by Lily Bishop
The signed folio was still there. Ric walked past the hostess to check. He didn’t know whether to be happy or sad when he saw her signature.
“Sir, may I help you?” He turned at the frosty tone of the hostess.
“Yes, this is my fiancée’s sweater. Did you see where she went?” Ric asked.
Xavier handed the woman a crisp, smooth twenty-dollar bill to encourage her assistance.
“Oh, certainly sir. They went that way, back toward the main entrance.”
“Thank you.” They? He didn’t even have time to ask her about that. He grabbed the sweater and left before the woman reconsidered. A weight in the sweater hit his side. When he found her phone in the pocket, he realized why she hadn’t answered his call.
“I don’t know who she would have shared a drink with. She barely drinks. It would have to be someone she knew.” As soon as Ric said the words aloud, he guessed who it must have been. Xavier met his eyes. They shared the same idea.
“We need to look for Vaughn Bruce,” Xavier said.
The truth hit Ric hard. “I think you're right.”
Ric raced to the door and thought he caught a glimpse of a woman resembling Lindsey on the other side of the casino. She moved with the crowd leaving after a theater performance, walking next to a tall man with a shaved head. His instincts told him the man was Vaughn Bruce. If they pressed through the crowd, they would lose her.
“Think this through,” Ric muttered, freezing in place. “I think he is taking her to the parking garage the long way, trying to give us the slip. There’s nothing else on the strip in this area—that has to be it. You follow them, and I’ll go down the elevator to the garage. We'll have them pinned in.”
“Got it,” Xavier said and he pushed his way through the crowd.
Ric scrambled down the stairwell, his shoes echoing on the concrete. He burst out into the highest level of the garage, but no one was there. For a minute, Ric doubted his plan, but then he heard footsteps coming from the street entry to the garage.
“Where is Ric? You said he was waiting for me.” Lindsey’s voice carried from the top of the garage. The footsteps moved closer.
Ric slipped into the shadows, waiting to reveal himself. He drew his gun, hoping he wouldn't have to use it.
Vaughn Bruce may have shaved his head and grown a beard, but Ric would know the man anywhere.
Lindsey chose that moment to pull away from Vaughn. “I am not going anywhere with you until you tell me where Ric is!”
“Yes, you are,” Vaughn said, pulling her back.
Ric lunged, knocking Vaughn over in a hard tackle. He looked up to see Xavier running towards them. Within minutes, Xavier had pulled off his belt and tied Vaughn's hands behind him.
Vaughn had hit his head on a piece of concrete and wasn't moving. Ric checked that he was breathing and rolled him over on his back.
With Vaughn down, Lindsey ran to Ric. He caught her against him and steadied her on her feet.
“There you are. I couldn’t find you,” Lindsey said, her voice near tears.
“It’s okay, baby. Did he hurt you?”
“No.” She hid her face against his chest.
The elevator opened behind Ric, and he glanced behind him to see Miguel and Javier joining the party. Xavier moved beside Ric, his gun still in his hand.
“Miguel, you crossed the line this time. I negotiated in good faith with you and you sic your dog on my woman? This is not over. You crossed the line.”
Miguel just smiled. “What? She doesn’t wear your ring. That tells me that she is fair game.”
“She is NOT fair game. You know that.”
Miguel shrugged. “Come Javi. Pick up that garbage and let’s go.”
Javier lifted the unconscious Vaughn, put him in the back of big white SUV and they left.
Ric shielded Lindsey until they were gone and then held her back so he could see her face.
“I was so worried.”
She looked up, her eyes glistening with tears. “All I wanted was to find you. I love you,” she said.
“I love you, too. Come on. Let’s get back to the room.”
“I can’t go back in there. Not yet. Let’s go for a walk."
Ric brushed her cheek with his hand. She still seemed unsteady to him. "Are you sure you're okay? Maybe we should get you to the hospital."
