by Wulf,Rose
Ali froze with her loaded forkful hanging in the air. “What? Missing?”
Mick nodded. “A single woman,” he said. “The rumor is that she didn’t meet up with a friend for dinner last night.”
“Oh my god,” Allison mumbled, lowering her fork. “What could have happened?”
“Don’t know,” Mick said. He sat back but didn’t raise his voice. “It could just be a false rumor, even. Passengers aren’t supposed to know.”
Allison popped her bite into her mouth as she mulled that over. On a boat this full of people, such diverse people no less, it was very likely that the missing person story was just that—a story. Still… Her instinct insisted there was something more to it. And like it or not, her instinct had never been wrong before. Although a few times she wished she’d ignored the blasted thing.
An image of Mandy’s corpse flashed through her mind again and she swallowed back more than just berry-covered waffle. Releasing a long breath she asked, “Why did the bus boy tell you that, then?”
“I overheard him talking about a search party into an earpiece,” Mick said. With a faint grin he added, “And the guy’s either a terrible liar or a really good one.”
Allison laughed at that. “Hopefully he’s a good one,” she said. She put her fork down to reach for her morning drink and realized she’d forgotten to get one. “Oh, dang it. I forgot a drink. I’ll be right back—don’t touch my waffle.”
Mick lifted both hands to shoulder height. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” The laughter in his eyes said he might.
She deliberately rolled her eyes at him and made her way toward the coffee machine. Two people were ahead of her so she waited patiently for her turn, stepping up to the hazelnut flavored carafe just as Warner stopped in front of the regular. Her stomach clenched.
“Morning,” Warner said as he filled a cup. “Did you forget to tell me you had a boyfriend?”
Allison swallowed and pushed the button for the coffee to pour. “Not exactly,” she said, hearing the awkwardness in her own voice. “But you never did ask.”
“True,” Warner said, pulling his cup free of the coffee spout and reaching for a lid. “So what’s he to you?”
Keeping her eyes on the level of delicious brown liquid in her cup, Allison said, “Honestly, Warner, that’s not your concern. I’m sorry.” She released the button and reached for her own lid. “Have a good day,” she said with a polite smile before she turned and made her way back to Mick and her waffles.
****
“So this Warner guy is harassing you?” Mick asked as he pretended to concentrate on his shot. It’d been a couple of hours since breakfast and since Ali had told him about the guy, but Mick couldn’t get it out of his head. It bothered him more than he figured it should to know that someone was accosting her nearly every time she went to or from her room. He wanted to find Warner and make it clear that Ali was off-limits. She was his. At least temporarily.
“Harassing is a strong word,” Allison said, standing behind him. “More like … pestering. This morning was the first time he got pushy.”
Mick swung and watched as his brown ball went just inches too wide of his target. He hadn’t played any form of golf in a few years, and the last time it had been a relaxed game with family. And powers. “Well keep me in the loop on this,” he said, moving aside to let her have her turn. “If he gets pushier I want to know.”
Ali cocked an eyebrow at him. “And why is that?”
He stepped into her personal space and caught her chin with his free hand. “Because I’m a little bit possessive,” he said before capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. He could still taste remnants of the berry compote on her tongue as he swept his into her mouth. He pulled back before he could forget himself and grinned. “You’re up.”
Her lips twitched at the corners and she gave his chest a playful shove. “Space, please. I know you’re just trying to screw up my shot.”
“Guilty as charged,” Mick said with a laugh as he moved back until he was standing beside a fair-sized boulder. The rock was real, as were all the other rocks scattered around the mini golf course.
Allison swung and her ball, green because apparently that was her favorite color, too, circled around the hole before promptly plopping in. “Ha!”
“This is why I was messing with you,” Mick said as he took up position again. “I knew you were going to take the lead otherwise.”
“Sure you did,” Ali teased.
He was about to pull back on his swing when the ship’s loudspeakers crackled to life. The sound startled him and he looked up quickly before he realized what it was. He glanced over to Ali, recognizing a similar expression of surprise and confusion on her face.
What’s going on?
Chapter Six
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking.” The voice was male, worn down with age, and a bit distorted through the intercom system.
Ali moved up to Mick’s side and he wrapped his hand around hers as they listened. He doubted she knew what was going on any more than he did.
“Unfortunately I have to ask that you cease all activities and return to your quarters for a mandatory passenger check. Any food you’ve not yet eaten will be boxed up for you to take with you. All poker bets in play will be noted and signed to pick up when the passenger check is over.”
Someone started yelling from the basketball court, briefly drawing Mick’s attention. He imagined a lot of people were reacting like that, especially in the on-board casino.
“I repeat, all passengers are to return to their quarters immediately. Staff will be by to verify your identities shortly. I apologize for this inconvenience.”
Tightening her hold of his hand, Ali leaned closer, her voice a whisper. “Could this be connected to that missing woman you heard about?”
He’d actually forgotten about that. Giving her hand a squeeze, Mick said, “I wouldn’t be surprised. Come on, I’ll walk you to your room. Make sure you get there safe.” And keep Warner off you.
