Chapter 30
“Thankyou all for flying with us. We hope you enjoy your stay in this beautiful city. And welcome to Lost Wages!” Laughter erupts around me in response to the flight attendant’s joke as we begin to deboard the plane.
When it comes time for me to step out into the aisle, I maneuverer myself around the seats and reach up and grab my bag from the overhead bin. Trying not to make eye contact, I quickly head off the plane and through the air bridge that leads us all into Harry Reid International Airport.
The second I emerge into the terminal, sounds of slot machines and Elvis music assault my ears. And I love it. I missed the sounds of Vegas. My mom should’ve just let me stay here.
My mom.
I need to find her. First, I need to get a phone, see if I can locate her or Aaron. Call them, leave them messages. See if I can get them to call me back.
Anything at this point. This “vacation” has gone on long enough.
Walking through the airport, I head to the taxi pickup area and hail a cab.
“Where too, ma’am?” the driver asks.
“Um, the Motel Sunrise off of Boulder Highway,” I tell him as I slide my card through the reader of his machine.
“You, uh, know that’s not the best area for a young girl to be staying, right?” He peers uneasily at me through his rearview mirror.
“I’m from here. I know where I’m going. Please take me to the Motel Sunrise.” My eyes lock onto his.
He nods, focusing on the road. “You got it.”
We exit out of the airport and start heading down Eastern Ave. God, this place is so much different than Texas. It’s a concrete jungle compared to the green and lush landscape I’d grown used to. The streets are crowded with cars, people are walking up and down the sidewalk, and the air doesn’t smell as fresh as Texas air does.
I sink back into the seat of the taxi and breathe a sigh of relief. Though, I really need to get myself a new cell phone and start figuring out where my mother is. And I have no idea where to even begin with that.
We pull onto Boulder Highway and dread immediately fills me. The driver wasn’t wrong about the area. It’s not the best place in Las Vegas, but it’s cheap. And if certain someones come looking for me, it’s the last part of town they would expect to find me in.
There’s a method to my madness. I promise.
We soon pull into the Motel Sunrise parking lot, and it’s practically empty. The white stucco building with the blue doors is rundown and not looking the best. Plus, with Boulder Station Hotel next door, it’s a last-resort type of place for people to pick.
Kind of like me. I grimace at the thought.
“Thank you,” I say to the driver as he pulls up to the front of the office to drop me off. As soon as the taxi comes to a stop, I jump out with my stuff and slam the door shut. With trepidation, I walk up to the front door and yank it open.
I’m greeted by an orange wall behind the counter and the smell of cheap coffee. Slowly, I walk up to the front desk that has giant Motel Sunrise signs plastered on it.
We get it, we are in a Motel Sunrise.
“How can I help you?” The lady behind the desk turns around as she speaks to me.
“Uh, hi. I need a room. Not sure how long. Can I start with a week?”
“I need identification, and how are you paying?” She types away on the computer as I dig into my wallet and pull out what she needs.
She runs my card and hands it back, and I nervously tap on the counter. Then she hands me my license back, and I return it to my purse as she eyes me, like I’m hiding something.
Not something, just me.
“Room 210. Out this door, go right, all the way down to the end. You’re on the second floor.” She hands me the key card and I grab it, turn on my heels, and head out.
When I get to the door, I slide my card in the slot, and the green light pops. I slowly open the door and am immediately greeted by an orange accent wall that a queen size bed sits against, along with orange curtains on the windows.
I’m sensing a theme here.
A cheaply built nook sits across from the bed with a tiny as fuck flatscreen television on top of it. There are a few hangers hanging inside the nook, but I think my stuff will be safer in my bag. There is a small table that sits next to the window with a single chair. Thank God I’m not expecting guests.
I make my way into the bathroom, and it’s decent for the place I’m in. It looks clean and doable for now.
My hands rest on the counter as I peer at myself in the mirror. I look like hell. There are dark circles under my eyes, and with all the lack of sleep lately, it’s understandable.
