Betting the Moon: Cannon Pack, Book 4 (14 page)

He’d give up every tournament from here to eternity if it would keep Mari safe. But could he trust Bascom to keep his end of the bargain?

“You’ve got a deal. I’ll throw the damn thing, but you’d better not try anything funny.”

Bascom crooked his head to the side as the crowd began filling the room again. “Then shall we return to the game?”

Tucker swallowed hard, then found Daniel Cannon’s hard stare fixed on him. He shook his head again, telling the wolf pack leader not to take any action, and Daniel, in turn, waved off the other four werewolves in the room.

He returned to his seat, ready to throw the game.

A succession of quick hands ensued, but Tucker was barely able to focus on them. His thoughts were on Mari, remembering the way her hair shone under the lights of the casino, how she arched her back to press her breast to his lips, to his hands. But most of all he remembered her smile that always preceded her quick and easy giggle.

The crowd clapped in polite response to the next hand as Tucker once again lost to Bascom. Bascom pretended not to notice the lukewarm nature of their applause and tipped his head in thanks time and time again.

The dealer caught Tucker’s attention and pointedly looked at him but didn’t ask the question he could so easily see in her eyes. “
Are you all right?”

He gave her a wan smile and continued his losing streak. His chip stack had diminished, and he knew one more hand would end his bid for the championship. He sent a warning glare to Bascom. He’d better keep his end of the deal.

Bascom merely nodded as though he’d read Tucker’s mind and opened the way for Tucker to go all in. He did, betting everything. He leaned over the table, anticipation making him bite the inside of his lip, and waited. Bascom took his time, however, relishing having the werewolf under his thumb. At last, he made his wager and won the hand.

Applause erupted throughout the room as the tournament director took the microphone and announced Ty Bascom as the champion. Bascom stood and waved to the crowd as he accepted the championship golden belt, then turned to the cameras and saluted. “Thank you. Thank you. Of course I am delighted to add this championship to my many other achievements.” Then he pivoted to face Tucker and stuck out his hand.

The last thing he wanted to do was to congratulate Bascom on his win, but he had no choice. If he didn’t, who knew how Bascom might retaliate for the snub. Slowly, Tucker stood and clutched the vampire’s hand, then held on to it when Bascom attempted to pull away. Instead, he yanked the vampire close enough to wrap his arm around the man’s bony shoulders.

Smiling for the cameras, Tucker dug his fingers into Bascom’s arm and brought his head close to the vampire’s. “I did my part, now do yours. Where is she?”

Bascom groaned in pain but kept up the appearance of the cordial winner and his voice low. “Why, my dear boy. Where else would she be but in my room?”

“He’s lying.” Daniel, who had moved to stand behind Tucker, shook his head, then tucked his chin down to keep his voice from traveling past the vamp and Tucker. “She’s not there. In fact, he doesn’t have a room in this hotel. The guys and I checked.”

Tucker’s grip on Bascom tightened, and the vampire cringed and tried to squirm away. But he wasn’t letting go. Not yet.

“I would have thought you beasts could sniff her out.”

Tucker growled, then heard Daniel’s softer growl echo his. “Talk, bloodsucker, before I show the world how real vampires and werewolves are.” He snarled, “Not to mention how easily a werewolf can kill a vampire.”

“Calm yourself, dog. My room number is six-six-six. Appropriate, yes?”

Daniel frowned. “We checked the rooms in that location but there’s no room with that number.”

“Well, then, I cannot help it if you do not believe me.”

“I believe you, all right. Now tell us how to find the room.” Tucker raised his hand to greet the reporters and paparazzi busy taking pictures and asking questions neither he nor Bascom were answering. “Or maybe you should just come along and show us.”

“No.” Bascom thrust his body away, almost falling with the strength it took to get away from Tucker. He wiped off his arms as though trying to rid himself of a lingering filth. “Go to the exact same wing and find room six-six-five. Stand so you are facing the door directly across from it. If my subjects have done as I have commanded—and they always do—then instead of an
Employees Only
sign on the door, this time you will see my room number. Inside you will find what you are looking for. Now, whether you excuse me or not, I really must insist we conclude our conversation.”

