Blackout: A Romance Anthology

by Stephanie St. Klaire

“Given what she’s probably gone through recently, I’m pretty sure she’ll just drink it room temperature if she needs it.”

  Skye smacked Eddie with the little pad of paper. “And what kind of host and hostess would that make us? Come on. Ice.”

  “What did you write on that? An invitation to dinner?” Eddie grabbed the pad from her hand and quickly read it. “You told her to make herself comfortable, we’ll be back soon? You called her honey. Help herself? We have to pay for the shit she eats from that wet bar. She can probably get hers free, or at least an employee discount.”

  “Eddie!” Skye scolded. “You’re being greedy. And we’re nice people. We may…steal, but we’re nice.”

  “Here.” He tore off the note and tossed it in the trash. Then, he read a note of his own, out loud, as he wrote it. “Charrrrlie…found you tied up in the penthouse. We hid you here while we look for Cane. Do…not…leave until Cane shows up or the phones are on and you can call 9-1-1.”

  “That sounds like we aren’t coming back,” Skye huffed.

  “We probably aren’t. Darlin’, I don’t think you get it. This will not end like it does on your shows — there is no medal for heroism, just a jail cell with our names on it.”

  “You’re wrong. I know you are. This is all happening for a reason, and I refuse to think otherwise.” Skye tossed her hands around in the air. “It’s a test, Eddie. This is our second chance. I can feel it. We need to do this right.”

  Hands running down his face, Eddie sighed. “Look. I’m glad you found Jesus, and you two have been clearly chatting or something since you have these ideas in your head, but I hope you can prove me wrong. Reality and a lot of fucking experience—”

  “Language,” Skye scolded, her eyes looking to the heavens like it was a warning.

  “Oh, Jesus…”

  “Don’t say the Lord’s name in vain, Eddie.”

  Are you…” Eddie snorted, “Are you serious right now? Skye, baby, my language is the least of our worries. We’ve been robbing people blind for years and living in sin all along.”

  “Not anymore,” she deadpanned. “Today is our do-over, and we are taking it. You are meant for better things. Your brilliant mind is capable of greatness. I won’t let you miss the train.”

  “Did…did Jesus tell you that? Is he here right now?” Eddie mocked, looking around the room for Jesus.

  “Now you’re being mean and ridiculous.” She buttoned up his shirt another button, for who knew what reason. “Now, let’s go. We have work to do — starting with some guy named Cane.”

  Standing there considering his options, Eddie shook his head and called uncle…or maybe it was Jesus — he didn’t really know anymore. “Fine. Let’s go. How do we find him? You going to call in a divine favor from your new pal upstairs?”

  “No. You’ll find him. You always figure something out.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “We believe in you.”

  With a final fluff of Charlie’s pillow and tuck of her blankets, Skye left the room, headed for who knew where looking for a guy named Cane, and Eddie followed.

  CHAPTER 10

  There weren’t too many people moving up or down the stairwell as Eddie and Skye made their descent to the lobby on a mission to find a guy named Cane in a sea of hundreds — maybe thousands — of people. They weren’t even sure he was in the hotel. He could have been anyone. But Charlie gave his name as the only clue, so it’s all they had to work with.

  Eddie and Skye paid extra attention to each person, alone or coupled up, as they passed. They weren’t sure what that would accomplish or how that helped, but they were desperate for another clue to work with. A sign that said, I am Cane would have been helpful, but probably not in the cards at this point.

  When another man passed, Eddie slowed so Skye could take the step next to him as they continued to move. “When we get to the lobby, let’s find that girl, Kandi.”

  “Ew. Why would we do that?” Skye was not a fan of anyone who flirted with her guy. “She strikes me as the type who would do anything to get your attention, if you know what I mean. Especially since she thinks you’re big money.”

  “That’s what I’m counting on,” Eddie snorted. “She is the only one I recall with Charlie when we checked in. They obviously work together. Maybe if I sweet talk her a bit, I find out more about Charlie and see if the name Cane comes up or rings a bell?”

