Venom

by Jennifer Estep

  Owen turned his attention to Slater and smiled at the giant, letting a bit of ugly violence show through his hot gaze. The giant frowned. It was one thing to take me onshore for another beat-down when it seemed like I was here by myself or had somehow snuck in. It was quite another to accost the proclaimed date of one of Ashland’s wealthiest businessmen. Enough even to make Elliot Slater think twice.

  Footsteps smacked, fabric swished on the deck behind us, and I felt another blast of elemental magic—Fire magic. Dozens of tiny, hot, invisible needles pricked my skin, and my jaw locked even tighter as I struggled to keep my face impassive. To show no sign that I felt anything out of the ordinary. Especially not Mab Monroe’s elemental Fire magic dripping off her body like hot candle wax. Slater stepped back, dragging me with him, to make room for his boss, Mab Monroe. Evidently the giant was making too much of a scene, and the Fire elemental had decided to get involved and see exactly what was going on.

  “Is there a problem here?” Mab asked, repeating Owen’s words. The Fire elemental’s low, breathy voice always reminded me of delicately rasping silk. But there was also power in her tone, raw force that couldn’t be denied, a clear presence that said fuck with me and you’re dead.

  For a moment, the Fire elemental regarded me with her black gaze. Unlike most elementals, whose eyes glowed brighter when they reached for their magic, Mab Monroe’s darkened. The blackest ink would have seemed pale in comparison to her ebony orbs. A flicker of recognition sparked in Mab’s gaze. She realized who I was and seemed just as surprised to see me here as Jonah McAllister had. Hardly shocking. After all, I was just a lowly restaurant owner. It wasn’t like I moved in her rich, highfalutin circles. At least, not as Gin Blanco anyway. As the Spider, I’d had my share of dealings with a good portion of those in attendance tonight.

  I met the Fire elemental’s gaze with a steady one of my own. I wasn’t going to pretend to be cowed by her. Not by the bitch who’d so viciously murdered my mother and older sister, who’d taken such glee in torturing me all those years ago, who’d ordered the murder of my sister Bria just yesterday. No, I wasn’t going to pretend that Mab Monroe scared me anymore. Not now, not ever.

  “No problem at all,” Owen replied in a smooth voice. “Seems your giant mistook my date for someone else.”

  He reached over and tapped on Slater’s hand with his index finger. The giant looked at Mab. The Fire elemental stared at Owen, who looked right back at her. Owen’s gaze never wavered. Neither did Mab’s. All around us, conversation had stopped. Even the slot machines were quiet as folks stopped feeding coins into them to watch this much more interesting gamble by Owen Grayson.

  After a moment, Mab jerked her head. The motion made her coppery hair spill over her shoulders like a bloody fan unfurling. Elliot Slater huffed his disappointment at his boss’s obvious order, but the giant released his grip on me. Owen held out his hand, which I stepped forward and took, slipping my palm into his.

  Slater stared at me, but I didn’t rub my upper arm where the giant had held me. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of realizing that he’d bruised me to the bone with his hard, unrelenting grip.

  “If there’s nothing else, we’ll go back to the bar,” Owen told Mab. “Before we try our luck at the gaming tables again. Seems I’m on a roll tonight.”

  A spark of anger flared in Mab’s eyes. Owen was poking at the sleeping bear with a sharp stick, and she was seconds away from ripping off his head. I tensed, ready to palm one of my silverstone knives. I didn’t know what agenda Owen had, why he’d decided to save me from Elliot Slater. I supposed the most logical assumption would be that he simply liked me. But things were rarely what they seemed in my line of work, and I’d learned long ago to look out for hidden motives. Even if it did make me slightly paranoid. Better that than dead.

  Still, I felt somewhat protective of the sexy businessman. Even though it had been a stupid thing to do, Owen had stepped forward and stood up for me. If Mab made a move toward him, I’d bury my knife in her heart and worry about the consequences later. Or at least try to kill the bitch before she toasted me with her Fire power.

