“No thank you, but if you hear from her, can you please call me. I would appreciate it.”
He promises to let me know when he speaks with her. I still don’t believe what I was just told. I glance at the car to see that Alexa’s waiting on me. Maybe she really is on to something. Maybe he really did bring her here. He said they were eloping. What better place to do that than Vegas?
I put one foot in front of the other, determined to find her. I can feel my body responding. My doubt is subsiding and my hope is taking control. I will find her. I won’t leave Vegas without her.
“She’s here,” I say as I approach the car. “Wes fed his roommates some bullshit about eloping.”
Sometimes it really is the smallest details that can make or break a case. Little does Wes know, he led us right to them. Well, at least to the city that he’s hiding her in.
MAC
I’ve been trapped in this room with him for too long. He won’t even let me out of his sight to use the bathroom. I still can’t find my phone and he unplugged and hid the cord for the one in the room. I’m a prisoner. He didn’t like it when I pointed that out.
Last night, as I tried to sleep, he held me tight. Both times I tried to wiggle out of his embrace, he woke up and pulled me in closer. I’m not even sure that he woke up enough to realize what he was doing. Being with him used to feel natural but now…now it feels wrong. Not because of Roe and not because of what’s happening right now. It feels wrong because of the person he’s become. He’s not the Wes who I spent the last year and a half of my life with.
I don’t know the person standing in front of me, adjusting his tie. He’s getting ready to marry me and he’s excited about it. He’s been smiling like an idiot since he called his roommate and told him we were eloping. I wanted to scream out for help but that would have been impossible since he was covering my mouth while he was on the phone.
He’s covered his bases. All of them as far as I can see. Even more cautiously since calling his roommate. There has to be something going on that I don’t know about, something more than what he originally planned.
My first clue that his plan had changed was when he tied me to the bed and covered my mouth while he made a private phone call. It wasn’t a long call but it was obviously someone who he didn’t want me to know he was speaking with. My second clue, the fact that he started to rush his plans along.
Originally when he spoke to the chapel, we were going to be married this Saturday, three days from now. Now, we’re getting married today. In an hour. We’re buying a dress for me on the way to the chapel. The rings are being delivered any minute. What the hell is the rush?
It doesn’t really matter. I’ve been planning a way to get away from him since the moment I realized what was happening. It has to work, he has to leave me alone for at least a few minutes. If I say something at the chapel, about wanting to get dressed up for him, alone, he has to let me have a moment to myself. Right?
Now I need to convince him that I’m not about to run. I haven’t been saying much over the last few days. I’ve been playing nice, playing along, but I haven’t really tried to convince him one way or the other that I want to marry him.
“You look nice,” I say from where I’m seated on the bed. I watch as his smile grows and then I see victory in his eyes when he looks over at me. I’ve got him right where I want him.
“I can’t wait to see you in your dress. Today is going to be perfect. Just you and me. Then, happily ever after.”
I can hear the excitement in his voice, the joy. He’s genuinely happy that we are about to get married which tells me exactly how delusional he is right now; not only regarding what he thinks is happening today but about how he views our entire relationship, everything that’s happened between us and the prospect of anything happening between us in the future.
I smile because there are no words to describe how I’m feeling right now. I can’t tell him I’m happy, he would never believe it. I can’t tell him I’m scared, he would freak out on me. At this point there is no telling how he might react. So, I smile and try to look happy. I try to hide all my emotions.
I think about running the second we step foot out of the elevator and into the lobby of the hotel. I think about it but I chicken out. I might be able to get away, to get lost in the crowd. That thought is lost the second he grabs my hand and squeezes it tightly, a silent warning to not try anything.
The ride to the dress shop is short and uneventful. Wes turns the radio on the second we pull out and I welcome the noise. At least I don’t have to talk to him, to try and make conversation. I have nothing to say to him that he wants to hear.
Wes picks out the first dress he sees. The saleswoman grabs my size and attempts to rush me off to the dressing room. For a second I think I might be able to tell someone what’s going on, to ask for help. Wes stops her before we get even five feet away. He purchases the dress and pushes me out the door in less than ten minutes.
I cringe as we pull up to the chapel. It’s on the nicer side but it’s not how I envisioned getting married. At least the groom is no longer part of the picture in my head. My thoughts drift to Roe. I hope like hell he’s looking for me. I know he won’t find me before I marry this douche unless I can get away.
That’s where I need to focus all my energy right now, on my escape. I glance around the building, looking for an alternate exit. I stop at a door on the right side of the building. If I can get out that door, I can run to the gas station we passed a block or two back and call for help. I can do this. All I have to do is get to that door, that’s my mission.
Wes tugs on my hand. I look up and smile at him, feeling happy for the first time since waking up next to Roe the other day. Wes has no idea why my smile is so big or so warm. I’ll let him think whatever he wants.
“Let’s get married, beautiful.”
“Let’s do it.” I can’t hide the excitement in my voice and I don’t try. Let him think that I want to marry him. He’s going to be disappointed when he realizes I won’t be walking down the aisle towards him. I hope I can get enough of a head start on him.
