Triple Diamonds (Mystic Nights #2)(20)

He went round to the back of the hotel and took the paths for runners like him that enjoyed a run along the Mystic River.

If he had the time, he’d run home. The path they had built went close to his home. A five mile stretch in both directions. Even though the five wouldn’t take him long, he wanted to do some weights today and his car was still at the hotel. And, he would like to hit the gym at the hotel before it was packed with patrons.

He did about three miles and turned around. He felt the perspiration running down his back, and lifted the edge of the front of his shirt to wipe his brow while he thought about Jewel Diamante. What a name? Her parents, must have had fun picking that one out. She was damned difficult not to think about. Again, memories of last night flooded his brain. She had been something, willing, and pleasing all at the same time. Incredible.

She was younger than him, that he knew. Native. They had not been in school together, but he imagined she must have been teased over her name. But he liked it. It suited her. She was a Jewel. A princess. A diamond. All woman. And she was also the kind of woman he’d always imagined himself settling down with, well, back when he’d wanted to settle down. But Tara had ruined that for him. It had been about trust, and faith. He didn’t trust her, and had lost his faith in women.

He briefly thought of her. He didn’t like to. But, in the early stages of their relationship, he’d thought she was the one. She wasn’t. Tara George had also been from Lantern Hill, and they had gone off to college together. They were going to get their education and then come home and start a life together, do good things back home. Stupid. Young. He’d found her blowing his roommate in the dorm in their second year of university. She was drunk. And high. He hadn’t even known she had become addicted to prescription pills while studying to be a nurse.

Immediately, he’d ended it. Humiliated, too. He’d moved off campus then, and heard she’d left school the following year. She’d married someone she had met and now lived somewhere in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, Lantern Hill was not large and people liked to keep giving him the scoop on her. Apparently she had three kids, and still drank like a fish. She was also divorced. But she stayed in Oklahoma. He’d never thought of getting back together with her. It was about trust and faith. And she’d destroyed that.

But that was another time, and another place. He’d loved her, but he’d gotten over her pretty quickly, too.

Now there was Jewel. He almost wished he’d met her first. But he wasn’t ready to settle down. Even then. That he could admit to himself. He enjoyed college after Tara left. Had partied, sometimes too hard. Hell, he still liked to have a good time on occasion. Plus, he had other dreams to pursue, and although he’d found Jewel strangely attractive, almost overpoweringly so, with what was going on with the rest of his life, he was better off that she had escaped him. Now, he didn’t have to worry about that awkward parting that was bound to come.

Finally back at the casino, he went in the rear entrance. The fully equipped gym faced the tail end of the casino offering great vistas of the river, and The Mohegan Sun which sat across from them.

The girl at the desk handed him a bottle of water as was his custom, and he drained it. Heading directly to the free weights, he adjusted what he wanted on the bars, secured the weights, and began to lift. He was doing upper body today. Tomorrow he would do lower.

He was just about to finish his last set when he saw his mother by the entrance. She was scanning the interior, and when her eyes landed on him, she made her way over walking quickly in her heels and power suit. She and Jonathan alternated Saturdays at the casino. This was her weekend. As she moved across the floor, her braid over one shoulder, she gave him a smile in greeting.

Joseph set down the barbell and mopped his brow with the cloth he carried. The closer she got, he saw her smile wasn’t reaching her eyes. Something was up. She didn’t look right. She looked angry. “What’s up?” he asked, giving her his full attention as she came to a stop directly in front of him.

She let out a frustrated sigh before she began. “Two more robberies last night. This is getting ridiculous. Actually, they may have happened early this morning. We don’t know as we don’t have cameras in that corridor yet. The two couples were at Light it Up last night until closing, and then went to a late breakfast at the buffet with their friends. They came back to their rooms around five AM and found both of their safes cleaned out.”

“Shit,” he murmured under his breath. This was not good. He picked up his rag and wiped the sweat from his brow again. “I talked to Tom. We checked the records last night and found where we ordered the cameras. He was going to order the new ones before he left last night.”

“Well, can you call and put a rush on them. I want them here and installed by the end of the next week.”

“That’s going to be tough.” The company was in Michigan.

“Make it happen.”

“Okay, I’ll call them myself, and if they can’t do it, I can see if there are any local companies that can do it. It might cost more, but . . .”

She cut him off. “Whatever it takes. Listen, finish your work out. I’m headed upstairs. Call me with any news, or if there are any problems. I’d like an update.” And with that she turned on her heel and left.

Joseph could not blame her for her impatience. These thefts were getting out of hand. This made eight now. This wouldn’t look good for the casino if word got out, and definitely didn’t bode well for return guests.