by Wulf,Rose
He was about to knock again, louder, when he heard the lock slide. Agonizing heartbeats passed before the door pulled open, just enough to peek through, and a sliver of Ali’s beautiful face was looking back at him.
“Mick?”
****
I should call Mick. He was bound to start worrying. And it wasn’t like she didn’t want to hear his voice. She was just worried the distance of a phone call would actually make her feel worse. You’re stalling. But calling herself out on her cowardice didn’t seem to be working this time.
Ali nearly jumped out of her skin when someone knocked loudly on her door.
She tightened her arms around herself and looked toward the locked door. Would it be Warner again?
“This isn’t over, Ali,” Warner had said with one hand on the door handle. Whether he’d actually said it as a threat or she’d simply heard it is as one she’d never know. But it’d been nearly half an hour since that conversation and he didn’t strike her as patient.
I wish these doors had peepholes. She didn’t understand why those things weren’t standard. But sitting alone on her bed wasn’t going to chase away whoever was at the door. Just answer it, tell them off, and then call Mick. He was surely waiting. It’d been a few minutes now since the announcement that the impromptu lockdown was over and they were all free to roam about the ship again. There was even the chance, she supposed, that the person at the door was Mick.
That was the thought that finally propelled her to her feet.
Still, her stomach clenched as she slid back the deadbolt. Just a peek. Mick was probably waiting by his phone. Why would he be worried about her?
It was a long moment before Allison realized she was staring into concerned green eyes. Gorgeous, familiar green eyes. She almost felt like crying. Almost.
“Mick?” As if that face could belong to anyone else.
“Ali,” he said on an exhale. There was an echo of fear in that voice. “I was worried.”
Her heart swelled and she opened the door properly, managing a smile. “Come inside,” she said. She didn’t want to be out and about in her hall at the moment.
Mick didn’t need to be asked twice. He stepped in, waited for her to shut the door, and then promptly pulled her by the hips up to his chest. He found her lips hungrily and she moaned as his tongue slipped into her mouth.
Ali curved her arms around his shoulders, letting one hand thread its way into his hair as their tongues danced. There was something in this kiss. Something more than attraction and opportunity. And whatever it was, she liked it. Wanted to lose herself in it.
Which was probably why he released her lips moments later.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice thick and his hands still heavy on her hips. Possessive. Comforting.
Stupid tears threatened her eyes for a moment but she fought them back and rested her head on Mick’s strong shoulder. Lie. Tell him yes.
“What’s wrong, baby?” This question was soft, washing right through her, punctuated by the arms he wrapped around her waist.
She hadn’t really wanted to lie to him, anyway. “It’s silly,” she said.
“Doubtful,” Mick argued, his lips teasing the shell of her ear. He eased back and gestured to the sofa they were standing beside. “Let’s sit and you can tell me what it is.”
Allison let him guide her to the middle seat, beside him, their hands clasped. He rubbed his thumb along her knuckles and she took a deep breath. She was probably being ridiculous to be so bothered by it, anyway. But in the next moment she had to admit that she wholly expected Mick to be furious. Despite that fury wasn’t an emotion she’d seen in him yet.
Swallowing her useless nerves, Allison lifted her gaze to his and forced out the words. “It’s about Warner. He … showed up earlier.”
Mick’s lips dipped into a frown. His thumb stilled. “During the inspection?”
“Technically,” Ali said. “My inspector had barely moved on when he knocked at the door. He must have been watching.”
Dark brows narrowed and jaw tight, Mick asked, “What did he want?” Ali got the distinct impression there was another question he was biting back.
“If I take him at his word,” she said, “to check on me. But I don’t believe him. He was too forceful about it.”
Mick held tighter to her hand. “Forceful how, Ali? Do I need to have a word with him?”
At his question she smiled. “That would make things worse,” she admitted. “But I appreciate that you would do it.” Remembering his first question she added, “Well, for one thing, he pushed his way inside without being invited. He did everything under the guise of concern, but…” How could she describe his behavior?
“But what?” Mick pushed.
Releasing a breath, Ali said, “It sort of felt like I was being interrogated by an overbearing boyfriend. And the way he said some of the things he said … I guess it freaked me out.”
Mick let go of her hand and cupped her cheeks in his palms. His touch was as gentle as his stare was firm. “What did he say? Did he threaten you, Ali?”
She’d have shaken her head if he hadn’t been holding it. Instead she smiled again, faintly, and lifted one hand to curl it around his. “Not in so many words, no. He said things like how he worries about me as a ‘single woman travelling alone’, and how he ‘wishes I’d let him closer’.” She had to suppress a shiver. The more time she spent in Warner’s very presence the less she wanted to. “But when he left,” she continued, “he said one more thing. He said ‘this isn’t over’.”
Mick tugged her close, pressed his lips to her forehead, and then tucked her into his chest beneath his chin. His strong arms wrapped around her again and she couldn’t help but feel thoroughly shielded. Like he was her armor. “Ali,” he said, his voice careful. “I don’t like the way that sounds. He’s pushing his boundaries—and literally crossing a few.” The last was said tightly, a tension she could feel in his arms.