  But the Fire elemental smothered her anger and made her face as remote and impassive as before. “Of course,” she murmured. “But the next time you decide to gamble, Mr. Grayson, perhaps you should think about exactly what you’re risking. A man like you has a lot to lose. Money, status, family.”

  By family, Mab meant Owen’s younger sister Eva—who was the most important person in the world to him. Another cold blast of elemental magic exploded off Owen’s body, momentarily driving away the feel of Mab’s Fire power pricking my skin. Mab felt the surge of magic and smiled. She knew that she’d gotten to Owen with her casual threat.

  I curled my fingers even tighter around his hand, lightly digging my nails into his skin. Warning him.

  Owen squeezed my hand back. He didn’t relax, but he did manage a curt nod to Mab. He wasn’t going to push the issue any more tonight. Couldn’t blame him for that. A guy could only play the part of the white knight for so long before he was overwhelmed by enemy forces. Too bad Owen didn’t realize that I didn’t really need rescuing. That I would have been happy to cut into Mab right here, right now if I thought I could get away with it. Still, the display of chivalry pleased me in an odd way. Donovan Caine had certainly never done anything like it for me.

  Mab stepped back, and Owen turned and led me over to the bar. As we walked, we passed Finn, who was still sitting at his slot machine. He studied Owen, a thoughtful, assessing look in his green eyes. Finn’s gaze flicked to me. I shrugged my shoulders. It was too late to do anything about the situation now. All I could do was go along with things and pretend to be the businessman’s date for the evening.

  People parted to let us walk by, and we reached the bar without incident. The folks sitting on either side both scooted farther away, as though they were afraid of catching something from us. Owen ordered another round of drinks. Tonic water for him, gin for me. We didn’t speak until after the bartender had filled our order.

  “So,” Owen murmured. “You want to tell me why you followed Elliot Slater to the other side of the boat in the first place? Or perhaps you’d like to start with why he looked like he was going to rip your arm off and beat you with it?”

  So the businessman had realized I’d been after Slater. Nothing was going as planned this evening. Nothing at all.

  I looked at Owen. Curiosity simmered in his violet gaze along with something else—respect. For what? Me? Why? I hadn’t done a fucking worthwhile thing. Hadn’t killed Elliot Slater, hadn’t killed Jonah McAllister. Hell, I hadn’t done anything noteworthy the entire night.

  Still, Owen had stuck his neck out for me, risked Mab Monroe’s wrath because of me. I owed him some sort of explanation, even if it was going to be complete fiction. I opened my mouth to start spinning a story—

  And that’s when my cell phone rang.

  17

  For a moment, Owen and I just looked at each other. My phone rang again, and his eyes narrowed. I knew who it was, of course, and that he wouldn’t have interrupted me unless it was important.

  I held my finger up, telling Owen that I’d be with him in a minute, then pulled my phone out of my purse and flipped it open. “What?”

  “We’ve got a problem, Gin,” Finn’s voice sounded in my ear. “Look who just stepped on board.”

  I turned my head to the right. Detective Bria Coolidge stood at the top of the gangplank. Bria wore a long, strapless, flowing gown made out of an ice blue silk. The color brought out her eyes and the rosy flush in her pale cheeks, and a matching wrap covered her bare arms. Bria’s blond hair had been swept up into a complicated bun. Her only adornments were her primrose rune necklace and the three rune-stamped rings on her left index finger. The silverstone medallion glinted as Bria turned her neck from side to side, scanning the crowd before her. She looked stunning, cold, regal, and beautiful all at once.

  A
nd she wasn’t alone.

  Xavier was right by her side, dressed in a white tuxedo jacket. The giant’s bald head gleamed like polished ebony underneath the soft lights.

  Bad to worse. That was definitely the theme of the evening.

  “What are they doing here?” I muttered.

  Beside me, Owen leaned forward so he could get a look at whom I was talking about. I didn’t bother to block his view. He was too smart for that. He studied Bria and Xavier a moment, then turned his attention back to me.

  “Beats me,” Finn replied. “Maybe they’re just crashing the party.”

  “You remember what the old man said about coincidences?”

  Finn sighed. “That there are none.”