I move back to the bed and flop down on it. I need to get a bit of rest before I can even begin to process what I’m going to do. Curling up against the pillow, I clutch my chest and allow myself a chance to do something I have needed to do for a while.
Cry.
A loud crash from outside my room has my eyes flinging open. The room is lit up in early morning light. I look over at the clock and see that it’s six in the morning, which explains the sun rising.
I let out a groan and realize I was so tired that I slept through the night. Which is fine, I guess. I needed it. Walking into the bathroom, I realize I have nothing to brush my hair with or my teeth. I let out a sigh as I realize I will need to go shopping to get that stuff.
Like a phone, too. Because I can’t even call a Lyft right now. And that means a bus. I let out a groan as my head tips back. I didn’t think this through enough.
Fuck.
I rinse my mouth a couple times and throw my hair back with a scrunchie I have, then grab my purse. I need food and shopping. It’s still early, but this is Vegas. Everything is open at all hours of the day.
The front desk tells me of a Walmart down the road and hands me a bus schedule. In all the years I lived in Vegas, I have never taken a bus. I guess there’s a first time for everything.
When I finally get to Walmart, the first place I stop at is the prepaid phone section. I grab one that I can at least browse the internet on. The next stop is some much needed essentials. Toothbrush, toothpaste, and the likes.
Then there’s food. I definitely need that. At this moment, I am thankful for the account that I have set up with the fund from my father’s death. At least I can take care of myself, find my mother, and figure out what the fuck is going on.
As I walk through the snack aisle, I grab a bag of peanut butter MMs. My absolute favorite. I turn to go put it in my basket when a body suddenly bumps into me. The sour smell of his body odor assaults my nose.
“Oh, sorry, miss. I didn’t mean to run into you.” He smiles at me, and I wish he didn’t. His teeth are rotting away all the way to the gums.
I offer no words, but a slight smile as I place the bag in my cart. Las Vegas can be filled with some shady characters, and being in the part of the city I am, there’s definitely a higher chance of that.
But the creep factor is high with this one. As I push the cart away, I hear him laughing.
Did I mention the creep factor was high with him? Weird.
When I finally get checked out of the ridiculously long lines at the checkout lanes, I grab the few bags that I have around my arm and head toward the bus stop. Once there, I grab the pamphlet and check to see what time the next bus is coming.
About ten minutes later, a bus pulls up and I get on. The bus ride is a couple minutes from Walmart. Once I reach my destination, I hop off the bus and head onto the Motel Sunrise property which is right next to the stop.
When I reach my room, I immediately lock myself in and get to putting my stuff away.
Once I am done, I plop on my bed and set up my phone. After I get the plan loaded, I bring up the keypad and dial my mom’s number.
The phone goes straight to voicemail.
“Mom, it’s me. Rory. Well, actually you would probably just figure that out because I am the only one that would call you mom. Anyway, look, I am in Las Vegas. I am okay. But I needed out of Texas. Something is going on. I swear I heard Dad. I-I can explain when you call me back. I don’t want you to worry.
“But… Look, can you please just call me? You have been MIA for too long now. And I-I am starting to get really worried for you. Aaron keeps saying you’re on vacation, but he won’t tell us where.”
The phone beeps and cuts me off, so I call back.
“Sorry, got cut off. Just call me. At least let me know that you are okay. I really miss you, Mom. Shit is fucked up. Sorry, I know I’m swearing, but I don’t have a clue as to what’s going on. Look, I’m okay, just know that. But I am not coming back to Texas. I am going to try to get into UNLV and get an apartment near campus.”
I pause for a moment and sigh.
“I am staying at a crappy Motel Sunrise for now. Off of Boulder. Yeah, not the best, but it’s cheap. Call me, Mom. The number to this phone is 702-407-2502. Love you.”