  “As much as I hate the idea, it’s a good one. She was supposed to be at that show tonight for VIPs. Do you think she’s still there maybe? Waiting it out?”

  Eddie raised his shoulders in a half-assed shrug. He was feeling defeated. “I really don’t know. There’s no telling where anyone is. I would assume there’s some sort of escape plan or protocol type thing in place for things like this, right?” Eddie was running scenarios through his head. There had to be a clue or hunch in there somewhere. He even looked up and said a quick prayer in the event Skye was right about all her divine chatter before. He could use a miracle. They could use a miracle.

  “Let’s stop at level two,” he went on. “I guess we start there and work our way down.”

  ***

  It was dark, and mostly quiet, only a hum coming from the lower level. There were security guards making rounds on the second floor that overlooked the lobby below at the center, but not another soul could be seen in the common areas of the second floor.

  “They’ve moved everyone downstairs,” Skye whispered.

  “Chances of her being up here are slim, but let’s check it out to be sure.” Eddie tucked Skye behind him. “Keep your back to the wall and stay behind me, no flashlight. We’ll follow those security guys the best we can. I can see the red ropes to the theater up ahead.”

  They followed the wall, squinting to see their way with mostly flickers of light from the night’s sky that filtered in from the skylight that centered this part of the massive building. The guards light did nothing but give them something to follow, lighting the path ahead so they could maneuver through as they approached.

  When they made it to the theater, letting the door slowly close behind them, each collapsed against the wall and let out the breath they’d been holding. “Now where?” Skye asked.

  “I guess we just start right here,” Eddie said, flipping on his flashlight on his cell phone. “I don’t think my phone is going to last much longer. I either need a charge or we need another flashlight.”

  “Save your phone. Let’s stay together and use my light. If the phones start working again, we need yours to call 9-1-1.”

  “Good point,” he agreed.

  Moving about the massive theater, it was obvious there was nobody in there. The room was stacked with levels, almost stadium style, giving them a good three-sixty view. Time wasn’t on their side. They had a predator to beat, and its prey was in their room making them targets.

  “There’s nobody in the VIP,” Skye said, running her hand along the purple velvet rope cording the raised area off, center theater, right in front of the stage. “Backstage, maybe?”

  “Why would she be back there, though? That would be an odd place to hang out, given the sitch,” Eddie stated.

  “Who knows what’s back there — maybe we’ll find something that will help us.” Annoyed, Skye moved up the stage stairs, Eddie having no choice but to follow.

  It was eerily quiet. The kind of quiet that leaves goosebumps and makes you scream simply because the silence itself is frightening. There were props everywhere, each staged according to act, it seemed. “I’m glad we skipped this show. What the hell does a trampoline have to do with a clown car full of mannequins wearing wigs?” Eddie asked.

  “I don’t know. Just another pop star who’s lost their mind, I guess. I mean…there’s a giant cross with a…” Skye stopped to shine her light higher, unsure what she was looking at.

  Just before she could scream, Eddie placed his hand over her mouth. He didn’t need her to finish the sentence. He knew exactly what was on that cross — rather
, who. Kandi.

  Skye turned in his arms and buried her face in his shoulder as she tried to contain her sobs. The key to finding Cane or help for Charlie was strung from a cross, dress torn, top to bottom, blood dripping down her body, pooling on the floor.

  “Jesus,” Eddie said. “Skye, this just took a turn to somewhere we are not capable of dealing with. We need to go. Now.”

  Skye shook her head. “Charlie. We aren’t leaving her. There’s no way this isn’t related, and we can’t let that,” she said, tossing her head the direction of the cross, “happen to her too.”

  “Do you still think this is all a sign?” he asked. “This is some divine intervention to put us on a better path?”

  “More than ever.”

  Hands running through his hair, Eddie let out a deep sigh. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “She’s on a cross. That has to mean something. A sign or something.”

  “Yeah. It means there’s a killer nearby. A sign he or she is clearly crazy and we need to get the hell away from this sign before we end up as some symbol of whatever this is.”