Daniel and Tucker both growled, then turned to leave.

“Manning.”

Gritting his teeth and forcing the wolf to stay below the surface, Tucker turned back to face Bascom. The vampire’s eyes widened at the sight of Tucker’s amber eyes. “What?”

Bascom recovered his composure, then adopted a wicked leer. “Please tell Mari how much I enjoyed her company.” He licked his lips and added, “So very much.”

If Daniel hadn’t grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away, Tucker would have shifted and torn the vampire’s head from his shoulders. “Keep moving, man. Don’t let that undead bucket of bones get to you.”

Tucker let Daniel drag him from the room and into the hallway where they were soon joined by the other werewolves. “Let’s go.” Moving like the pack on a moonlit run, the men rushed through the lobby to the other side of the building and toward the guest rooms. Minutes later, they stood outside room six-six-six.

Tucker pounded on the door. “Mari! Are you in there? Mari?”

“Do you really think Bascom would’ve left her free to answer, much less open the door?” Daniel motioned for the other werewolves to step back, then waved at the door. “I’ll let you do the honor of breaking it down.”

Tucker had already shifted enough to bring out his werewolf strength. At Daniel’s permission, he growled, then barreled into the door, ramming it with his shoulder. The door burst open, cracking in the middle where he’d struck it. He stumbled into the room, managing somehow to stay on his feet.

“Mari?” The others joined him as he scanned the clean room, empty of any sign that either the vampire or Mari had been there. Except for the rope hanging from the ceiling.

“No sign of her in the bathroom,” called one werewolf.

But Tucker barely heard the man. He stared at the rope and struggled to swallow the bile in his throat. Walking slowly to the rope, he took the end of it and brought it to his nose. Concentrating, he sniffed, dragging every scent he could from the knotted end. Mari’s sweet scent was unmistakable.

The vampire had tied her up with this rope.

His rage blew through him like a category-five hurricane. For a moment, the room swam around him as his fury threatened to blind him. A low rumble started deep in his gut, then traveled upward until at last it exited his mouth in a window-rattling roar.

Daniel and the men gave answering snarls, letting him know they understood his pain and anger.

Tucker tugged. When the hook holding the rope didn’t budge, he yanked again. Again, nothing. The rope was securely fastened to the ceiling. So secure that even he couldn’t have gotten free, much less Mari.

What happened to her? An image of Mari tied to the rope, at the mercy of the vampire, tore into him, shredding his gut until he was sure he’d buckle over from the pain. But he remained upright, his determination to find Mari keeping him from giving in to the agony. Summoning all his power, he jumped, grabbing the rope with both hands, and let his body fall to the floor. A loud crack resonated around the room. He ducked, shielding his face from the chunks of plaster raining from the ceiling as the hook and rope landed in front of him.

Tucker sat on the floor, holding the vampire’s restraints in his hands. “He tied her up.”

Daniel and the rest remained silent, knowing better than to answer. Instead, Daniel nodded, giving Tucker the time to digest the horror of what had happened in this room.

“I have to find her.” Tucker’s fangs sprang forth to replace teeth. He called on his wolf, giving him more control over the human side of him.

“You will,” Daniel vowed. “We will.”

Tucker surged to his feet, still holding the rope in both hands. “Everyone take a good whiff. Her scent is the sweet smell.”

The men crowded around him with Daniel waiting to take another turn. Once each shifter had committed Mari’s scent to memory, Tucker flung the rope aside. “Spread out. I want every inch of this hotel searched, including the employee’s offices. Check the garage, check the backrooms, check everywhere.”

The werewolves glanced at their alpha, needing Daniel to give his consent to the orders. Daniel nodded, and as a group they spun around and hurried from the room.