He checks us in with the receptionist at the desk in the lobby. They’re running behind so we have to wait. I take a seat in one of the blue plastic chairs.
“Nervous?” Wes asks after we’ve been sitting in silence for about five minutes.
“Not really. Why?”
“You’ve been bouncing your knees since you sat down. There’s nothing to be nervous about, Mac. We were going to do this next weekend anyway.”
He’s right. If I were truly ready to marry him like I want him to think then I wouldn’t be nervous.
“I guess I’m just ready. That and I have to use the bathroom,” I pause and look around. No bathroom in sight. Fantastic! “Excuse me,” I say to the lady behind the counter. She looks up from her phone but doesn’t say anything. “Is there a bathroom I can use while we wait?”
She points down a hallway before looking back down at her phone. I would be more excited if she had pointed down the other hallway. I was hoping to make my escape now. He would be waiting for me to come out of the bathroom and by the time he realized that I wasn’t in there, I would be long gone. Today is not my day.
“Thanks,” I say, even though I know she’s not paying attention, as I stand and head down the hallway. Wes stands to follow me. “I’ll be right back.”
This doesn’t deter him in any way. He continues to follow me until I walk into the bathroom and close the door before he comes in with me. I lock the door as quietly as possible and lean against the counter.
There’s no window and Wes is blocking my attempt at finding a door. I’m going to have to go back out there and hope that I get the opportunity to try again. If not… well, I don’t want to think about not being able to get away from him.
I flush the toilet in case Wes is listening and then wash my hands. I open the door and Wes pushes his way in, looking around like he’s trying to find som
ething. Did he think there was someone in here with me?
“Everything okay?”
He doesn’t say anything. The evil is back in his eyes when he looks at me. I smile and watch as it melts away. He takes my hand and caresses my knuckles with his thumb. He’s so hot and cold. How did I not notice this before?
“Ready?”
I nod because I’ve lost my ability to speak. I’m more scared at this moment than I have been, ever. I realize I have no idea what he’s capable of. Sure, he kidnapped me, drove us to Vegas and is forcing me to marry him. I’m going along with it, though, so nothing bad happens until I can get away from him.
The look I just saw, the pure evil sparkling as he glared at me, that was my wake up call. If I can’t get away from him, I don’t want to think about what will happen. I was lucky I didn’t marry him. I was lucky I found Roe when I did. Now, I need Roe to find me so I can get my chance at Happily Ever After. I don’t want it to be with Wes, there’s no happy in that.
I take back my seat in the lobby and wait. I know Wes is watching me closely so I close my eyes and pray. I pray that someone notices what’s going on here. I pray that I can get away and find help. I pray that Roe walks through that door in the next five minutes and rescues me.
Then…I hear the door open.
ROE
Ten chapels. That’s how many we’ve been to so far. Alexa wanted to split up and each take half of the list but I wasn’t about to let her roam around Las Vegas on her own. It’s too dangerous. Especially in the part of town we are in right now.
“She’s not going to be here, Roe. Wes wouldn’t get married here. We have to start thinking like him.”
She’s right. Instead of checking every chapel, we need to start checking only the chapels Wes would take her to. In my mind, that still means every chapel, but I understand what Alexa’s trying to say. He wouldn’t take her to a dump.
“Alright, let’s head over to this group,” I say, pointing to a spot on the map we picked up. “We’ll see if those are any nicer and if not then we can head to another area of town.”
We head towards the chapels I had pointed out but we don’t even bother to stop. Wes would never bring her here. I pull into a gas station and throw the car in park. I want to beat my head against the steering wheel. I want to scream in frustration. I need to get it out but I don’t. I hold it in, push it down, and calm myself. I have to keep thinking positive or else I’m going to lose my shit.
We will find her.
We will find her.
“I know you’re frustrated, Roe. You can’t hide that. I’m frustrated, too. I want to find her as bad as you do. I need answers.” Alexa’s voice is starting to grate on my nerves. I’ve spent time on the phone with her over the years but never this much time alone with her. I prefer talking to her on the phone. At least I have the option of hanging up on her if I don’t want to hear her voice anymore.
“Answers? From who? Wes or Mac? I don’t give a shit what his reasons are for taking her. He better hope he sees me before I see him. At least that way he’ll get a head start before I beat the shit out of him.”
She’s silent for a moment and I relish in the absence of her voice. It doesn’t last long, not that I expected it to.
“I don’t know. I just need to know why this is happening. I need to know why she would go with him, why she hasn’t tried to contact anyone or call for help. I need to know why she’s going along with this,” Alexa says.
“She’s not!” I take a deep breath and try to calm down. Screaming at Alexa is not going to get us closer to Mac right now. I need to keep a level head. “Look, I can’t imagine that Mac is marrying Wes by choice. He either has something on her or he’s holding her captive. I’m not sure why she’s still with him at this point or why she hasn’t called for help but I know there will be a good reason when we find her. I have to believe that.”
She nods. End of conversation. I have nothing left to say anyway. I pull out of the gas station and look over at the map in Alexa’s lap. I find the nearest chapel and head in that direction. It’s only a few block away so we should be there in a minute. This looks like a nicer part of town. Maybe our luck is about to change.