  A small sob escaped Skye. She knew he was probably right, but it felt better to believe there was good to be done and a second chance for them than there was to believe there could be a cross with their names on it too. For all they knew, whoever did this was still right there, watching and listening to them. She shook her head, wanting to believe in the aforementioned. “You need to check. Eddie, check if she’s…you know.”

  He looked in the direction of Kandi and shook his head. “There’s no way she survived whatever happened here. The blood. There’s so much, and—”

  “Eddie,” Skye cried.

  Without a word, he took a step a way, his hands holding her face. Doubt: he was full of it, but he loved Skye enough to make sure she could walk away without an ounce of it. With his gaze locked on Skye’s, he didn’t have to say a word for her to understand what he was saying. She nodded, letting him know she understood as a single tear slid down her face. Eddie swiped it away with the pad of his thumb and kissed her on the forehead before making his way to the cross. Skye remained still, facing away, her eyes closed, hoping Eddie wouldn’t find her dead.

  “We need to go.” Eddie grabbed Skye’s hand after what felt like hours but was only seconds. “There’s nothing else we can do here.”

  Skye led them out, and they made it back to the stairwell the same way they found their way to theater where they discovered Kandi. Slowly. Quietly. More frightened than ever.

  CHAPTER 11

  “Hold on,” Skye said, leaning against the stairwell wall. “I need a second to catch my breath.”

  Nodding, Eddie leaned against the same wall, facing her. “You okay? We’re almost there.”

  “I know. I-I just need a minute. That’s a lot of…stairs to deal with.”

  “It’s not just the stairs you’re dealing with, Skye.” There was no doubt Skye was exhausted — hell, he was too — but he knew there was more to her needing a break than burning lunges and tired legs. “Talk to me. Tell me what you need — anything.”

  A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, Skye’s hand landing on his cheek. “I know. Same goes for you. I really just need to catch my breath. We’ll deal with the rest…when we have to.”

  “Okay,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “We get up there, we get her, and we get the hell out.”

  Skye nodded. “How do we get her all the way down? Where do we go after that?”

  “Same way we got her out of the penthouse.” That was the best Eddie could come up with in the moment. This far exceeded any kind of escape plan he’d formulated before. He was used to running from disgruntled victims whose identity he’d stolen and the occasional police officer for petty crimes. This was a whole new level of escaping. It wasn’t just the law they were running from, it was a diabolical killer…or kidnapper. They really didn’t know.

  “There was something on the hotel schematics we found in the penthouse,” Skye said. “A couple chutes.”

  “Chutes?”

  “Yeah,” Skye went on. “I’ve seen it a hundred times on the shows I watch. We get out through a garbage or laundry chute. We just have to trace it on the schematic and make sure there isn’t anything that can get in our way and see which puts us in the best place to get out. Both go to the basement, I think.”

  “Basement. We can get to the car from there. I don’t know how we get the car out, though — there’s a gate.”

  “Saw that in a movie too, babe.” Skye winked. “Drive right through the damn thing.”

  Eddie cupped the back of her neck with his hand, ready to leave her with a rewarding kiss for being brilliant when the sound of footsteps — fast moving footsteps — filled the space.

  “We haven’t seen anyone going up or down this time,” Eddie said, pushing her back to the wall and covering her body with his just as they had before when they heard someone coming. “You know what to do?”

  Skye nodded and accepted the kiss Eddie promptly planted on her as the steps grew closer. Feeling her body quiver against his with fear, Eddie kissed her harder to remind her he was there and wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He would protect her from anything or die trying.

  When the sound of the steps slowed, Eddie opened his eyes to see a burly man shake his head at the couple before moving on. He knew that guy. It took a minute to register — it was dark, and the man’s face was only seen briefly as the light he cast with his own flashlight reflected against the wall, illuminating his face. O’Reilly. The asshole at check in. Also, the asshole on the casino floor. It had only been hours, but it felt like days since he’d seen him, so it took a minute to place him.

