Hell on Heels (Hotel Rodeo #1)(10)

“Yeah. He raised ’em and fought ’em professionally. They called him ‘Wild Will’ Morgan.”

“But isn’t bullfighting illegal?”

“It wasn’t the kind of fighting they do in Spain and Mexico, though I think he probably did that more than a few times too, just to prove he could. I’m talking about the kind that protects cowboys in the rodeos. It’s what he did for his living. It’s what he loved, but bulls are dangerous animals, and Mexican fighting bulls are ultra-aggressive. He got careless and paid for it. Tom always felt somehow responsible and stepped in as a surrogate father to me. When my mother remarried, I moved out and went to work at Tom’s ranch.”

“My father’s a generous man. Sometimes to a fault.”

Ty nodded. “That he is, ma’am. He’s got a heart of gold.”

“So what exactly do you do for Brandt Morgan?” she asked.

“When I was younger, I ran Tom’s cattle operation. Now I run the hotel. It did all right for a while, but times have changed. It’s why he made the trip out here, so we could talk about renovations and expansion. He collapsed right after our meeting.”

Renovation? Expansion? What was that all about? The very words sounded alarms. Tom had a stroke immediately after the meeting? What the hell had happened?

All of a sudden the pieces began to line up. Tom had come to Vegas to meet with Ty about the floundering hotel, a place he should have dumped years ago. He probably only kept it for the sake of this hanger-on. Rich and powerful men always attracted leeches—and that was her initial assessment of Ty Morgan. Evan at least knew how to get rid of the ones that weren’t somehow useful. Tom, on the other hand, hid a soft heart under his tough exterior.

“Is there anything I can do for him?” Ty asked, casting another worried look over Tom. His anxiety appeared genuine, but then again, if Tom was his gravy train, he had real cause for concern.

She shook her head. “No. I’m afraid there’s nothing either of us can do until he wakes up.”

“I suppose we could sit with him in shifts,” Ty volunteered.

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Morgan. I intend to remain with him as long as they’ll let me.”

“But you need to rest sometime, don’t you? Where are you staying?” he asked.

“At the MGM Skylofts. Unfortunately, it’s looking like I’ll need to find something a bit more long-term.” The ramifications of the situation hit her again in a nauseating wave.

“You’re welcome to the owner’s suite at the hotel—”

“No, thank you,” she quickly rejected the offer. Although Tom had long ago issued a standing invitation to use the owner’s suite at the Hotel Rodeo, there was no way in hell Monica was going to slum it when there were so many better options available.

“Got a ride?” Ty asked. “I can give you a lift to your hotel if you need one.”

“That’s not necessary. I have a driver on call.”

His brow wrinkled. “You sure there’s nothing you need?”

“Nothing,” she replied tersely. “Thank you.”

“Then I guess I’ll be heading out.” He pulled a business card from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. “There’s my cell number. You’ll call me if there’s any change?”

She nodded. “I’ll call. You and I will need to meet and talk very soon anyway.”

“Oh yeah?” His tawny brows rose. “What about?”

“You should be aware that I’ll be stepping in to handle all of my father’s business affairs.”

His expression shuttered. “When was that decided?”

“Ten years ago when Tom adopted me,” she replied. “He rewrote his will establishing advance directives in the event something like this ever happened. He also appointed me as his health-care agent with full power of attorney. Right now my primary concern is taking care of him, but once Tom is out of danger, my next order of business will be with Brandt Morgan Entertainment.” She paused, studying his face. “I will be conducting a detailed review of the company’s balance sheet. Is that a problem for you, Mr. Morgan?”

All sign of warmth extinguished from his hazel eyes. “If there’s something on your mind, Ms. Brandt, I’m standing right here.”

“All right, cowboy. You want it straight? I’ll give it to you. You and I both know my father is a very wealthy man. He’s also now completely incapacitated. I have to wonder what really happened at this meeting of yours. What caused his blood pressure to skyrocket to the point of stroking out in the parking lot?”

He towered over her, his face flushed. “You think I had something to do with that?”

“I think the circumstances are highly suspicious.”

His tone was suddenly steely. “So now you want me to hand over all the corporate records?”

“Yes. Given the circumstances, you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t accept everything you say at face value.”

He took a breath, opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again. He jammed his hat back on his head and made to leave, but then turned back with his hand on the door. “Look, Ms. Brandt. I gotta get something off my chest right here and now.”

“And what’s that?” Monica asked warily.