Shattered (closed)

[wideeyedone]

After room service arrived Lily awakened and sat up in bed. She did her best to smooth her hair. Thornton was sipping coffee in his chair, he hadn't given up his bedside vigil.

"Thank you so much. I really feel better. I think a hot shower and some breakfast and I could even go to work." Her smile was playful and sweet. "I think I could spend the day here in bed. I don't want to make you lock me in my room."

She pulled her legs up underneath her and took a few sips of juice. Her head was still sore but it was a lot better. She moved her jaw a little, feeling the bruise and the stiffness.

"It was very nice of you to stay."

 

[NewGame8]

When room service arrived, he had the waiters place the trays on the table in the small dining room. He tipped them, and sent them away. After pouring himself a cup of black coffee he returned to Lily's room and sat back in the chair.

He saw her move about, and then sit up in bed. Thornton watched her quietly.... watching her do a self-evaluation. "It was my pleasure to stay here to keep an eye on you Lily. After all, this happened to you in my hotel. I feel responsible. Oh, and NO, you will not be going to work today. The doctor is going to come by and take a quick look in on you. Then, when you are feeling up to it, you are going to come up to my office and we will have a chat. I want to make sure nothing like this happens again to any employee, especially you."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily repeatedly thanked Thornton for his watchful care. The doctor stopped by and even though he grumbled that she hadn't wanted to go to the hospital, he cleared her to rest on her own. When Lily was finally alone, she took a hot shower and changed into fresh clothes. She slipped into a simple sundress and a pair of sandals and wove her hair up into a bun. She popped on a pair of sunglasses and took her book and room key with her.

Lily decided to bask in the sunshine for a while. She read her book, thumbing through the pages as she watched people around the pool. The Chelsea had several pools but Lily chose one with a burbling waterfall. She ordered a sparking water with lemon and did her very best to take in the mood of the area.

She was beginning to feel at home in the Chelsea. She shook that thought out of her mind, she wasn't there to be at home. She was there for Thornton.

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton went to his office and had his secretary contact Dave Packer, the security director, and tell him to come to his office immediately. While Thornton waited he made several phone calls. He had some people gather information about Breyer. He wanted to know everything about him..... Thornton was not finished with him. He had hurt someone that Thornton liked a lot... cared about even. Thornton did not allow that to just slip away.

When Dave Packer arrived Thornton had him sit at the conference table. Thornton, however, did not sit..... he paced. He was upset that something like that happened in his hotel, and, despite the fact that Dave had handled things well after-the-fact, it had occurred, and that was unacceptable.

Thornton spent hours grilling Packer about why it happened and why it wasn't prevented, and how they could make sure that it never happened again. "Dave, you did a great job handling the aftermath, but you and your staff were not able to prevent a member of our staff from being severely beaten. That is unacceptable."

Dave was dismissed with a task. Find a way to make sure it never happens again. He didn't say it, but what he was thinking was ... especially to Lily.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily watched the patrons of the hotel for about an hour, the sunshine and fresh air made her feels worlds better. She decided it was time to get back to work. She headed to her office. The concierge database wasn't going to build itself and she didn't want her employees to think she was soft. Plus she knew that it would rankle Thornton. That thought made her smile. He had been very protective.

For a moment she could picture him with her mother. She wondered if he had been protective of Cassie as well, or if he had thought of her at all. Was she just a pretty showgirl to him?

Abby at the front desk looked suprised to see her.

"Mr. Thornton said you wouldn't be in." Abby said eyeing Lily carefully. Lily still had her sunglasses on, hiding only part of the bruise on her face.

"Oh, i am feeling much better." Lily wondered how long it would take for Thornton to show up.

 

[NewGame8]

After Dave was dismissed with his task Thornton got down to work on some business details that were left hanging. Fortunately they were not very detail oriented, and he was able to take care of them, because his mind could not get off what had happened to Lily.