  There was somewhere else he could place the man who had been a royal pain in his ass — at Charlie’s side every time he’d seen her. This guy…he could know Cane. Better yet, he could be Cane.

  “Cane!” Eddie shouted after the man.

  The footsteps stopped. Eddie stood silent, still shielding Skye. The slow descent of footsteps had the hair on the back of Eddie’s neck standing on end. Ironic that the biggest gamble he’d taken in Vegas was in this moment. Was he the guy they were looking for, or was he the guy they were running from? The odds were in their favor. Whoever this was rounding the corner knew Cane. But was it a good thing or bad? Whoever tied up Charlie, and most likely ended Kandi, could know Cane too, and that could be as dangerous as hand-feeding a hungry lion.

  “What did you say?” the man said as he came into view.

  “Excuse me?” Eddie questioned. “Can I help you with something?”

  “Why did you say that name?” the man asked.

  “What name?” Eddie shrugged.

  “You know what I’m fucking talking about. Where did you hear that name?” The man stepped toe to toe with Eddie, revealing just how much taller and bigger he was. He looked down his nose at him, nostrils flaring.

  Eddie shook his head, not stepping down despite the fear coursing through his veins. He was tired, scared, and had zero fucks left to give. If this was his time to go, so be it. “Who wants to know?”

  The man grabbed Eddie by the collar, causing Skye to shriek.

  Eddie smiled this time. He was getting somewhere. Sure, it may have been an ass kicking or first step toward his grave, but he wasn’t backing down. “You looking for…something, big guy? Or you just like watching me get a little action with my girl?”

  “What would I be looking for?” The man’s expression softened, but only for a brief moment, then it was back to spitting words through gritted teeth. “And I don’t give two shits about you getting anything from anyone. Stop wasting my fucking time.”

  “It’s just a question,” Eddie went on. “What are you looking for? Does the name Cane mean something to you?”

  Eddie was leading him. He wasn’t even sure what it was he was trying to get this O’Reilly guy to say. He also wasn’t sure he wanted to know where he land
ed: good guy or bad guy?

  “Just going up to my room,” the man said, his stare so intense, Eddie could feel the heat.

  Eddie shook his head and plastered on a daring smirk. “We both know you don’t have a room here, cut the shit.”

  “And we both know you aren’t a fucking security guard and she isn’t the damn maid — just like we know you aren’t Mr. and Mrs. Windsor.”

  “Touché.” Eddie laughed. “I just asked a simple question and I can’t quite figure out why it has you so fired up.”

  “Because there’s only one person who calls me Cane, goddammit, and I can’t fucking find her. She sent you. She sent you, didn’t she?”

  “So. You’re Cane. The name suits you,” Eddie chided. “Who you looking for, Cane?”

  “Where did you hear my name? Why did you say my name?” Cane vigorously shook Eddie. It took more control than he knew he had not to pummel the guy, but he needed to know what he knew, and more importantly, if it was where he could find Charlie. “Damn it. She’s…she’s in trouble.”

  “Who, Cane? How do we even know you’re even Cane?”

  “I told you. Only Charlie calls me by my first name. Now, why…why are you looking for me? Do you know where she is or not?”

  Eddie paused. He wanted to do the right thing for a change, and right now, that was protecting Charlie. Given how aggressive the man gripping his shirt was, he could be the very person he and Skye were trying to protect her from.

  “She called for you,” Skye said, stepping around Eddie. She placed her hands on Cane’s, willing him to release Eddie. She needed to deescalate the situation, and fast. Time was not on their side.

  “Skye,” Eddie said with warning.

  “Eddie, he’s Cane,” she said, eyes locked with Cane. “His desperation isn’t because he wants to hurt her. He needs to find her because…he cares about her. He’s not the guy, Eddie. He didn’t hurt her, and he didn’t kill that girl.”

  Cane released Eddie abruptly, a guttural sound, something painful, escaping him. It sounded of both relief and close to fear or worry. What was clear, at least to Skye, was he was who they were looking for.