by Duval Alex
Paige reached for the CD-changer again. Zach reached out and caught her hand. ‘Trust me. I can handle this guy.’
‘It’s just that he doesn’t think like a regular person,’ Paige said. ‘He takes risks no one else would take. He—’
‘Trust me,’ Zach repeated.
Paige sighed. ‘Are we getting close to the coordinates Marc gave me?’
‘I’m assuming that’s him up there,’ Zach answered.
Jason leant forward. ‘Where?’ All he saw was desert and more desert. Wait. He squinted. There was a little spot of black out there.
‘Faster. Go faster,’ Paige pleaded.
Zach took the Escalade up to 105. Jason could feel the sand sucking on the tires. He kept his eyes locked on the spot of darker color among the tans and yellow-greens. Yeah, that was an SUV parked up there. Jason hardly blinked as they sped forward, bouncing and jerking over the ruts in the trail. Not only was it an SUV, he realized. It was the SUV. The one that had been tailing them on the way into Vegas.
‘There he is!’ Paige exclaimed. ‘I don’t believe this. He’s sitting there drinking a beer, like he’s at a damn tailgate party.’
‘More like a costume party,’ Jason commented. Marc was wearing tight cords, suede boots, an untucked tuxedo shirt, an unbuttoned tan vest, a floppy felt hat and shades. ‘Is there a new store I don’t know about? Cowboy Rockstar Wannabe?’ Jason asked, going for a joke that wasn’t even Adam-worthy.
‘Takahiro Miyashita,’ Paige told him, tossing out the name of a designer Dani adored.
‘Let me handle things when we—’ Zach began, but he didn’t get a chance to finish. As he pulled over toward Marc’s SUV, Paige scrambled out of the Escalade before it was even parked.
Zach cursed softly under his breath as he came to a stop. Jason ignored him. He was on the ground in seconds, right behind Paige. Zach followed them both.
‘Where is my sister?’ Paige snapped into Marc’s face.
‘We’ll get to that,’ Marc told her. Jason noticed that he had just the faintest of French accents. ‘Want a beer? I also have a thermos of mojitos. Very refreshing in the desert.’ He acted like Jason and Zach weren’t even there. Jason peered into the darkness inside the SUV. He didn’t see Sienna. Was she tied up in the front seat? Had Marc even brought her?
Marc reached into the cooler behind him and pulled out a silver thermos and a cocktail glass. Paige slapped the glass out of his hand. ‘Where’s Sienna?’
Zach took a step forward. ‘I’m—’
‘I know who you are, Lafrenière,’ Marc interrupted. ‘And I’m sure I don’t need to introduce myself. But this is none of your business. Or that human’s, whoever he is. This isn’t a council meeting. This is between me and my girlfriend.’
‘It’s not quite that simple when you’ve kidnapped the daughter of a DeVere Heights—’
‘“Kidnapped” is such an ugly word,’ Marc broke in. ‘Little Sienna is perfectly safe – a long way from here, with plenty of air conditioning.’
So she wasn’t in the SUV. Jason knew he’d been stupid to even hope for that.
‘And she’ll stay that way as long as Paige sits down and has a conversation with me,’ Marc continued. He patted the spot on the tailgate next to him. ‘A conversation à deux,’ he added.
‘Fine. I know how you are when you don’t get your way,’ Paige said, sitting down next to Marc and waving Zach and Jason back.
‘You usually enjoy it when I get my way,’ Marc said flirtatiously, as if he was just trying to patch up some little fight the two of them had had.
‘Let’s give them a few minutes to see how this plays out,’ Zach said under his breath as he and Jason backed up a few steps. Jason nodded. But he was going to listen in to every word. Anything Marc said could lead them to Sienna.
Marc took a long pull on his beer. ‘You sure you don’t want something? It’s hot out here.’
‘You wanted to talk. I’m ready to talk.’ Jason heard Paige snap. He could hear the strain in her voice as she struggled to keep calm.
‘You look beautiful,’ Marc said. He ran one finger down Paige’s cheek. ‘Did you wear that shirt for me? You know it’s my favorite.’ He moved his finger down her throat and traced the V of the shirt’s neckline.
Paige shivered.
Marc grinned. ‘You might say you don’t want to be with me, but your body says different.’
