Ethan moved to the bedroom to access the gun safe, but Max caught him by the elbow. “We’re both going and we’re wearing vests.”
Ethan met his eyes. “Okay. But let me talk to him before you show yourself.”
The fingers on his arm tightened. “I won’t be far.”
Ethan smiled tightly. “I wouldn’t expect you to be.”
~~~~~
Ethan felt like a reporter meeting up with a government whistleblower as his steps echoed throughout the parking garage. The mall sat on the Las Vegas Strip, so colored lights from the nearby casinos kept the garage from being uncomfortably dark, but Ethan still felt very much alone as he walked, even though he wasn’t.
Sweat beaded on his forehead and he could feel it dampening his undershirt beneath the bulletproof vest he wore. The vest felt excessive, but Theo’s state of mind was a mystery. Either this whole thing was another farce, or Theo was in a dangerous mood.
After walking two levels and finding no cars, Ethan stopped and brought out his phone.
I’m here. Where are you?
Across the street. At Treasure Island.
Ethan’s eyebrows lifted with frustration. Why did you tell me to come to the mall?
Walk across the street. Be careful. Make sure you aren’t followed.
Warning bells rang in Ethan’s head. He brought up another number on his phone.
I don’t think Theo’s here to hurt himself. He’s at TI. I’m going over there.
Max didn’t text back as Ethan descended to the ground level. Ethan wasn’t sure where the other man was, but he was confident Max was within shouting distance. He counted on Max to be discreet while Ethan crossed Spring Mountain Boulevard to enter the Treasure Island property.
As tourists streamed past him, Ethan sent another text to Theo. Where are you?
Walk toward the parking garage. Take the stairs. Level three. I’m at the northwest corner.
Growing more and more irritated, Ethan followed the directions up to the indicated level. The garage was active with cars and hotel guests unloading luggage from their vehicles. Ethan didn’t understand why Theo would be here.
“Pssst!” hissed a voice.
A person was crouched between two compact cars, at the back near the garage wall. Ethan stepped forward cautiously. “Theo?”
The other man’s sweating face appeared above a car trunk, reflecting the lights from outside.
“Get over here,” Theo urged. His eyes were round as he waved Ethan over. “Hurry!”
Ethan took a quick look around but beyond some guests at the far end of the row near the elevators, he and Theo were alone for the moment. He walked cautiously between the cars, ducking down when Theo again waved frantically at him.
“What’s going on?” Ethan demanded, his anger leaking into his voice. “Why did you ditch Veronica?”
“He’s coming here,” Theo told him. He reached for Ethan’s arm but Ethan pulled away. Theo looked wounded by the rejection. “I found out he’s staying here.” He patted the car he crouched beside. “This is his rental. He’ll be out any minute because I told him I’d meet him.”
“Who?”
“Loren’s uncle!”
Ethan stared at Theo in confusion. Theo appeared genuinely freaked out, but that wasn’t proof of anything.
“Why are you waiting for Loren’s uncle?” Ethan asked him.
“He hates me,” Theo spat. He mopped at his face with the back of his hand. “He’s been harassing me for months. He started sending me death threats but I can’t prove that they’re from him. But I know they are. He followed me here to Las Vegas. He’s going to kill me here!”
Ethan knew nothing of Loren’s family or any drama associated with them. A million questions zoomed through his head, but he forced himself to focus on the most important. “Why do you think he’s going to kill you? Has he said as much to you?”
“Yes!” Theo’s grin looked manic. “But I’m going trap him. That’s why you’re here. You’ll be my witness.”
“Theo—”
“Someone’s coming!”
Ethan had heard the footsteps, too, and swiveled around to see. A man was approaching from the elevators. He walked casually, apparently unaware of the ambush awaiting him.
Ethan cocked his head. “What a second.” He rose to his full height. “I know him.”
Behind him, Theo tugged on his pant leg, hissing, “Get down! He’ll see you.”
“We’re not trapping him,” Ethan muttered. “I’m going to talk to him.”
He thought he recognized this man. He was from the airport. As Ethan stepped out from between the two cars and headed for him, the other man slowed his steps for a second, as though he were startled by the sudden appearance of someone near his car. But he resumed his pace and brought up a smile.
“I think I know you,” the man said.
“We’ve run into each other before,” Ethan agreed, his heartrate beginning to climb. “You work at the Henderson Executive Airport.”
“And you’re the bodyguard for Theo Smith,” the man said, still smiling, still walking.
“You know him, don’t you?” Ethan asked.
Something crossed the man’s face in a blink. His smile changed very subtly. “I’m a fan.”
“You’re Loren’s uncle.”
“So, he told you about me.” The man was forty feet away now. Sweat gleamed on his upper lip. From the high temperatures or from stress?
“I’d like to talk you,” Ethan told him. “Stay right there. We’ll go somewhere.”
“Don’t go anywhere with him!” Theo yelled from behind Ethan.
Ethan cursed, but the man from the airport kept coming, his smile still fixed on his face like a shield. “A conversation sounds good. We can clear up some misunderstandings.”
He was close and didn’t seem intent on slowing his steps. Ethan reached out to stop him.
“Are you going to shoot me?” the man inquired. He held his hands out to his sides. “I don’t have a gun.”
Ethan’s heartbeat thundered in his ears. “I’m not going to shoot you if you turn and walk with me.”
“I’ll turn. I’ll walk,” the man said as Ethan reached him and firmly took hold of the man’s shoulder and elbow, forcibly turning him in the opposite direction. “You don’t need to manhandle me. Please let go.”
“Just walk. We’ll have a conversation,” Ethan said, releasing him and pushing him forward.
“But I’ve got something to do. I don’t think you under—”
His fist flew backward toward Ethan’s face. Ducking to the side, Ethan avoided the strike, but the man kept coming, whirling with a knee rushing toward Ethan’s midsection. Ethan jackknifed out of reach. As he leaped back, he tried to grab the man’s knee to pull him off balance, but his fingers slipped on his trousers. He had to immediately raise both forearms to block a flurry of punches. A couple landed harmlessly. One glanced off his elbow which he quickly grabbed. Ethan yanked on the man’s extended arm while thrusting the heel of his own hand toward the man’s solar plexus. Ethan underestimated the man’s strength. The man stumbled forward, but not far enough to make contact with Ethan’s hand. He twisted his arm in Ethan’s grasp, reversing the grip so he held Ethan’s forearm, and threw his hip out, tilting Ethan off balance. Ethan’s feet left the ground as the man attempted to throw him over his shoulder. At the last second Ethan shifted his center of gravity and rolled off the other man’s back to land on the ground on one knee.