He talked softly to her the whole time. “I’m here, sweetheart. So is Sinclair. We’ve got you now, and we’re going to take you home. You’re going to be all right.”
She mumbled something I couldn’t make out. She was in terrible shape. Her skin was dry and cracked and flaking off in big pieces. The circles under her eyes looked like bruises, and her cheeks were sunken in. I knew her regime of moisturizers and vitamins was important to her, but I never realized just how much.
And this was after barely two days.
I didn’t know how my father was holding it together. I was so angry, I was shaking. The only solace was that Gabrielle was going to pay for this. So would anyone else involved.
We got her untied just as sounds filled the house above us. The EMTs had arrived.
“Anson,” she whispered.
He picked her up in his arms, cradling her against his chest. “I’m here, baby. We’re going home.”
“How are we going to explain this?” I glanced upward, desperate to protect my mother from any more injury or insult. “The EMTs are going to wonder what’s going on with her. Why she looks like this.”
He hesitated. “They don’t need to know she was here. I’ll take her out the back. Straight to the car and straight home. I’ll call Dr. Brewer on the way. You and Jayne can go with Jack and Birdie.”
I nodded. Dr. Brewer was a witch and handled a lot of supernatural clients. She’d been my parents’ doctor for years. Mine too, when I lived with them. “Good. Get her out of here.” I grabbed her hand, leaned in, and kissed her cheek. “I love you, mom.”
She managed a tiny half-smile. “Love you, too, Sin.”
I looked at my dad again. “Let me go up first. Make sure it’s clear.”
“Okay.”
I jogged up the steps. There was no one in the kitchen, so I gave him a nod. “All good.”
As they left, I went back to the living room. The EMTs were at Birdie’s side, dealing with her flesh wound. Jayne and Jack had taken a step back to give them room to work, and Tony still had Gabrielle at gunpoint.
The front door was open, and the exterior of the house was lit up like a carnival with all the flashing lights. And it was about to get more interesting. Two cops were walking toward the front door, guns drawn. This wasn’t giving me a good feeling. I glanced at Jayne. But we were out of time.
One of the cops aimed his gun at Tony. “Sir, put the weapon down.”
Jayne and I both lifted our hands.
Tony glanced over his shoulder, saw the police, and dropped the gun, then raised his hands as well. “This woman is my wife. Gabrielle. She shot the woman on the floor.” He looked at me, as if asking whether or not he should say anything about my mother.
I gave a quick shake of my head. Gabrielle should already do a good stretch of time for shooting at Birdie and killing Lou. Charging her with my mother’s kidnapping would have been a nice addition, but involving my mother would mean exposing her true nature.
Keeping her secret was the whole reason my father had slipped away with her.
And while I realized Tony didn’t understand any of that, he clearly knew we didn’t want the press for our own reasons. I appreciated that. He might be a man of questionable character, but at least in this instance, he’d made a good choice.
Or had he? The more I thought about it, the more I realized we could be in trouble if we left my mom out of this. I muttered a few choice words, then dove in. “This woman also kidnapped my mother, Lila Crowe. My father, Anson Crowe, has already taken her home.”
The second cop frowned. “Your parents are the Vegas performers?”
“Yes, and the man who just dropped the gun is Tony Tortellini. Another Vegas performer.”
The cop kept frowning. “Your father shouldn’t have entered a crime scene.”
“My mother was tied to a chair and gagged. You can see the evidence of that pretty plainly if you go down to the wine cellar. I’m sure you’ll also find her fingerprints, as well as mine, my father’s, and Gabrielle’s. That should help, right?” What they’d make of the skin flakes, I had no idea.
“Yes, but—”
“She was scared, dehydrated and in need of rest. You can contact my parents if you need a further statement. I’ll make sure you have their information.”
That seemed to mollify the officer. At least temporarily. Thankfully, I knew that in general, Vegas didn’t allow too much bad press to get out. One performer kidnapping another performer would definitely be considered bad press. Vegas was all about protecting the brand.
I guess what happened in Vegas really did stay in Vegas.
I knew there would still be paperwork and questions, but hopefully, it could all be handled without my mom’s secret being revealed.
How the rest of this turned out remained to be seen. The EMTs, whether they realized it or not yet, were working on a werewolf. There was every chance this could still become a very tricky situation.
An hour later, Tony and Gabrielle were in separate squad cars, about to be taken in for questioning. Gabrielle was in handcuffs. Tony was not.
Jayne, Jack, and I had been asked to step outside so the EMTs could finish dressing Birdie’s wound. We’d all spoken to the cops. Jayne had told them about Buck, who I was surprised to find out about, and Jack had left to move the other car closer to the front of the house in preparation for taking Birdie home.
I checked my phone again, but there was still no word from my father. They should have gotten home about twenty minutes ago, but I also knew he’d be occupied with taking care of my mom and explaining what had happened to Dr. Brewer. None of that kept me from wanting a quick status update.
I’d never seen my mother look that close to death, and it had shaken me.
While we stood there, another pair of squad cars arrived.
I watched them as I spoke to Jayne. “If they’re here for Buck, you’d better get that ice off the barn.”
“But he’ll escape.”