He had already leaned down to her. Now she pulled him farther down so she could reach and kissed him, full, on the lips. Her passion seared into him. When she pulled away, he blinked, surprised.
“You drag me to a hospital and they will laugh at you. I'm fine. Trust me. Now come on. I saw a place across the street that I want to check out.”
In that moment, Ric would have followed her anywhere.
#
Lindsey had never felt so alive. The sick feeling she felt earlier had passed. Each of her senses seemed more intense, overwhelming her with sensation.
They emerged onto the street, and the smells of car exhaust mixed with the perfumed women they passed. In the distance, sirens competed with honking horns. Men tried to push business cards into their hands. Ric pushed them away, shouting at them in Spanish. One of them found its way into Lindsey's hand, and she glanced down to see a woman's naked chest staring at her.
“Son las putas!” Ric said, ripping the card from her and thrusting it away.
“It's okay, just ignore them,” she said, rubbing his forearm. Seeing that she wasn't offended, he began to relax. She moved from his forearm to hold his hand. Ric was her connection to reality. She gloried in the strength in his grip and the knowledge that he would never let her go.
Her mind still felt a little bit fuzzy but it seemed better. She didn't know what had happened in the parking garage, but she pushed those thoughts away. All that mattered was here and now. Ric had claimed her in the garage and her doubts about the relationship had faded away.
Straight ahead, the neon white, pink and purple of a wedding chapel called to her. She knew what she wanted. She wanted to marry Ric.
“Come on,” she said again, pulling Ric’s hand. He held back, and she saw him exchanging glances with Xavier. She pulled harder and he followed.
The sign announced, “Get married tonight.”
“Lindsey, what are you doing?” Ric asked, his voice tight.
“I want to get married.” She said the words simply. She felt them in her heart.
“What?”
Clearly, Ric wasn’t paying attention. She stopped and turned to him. “I love you. I want to get married. Tonight. Right now.”
“But—”
She had never known Ric to be so hesitant. “Do you want to marry me?” she asked.
“Yes, but…”
“Then what are we waiting for?” she asked, taking his arm again.
“How much did you drink?”
“One drink, but I am not drunk. I feel everything clearer than I have ever felt it. Tonight’s the night.” She stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed his lips. “Make me an honest woman. We’ll always remember we got married in Las Vegas on Christmas.”
Ric looked into her eyes for a moment, and then he took her in his arms. “You’ve made me the happiest man on earth. Let’s do this.”
They opened the white double doors and peered inside. Lindsey expected something out of an old Elvis Presley movie. Instead, the chapel was tasteful and understated. White chairs lined up facing the front of the chapel and white bunting draped from the windows.
A blonde in her forties greeted them at the door with a too-white smile and a perfect pageboy haircut.
“I’m Brittany, and you’re lucky—we have a cancellation this evening. Come on in and we’ll get you started.”
Lindsey doubted that anything had been scheduled. Apparently, Christmas Day was not a popular day to get married in Las Vegas. As Brittany went over the available packages. Lindsey squeezed Ric’s hand, excited.
“I don’t have a dress,” Lindsey murmured.
Ric didn't even have time to answer. Brittany explained that the deluxe package included a dress, pictures and a video. She would give them a discount since the groom already wore a suit. They signed the paperwork and Brittany ushered Lindsey to the changing area.
“How about Mrs. Claus?” Brittany asked, pulling Lindsey into a changing room full of dresses. She held up a mini-dress fashioned of white velvet and fake ermine. It came with a matching white Santa hat.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Lindsey murmured. She glancing at the other dresses hanging along the wall.
“What about this one?” Brittany held up a long satin dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline, long sleeves, and a slit up the side.
“That’s the one,” Lindsey said.
“Bride walking in five,” Brittany spoke into her headset.