‘That was revulsion,’ Paige shot back.
Jason could almost feel an electric charge arcing between them. Paige had an energy – a wildness about her – that Jason had seen when she partied. And it seemed like she’d found her counterpart in Marc. Right now, it felt as if at any moment the power they both generated would go nuclear, destroying them – and whoever else happened to be around.
Marc laughed. ‘You keep on telling yourself that, baby girl.’
Paige jumped to the ground and faced Marc. ‘You’re delusional, you know that? You sent me flowers. You sent me champagne. They didn’t work. That’s when a sane guy moves on. But you won’t accept that there is any girl anywhere who doesn’t want to be with you. That just couldn’t happen to Marc Lessard!’
Don’t piss him off, Jason thought. Be careful, Paige. Keep him calm, please. Had Paige forgotten that Marc had already murdered one person she cared about? Anything she said could push Marc over the edge. Sienna could be the next person to end up dead.
‘But think about it,’ Paige went on, her voice sharp as mirror shards. ‘You had to put my sister in danger to get me to speak to you. Doesn’t that prove that I don’t want anything to do with you? It’s over, Marc. It’s been over for a long time. Just tell me where Sienna is so we can both move on.’
Jason studied Marc’s face. Was he going to tell Paige to go to hell? That she could forget about ever seeing Sienna again?
To Jason’s surprise, Marc laughed. ‘It’s never going to be over between us, Paige, when are you going to realize that? Sometimes you might hate me. Sometimes I might even hate you. But that’s because there’s a deep connection between us. You’re the most important person in my life. And I’m the most important person in yours. Come back to Paris with me – now, today. We belong together.’
‘And Sienna?’ Jason couldn’t keep himself from bursting out.
‘If you come home with me on the next flight, I’ll let Sienna go,’ Marc promised Paige.
‘You got away with arranging Rob’s “accident”, but he wasn’t one of us. Do you honestly believe that you – even you – can kill another vampire without bringing disgrace down on your entire family? And that would be just the beginning. The councils would demand justice, and—’
‘You underestimate my father,’ Marc said flatly. ‘It would be simple for him to cover up any … mishap. You don’t realize how deep the loyalty to him runs, or how many secrets he knows about all the families, secrets they would do almost anything to protect.’
Paige lowered her head and stared at the ground. Jason could almost feel her trying to come up with another solution, anything that didn’t mean she had to leave with Marc.
‘Come with me. You know you want to. We can be dancing at Batofar tonight,’ Marc coaxed.
He really is delusional, Jason thought. He thinks all she wants is some sweet-talking, a few more flower deliveries.
‘It’s true, what you said,’ Paige murmured, her voice so low that Jason had trouble hearing her. ‘There is something between us. I think about you all the time, even though mostly when I think about you now, it’s about how much I hate you, how much you’ve hurt me.’
Marc laughed again. ‘That’s a start.’
Paige raised her head, and when she did, the beginnings of a smile were on her lips. ‘But wouldn’t you rather have me go back to Paris with you because I want to, not because you found a way to force me?’
‘Of course,’ Marc replied. ‘It’s just that I know once you’re back there, you won’t believe you ever wanted to be anyplace else.’
‘Wanna bet?’ Paige asked, her little smile stretching into a grin, her eyes glittering feverishly.
She’s come up with some kind of plan, Jason thought, uncertain whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Jason couldn’t guess what the plan was – or if it had a chance in hell of working – but he knew she’d concocted something.
Marc took off his sunglasses. ‘What did you have in mind?’
‘A game. A gamble. You still like to gamble, don’t you?’
‘Always,’ Marc answered with a smile.
‘Paige, I don’t think this is—’ Jason began.
She waved her hand at him impatiently, cutting him off. ‘You win, and I go to Paris with you. Willingly, I promise, if Sienna goes free.’ She tossed his hat on the ground and ran her fingers through his tousled blond hair.
‘And if I lose?’ Marc asked. ‘Not that I ever lose.’
‘You go back to Paris alone. Sienna goes free. It’s a winner takes all proposition,’ Paige explained. ‘Are you in?’ She was in full-on flirt mode, and Jason could see that she had Marc, hook, line and sinker.