“Only if he realizes the doors aren’t frozen shut anymore. And if he does, they can put out an APB on him. It’s better than explaining how that ice got there.”
“True.” She took hold of my arm and leaned on me, then a few seconds later announced, “It’s gone. Much easier than creating it, I can tell you that.”
The cops approached us. “Can one of you direct us to the barn where the second suspect is being detained?”
“I’ll take you,” I said. I looked at Jayne. “You stay here in case Birdie needs you.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Right this way, officers.” I led them toward the barn with no intention of going farther than necessary.
“You’re the son of the woman who was kidnapped?” the female officer asked me.
“Yes, that’s right.”
She smiled and nodded. “I saw your parents’ show last year. My husband took me for our anniversary. Best show I’ve ever seen.”
“Thank you.” I stopped us behind one of the storage sheds. “The barn on the other side of this is where you’ll find Buck Murphy. Provided he’s still in there. He was one of my father’s stagehands, and he helped Gabrielle Tortellini coordinate the kidnapping of my mother. She paid him a considerable sum to do it.”
Both cops pulled their weapons. “Go back to the house now, sir. We’ll handle it from here.”
“Thanks.” I started for the house. The sooner we could be home, the better. I wanted all of this behind us. That thought stopped me and turned me toward the officers again. They were just about to make their approach. “Are we free to go?”
The female officer nodded without looking at me. “We have your contact information. Now please, get clear of the area.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. Without another word, I ran for the house. Jayne was standing in the yard right where I’d left her, and Jack was back at her side. She had her arms wrapped around her body like she was giving herself a hug, and she didn’t look too happy. I h
oped nothing bad had happened. Then I heard the shouting from inside the house. “What’s going on?”
“They want to transport Birdie by ambulance to the hospital. Birdie, on the other hand, wants to go home.”
Jack shook his head. “I already know who’s going to win.”
I nodded. “Yep.”
Right on cue, the EMTs walked out with the police officers behind them. Another second and Birdie appeared at the door, arm in a sling.
The EMTs looked like they’d had enough and were happy to leave. The officers seemed amused about something.
We all looked at Birdie.
“Don’t just stand there,” she said. “Help me lock this place up so we can leave.”
Chapter Thirty-two
Jayne
Sin drove, and I rode up front with him. On the way, Birdie explained how she’d managed a private word with the officer in charge, who also happened to be shifter. Coyote, she told us. After their brief conversation, during which she explained what was really going on, he promised her he’d handle things. Like getting the EMTs out of the way before Birdie’s natural healing powers made her wound disappear altogether.
She had the officer’s card in her pocket and looked pretty pleased with herself. I didn’t blame her. Making that connection would probably save Sin’s parents a lot of aggravation.
She fell asleep before we made it to the house.
Sin parked and got the car door for Jack, who carried her in.
“I think they gave her some heavy pain meds,” he said. “She’ll probably sleep for a while. I’ll just take her back to the guest room and stay with her. If you need me, just say the word.”
“No problem,” Sin said. “We owe her a lot for her help. Anything she needs, you just let us know. And I mean anything.”
“Will do.” He went off down the hall with her.
I took Sin’s hand. “Go see how your mom is. I know you’re worried about her. We both are.” He hadn’t said much about her except to tell me she hadn’t looked good when they’d found her.
I could only imagine what that meant.
“Come with me,” Sin said.
I shook my head. “No, you go. She probably doesn’t want to see anyone but family right now.”
“You are family, babe.”
I smiled. “I mean you and your dad. Go on. You’re wasting time.”
He kissed my cheek, then took off.
I walked out into the living room. Aunt Zinnia was in the kitchen making something for dinner. My stomach grumbled, and I realized how little I’d eaten lately. It did smell good in the house but not entirely like dinner.
I leaned on the breakfast bar. “What are you working on?” There were too many ingredients covering the counters and too many bowls and pots filling the sink to tell what was going on.
“Comfort food.” She smiled. “Chicken and rice casserole, green beans with bacon, and biscuits for dinner, with chocolate cherry cobbler for dessert.”
“That sounds amazing and perfect.” The smells made sense now. “Anything I can do to help?”
“Child, you have helped enough already. Thank you for everything you did to get Lila home. This family will forever be indebted to you and your friends.”
“This family is my family.” Then I shrugged. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to help.”
“You’re a good girl. I’m so glad you and Sinclair ended up together. And you’re right. This family is absolutely your family.”
Sugar came tearing through the living room, Spider hot on her heels. They zipped past us, ran around the dining-room table, then back through the living room and disappeared again.
I laughed. “I think they’re a little bored. Usually we try to play with them more. And we’ve been a little preoccupied lately. Not that it could be helped.”
“Well, if they keep that up, they’ll have to nap soon.”
“Do you have any pets?” I couldn’t remember if we’d talked about that or not.
“No. The place where I live doesn’t allow them.” A sly smile bent her fuchsia-tinted lips. “Which is why I’ve decided to move.”
“What?”
She nodded as she sprinkled breadcrumbs over the casserole. “Don’t say anything just yet, but I’m going to take Anson and Lila up on their offer to move here with them. As soon as Lila’s well enough to handle it, that is. After what just happened…” She shook her head, her voice suddenly thick with emotion. “I just want to be closer, that’s all.”