  “Exactly,” I replied. “Those two are here for a reason. Keep an eye on them. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

  I hung up and turned back to Owen. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

  “Then I’m going too,” he said.

  “This doesn’t involve you, Owen. Things have just taken a turn for the worse, and they’re probably going to get even uglier before the night is through. You should walk away while you still can.”

  A crooked smile stretched across his chiseled face. “And let you get away without telling me what the fuck is going on? I don’t think so, Gin. You owe me that, at least.”

  His violet eyes glittered with a hard, determined light, and I realized that I’d peaked the businessman’s curiosity even more with my mysterious words and furtive actions. Curiosity. Another double-edged sword that had cut me more than once in my life. Even now, the blade whistled toward my head. I just wondered which way it would slice tonight.

  Still, Owen was right. He’d stood up to Mab Monroe for me in front of all the city’s movers and shakers. I did owe him something. What that was, I wasn’t sure. But if Owen wanted to come along for the bumpy ride tonight, that was his business. I had no doubt that he’d want to get off afterward. Donovan Caine certainly had.

  “Fine,” I said. “But follow my lead, and do what I tell you to when I tell you to do it. Understand?”

  His smile deepened. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Owen and I left the bar. Finn spotted us moving through the crowd and discreetly waved us over. He’d moved from his perch at the slot machine to a shadowy spot where he could put his back against one of the walls that formed the interior dining room. I looked out over the crowd, but I didn’t see Bria or Xavier anywhere.

  “Where’d they go, Finn?”

  Instead of answering me, Finn raised his eyebrows in Owen’s direction.

  “He’s with us for the remainder of the evening,” I replied. “Just talk, Finn. We can sort out everything else later.”

  By everything, he knew that I meant Owen Grayson and whether we could afford to let the businessman keep breathing if things went bad. Something I was going to have to decide before the night was through. Because while Owen might want to sleep with me, he didn’t know what he was getting into tonight. And I didn’t know if he could keep his mouth shut about it. But it was a chance I had to take right now.

  Finn nodded. “Bria’s over by the railing, sipping champagne and looking absolutely stunning.”

  Sure enough, my sister was doing exactly what Finn said she was. Since Bria seemed to be okay for the moment, I moved on to the other players in the game.

  “Where’s Xavier?”

  “Xavier said something to Bria a minute ago and left her standing there alone,” Finn answered. “The giant walked into the dining room.”

  I frowned. “Why would he go in there? Dinner isn’t until later. All the action is still out here right now.”

  Finn cleared his throat. “I wondered that too—until I noticed that Roslyn’s conveniently disappeared as well. She’s gone, Gin.”

  My head snapped around to the blackjack table where the vampire had been. I’d been so busy with Mab Monroe and then Owen Grayson that I hadn’t kept track of Roslyn. Her chair was empty. Xavier’s sudden appearance started to make a little more sense to me.

  “Roslyn,” I muttered. “She must have told Xavier that she was coming here tonight with Elliot Slater.”

  “And Xavier couldn’t stand that and came to rescue her,” Finn finished. “With or without her knowledge?”

  “Doesn’t matter,” I muttered. “Because if Slater sees them together, they’re both as good as dead.”

  Owen stood still and silent by my side, listening to everything Finn and I said. The businessman didn’t say anything, didn’t interrupt and ask what the hell was going on, or who we were talking about. He just listened and watched the crowd around us. Most people didn’t know enough to keep quiet. My respect for Owen ratcheted up a few more notches.

  “What do you want to do, Gin?” Finn asked in a soft voice.

  I stood there thinking, my eyes scanning over the crowd again, this time looking for three very specific people. I spotted them almost instantly.

  Mab Monroe, Elliot Slater, and Jonah McAllister had moved to the right side of the riverboat and were deep in discussion about something. Slater’s giant guards stood close to them, focused on their boss, ready to jump when he gave the order. My gaze cut back to Roslyn’s empty chair at the blackjack table. It would only be a matter of time before Slater realized that she was missing and started looking for her. Only one thing to do.