The whole thing seemed surreal to Lindsey. Brittany picked up a make-up palette and touched up Lindsey’s make-up to make it a bit more dramatic. She handed her a bouquet and adjusted the dress. “Beautiful. Now let’s take that first step toward the next day of your life. Come on, give me a hug. I just love weddings.”
“Wait, wait, I don’t even have a ring for him—”
“It’s included. Don’t worry about a thing.”
#
Ric stood at the front of the small chapel waiting for Lindsey. Ric wore his own suit, which was much nicer than the cheaper suits they offered as part of the wedding package. Xavier stood up with him as a witness and the wedding director would be the second witness.
Xavier leaned close to Ric. “Are you sure this is what you want? It seems sudden.” He spoke quietly so no one could hear his comment.
“I’ve wanted to marry her since I first talked to her. Did I plan to do it here? No, but a ripened plantain doesn’t go back to being green.”
Xavier grinned at the old saying from their childhood. “That is true.”
He fingered the ring box in his pocket, the one he had carried for over a week. His jeweler on the island had created a ring that would be uniquely Lindsey. He had reset his mother's diamond and in his grandmother's antique setting. The classic style would fit Lindsey much better than his mother's ring would have.
He had intended to ask her on Christmas Eve, had everything ready, but then the moment didn’t feel right. How did the time feel right now, Christmas Day in the middle of La Vegas? He didn’t know. He just knew that it did. He handed the ring box to Xavier, who lifted an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything else.
Music filled the chapel and the double doors at the back opened. Lindsey stood still for a long moment, a vision in white. Pride soared through him. She would be his, and they would build a life together.
He met her eyes as she walked toward him and gave him a smile that warmed his heart. When she reached the front, she passed the bouquet to the woman helping with the wedding.
They clasped hands for the ceremony, and his eyes never left hers as they spoke their vows. As he said the words, he felt he was creating his own family. He honored and built on the one he had lost when his parents died.
The officiant asked for the rings. The wedding coordinator handed Lindsey a ring for him and he took the rings from Xavier. As he slid the two rings on her finger, her hand trembled, and he squeezed gently to reassure her.
“Ricardo Salzana-Toledo, you may kiss your bride.”
Ric had been waiting for this moment for months. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, just a taste. He would have all night for more.
They walked to the back of the small chapel where they both signed the official marriage license. Lindsey smiled up at him, but she blinked as if to clear her head.
“Are you okay?” he asked, reaching out to support her elbow as she tottered.
“Just a little dizzy,” she stammered, but then her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped against him.
“Could use a little help here,” he called out, lowering her to a low sofa in the back of the chapel.
“Oh no!” Brittany called out. She pulled a small bottle out of her pocket and pushed it under Lindsey’s nose. “Smelling salts. We have a lot of brides who faint. I’m sure she will come right around.”
Lindsey didn’t stir. Ric felt her taking shallow breaths.
“Something is wrong. This isn’t a faint. Call an ambulance.”
Ric kept talking to Lindsey, tapping her cheeks, but she didn’t stir. She seemed to be breathing fine, but she wouldn’t wake up. Ric felt like the paramedics took forever, but it was only a few minutes. They started her on oxygen and asked him about possible drug use.
“I don’t think so, but I wasn’t with her all night,” Ric admitted. “Someone may have put something in her drink.”
They agreed to let Ric ride with them to the hospital. Xavier said he would follow with a car and would see them there. Ric remained seated in the back of the ambulance, staying back so the paramedics could do their work.
At the hospital, a blood test revealed that she had ingested a new drug with the street name of MAGIK. The hospital had seen several fatalities lately, and they recommended a stomach pump.
Ric waited until the doctor came out and informed him that she would be fine. “We think we caught it in time. Another hour and she may have metabolized too much of the drug. Sometimes these girls go to sleep and wake up the next morning, not aware of anything that happened. For some of them, the drug moves too fast through their system and they never recover.”
“Can I see her?”
“Sure. She’s experiencing some discomfort from the stomach pump, but she should be fine in a few hours. She just needs rest.”