“I can totally understand that.”
She brushed her hands off. “And once I do, I’m going to get a cat.”
Spider jumped up onto the chair next to me, making me jerk back in surprise. He put his front paws on the counter. “Someone say Spider’s name?”
“No.” I laughed and ruffled the fur on his head. “But we were talking about cats.”
Aunt Zinnia made eyes at Spider. “Look at that handsome boy. I hope I can find a looker just like him.”
Spider kneaded his paws against the granite counter. “Auntie says Spider handsome.”
“Because you are.” I booped his nose. “Handsome and full of yourself.” I looked at Aunt Zinnia. “Be careful what you wish for.”
“Oh, I know Spider is a one-of-a-kind kitty, but I want one with just as much personality. Granted, getting one that talks would be a bonus, but I know that’s not going to happen.”
“You never know. I mean, we live in a pretty interesting world.” I made a mental note to see about getting her one of the prototype translation collars, if she did actually adopt a cat. Sometimes it was good to be a royal who could pull those kinds of strings.
“That is very true.” She picked up the enormous casserole. “Could you open the oven for me?”
“Sure.” I came around the breakfast bar to do as she’d asked.
Sin walked out looking like he’d been punched in the gut.
Immediately, my stomach sank. I left Zinnia to finish with the food. “What is it?”
He shook his head. “She’s not doing well. It’s more than just dehydration. Dr. Brewer thinks she needs a blood transfusion to have any chance at a full recovery.”
My hand went to my mouth. Worry made me sick. “Can the doctor do that?”
“Yes, but she’s got to find the right kind of blood my mom needs.”
“I’m O negative. I’m a universal donor.”
His lips parted. “You are?”
“Yes. Go see if that will work. We can do it right now.”
“Okay.” He ran back down the hall.
Aunt Zinnia came over, cupped my face in her hands for a moment, then pulled me into her arms and hugged me. “You’re such a good girl.”
She was squeezing me so hard, I couldn’t quite get enough breath to answer her properly. “Thanks,” I managed.
Sin came back a few seconds later. “Dr. Brewer says that will work.”
Aunt Zinnia let me go so she could clap. “Such good news.”
I took a deep, welcome breath. “All right. Let’s do this.”
Within a few minutes, I was lying on the bed next to Lila. It was heartbreaking to see her in such a wretched state. She was almost nonresponsive and looked as if a strong wind would blow her into dust. Her lips were parched, her skin cracked and flaking. Even her nails and hair looked brittle.
I told myself that was all going to change very soon. That thought alone was what kept me from crying.
From Anson’s red-rimmed eyes, he’d already been doing that. “Thank you, Jayne.”
“I’m happy to help.”
Sin stood beside the bed, holding my hand. He looked on the verge of tears himself. I understood. If the situation were reversed and my mom was as sick as Lila, I’d have been a puddle of rage and emotion.
Dr. Brewer came over with her supplies. Her dark hair was pinned into a big, messy bun, and her eye makeup was on point. Something about that was very reassuring. I mean, if she could nail that kind of precisi
on liner application, a little blood transfusion should be a piece of cake.
At the thought of cake, my stomach grumbled again.
“Are you hungry?” Sin asked.
“Apparently.” I didn’t want to tell him I’d been thinking about cake. But I was definitely going to need sugar after this.
Dr. Brewer smiled at me. “This won’t hurt a bit. Just a pinch so I can get the needle in, and then the hard part is over.”
I nodded. “Do whatever you need to do.” It didn’t hurt that she was a witch. I was hoping that meant there’d be a little magical pain reliever.
“I’ll need your arm flat on the bed.” She looked at Sin. “Sorry. You’ll have to let go of her hand.”
“Okay.” He gave me one last squeeze, then released me.
I put my arm out straight. And closed my eyes. I wasn’t that squeamish, but this was still a needle going into my arm for the express purpose of removing my blood.
I guess it was a good thing Greyson and I hadn’t worked out.
All vampire ex-boyfriend references aside, I was fine not knowing the details of the transfusion. “Just tell me when it’s over.”
“Will do,” Dr. Brewer said. “If you feel faint, let me know, all right?”
“Yep.” I took a few deep breaths. She cleaned my arm with alcohol or something that felt cool on my skin. That one act made what was about to happen all the more real. And it hit me that if my blood didn’t help Lila, her last moments might be right here next to me.
I was overwhelmed with grief at the idea.
“Um, sweetheart?” Sin’s fingers brushed my palm.
“Yes?”
“It’s snowing in the bedroom.”
I opened my eyes. Large, fluffy flakes drifted down from the ceiling. “Sorry.” I put a stop to that and got my emotions under check. The melodrama could wait until there was reason for it. Right now, I needed to focus on Lila getting well. Positive thoughts and all that.
“Small pinch now,” Dr. Brewer said.
“Okay.” I winced as the needle went in. More like a medium pinch, but I wasn’t going to argue. I pushed out a breath as my stomach turned over from nerves.
Lost in Las Vegas Page 18