Tucker started to follow them but was stopped when Daniel thrust out his arm to block his way. Anger erupted in a snarl, but Daniel held his ground.

“You need to be prepared.”

Tucker met his leader’s gaze, then turned away, unwilling to see the message in his eyes. But he couldn’t escape Daniel’s warning.

“I’ve seen what happens to those who tangle with vampires. I’ve seen the damage they can do. What you find might not be pretty.”

Tucker couldn’t let himself think of the possibilities. Had the vampire erased her memories even before the tournament had begun? Would she remember him? Or would he be a stranger among all the other strangers?

“She’s all right.” A rush of fear shook him. He looked at Daniel, knowing the alpha would see the panic in his face. “She has to be.”

Daniel gripped his shoulder, giving him an encouraging squeeze. “Then think. Is there anywhere she might go? Someplace where she would feel safe? Someplace she might find comforting?”

Tucker could almost hear the words Mari had said when he’d surprised her with the romantic rose-filled night.
“Have you seen the rose garden here? It’s like an oasis in the desert.”
Her smile had said it all. If any place existed where she could feel safe, that would be it.

He dashed to the door, calling out behind him. “Follow me. I know where she is.”

Mari plucked a petal from the red rose. “He loves me.” Another petal fluttered its way to the garden floor to land on the pile forming at her feet. “He loves me not.”

A tear cascaded down her cheek and dropped on her arm.
Does he love me?
She frowned, the ache in her chest pinching her heart like a mean child poking her with a stick.
Who loves me? Does anyone love me?
She whimpered, her mind reaching out for a memory that wouldn’t hold still long enough to grasp it.

The gray haze swirled around her, revealing only the wrought-iron bench she sat on. In some places, the mist would grow thicker, in others it would thin out. Every once in a while, she thought she saw things beyond the mist. Then the mist would grow heavier and her peek into the other world would be lost. Air particles, pushed by the swirling fog, formed interesting patterns only to break apart and drift away. But it didn’t matter. More patterns would come.

She plucked another petal. “He loves me.”

A vision of a face flashed before her, and she reached out, certain that if only she could touch the face, she could stop the man from leaving. His white-blond hair fluttered in an unseen wind, and he looked at her, an incredible sadness etched in his expression and in the dullness of his amber-flecked blue eyes. She reached out, but it was too late.

Plucking again… “He loves me not.”

Another tear fell to join the first.
Please, please make him love me.

But why? Why did she care so much that this stranger loved her? The pain inside her heart grew stronger.

Something deep inside her urged her to fight. To think. To remember. She closed her eyes, willing her brain to function. To demand answers. Sweat broke out along her brow, and she reached out with her mind, calling to the stranger, calling for someone, something to appear.

Cold black eyes drove at her, and she inhaled, terror gripping her heart. Fangs flashed white beneath the chilling glare. Then, as she watched and held her breath, a single drop of blood dripped from the tip of one fang. Laughter that held no warmth, no humor took away her hope. Only the promise of darkness remained.

“Noooo,” she moaned. She pushed out with one arm, the rose gripped in her fist, and struck the face with all her might. The evil face shattered into shards of black glass and she rejoiced.

But her joy was short-lived as a hand grasped her arm, then another took her other arm. She struggled, fighting to get away from the evil face, the monster in the mist. Fear clogged her throat, and a heavy weight crushed her chest.

Still, she kept fighting, desperate to get away from the terror gripping her. “No! Let me go!”

As though her words held power, the monster released her, and she jerked back, then hugged the rose to her chest. Trembling, she stared at the flower, took a deep breath and plucked another petal.

“He loves me.”

Tucker released Mari and stood back, horror tightening his chest. “What the hell’s wrong with her?”

The clothes she’d had on last night were dirty and disheveled. Her usually neat hair was mussed, and one cheek had turned blue-black from a large bruise. Thorns pricked her hands and fingers, trailing thin lines of blood over her palms. But it was the faraway gleam in her eye that frightened him the most.