“Is it safe for her to sleep?”
“Yes. She will be fine tomorrow. If she has a headache, get her to push fluids, and she can take over the counter medicine. No sleeping pills though, even over the counter. I’ll have the nurses start the release paperwork.”
“Thank you.”
Ric went in to see Lindsey and was relieved to see her sitting up in bed. He sat down beside the bed. He took her hand in his and squeezed it.
“Ric, why am I here? What is happening?”
“You had drugs in your system. They had to pump your stomach. Do you have any idea where those come from?”
“Drugs? No! I don’t remember anything after the restaurant. Vaughn showed up and we argued. I don’t remember much after that.”
“From what we can piece together, we believe he gave you a drug called MAGIK. It lowers inhibitions, like alcohol, only stronger. Then usually most people sleep it off. Sometimes girls metabolize it too fast, and if they go to sleep, they never wake up. The doctor thinks we barely caught it in time with you.”
Ric thought back to Lindsey’s actions in the parking garage and the wedding chapel. He should have guessed, but her pupils had looked fine. Her eyes hadn’t looked glazed over or anything. She had seemed happy, but not particularly drunk. She had struggled to fill out the form at the wedding chapel, but at the time, he had just thought it was her excitement.
He felt like he had betrayed her and now he had a marriage certificate to explain. Were they married or not? He guessed they could get it annulled since they hadn’t consummated it. What a mess.
Something had told him not to marry her, to return to the room. When it came down to it, he had been unable to turn away from his deepest desire. When she asked the third time, he just couldn’t say no. Now he wished that he had. She would think he had taken advantage of her and would hate him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I would never knowingly take drugs.”
“I know. It’s okay. We’ll head home as soon as you get discharged.”
“My stomach hurts. I don’t remember anything at all. What happened after the restaurant?”
“I’ll explain everything later,” he said, fingering her rings in his pocket. They had given them to him when they took her in for evaluation.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Long Trip Home
Two hours later, Lindsey sat by the window in Ric’s private jet getting ready for take-off. When Ric and Lindsey went to the hospital, Xavier went back to their room. He had grabbed their bags, checked them all out of the resort, and picked them up at the hospital.
Ric sat down in the seat beside her. Lindsey turned to face him, one question on her mind. “I don’t understand why Vaughn would drug me. He was a creep, but I didn’t think he would hurt me.”
“He’s working for my cousin Miguel, who wants what I have. He always has. You’re caught in the middle. That’s all. Vaughn was working for him, and he gave you that drug so you would be more compliant. Their plan was to kidnap you to Venezuela.”
Lindsey stared at him, still not sure what to think. “So Vaughn is a slave trader?”
Ric raised his eyebrow. “I don’t know how deep Vaughn is involved, but we know he drugged you. Miguel’s plan last summer was to take you from Calliope. He never intended for you to leave the island.”
“All of that happened this summer?”
“Yes—that’s why I couldn’t let you leave the tower alone. Xavier heard the rumors that men were supposed to kidnap a young blonde. I couldn’t risk it.”
“All these months, and you kept this to yourself?”
“I mentioned it, but you didn’t believe me, so it was easier to just move on. We thought Vaughn was in jail and Miguel was in Venezuela, so I wasn’t too worried. I tried to talk you out of this trip, but short of telling you everything, I didn’t see a way to keep you from coming.”
“Why did you have to go? You never said.”
“I met with Miguel about one of his operations. He wants me to allow one of his ships to fuel on my island.”
“For his illegal activities.”
“Yes.”
Lindsey stared at him. “You told him no, didn’t you?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Ric, what do you mean? You should tell him no!”
“I’m working with the FBI. We have to catch him in the act. That’s the only way we can stop him.” When she didn’t say anything, Ric continued. “Lindsey, Miguel is what he is. I have no responsibility for his choices. But he doesn’t get to choose you, and I will do what I have to stop him.”