One, these are men who don’t give up. And two, they won’t give up on you.”
I turned my head away.
She offered a small smile. “And I know you well enough to know you wouldn’t fall for men who would.”
“Except for Daniel, right?”
“Daniel seemed okay at the beginning. All the worst ones do. They’re tricksters.
We all fall into the dark side at least once.
You were not to blame there, and I applaud your courage in leaving his sorry ass on the curb.
And look at what you got from the Cracker Jack box?
You are a lucky gal. Do you suppose they have a set of triplet friends for me? ” Her eyes sparked as she spoke.
“You’re impossible,” I laughed.
I wanted to believe her, to think that whatever was happening in that board meeting, the brothers would find a way through it. But the sick feeling in my stomach told a different story.
The door opened.
All three of them walked in, their faces grim, their shoulders tight with tension. Orion’s jaw was set that way that meant he was barely containing his anger. Leo’s usual easy charm had vanished, replaced by something harder. Ares looked like he wanted to punch something.
“What happened?” I asked.
Orion closed the door behind them and leaned against it, as if he needed the support. “Henri clipped us good at the board meeting.”
My stomach dropped. “And?”
“And we’ve been voted out of executive management. Effective immediately.” His voice was flat and controlled, but I could hear the fury underneath. “Henri’s the new interim CEO.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. I stood up, my legs suddenly unsteady. “No. That’s not—he can’t—”
“He did.” Leo’s voice was tight. “Six votes to three. We’re out.”
“This is all my fault,” I said, the guilt crashing over me in waves. “If I hadn’t—if we hadn’t—” My voice broke. “I should have left at the first sign of trouble. I should have resigned the moment Wilder showed up. I should have—”
“Stop.” Leo crossed the room and took my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. “This is not your fault. None of it.”
“But the video, the allegations, the Gaming Commission investigation—it’s all because of me—”
“It’s because of whoever’s orchestrating this attack,” Ares interrupted, his voice sharp. “And I think Henri’s been planning this all along.”
I stared at him. “What?”
“The timing’s too perfect,” Orion said, pushing off from the door. “The harassment allegations, the leaked video, the board meeting—it’s all coordinated. Henri didn’t just take advantage of a crisis. He’s involved in manufacturing it.”
“But why?” My mind was reeling. “Why would he do this to you? You’ve been partners for seventeen years—”
“That’s what we need to find out.” Orion pulled out his phone and showed me a photo. “Thanks to you, we now know more about the man who’s been our business partner.”
I looked at the screen. It was the photo Marta had shown at dinner—her mother and mine laughing together, and in the background, that blurry profile.
“The picture Marta showed me last night,” Orion continued. “Your mother and hers. And Henri Saltz in the background.”
My blood went cold. “Why would he be there?”
“That’s exactly what we need to find out.” Ares turned to Marta, who’d been watching this exchange with wide eyes. “Marta, we need you to talk to your mother and possibly her friends. See if you can find out what Henri Saltz was doing at that company picnic. Do you know the name of the company?”
Marta shook her head slowly. “No, but my mother would. She has a memory like a steel trap.” She looked around at the three men, understanding dawning on her face. “You mean, you want me to go back to New York and ask, don’t you?”
“Please,” Ares said, and I heard the urgency in his voice. “Whoever is doing this has ways of monitoring our communications here in the hotel. I have people looking at it—”
“Had,” said Orion.
Ares shot him a sharp look. “Neville is solid. Besides, I can pay for his services out of my pocket. To continue—we don’t know the extent of the surveillance.”
Marta glanced around the room. “Here?”
Ares drew in a breath. “We aren’t sure. I’ve found nothing on the executive floor, but the surveillance is very sophisticated. And we need to know. If Henri was working in New York, why would he come out here?”
“Moving isn’t a crime,” I pointed out, still trying to wrap my mind around what they were suggesting.
“No, but people don’t move for no reason,” Ares countered.
“And he had a significant amount of cash to invest in this casino. Judging by the clothes in that photo, he didn’t have two nickels to rub together in New York.
So where did the money come from? And why did he choose Vegas, which is at the opposite end of the country? ”
“And while you’re there,” Orion added, “you can gather a paper trail. This includes employment records, financial documents, and any other materials that indicate Henri’s activities at that time. I’ll send you a list of things to look for.”
“We’ll be glad to pay you for your time and expenses,” Leo said.
Marta waved him off. “You don’t need to pay me. If getting this information is for Tashi, I’ll do the work for free.”
“No,” Ares said. “We won’t have you absorb expenses we can easily deal with.”
“That’s right,” Orion agreed. “We may not be hotel management right now, but we have more than enough resources to take care of our end.”
Leo looked up from his phone, already typing. “I have you booked on the next flight. Leaves in two hours.”
“That’s fast. Tashi, I looked forward to more time with you,” Marta said.
“I know, honey. I did too. But you’re welcome back anytime.”
“We need to get you to the airport,” Ares said. “I called a limo for you. I’ll escort you. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Good thing I didn’t unpack yet.” Marta stood up, already moving toward her suitcases. Then she stopped and turned to me. “Tashi—”
“I know.” I crossed to her and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you.”
“I’ll find out what he was doing there,” she whispered in my ear. “And if he hurt your mom, if he’s the reason she never talked about your father—” Her voice hardened. “I’ll make sure everyone knows.”
She pulled back, gave the brothers a nod, and Ares grabbed her bags.
“When I get you to the airport, I’ll put you in the VIP lounge while you wait for your flight.”
Marta tossed me a wink. “Are you sure you can’t spare at least one of them?”
I shook my head.
“Not even for a little while?” She tossed me a hopeful glance.
“Get out of here,” I said with a laugh.
Ares closed the door, leaving me with Orion and Leo, both of whom seemed lost in their thoughts, and the silence weighed heavily between us.
“You think Henri knew my mother,” I said quietly. It wasn’t a question.
“We think it’s possible,” Orion said carefully.
“More than possible.” Leo added. “The way he looked at you that first day—like he recognized you. And his reaction during the board meeting, demanding you be pushed out—that was personal.”
I sank back onto the sofa, my mind racing through memories. I remembered Henri’s face when he first saw me. The hatred in his eyes. The way he’d said “that woman” with a bitterness etched in fury.
“If he knew my mother…” I said slowly.
“We don’t know anything for certain,” Leo said gently, sitting beside me. “Hopefully your friend will help us find the truth.”
Orion’s phone rang.
“Kolykos,” he answered. His expression turned darker.
“Well, call Henri Saltz, Mitchell. I’m sure he can answer your questions.
” His face turned expressionless as the other end of the call continued.
“Well, Mitchell, instead of trusting us, you went off the deep end and announced you wanted your money. This is the result of that. I’m sorry. I can’t help you.”
In an uncharacteristic moment of rudeness, he clicked off the call.
“Well, you told him,” said Leo. “Now tell the rest of Vegas.” He turned the phone to us to see the news of the Kolykos brothers’ current fortunes splashed across social media.
I leaned forward to read the headlines scrolling across Leo’s screen:
Olympus Royale in Crisis: Founding Brothers Ousted
Henri Saltz Takes Control After Board Vote
Kolykos Empire Crumbles: What Went Wrong?
The comments section was predictably vicious:
Guess sleeping with employees has consequences.
About time someone held these billionaire playboys accountable.
Henri Saltz is a hero for standing up to corruption.
But mixed in with the vitriol were other voices:
This feels like a hostile takeover, not accountability.