“Stop,” Harper said, putting her hands up. “I don’t think your dad’s trying to imply anything. Like he said, he just doesn’t understand.”
“Exactly, Starling. I just want to be able to figure out what is going on with you — so I can help.” Chance gave Harper a look of thanks.
“If you want to help, you need to find Dr. Eliot McDougal. He used to sell Jenna and Carey the drugs, but he won’t sell me any. I tried to call him today, but he wouldn’t answer. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
If the doctor was some piece of trash who took advantage of Jenna, Chance’s daughter, and his ex-wife by selling them drugs there would be hell to pay. He had to hope the doctor only had the purest of intentions in mind when he sold Carey drugs that hadn’t passed FDA approval. God only knew what side effects the drugs would have on his daughter — or why the drug had failed testing.
“Starling, I feel like I need to tell you that these aren’t the drugs you brought with you. We never searched through your things. We came across this package here in Jenna’s house. So you have whatever you have in your bag and now this. But before I give you this I want to know something.” Harper stared down at the innocuous looking brown package. “What happens if you don’t take the drugs?”
“I see more and more spirits.” The teen sucked in a breath. “The last time I was without my meds was a few years ago. It only took two weeks before I couldn’t get out of bed. When I don’t take my medication, the spirits become too much — the only place I can escape is in my sleep or my shift. Even then … sometimes they try to invade my mind … I need this. I can’t survive in a world full of spirits — not all of them are good.” Starling pulled the package into her chest like a precious possession.
“Did that have something to do with the incident at school today?” Chance forced himself to mimic Harper’s soft tone.
His daughter looked up at him and there were tears at the corners of her eyes. “I didn’t mean to lose my temper. My mom was there. She wanted to come through. She wanted me to write something. I haven’t talked to her much since she died. I started letting her in, but before she could tell me anything, the boy took my notebook. I don’t know what happened. The next thing I knew, I had blood dripping off my knuckles.” Her voice cracked and a tear slipped down her soft childlike cheek. “I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to be like this. I just … I just can’t help it.”
His heart lurched and he kneeled down next to his heartbroken daughter. Reaching up, he wiped away the tear from her cheek. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. This isn’t your fault. You can’t control what is going on inside of you any more than you can control a river.”
Her beautiful brown eyes sparkled with unspent tears. “I’m not the person you must think I am.”
“I hope you are the girl I know you to be. You’re smart. Mysterious. You’re brave. I only just met you and I already love you with all my heart. You are my daughter. My child. I never thought I would be this lucky. We’ll do whatever we need to do to get you what you need.”
• • •
There was a steady stream of cars leaving Vegas. Their headlights lit up the night as the winners and the losers escaped what many called the den of sin, but what Harper merely thought of as a place for escape. For the next few days, her only goal would be to find Dr. McDougal and talk to him about getting more of the medication for Starling. If she found him, she could learn more about the drug and why it hadn’t passed federal testing. From there, maybe — just maybe — she could figure out what it was about the compound that acted as a buffer between Starling and the spirit world.
She would need to go about investigating without drawing attention to herself or what she was doing. If word got back to Merckson that she was sniffing around Shaw she’d undoubtedly come under fire. She would have to kiss her job goodbye. Her job was everything. Or at least it had been.
Over the last few days something had changed. Suddenly she wasn’t just living for herself anymore — and as much as she had originally been uncomfortable with their arrangement, it was starting to grow on her. The more time she spent with Chance and Starling, the more it began to seem like they had slipped into the roles of a family.
The truck bumped down the highway as Chance yawned from behind the steering wheel. Harper looked into the backseat of the cab. Starling’s eyes were shut and her chest rose and fell in the constant rhythm that came with sleep brought on through emotional exhaustion. Kodie had his head planted against the back window; his gold crown sparkled as another car passed by, casting light into his gaping mouth.
Harper turned back to Chance. “What are you going to do?”
He glanced over at her for a second, but then stared back at the road. “About what?”
“The drugs. Are you going to let her keep taking them?”
“I’m going to have to let her. They’re the only thing helping her. She needs them.”
“You do understand if the FDA didn’t approve these drugs, there’s something terribly wrong with them, don’t you?”
He glanced in the rearview mirror toward his sleeping daughter. “I know … but she’s a nymph, right? The drugs must not have the same effects as they would on a regular human, right?”
The memory of Jenna’s funeral sprang into her mind. For a moment, all she could see was the Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Redbird, standing in front of her with her mousy brown hair and beaky nose, wanting to talk about Jenna’s demise. “Even we can die.”
“So you think these drugs are going to kill her?”
“Very few drugs out there can kill us, but there are a few — anything that makes us lose our hair or our feathers. All I’m saying is it would be best if we knew exactly what it is Starling is taking and who the doctor is who was giving it to her.”
“Didn’t you say this Shaw Pharmaceuticals is located in Vegas?” His fingers curled tight on the steering wheel.