She couldn’t pretend she didn’t understand.
When Warner had shoved his way into her suite it had really rattled her. Who was this man to think he had the right to treat her like that? More importantly, because she’d let it happen once, would he think he could barge in whenever he liked? What would stop him next time? It wasn’t like she’d brought her mace.
Allison sighed against Mick’s chest. Mick, on other hand, was like a rock holding strong against an angry current. Unyielding, solid, and reliable. And her life had been so much like a raging river lately. She’d thought she needed a life vest and she’d found something better. “Thank you,” she murmured without thought.
The tension in the hold around her eased slightly. “Ali?”
She smiled but didn’t lift her head. “I just feel like I needed this. Needed you. My life has just been overwhelming for a while lately, and you’re … calming. Stabilizing. Does that even make sense?”
There was a smile in his voice when he spoke next. “Yeah,” he said. “It’s nice to hear I’m not the only one who feels like that.”
Allison pushed back in order to look into his eyes. She might even have said something but he didn’t give her a chance before he was kissing her again. He immediately slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring ravenously. Chasing away her thought process with each stroke as his arms tightened around her.
All she knew in that moment was him.
He kissed her with a drive she’d never experienced. His touch burned through the thin fabric of her shirt. He tangled one hand in her hair, somehow deepening the kiss and drawing a low moan from her. Her chest was pressed wholly into his now, both of her hands buried in his hair as she clung to him. Oh how she wanted this. Wanted him.
Mick trailed a hand down her spine, to her butt, and squeezed firmly.
Allison responded by sliding her tongue along the length of his, into his mouth, as she pulled herself closer. When Mick let his hand follow the curve of her backside until his fingers were hot over her exposed
thigh she moaned again and swung her leg around his lap. His touch grew heavier, helping to adjust her as he groaned against her lips. Then she was straddling him, one of his large hands still splayed and curved over her thigh, and his erection was poised just shy of her center. Their bodies were separated more by layers of denim than physical distance.
The hand in her hair uncurled and Mick pulled from her lips to press hot kisses down the side of her throat. He found the small of her back with his touch and she arched into him, her head falling back. Lips and tongue teased her neck and she slipped her fingers beneath the collar of his shirt, desperate to find his skin.
“Mom!” A hurried, unfamiliar voice called in conjunction with sharp pounding on the door.
Mick and Ali startled apart, Allison nearly toppling off his lap in the process. He caught her with an arm around the waist.
The pounding continued and the pair exchanged a look.
Mom? What the heck?
Scrambling to their feet, Mick made to start for the door but Ali caught his arm. When he turned a curious gaze to her she whispered, “It’s my room.” And just in case that mattered she figured she should be the one to answer. Mick didn’t seem to have an argument for that, so he let her step around him and move to the door.
“Mom!” the muffled male voice called again.
Ali pulled the door open, nearly catching a pounding fist in the face in the process. For a moment the guy, who couldn’t possibly have been more than thirty, just stared at her. “Can I help you?” she asked slowly.
“Who the hell are you?” he finally demanded.
Chapter Eight
Allison balked at the abrupt question. Mick moved in behind her and she found her voice. “Excuse me,” she said firmly. “This is my room. Who are you?”
The man’s attention shifted briefly to Mick, who was taller than him, and he frowned. “Your room?” he repeated. He tugged his wallet from his pocket and glanced at a scrap of paper inside. He looked back up. “You’re … sure?” He shook his head and lowered his arm. “I’m sorry. I thought this was my mom’s room. I must’ve written it down wrong.”
“You sounded urgent,” Mick said, the animosity Allison might have expected already gone. “Is something wrong?”
The man sighed and tucked his wallet away. “I don’t know. I hope not. You heard they’re looking for a woman, right?”
Ali sucked in a breath. She’d just assumed the missing passenger was younger! “Your mother—?”
“God I hope not,” he said with a shake of his head. “It’s just, it got me worried. She was supposed to meet me for brunch right before the lockdown. She could’ve just been running late, but she didn’t answer her phone.” He paused and met Allison’s gaze. “That was probably you I called, though. Sorry.”
Ali smiled. “I did miss a call earlier.” While she’d been dealing with Warner. She’d assumed it was Mick.
“What’s your mother’s name?” Mick asked, voice serious. “Maybe we can help you look for her.”
Allison blinked up at him, genuinely surprised by his offer. Surprised and impressed. Most men would only be interested in chasing off the interruption and getting back to what they’d been doing.
Releasing a breath, the man said, “Amanda. Amanda Michaels. I’m Jude, by the way.” He held out his hand to Mick, who shook it calmly. Mick introduced himself and Jude offered his hand to her.
“Allison Drake,” she said with a smile. “And we’re happy to help. I don’t suppose you have a picture? Maybe the staff could help you figure out which room is hers?”
“Maybe,” Jude said with a sigh. He re-extracted his wallet and flipped to a picture before turning it around. “This was last year. She has more silver in her hair now.”
The image was of a woman in her late fifties with short, dark hair in a popular pixie cut. She was smiling and wearing a simple golden cross necklace. It was just a headshot, so it gave no information about the woman’s height or even body type. But at least it was a face.