When he finished he got up and looked out of the windows and over the city. He wanted to control the city. He wanted to make it his. His plan had been to use Lily to help him accomplish that mission, but something was happening. He had feelings for her that made the idea of using her not so appealing. She would just have to be a part of his plan.

The phone on his desk rang. He picked up the intercom... it was his secretary reporting that she had received a call saying that Lily was in her office working. Thornton smiled. She was a hard ass. It was one of the things he liked about her. He hung up the phone and headed toward the elevator.

"What exactly are you doing?" he asked as he leaned against the door jam to Lily's office. "What exactly do you not understand about me telling you to get some rest."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily smiled at Thornton. He looked just as if he owned the place.

"I am not used to taking orders." Lily smirked. She smoothed her hair back. "And as lovely as my suite it, it is a little lonely right now." She shrugged her shoulders and then began to add the numbers on the papers in front of her.

She could feel Thornton's eyes on her. She looked up at him, her big brown eyes full of emotion.

"I really can handle my job. This won't happen again. Next time I will have security handle a bastard like that." She brushed her hair back and the bruises on the side of her face were no longer hidden. Lily tucked her hair behind her ears. "Do you want to take a look at these numbers? I think someone is pilfering money from the lounge."

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton smiled at her when she said she could handle her job. The smile went away when he said that someone was stealing money from him. That was unacceptable and could get someone hurt.

"Lily, there is no doubt in my mind that you can handle your job. That is why I hired you. However, I want you to rest a little. I feel responsible. It happened in my hotel, so, I am going to make sure that you are okay."

He watched as she curled her hair behind her ear. She was extremely attractive and, in addition to that, she felt good to be around. Thornton was going to be careful though. The last time he got close to an employee it had ended horribly, and he had spent every day since then regretting how he had handled it. Cassie was the one person that he had ever loved.

"Why don't we take your paperwork and go up to my suite. That way you can still work, but it will be out of the office. You can show me where we are having money stolen, and I can tell you how I am going to make the thief pay for his/her/their transgressions."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily smiled at Thornton and gathered up the paperwork she was looking over.

"I can work in your suite... maybe we could grab a bit to eat. If we are going to be planning retribution it might work up an appetite."

Lily tucked her folder under her arm and allowed Thornton to lead her out of her office. She made sure not to talk business as they walked. She didn't want the nosy office staff catching wind of the theft from the lobby lounge.

Thornton took her to the elevator and she closed her eyes and leaned against the cool panel of the elevator. She touched Thornton on the arm.

"I really going to be ok. I have been knocked around by an idiot before." Lily sighed softly.

 

[NewGame8]

"I know you are going to be okay. I am going to make sure of it. I already allowed something to happen to you in my hotel.... that will not happen again. You are going to get better before you are going to go back to your office. Until then you are going to work in my suite."

They rode the elevator to his suite. He allowed her to exit the elevator first. As Lily got off the elevator Thornton put his hand on her lower back and then he followed her out of the elevator.

"You can work anywhere you want Lily. Pick a spot in which you will be comfortable and make it yours. You can move around if you want. Make yourself at home." He watched her look around. "Can I get you something to drink or eat, or just anything at all?"

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily settled into a plush couch and spread her papers on the coffee table before her. She slid off her sandals and tucked her feet up underneath her. With a few flicks of her fingers, she had her hair down.

She looked up when Thornton offered something to eat or drink.

"I would love something cold to drink." She offered quietly. Then she was back looking at her papers.

"The liquor expenses don't match the liquor output. Even with comps at play. Their are whole cases of liquor unaccounted for. Also, I heard some whispers that the waitresses are having to pay over part of their tips to someone. It isnt the manager. I am thinking it is one of the bartenders but I don' tknow which one."

Lily had been sniffing around but the waittresses wouldn't open up to her. They were afraid of whoever was shaking them down.