“I was already thinking about that. When you start the tournament, I can find the company. Maybe I can pull some strings and meet Dr. McDougal. Maybe he’ll talk to me — I already know what he’s trying to hide. He won’t have another choice but to explain himself to me.” She tried to sound optimistic, but the sound fell flat. There were so many things that could go wrong. Heck, she’d be lucky to make it through the door of their facility. There was a rivalry between Merckson and Shaw — each had their share of secrets.
“What happens if he doesn’t talk to you?”
“Then we’ll have to hope and pray my company can figure out what drug Starling is taking, or else maybe we can try to find a replacement for her — something else that can help her get a handle on the spirits.”
The air stilled between them and the cars continued to flash by. In the distance, thousands of lights lit up the sky as Las Vegas came into view — an oasis of light in a lonesome desert.
Maybe she could appeal to McDougal’s softer side, convince him she needed to know the truth in order to save Starling’s life. Yet, as she thought about why the man would become involved with a nymph and her spiritually connected daughter, the less it seemed like appealing to his sensitivity would work. If he were anything like the men she worked with, he would be all business and driven by the ruler of capitalism — money.
Why did everything have to come down to money? Money had driven the men who had killed Jenna. Money had driven Kodie to be so desperate to take a loan out from a hustler. Greed was the reason they were coming here.
And then it struck her. She wasn’t all that different from the man who had sold Carey the drugs. There she was, only caring about getting back to work — to make more money. Money she didn’t really need, but was willing to give up relationships in order to get. She’d been so centered on her work for so long she’d forgotten all the things that were really important in her life — and her complacency had inadvertently caused her sister’s death.
No matter how much money passed through her hands, it would never cleanse her hands of blood.
Kodie’s soft open-mouthed snores stopped as they made their way onto the Strip. To their left was a line of black limousines. The windows were tinted, hiding the parties that must have been going on inside. A yawn escaped from the back as Starling shuffled in her seat.
A valet stood outside of the Bellagio as they pulled up to the stand. When the man stepped up to the door Harper noticed the deep bags under his eyes and she glanced down at her watch. Seven A.M. It was going to be a long day.
The valet opened the door. “Hello, and welcome to the Bellagio.”
She stepped out with the help of the valet, who then made his way back to Starling’s door. A strange, pinched expression covered Starling’s face as she stared at the man in the suit jacket. She stepped out, not taking his offered hand. There was something wrong.
“Starling, you okay?” Harper whispered as the young woman stepped next to her and waited for the men to come around to the sidewalk.
“I’m okay.”
“Why didn’t you like the valet?”
The driver’s side doors of the truck closed with a slam.
“He looked like the boy who stole my notebook.”
“Don’t worry,” Harper whispered. “You’ll be okay. I’ll take care of you.”
Walking around the front of the truck, Chance palmed the man a bill as valet handed him his parking stub. With a wave, Harper motioned that she and Starling were going inside. Chance acknowledged her with a curt nod.
She’d forgotten how anything and everything in this city was bought with a smile and a cash-weighted handshake. It was a system she simultaneously loved and hated. There was a simplicity to it that was almost admirable. With enough money any secret could have been buried, but for only slightly more, any secret could have been bought — all one needed was a prolific bankroll and the right questions.
Greek statues stood guard at the doors that led into the grand hotel’s gold and marble laden lobby. Light streamed through the collection of hand blown glass sculptures adorning the lobby’s roof, casting a shimmering dance of colors across the pale marble floors.
The lobby was quiet with the exception of a group of men in black suits. One of the men had his blue tie off; at some point in the night he must have slung it over his shoulder and had forgotten it was there. His hair was disheveled and, as they walked toward them and the front desk, she noticed the thin veil of glitter plastered over the back of his expensive looking jacket. The man turned as she approached and he gave her a drunken smile. One of his blond friends listed and whispered loudly but unintelligibly into the ear of the man to his left.
“Hey ladies … ” the drunken man with the jacket covered in body glitter called. “If you girls are looking for some real men instead of those puny motherfuckers you’re with … “ He pointed out the glass doors where Kodie and Chance were standing with the valet. “You can come right over.” The peal of laughter echoed in the empty marble lobby.
Starling looked over to Harper with fear in her eyes.
“Don’t worry,” Harper said, trying to comfort the young girl. “Why don’t you go with your dad and Kodie? I’ll be right along.”
Starling turned around and walked outside.
“Hiya, boys,” Harper said in her best voice of seduction. The ripples of her nymph magic vibrated the air around her and she could see the waves overtake the men as she neared. “You’re all so handsome. Do your wives know where you are?”
The glittered man’s mouth fell open as he stared at her with what could have been best described as desperate fuck-me eyes. “I’m … I’m … ” the man stammered. “I’m getting married this weekend.”
“Oh really?” She smiled and stepped close. “What about the rest of you?”
The blond man who had whispered to his friend shook his head and his hair fell back slightly, exposing his receding hairline. “Our wives don’t need to know anything. You know the saying … What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”
“I don’t think it always does … ” She gave half a laugh. “I’m known for doing things that leave an impression.”