As Jude put away his wallet again he said, “Thank you. Really. This cruise was supposed to be relaxing, you know?”
I hear that. Aloud all Allison offered was a sympathetic smile and a brief, “Yes it was.”
****
Mick ground his teeth as he and Allison exited the diner Jude had asked them to check. It was sparsely occupied, not seeming to have recovered from the impromptu lockdown, and no Amanda Michaels in sight. This would’ve been easier if security were more helpful. But apparently being able to prove one’s relationship to another passenger wasn’t enough for them to divulge room numbers. In a better mood Mick might be able to understand, even respect, that policy. But he wasn’t in a better mood.
And not just because this search had temporarily destroyed his chances of making love to Allison. Although he was sure that was in there, somewhere. It’d been over an hour and he could still taste her skin on his tongue.
“Maybe we should check the shopping level,” Ali suggested. “Or have you heard from Jude?”
Mick obligingly tugged his phone from his pocket. But he had no texts and Jude had sworn he’d send one if or when he found his mother. “Nothing,” he said.
Sighing, Allison said, “Then let’s find an elevator.”
“We’ll never be able to properly search this entire ship,” Mick reminded as he followed her. “It’s too big and we’re three people.”
“But we have to try,” Ali argued. “I would want us to try if it were my mom.”
Mick reached out and wrapped his hand around her nearest one. “So would I,” he assured her. Another thought struck him, then. “Let’s detour to the medical wing. Even if she’s not there, it would be good to put her name on a list for them to keep an eye out for.”
Ali turned a smile up to him as they rounded the corner to the elevator wall. “That’s a great idea. We’ll do that first.”
In truth he didn’t know if it would get them anywhere, but he hadn’t been raised to believe in coincidences. First someone was completely missing and now another woman—another woman staying alone, no less—might be missing, too. And that woman’s son had landed almost literally in their laps. It’s connected. Unfortunately, he was equally sure it was connected to something supernatural.
He really didn’t want to have work on this trip.
The elevator settled and the doors slid open, releasing them onto the floor with the infirmary and pharmacy. Mick noted with interest that Allison straightened her spine as they stepped into the infirmary. Not in alarm, but in … preparation. He scanned the space but couldn’t figure out why. Nothing seemed unusual to him.
“Can I help you?” a smiling woman in a nurse’s outfit asked politely.
Ali pulled her hand from his in order to dig out the picture of Amanda Michaels that they’d been lent. “Hi,” she said simultaneously. “I know you can’t tell us much, but we’re looking for this woman. Amanda Michaels. Her son can’t find her and he’s very worried.”
The nurse took the photograph and studied it.
“If it’s possible, could you put her name on a list of some sort? Just in case she comes in,” Ali said. “Maybe ask her to reach out to her son. He wrote her room number down wrong and can’t find her now.”
Handing the picture back the nurse said, “Wait here a moment. I’ll see what I can do.”
Mick arched a brow as she turned and disappeared behind a curtain. Voice lowered respectfully, he asked, “Did that seem weird to you?”
Allison was frowning. “Yes. I think she knows something.”
Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.
What he wasn’t expecting, however, was for the nurse to ask them to follow her further into the infirmary when she returned.
“Did we do something wrong?” Ali asked as she fell in behind the nurse. Mick trailed behind them, keeping silent. He didn’t know if it was her medical school training or some sort of sign of fate, but Allison seemed quite comfortable taking charge
in this space.
“No, ma’am,” the nurse assured them. “Here we go.” She stopped in front of a closed curtain and parted it, stepping to the side so they could see in. “Mrs. Michaels.”
Mick doubted he was the only one who was surprised to see the very woman they were searching for, sitting up in a hospital bed with an IV attached to her arm. But she was awake, and other than looking a little pale, she seemed fine. At least at first glance. As he got closer, stepping into the space and letting the curtain swish shut behind him, he noticed something more familiar. Something that made his stomach lurch in frustration.
Bite marks.
Vampire.
There was a vampire on this ship, then. And it had gotten to Amanda Michaels, but it hadn’t killed her for whatever reason.
“Mrs. Michaels?” Ali asked as Mick frowned and forced his stare away before the older woman noticed.
“Yes,” the other woman said with a tired smile. “The nurse said you’d come asking for me. What’s that about my son?”
Allison held out the picture with a gentle smile. “He lent us this to help find you. He’s worried for you. Were you in here during the room check?”
Amanda Michaels took the photo, her smile faltering. “Yes, I was. I just … didn’t feel too good,” she said. But her hesitation assured Mick she knew more than she was comfortable saying.
Because most people would be comfortable telling strangers about a vampire attack.
“Of course,” Ali said. “We’re happy to tell Jude where you are so he can breathe a little easier. Is everything okay, if you don’t mind my asking? Is there anything we can do to help?”
Amanda shook her head. “If you could find Jude, that would be great. But the nurses here are taking good care of me. They said I should be released soon and ordered me to go straight to dinner.”
“Ma’am,” Mick interrupted, moving closer to Allison’s side and keeping his voice low. “Forgive my asking, but, did the doctors figure out why you weren’t feeling well?”