“That’s sweet,” Ali said as they moved to pick up their golf balls. “You don’t have to.”
“You can’t stop me,” Mick said, flashing her a grin. If the crew were taking the missing woman rumor seriously he wasn’t going to risk Ali becoming a victim, too. There were probably plenty of places a person could hide on a large, crowded cruise ship. Not to mention there was the obvious, and easiest, way to dump a body. He cast a glance at the waves crashing against the side of the steadily sailing boat. They were supposed to reach their destination, an island in the Bahamas called Half Moon Cay, by noon the next day. What would they do if the woman wasn’t found by then? Would the ship turn around and risk the ire of roughly two thousand guests?
And what if she’s dead? If she were dead, and her body hidden or dumped overboard, that would mean she’d been murdered. In which case the murderer was still aboard the boat. The crew likely wouldn’t risk the killer escaping by docking anywhere other than back in Baltimore. And the killer would be trapped with them. Or, rather, they’d be trapped with him.
****
Allison kissed Mick a temporary farewell when he dropped her off at her door. She got him to tell her which room he was in and to promise to call her on the room line when he got there just to ease her mind. He didn’t say it, but she was sure he thought she was overreacting. She probably was.
Alone in her room now, Ali paced the floor around her bed, her ears still ringing with the Captain’s speech. Someone really had gone missing, then. It wasn’t just a rumor. They were doing a room-by-room search for a missing woman. How could someone go missing on a cruise ship? There was the obvious way—she could have gone overboard somehow. Was there a different way? She supposed there must have been, even if she couldn’t think of it in the moment.
What would happen if the woman really had vanished?
Or, worse, what if they found her dead?
Allison wasn’t so surprised this time by the image of Mand
y that flashed across her mind. She and Veronica hadn’t expected to find anyone’s body that night, let alone their good friend’s. That was the same night—in fact, that was the very reason—Allison learned about the existence of vampires.
Oh, God-! What if there was a vampire on board? What if vampires had killed the poor woman who was missing?
Allison’s heartrate spiked and she had to take several deep breaths. She didn’t think she could handle that. She didn’t think she could handle being trapped on a boat with even one vampire. She’d come on this cruise to get away from all of that. Please, don’t let it be vampires. With a little luck the woman was just holed up with a new lover and unaware of the havoc she was causing.
She jumped when the phone rang.
Mick.
Allison hurried to the side of the bed where the phone rested and snatched it from its cradle. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me,” Mick’s voice replied. “Calling as promised. Have they been by there yet?”
“No,” Ali said, releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “No, I’ve just been alone with my thoughts since you left. I don’t even hear anything outside.”
There was a beat before Mick asked, “Are your thoughts bothering you? You sound distressed. I can come back if you’d like.”
Smiling a little now, Allison said, “We’re supposed to stay in our assigned rooms, remember?” She let the levity linger for a moment before adding, “I’m okay. I’ve just … had some experiences lately that this situation is making me remember. And I’d rather forget.”
Mick’s voice was somber when he said, “I’m sorry to hear that. Would it help you to talk about?”
“No,” Allison said, too quickly. She cringed. “Although it might help if you kiss me next time I see you.” It certainly couldn’t hurt.
He chuckled, his deep vibrato carrying well over the line. “That can definitely be arranged.”
The not-so-distant sound of a hard knock drew her attention and she glanced toward her door. They’d already started the room searches, then. “I think I’d better go dig out my passport,” she said. “I heard knocking a couple of doors down.”
“Okay. Call me when they’re gone.”
Ali agreed and hung up the phone, striding swiftly toward the purse she’d left in the closet. Murmured voices drew closer outside her room and an odd pressure settled over her. Like she was thrust into the middle of a pop-quiz and hadn’t studied. Time was almost up.
She lifted her new passport out of her purse a moment before someone pounded on her door.
“Room check!”
Taking a deep breath, Ali returned her purse and moved to the door. She pulled the door open with her passport in hand.
“Afternoon, ma’am,” the man said with a nod of his head. “I’m afraid I need to come inside and make sure no one else is here. And I need to see some photo ID.”
“Right, of course,” Allison said, moving to stand aside and holding out her passport. “If you find anyone under the bed they don’t have my permission to be here.”
The man only nodded again as he studied her ID for a long second. Then he handed it back to her and strode into the suite. She watched as he checked under the bed, in the closet, in the bathroom, and even out on the balcony.
As he stepped back in and slid the glass door shut she asked, “What’s going on? I heard there’s a woman missing.”
He finally lifted his eyes to her, a flash of hesitation darkening them. “I’m sorry, but I’m not at liberty to say.”
Allison frowned. “Come on, you’re searching all our rooms but you can’t say why? I’m a paying customer. I deserve to know if I’m in danger here.”
Scratching the back of his neck, the man said, “Listen, I haven’t heard anything about a threat. Please don’t spread that rumor. I have heard we might be missing a passenger but we’re not done investigating. It’ll just get harder to control if people start freaking out.”
Guilt flaring in her chest, Allison nodded. “I understand that. Thank you.” She wasn’t too surprised that the crew didn’t seem to know much.