  I blew out a breath. “Finn, you stay out here and keep an eye on Bria. Call me if it looks like she’s going to get herself into trouble. Owen and I will find Roslyn and Xavier and get them off this boat.”

  Finn stayed where he was against the wall. I jerked my head at Owen.

  “Come on,” I said. “They’ve got to be inside somewhere.”

  He nodded and followed me through the open doors into the dining room. I stalked past the rows of tables. A few people had drifted inside to sit down, but none of them were Roslyn or Xavier, so I walked on. Owen moved quickly and quietly behind me. He didn’t ask questions or offer any input. He just followed me.

  I thought about my earlier tour of the riverboat this evening. Where would I go if I wanted to have a quiet meeting away from the crowd? Only one spot I’d seen this evening had been conducive to lovers.

  “Come on,” I said. “I know where they are.”

  Owen nodded, and we walked on. I went through another door, stepping out into the walkway that lined the back side of the riverboat. My stiletto heels slammed against the wood. The time for being quiet was over. Because if I didn’t reach Roslyn and Xavier before Elliot Slater did, they wouldn’t be getting off this boat alive.

  Up ahead, I noticed the door to the glassed-in section of the boat was closed. Some of the blinds had also been drawn, providing a bit of privacy for whoever might be inside the salon. I didn’t bother knocking, instead twisting the knob and throwing the door to one side. Inside, Roslyn sat in a chair, shoulders shaking, tears trickling down her tight face. Xavier perched on his knees before her, holding her hands, as though he’d been pleading with her.

  “What do you two think you’re doing?” I snapped.

  “Gin—” Xavier started.

  “Do you know what you’ve done? How much danger you’ve put yourself and Roslyn in by coming here tonight?”

  The giant bit his lip. “I couldn’t help myself, Gin. Knowing that Roslyn was here with that bastard—”

  “I know, Xavier. I know. But I need you to be quiet right now and listen to me. Okay?”

  The giant pressed his lips together, but he slowly nodded.

  I turned my gaze to Roslyn. “I told you to keep Xavier out of it, that I’d take care of Slater. You said you could handle it.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But I—I just couldn’t lie to Xavier about where I was going tonight. And what might happen if you failed. If I… if I had to go home with Slater.”

  I tapped my toe on the wooden floor. A migraine throbbed in my head in time to the sharp, staccato motion. Because I had failed Roslyn. I’d had my chance a
t Elliot Slater, and I’d let Jonah McAllister get in my way. I should have just killed them and dumped their bodies over the railing, despite the consequences. That way, at least Roslyn and Xavier would have been free of this mess.

  Owen Grayson stood in the doorway behind me, still looking and listening. I had no idea what the businessman was thinking at this point, and I had no idea what I was going to do about him after the fact. Right now, though, I had to focus on Roslyn and Xavier. Like it or not, I was responsible for them, and neither one of them was going to get dead tonight if I could help it.

  I stabbed my finger at Xavier. “You. You get out of here right now. Go back to your partner, Detective Bria Coolidge, who I assume you dragged to this thing for cover, and tell her that there’s some emergency you have to take care of. Then you get off this boat and go straight to this house.” I rattled off Jo-Jo Deveraux’s address to the giant. “You stay there, and you wait for me to show up. No matter how long it takes. Understand?”

  The giant closed his eyes and slowly nodded.

  “Good. Get going. Now.”

  Xavier looked at Roslyn another moment before getting to his feet. Owen stepped to one side so the giant could leave the salon. I waited until the echo of Xavier’s footsteps had faded away before I turned to Roslyn.

  “What about me?” she asked, tears still streaming down her face. “Do you want me to go back out there? Back out to—Slater?” Roslyn’s voice broke on the last word.

  Instead of answering her, I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and dialed Finn.

  “Yes?” his voice sounded in my ear.

  “I found them. Xavier’s coming your way. Make sure he talks to Bria, then gets off the boat. Go get your car without drawing too much attention to yourself. Roslyn will meet you in the parking lot. Take her to Jo-Jo’s. Owen, what’s your address?”

  The businessman told me the information, which I passed on to Finn.