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton went into the kitchen and filled a glass with ice. He then grabbed a bottle of water, a regular soda and a diet soda and carried them back into the living room. He sat the glass and the three bottles on the table. "Wasn't sure which one you would want, so, I brought you all of them."

He sat in a chair across from Lily. She looked beautiful sitting on the sofa with her hair down and her feet tucked under her. "If it isn't the manager, how can a bartender be stealing from me and strong arming the waitresses? If you have an idea of who it is, you need to let me know. If you don't know who it is, you need to tell me which waitresses are being forced to turn over a portion of their tips and I will take care of it."

He was really pissed at the thought of someone stealing from him. That was enough to get somebody's kneecaps shattered. However, stealing from the waitresses and threatening them was even worse, and could result in somebody getting dead.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily got out her laptop and accessed the security video. She opened her water and sipped it as she watched. She watched several camera angles in the bar. She watched silently and then when she caught the bastard red handed she called out, "Gotcha!"

One of the bartenders, Todd, was taking a cut of the girls tips in one frame. And Lily had watched him load several VIP beverage carts that were never billed to any room or listed as comped.

She turned her computer around and showed Thorton. She had written down all of the timestamps. There would be a lot more, but now that they knew who they were looking for Dave Packer's guys could scan the videos and put together any more evidence they needed.

She smiled up at Thornton. "I knew I could figure it out. Now, what are we going to do about it."

 

[NewGame8]

"You are incredible Lily. Is there anything you can't do?" His excitement with her performance was hiding the anger he felt toward the bartender. This was not going to be a job for his security chief. This was going to be a job for some unsavory people that Thornton kept on the payroll.

"How long do you think he has been doing this? How much do you think he stole from me? More importantly, how much has he taken from the waitresses? Those girls work their asses off and he is taking their money. He is going to be very, very sorry for that." Thornton looked at Lily for answers to his questions. He realized he had rattled off his questions rapid fire, but that is what happened when he was angry.

He sat their looking at Lily. He saw something in her face. He had a feeling that she was unhappy with him, but he wasn't sure why she would feel that way. He hadn't done anything to upset her.. not that he was aware of anyway.

 

[wideeyedone]

Thornton's rapid fire questions had jarred her a little bit. She wasn't quite up to speed yet after her bump to the head. She was confused. Thornton praising her felt good and she wanted to bask for a moment in him being pleased with her. But she felt guilty. She wasn't supposed to like him, or want to please him. Was she betraying her mother sitting in his suite, helping his business grow. She shook it off.

"I have no idea how long it has gone on. I hired one of the cocktail waittresses to be a concierge and when I asked her what she was making in tips, the number just didn't seem right to me. It took me a week or so to figure it out."

Lily thought about those poor women, most of them college students or single moms, giving over part of their pay to some slimeball that was stealing booze and probably selling it.

"You aren't going to press charges are you? You are going to do this old school aren't you?"

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton got up from his chair and walked over to Lily. He kissed her on the forehead. "I am sorry for rattling off the questions. I talk fast when I am upset. I am not upset with you. I am upset with the piece of shit bartender."

He cupped Lily's cheek in his hand. "Does it upset you that I am planning on dealing with this old school? We cannot afford to let this go unpunished. Everyone has to know that what he has done is not okay, and the waitresses need to know that I am going to do whatever I can to protect them."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily leaned her face against Thornton's hand. His hand felt warm and strong.
"I am not upset for the bartender. I want to make it right for those women. They are hard workers. Most of them have kids." She closed her eyes and just allowed Thornton to touch her. She heard the needy little sound escape her throat and felt the flush rise on her cheeks.

 

[NewGame8]

"Lily, I want you to relax for a little. I am going to go out on the balcony and make a phone call. I do not want you to hear what I say. Therefore, if something goes wrong you can honestly say that you had no idea what was going on. I want to protect you here."