The inspector thanked her for her cooperation and let himself out, being sure to shut the door as he went.
Once she could hear him pounding on the next door over, Allison turned and moved back to the phone. She wasn’t sure what was going on with her. Usually she prided herself on being completely capable of standing on her own two feet, but she didn’t feel up to it this time. She could if she had to she was sure. But she had another option, and she wanted to take it. Something about Mick relaxed her, made her feel safe.
She’d just pressed the first button when another knock sounded at her door. Assuming it was the inspector again, for some bizarre reason, she hung up and rushed to answer.
It wasn’t the inspector.
It was Warner.
****
Mick sat, perched on the edge of his bed, as the woman who’d come to inspect his room and verify his identity proceeded to tell him what he wanted to know. Or what she knew of it, at least.
“Don’t go spreading this around, okay? I’m not supposed to talk about it,” she said, hands on her hips. “But what I heard was when the security team went to check her room it was clean. Lived in a little, but nothing obvious. You know, no blood, no big mess, that sort of thing.” Her arms lifted to begin gesturing. “But the balcony door was open a few inches. Prevailing theory is she jumped.”
Mick’s eyebrows lifted. “Into the Atlantic? There has to be a faster way to commit suicide.”
The woman shrugged. “What else could have happened? I mean, she probably didn’t fly off like Superwoman or something.”
“I suppose not,” Mick said.
“Anyway, that’s all I’ve heard,” the woman said. “And remember, you didn’t hear it from me. I’ll get my ass chewed if they find out I said anything.”
Mick lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “My lips are sealed. You barely said two words to me.”
She nodded sharply and turned for the closed door. “Good. Now be sure to stay put until the Captain releases you.”
Mick didn’t move until she was gone. He turned his gaze to the sliding glass door of his balcony, paused, then strode to it and slid it open. “They think she jumped, huh?” He stepped onto his balcony and braced his hands on the banister as he leaned over. The Atlantic Ocean lapped at the sides of the Euphoria, breaking roughly against the steel. It’s not impossible… It just didn’t feel right.
Mick turned and leaned his back against the railing. Something was off about this whole thing, he could feel it. He just wasn’t sure what.
The inspector had said they’d found no blood, no signs of a fight.
That rules out werewolf. If a wolf had attacked a passenger there would have been a mess. And blood, lots of blood.
But that didn’t necessarily rule out vampires. Sure, vamps could be messy. But they could also be fast and clean. And the Atlantic would be a great way to dump the body to prevent word from spreading. But what would a vampire be doing on a cruise to the Bahamas of all places? He knew Baltimore had an established Family. But cruises had been running out of Baltimore for years without incident, so he doubted the vamp was a local. Or it might not be a vampire at all.
He just wasn’t sure he believed in that kind of coincidence.
Mick released a breath and stepped back into his room, pulling the sliding door shut behind him. He wasn’t going to figure anything out just by dwelling on it. More importantly, he hadn’t heard back from Ali yet. It’d been too long.
Chapter Seven
Against his better judgment, Mick kept his hand tight around his phone as he stepped from the elevator. He wished he’d given Ali his number. Why had he thought that was unnecessary? What if she’d had to flee her room?
Stupid. Leaving her unprotected when he knew there was a problem on board. His gut insisted the missing woman hadn’t committed suicide. What if the attacker—w
ho or whatever it was—was targeting single women?
It’s not a vampire. Just because he was there didn’t mean this unrelated problem was his to deal with.
Neither did it mean it wasn’t.
The phone in his hand buzzed twice in quick succession, indicating a call. On reflex he answered immediately. “Yes?” At least he didn’t answer with his work name. Or worse, his real one.
“Thare.” Damn. It was Doon. And that wasn’t his friendly tone.
“Now’s not a good time,” Mick said. He kept moving. He was just a dozen paces from the final corner between himself and Ali’s hall.
“Make time,” Doon replied. “This has gotten out of hand. Where the hell are you?”
“Busy,” Mick snapped. He rounded the corner and nearly bowled over another man. The man was maybe ten years his senior and didn’t look too thrilled about the collision.
“Don’t bullshit me, Thare,” Doon said. “If you don’t report in we’ll have to take action.”
Mick ground his teeth after offering an apologetic wave, and accompanying grimace, to the stranger. With the other man behind him he said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was against the law to take a vacation. But I have to go, so report me if you want.” Hell, Doon was probably typing up the report while they spoke.
“Damn it, Thare—”
Mick disconnected. Ali’s room was in view now. He needed his full attention. He couldn’t afford to be worried about who they’d send after him.
Please be okay.
Her door was shut, mocking him in its standard uniformity. As clean and sturdy as any other door in the hallway. Mick shook his head at himself and rapped his knuckles beside the identifying number. If anyone other than Ali opened the door … but they wouldn’t. He had to believe that.
Seconds ticked by and he wondered what he’d do if no one opened it. He couldn’t exactly pick an electronic lock, even with the handful of dirt he’d earlier pilfered from a potted plant and shoved into his pocket. Earth and technology weren’t exactly compatible.