“I bet you’ve done a few things,” the blond continued. “But you have never had a man as good as me. I’d fuck you so hard you wouldn’t walk right for a week.” He reached down and humped the air as if the trashy gesture was some kind of mating call.
“Only a week?” A wicked grin took over her lips. “I’ve been known to fuck so well that men could never walk again.”
The blond’s jaw dropped, but he quickly collected himself. “Prove it.”
“Hand me your phone and I will,” she said, stepping close enough to catch the scent of fading coconut body oil that must have been left over from their night at the strip club.
“Why do you need my cell?”
Harper let a surge of energy pass through her toward the man and his eyes glazed over. Perfect. “No pictures.” She wiggled her finger and the other men in the small circle laughed.
The man dug in his back pocket and handed her his white cell phone. She tapped the buttons and opened up the screen. There was a picture of a half-naked woman spread over the back of a motorcycle as his wallpaper. If she had to guess he must not have been getting much play at home, but from the state of the drunken, coconut-smelling man at her side, she could hardly blame his wife.
Clicking open his pictures, buried deep in the files, she found a picture of a mousy woman with sad eyes. She had to be his wife. The woman reminded her of an abused dog, slouching as if she was just waiting for another blow.
If the poor woman would have been some sumptuous egocentric looking woman, Harper would have snapped a picture of herself and sent the woman a text message with the words, “Your husband is a pig” embedded. Yet, after seeing the picture of the meek woman, it didn’t seem right. The poor woman probably had more than she could handle in her philandering husband.
Instead she opened up the internet and found an app for gay men and downloaded it to his phone. The phone opened to a menu entitled: “What kind of man do you wish to meet?” She laughed as she typed: “Wanted: one good man … Preferably denim clad Dom with ample assets for play. I’m shy. Cameras welcome.”
With a flick of the wrist, she dropped the homosexual homing beckon into the man’s pocket. She giggled as she imagined his next experience in the men’s bathroom in the massive hotel.
The doors to the lobby opened and she turned as Kodie, Chance, and Starling made a beeline to her and the group of men.
“Have a good night, boys.” She gave a little wave of the fingers as she stepped away from the group.
“Wait … ” the drunken man called after her as she strode toward Chance.
“What in the hell is going on? Starling told me — ” Chance started.
“Don’t worry about it,” she answered with a mischievous grin. “I took care of them.”
“What did you do?” Kodie asked.
Her smile grew wider. “If I were you, I would avoid being near him unless you are interested in meeting one good man.”
She grabbed Chance’s arm and steered him away from the drunken men, but he kept looking back over his shoulder toward the pigs. “Are you sure you don’t need me to talk to them?”
“Trust me on this. I’ve been dealing with men longer than you’ve been one.”
Kodie snickered.
The woman behind the massive welcome desk smiled as they made their way over to her. “Hello, and welcome to the Bellagio. How can I help you this morning?” Her voice was robotically chipper as if all humanness had long ago seeped out of the gold-plated machine that was the hotel.
Chance stepped forward and pulled his wallet from his pocket. “I have a reservation for a two room suite under the name Chance
Landon.”
He was met with a tap of keys as the woman put his name into the computer. “Oh yes, Mr. Landon, it says here you are playing in the Champions of Poker Tournament. As a thank you for your participation in such a prestigious event we have upgraded your suite to the penthouse and also compensated you for your room. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to let us know. All of your incidentals will be on the house.”
“I guess I only have one question, and that’s about my daughter. She’s not quite eighteen. She was hoping to watch the tournament, would it be okay?”
“As you are a VIP guest we will make an exception, sir. However, she must not stand too close to the gaming tables and she must be accompanied by an adult.”
“Not a problem.” Chance slid his wallet back down into his pocket. “Thank you.” The words came out almost as if they were a question.
“It’s the Bellagio’s pleasure, sir. We are honored to have you staying as one of our guests.”
As long as Harper had been alive, she’d never been treated like a famous person. She’d never had a room comped, even when she’d gone to pharmaceutical conventions. Up until this moment she’d never really thought of Chance as famous, but as the woman across the desk finally broke her robotic demeanor and gave Chance a provocative smile, she could no longer be blind to his reality. No wonder he hadn’t wanted to quit the game, to start living a life devoted to a child. He may have been a drifter by definition, but there was so much more — so much she didn’t know.
A strange sadness filled her. Until now, she’d thought she understood him and what made him tick. Had she been wrong all along? She glanced over at him and noticed the way his strong jaw made an elegant line as it melded into the tanned flesh of his neck. A neck that only a handful of hours ago she’d been kissing. Heat permeated from her core.
The woman’s dangerous smile fell from her lips as she glanced to Harper then down at her computer screen. “Also, Mr. Landon, it looks as though you have someone waiting for you in the penthouse.”
“You allowed someone into my room?” Chance growled.
The Nymph's Curse: The Collection Page 52