He caressed her cheek lightly with his thumb and then he walked out onto the balcony. Thornton pulled out his cell phone and called Mac. He told Mac what was going on, and he told Mac what he wanted to happen. He didn't want the guy dead.... but close. He didn't want there to be any way that it could be tied to the casino or to Thornton. Everyone would know who was behind it, but there would be no way to prove it.

When he was finished with Mac Thornton went back inside and sat on the sofa next to Lily. "Are you okay? You look tired. I think you might be working yourself too hard. Perhaps you should back off a little. You are doing an incredible job. I don't want you to burn out." Thornton reached out and patted Lily on the knee.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily leant against the arm of the couch.

"Do you want to get a bite to eat and then we can talk about how to make it right with the waitresses? I know they didn't feel safe telling the guy before me, but they should have told me. I would have fired this guy, no problem."

She shook her head. "My mom had a job like that.... being pretty and nice to people to pay our bills. They should have trusted me."

 

[NewGame8]

"Why don't we eat here. You can call down and get anything you want and we can stay here and you can relax." Thornton was really enjoying spending time with Lily and he wanted her to take it easy and relax.

"I wish the waitresses trusted me enough to come to me. They have no idea how much I appreciate what they do. They have no idea how much I care for them. The people that work for me see me as a bastard that just pushes them hard so he makes more money. They don't realize that when I push them hard they make more money."

He looked at Lily. She was so beautiful. Why did she always make him think of Cassie? "I want them to trust me. I feel a connection to them. In fact, the only woman I ever loved was a worker here."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily had to bite her lip to keep from reacting.

"What was she like?" Lily asked softly. She wondered how he saw her. To her, her mother was glamorous and fun. She was so young and beautiful. But she was needy and eager. She wondered how he saw her, how he remembered her and if she ever mentioned her daughter at home.

 

[NewGame8]

"Her name was Cassie and she was incredible. She was beautiful. She was fun to be around. However, she was holding something back from me. She was hiding something from me. I pressed her to open up to me, but she either wouldn't or couldn't. I asked her to marry me, and she started yelling at me.. telling me I didn't understand what it would do to her."

Thornton looked at Lily. When he talked of Cassie he got emotional. When he thought of her taking her life, it brought him to tears. Even now, with Lily, tears welled up in his eyes.

"Because of me she took her life. I continued to pressure her to marry me. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, but something happened. The next thing I know I was getting a call saying that she had taken a fistful of pills and that she was dead."

Thornton had to stop. "I'm sorry Lily." He got off the sofa and went out on the balcony to compose himself. He leaned on the rail and wondered why he had opened up that way to Lily.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily felt like she couldn't breathe. He hadn't hurt her. He hadn't destroyed her. She was the secret. She was the secret that her mother had died over.

She watched Thorton on the balcony. He had really loved Cassie. He had wanted to marry her.


Lily followed him out onto the balcony. The breeze was cold against her cheek.
"I am sorry. I didn't mean to pry." Her voice was quavering.

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton looked over at Lily. "It's okay. You weren't prying. You were simply asking a question. You did nothing wrong." He looked back out off of the balcony. He loved being able to look out over the entire city.

"You know what.... let's get out of here and get something to eat. You were right. You name the place and we will go there. It doesn't have to be a reconnaissance mission. It can just be us getting something to eat."

Thornton followed Lily into the suite and then picked up the phone. He called his driver and told him to be downstairs in 10 minutes. He then followed Lily to the elevator. He stepped on after her and pushed the button for the lobby.

 

[wideeyedone]

After the doors to the elevator shut, Lily reached over and took Thornton's hand. She squeased it lightly and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"There is a great little italian restaraunt not too far off the strip. It is owned by a local family, they bake their own bread, make their pasta and cheese in house. They have great wine." She offered.

She let go of his hand before the elevator opened. She left the elevator and went to the front desk. She told the supervisor on duty that she would be off property but on her cell phone.

Lily gave the address to the driver. It took all of her composure to not tell him everything.