‘Don’t I even get to know what we’re playing?’ Marc asked.
‘Does it matter, since you never lose?’ Paige taunted, moving a step nearer to him.
‘It does not matter. We will play any game you say.’ Marc closed the distance between them and kissed her. ‘To seal the deal.’
Paige kissed him back, a longer, deeper kiss. ‘Just so you’ll remember what you’re playing for.’
Was she as insane as Marc? Jason wondered. Did she even remember that her sister’s life was what they were really playing for?
‘The Ultimate High Stakes Invitational is tonight at the Bonheur. A Texas Hold ‘Em tournament for very high rollers. You and Zach will enter. Whoever loses their money first loses the private gamble as well.’ Paige glanced from Zach to Marc. ‘Acceptable?’
Jason noticed Zach’s eyes narrow slightly, and realized that he had been caught a little off guard – something that rarely happened. Nonetheless, Zach gave an almost imperceptible nod.
‘Marc?’ Paige asked.
‘I’m in,’ he told her. ‘I’m looking forward to it.’
‘Swear on your family name that you’ll honor the terms,’ Paige demanded, her face suddenly serious.
‘Couldn’t we just kiss on it again?’ Marc asked.
‘If you win, you can have all the kisses you want,’ Paige told him. ‘Now, swear!’
‘I swear on the Lessard family name,’ Marc answered gravely.
‘Until tonight then,’ Paige said softly, giving him a little wave as she, Zach, and Jason started back to the Escalade.
‘I’m going to be collecting on all those kisses,’ Marc called after her.
‘I’m going to be getting my sister back,’ Paige answered, too quietly for him to hear.
Jason glanced at Zach. He had the feeling Zach wasn’t too happy about the way this meeting had gone down. Jason definitely wasn’t.
Thirteen
‘AM I ABSOLUTELY brilliant? Or am I absolutely brilliant?’ Paige demanded as Zach got the Escalade turned around. ‘I played him like a violin!’ She gave a trill of laugher, high and long, and bordering on the hysterical.
‘Yeah, brilliant,’ Jason answered sarcastically. ‘Now whether Sienna lives or dies is going to be decided on a couple of hands of Texas Hold ’Em.’ Not that he’d ever actually let it come to that.
‘You left out the part that it’s a couple of hands of Texas Hold ’Em played by Zach,’ Paige countered. ‘You think I’m brilliant, don’t you, Zach?’ She reminded Jason of a three-year-old hitting the peak of a sugar high.
‘I think only an idiot would have baited him the way you did,’ Zach said abruptly, concentrating on the narrow road.
Marc tore by in the SUV, passing on the left so he could blow Paige a big, juicy kiss. She pressed her lips against the side window in response, leaving a dark cherry lip print. The sight of it made her laugh again.
‘It worked, didn’t it?’ Paige asked. ‘I said what I needed to say to get him to agree to the gamble. That’s what I wanted to do, and that’s what I did, because I’m – everybody say it …’
Nobody cooperated.
‘… brilliant,’ Paige finished alone, clearly frustrated that Jason and Zach weren’t in celebration mode.
It’s probably relief more than anything making her act like this, Jason thought, deciding to cut Paige some slack. It had to be nerve-twitching getting face to face with Marc, flirting with him, kissing him, even though she knew he was a murderer and that he was holding her sister hostage. She probably had a gallon of extra adrenalin running through her veins right now.
‘So we have a few things to figure out,’ Jason began. ‘Things like Zach might, just possibly, lose. Then what? You can’t seriously be thinking of going to Paris with that sociopath.’
‘I’ve seen Zach play poker. I’m not that worried,’ Paige said.
‘How’s he even going to get in the game? Or Marc?’ Jason protested. ‘It’s invitational, as in you have to be invited.’
‘I can make a few calls,’ Zach said, with a grim smile. ‘And Marc will have no problem. But let’s assume for a minute that I do win. Do you really think Marc’s just going to release Sienna and leave you alone forever?’ he asked Paige.
‘He swore on his family name,’ Paige reminded him. ‘That means something to us.’
‘To most of us,’ Zach corrected. ‘Are you actually going to trust the word of a guy who kills to get his own way?’