“Stop!”
I slam on the brakes at the sound of Alexa’s voice. The car behind me swerves and honks at me. I have no idea why I’m stopping but I’m in the middle of the street and I have to move. We’re going to cause an accident if I don’t. I wait until traffic behind me clears and pull into the next parking lot.
“What the hell?”
I look over and Alexa looks scared. Her face has gone pale, tears are silently streaming down her cheeks and her breathing is ragged. I have no idea what is going on right now and no idea what to say to try and calm her down.
I grab her hand which is now clenching the map. She relaxes for a second and then makes eye contact with me. I can’t tell what she’s thinking like I would be able to if it was Mac. Alexa is a complex person who I will probably never understand. I’m going to have to ask if I want to know.
“Alexa, what’s the matter? Why did you scream?”
“I saw it.” Her voice is small and almost silent.
“What? What did you see?” Now I’m concerned.
“The truck. I saw Wes’ truck.”
My heart races and my hands shake. We’ve found her.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she says with confidence. “It was his truck and it had a California plate on it.”
“We’ve found her?” Now I’m whispering. I can’t believe it. We actually found her. I’m going to get her back and it’s not going to take four years this time.
“Yeah, I think so.”
I sit there for a second and let it sink in before getting out of the car. Alexa follows my lead. Once we’re both on the sidewalk, Alexa leads us back to where she saw the truck. It’s only a short walk but the closer we get the harder it becomes for me to breathe. By the time we reach the truck, I can feel the goose bumps forming on my skin. It’s at least ninety degrees today and I’m shivering. Mac has to be inside. The way my body is reacting is confirmation enough for me.
“What’s the plan now? Are we going to go inside and confront her?” There is doubt in Alexa’s voice that she doesn’t even try to hide.
“Let me ask you something. Do you think Wes is dangerous?”
“I think he’s probably delusional and maybe a little wacky in the head but I’m not sure if he’s dangerous. I’ve never seen him mistreat Mac. The only thing I’ve ever seen is the weird looks he would give her, like he owned her.”
“I’ve met the douche-bag once and he yanked on her arm pretty good to try and get her away from me. I saw that look you’re talking about too, but it wasn’t possession that I saw. It was evil. I think he’s capable of anything he puts his mind to, including hurting Mac if it comes down to it.”
She thinks on it for a second. We need a plan. One that doesn’t put Mac in any more danger than she is already in.
“Alright, we need to get in there and see what’s going on, if they’re already married. We can’t just walk in, though. If Wes sees us then we’ll have no chance of stopping him,” Alexa says.
“How do we go about that? He’ll recognize you and I’m sure he’ll recognize me.” I have no doubt the douchebag will remember my face. I’m sure it’s all he’s been thinking about since I stole Mac from him.
Alexa’s face lights up and she runs back to the car. I can’t even begin to imagine what she’s thinking. I follow her back, looking over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure Mac and Wes don’t leave.
By the time I catch up to Alexa at the car she is impatiently pulling at the handle of the door. “Let’s go! Hurry up!”
“Where are we going, exactly?” I ask as I unlock the doors with my key fob.
“There was a dress shop a few blocks back. We are going to buy a wedding dress and a suit.”
I’m a little confused but I don’t
argue with her. I pull onto the street and get us turned around, following Alexa’s directions to the shop she’s talking about. Before I get out of the car, I need to know what her plan is.
“Let me get this straight. You think that going in dressed like we are about to get married is going to…what? Allow us to blend in?”
“Something like that,” she says with a wicked smile I’ve never seen before. The tone of her voice is familiar, though. The last time I heard it was when she came up with the plan to keep me updated about Mac’s cancer. Her plan worked last time. Maybe this one will, too.
Fifteen minutes after walking in the shop we are walking back out dressed for a wedding. Not the way I planned to dress when I got married, but if this works, I won’t kill Alexa.
I pull into the parking lot of the chapel this time since we know where they were. Getting out of the car proves to be a challenge. Yet, walking was going to be my biggest challenge.
I kept my head held high and a big smile plastered on my face as I opened the door to the chapel. That’s when I saw her. Sitting in a blue plastic chair. She didn’t look scared to me but she didn’t look happy either. When she saw me relief washed over her, followed by confusion.
MAC
Holy shit!
He diverts his eyes and grabs the hand of the man standing next to him. That’s not a man. That’s Alexa. Oh. My. God. What the hell is going on?
Alexa doesn’t make eye contact as they walk past me. Neither does Roe. They can’t really be getting married. That’s not possible. They have to be here for me. Roe said he would never let me go again. He wouldn’t hook up with my best friend and marry her less than forty-eight hours after I left. Unless he thinks I left voluntarily. Shit!
This cannot be happening. No, this has to be a mistake. They have to be in costume to try and help me. That’s it. Why else would Roe be dressed as the bride and Alexa as the groom?
“Kaffin. We’re ready for you now,” a lady says as she steps out of a hallway. “You can follow me, miss. I can show you where you can change.”
Take a Gamble Page 15