I hang up the phone and throw it on the mattress beside me. There is a serious need for a shower and brushing of my teeth. Jumping out of bed, I grab a pair of clothes to change into and a couple towels. I turn the knob to the shower and get it as hot as a Motel Sunrise shower will get.
Once I slip under the shower head, I try to let everything just go.
My mind immediately jumps to the three assholes who completely had me falling for their Romeo bullshit.
And I hate that I did. Get a couple dicks and bam! Apparently, I think they walk on water.
I roll my eyes. I need my vag to keep it together.
But then my mind goes back to the three pieces I can’t make sense of. The kidnapping outside the drive-in, the kidnapping at the fraternity, and the fire in my dorm.
None of those seem like it would be something the guys would do. In fact, they looked genuinely concerned after each incident. But if they wanted me gone, scaring me would have been a way…
But my dad’s voice. There would have been no way they got that. Unless they had it from when he went to school at Groveton College.
And that’s a whole other can of worms. I rub my forehead. All of this is so confusing. Where the fuck does it all come together?
There is no way the guys would have started the fire, knowing they could have killed me. They wanted me to go back to Vegas, and not in a body bag.
Or in ashes.
It’s why I need my mom. She has to know something that can explain something, anything. Like that picture of my dad in the frat. Maybe that’s the answer. Maybe figuring out why my dad had a different name is the key to solving at least one piece of this puzzle.
David Grey. That name has to mean something.
I get out of the shower and dry off. Then I swiftly change into my leggings and a T-shirt. The smell of Seven hits me, and for a moment I frown and almost miss them. Key word: almost.
I put a brush through my hair and then throw it up in a ponytail. I brush my teeth and get the probably horrid bad breath taken care of.
Once I’m done, I head back over to the bed and grab my phone. Pulling up Google, I do a search for David Grey and of course, there are like a gazillion David Greys out there. So I tap on Instagram and search that way.
Again, a million of these people with the same name, but I can see pictures on some of these public accounts. I am scrolling through a few when I come across one that almost makes me drop my phone.
My dad’s face. Clear as day. My fucking father’s face. I click on the profile and thankfully it’s not set to private.
And what I see makes my stomach drop. It’s my father. My father! Doing things from just six hours ago! He looks more tired than I remember him.
He’s been hiding all this time. Of course he has.
There are pictures of kids and a woman. Captions of how he loves them and how they are the best. My stomach revolts.
Were we like a second family? Was Mom not really married?
Is that why he has a different name?
What the double fuck is going on?
Tears start rolling down my cheeks as I spy on my father’s secret life that we had no idea he was living. Maybe he faked his death because he couldn’t keep up with the charade anymore.
After an hour of scrolling and crying, I plug my phone in and decide to take a nap. There needs to be a lot of processing of whatever the fuck I just stumbled upon.
I have no idea how long I am passed out for, but I wake with a start when I hear something, a loud noise from the edge of the bed. I jolt upward, and my mouth drops open at who is standing in front of me.
There is no way. No fucking way.
And then he speaks.
“Finally, you are back home. Took you long enough.” His smile widens as he grabs another snow globe from atop the TV stand. Where did those come from?
With a start, I realize I recognize some of them. They are the ones I left in storage.
He grabs one, a butterfly one, and looks at me before dropping it to the floor. It shatters on impact, sending shards everywhere. The water and glitter spills all over the floor.
My mouth dries as I try to find my words. I blink, attempting to see if this is still a dream. It is definitely not a dream. I quickly jump out of bed and shift away from him.
His eyes track my movement as I get closer to the bathroom.
“You okay, Rory?” he laughs as he breaks another globe.
“It can’t be. It can’t fucking be!” I scream.
“Oh? Why can’t it?” He tilts his head to the side mockingly.
“Because you died! You died in that car accident. You can’t be alive, Dad!” My entire body shakes in fear of the man standing before me.
“Surprise!” is all I hear him say before I feel a sharp pain in my head and everything around me turns black.