‘Good point. Excellent point, in fact,’ Jason put in. ‘Plus the game has a quarter mill buy-in. Zach can’t even sit down at the table for less than that. How are we supposed to come up with that kind of cash?’
‘I’ll handle that part,’ Zach answered, without elaboration.
For Jason, coming up with $250,000 would require a lot of elaboration, but, whatever.
‘So, we’re back to having to trust the word of a deranged killer,’ Jason said.
‘Marc’s father is completely obsessed with what it means to be one of the Thirteen. He’s all about family honor, and so is Marc. He’ll keep his promise,’ Paige insisted. ‘And even if he doesn’t, which he will, the whole point of the deal was to buy us some time. If we work fast, Zach won’t even have to enter the tournament tonight. We’ll find Sienna before the game even starts.’ She flicked Zach in the arm. ‘Right?’ she asked. She flicked Jason. ‘Right?’
‘Right,’ Jason said.
Zach gave one of his trademark nods.
Paige nibbled her lower lip. ‘Worst case scenario, we don’t find her before the tournament, Zach kicks Marc’s butt at poker, and Marc hands Sienna over.’
No, Jason thought. Worst case scenario, we don’t find Sienna before the tournament. Marc kicks Zach’s butt at poker, and the only way to get Marc to hand Sienna over is for Paige to go to Paris with the guy – who happens to be about a half a minute away from beginning to foam at the mouth.
Not an acceptable scenario.
He checked his watch: eight-thirty a.m. The tournament started in less than twelve hours. That’s all the time they had to find Sienna.
‘So, we have less than eleven hours to find her,’ Jason said, wrapping up his recap of the meeting with Marc. ‘Any ideas?’ He glanced around the group gathered in Paige’s suite.
‘I’d say follow him,’ Zach suggested. ‘But we have no idea where to start looking.’
‘Yes we do. Brad and I found out where Marc is staying,’ Erin volunteered. ‘The Bonheur.’
‘Happiness,’ Jason translated aloud, remembering the French Sienna had managed to inject into his brain.
‘You’d think he’d get enough French atmosphere at home,’ Adam commented. ‘Why didn’t he go for the hotel with the sphinx out front, or Circus, Circus? Although circuses always seem sort of French to me. I don’t know why. There’s something about the red coat the ringmaster wears, and some o
f the clowns are mimes, so—’
‘He’s probably not staying there for the atmosphere,’ Brad interrupted. ‘He’s probably staying there because it’s free.’
‘His daddy owns the place,’ Erin explained.
‘Unbelievable!’ Jason burst out. ‘We challenged him to a poker tournament being held in the casino his father owns. Why didn’t we just say Zach would play blindfolded and make it even easier for Marc to cheat?’
‘He’s not going to cheat,’ Paige insisted. ‘Family honor is a huge deal to Marc. And his father. His dad would never allow a crooked game in his casino.’
‘Besides, there’s always a director at a tournament to oversee the game, someone unaffiliated with the casino,’ Zach explained. ‘So there will be an outsider to enforce all the rules.’
‘We need to get over to the Bonheur and see if we can spot Marc before the game.’ Van Dyke stood up. ‘Then we stay on him.’
‘He probably has at least a couple of his boys with him,’ Paige said. ‘Marc doesn’t like to travel without an entourage. They’re probably taking turns watching Sienna. Somebody should follow them too. Anybody have a laptop? I can find pictures of the key players.’
‘I’ll get mine. I brought it so I could edit my seedy underbelly footage,’ Adam answered. He hurried out of the room.
‘Do you think Marc could be holding Sienna at the Bonheur?’ Maggie asked. ‘Since his dad owns it and everything?’
‘Unlikely,’ Brad said. ‘Too many people. It would be hard to whisk Sienna past all the hotel guests and the gamblers down in the casino. She wouldn’t be going willingly, and if they’d drugged her—’
Jason heard Paige suck in a sharp breath.
‘It isn’t likely that they did,’ Brad added quickly. ‘Because that would make it even harder to transport her into the hotel unnoticed.’
‘Laptop,’ Adam announced as he came back into the room. He set it down on the coffee table and opened it. Paige went online and quickly found some pictures of Marc. It seemed like he was Paris’s Paris Hilton – if Paris Hilton was a guy and wasn’t arrested so often.