Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
H is heart was still with her as he made his way toward their table. The spotlights had dimmed after the performance. Attendees had now taken to the dance floor under a canopy of thousands of small fairy lights.
He couldn’t wait to ask her for a dance if she was up for it. His pulse quickened at the thought of having her close, his arm tight around her waist, supporting her, while inhaling that captivating scent of hers that always stirred all kinds of desire inside him.
Waving and smiling as he walked through the guests toward his table and not stopping to chat as he would normally do, he was dying to be with her. That song, which she had such a part in crafting, was now everything to him.
He couldn’t wait to ask her reaction to its acoustic performance. Their first creation together. One day, he’d tell their child how that song had been what created the spark between them.
But she had left her seat.
“Where’s Tilly?” He stared at the gala table where his brother was deep in conversation with his fiancée. Cat and her date were watching the dancers twirling under the starry décor. The Moreno party was making the rounds to other tables, Vince staying respectfully behind Se?ora Moreno as she talked to Mairesse Lavoix. The old lady had ten times more influence on the city than the newcomer mayor who wouldn’t last the next election cycle.
“She’s not with you?” Mag looked up at him with a frown. “Your assistant, you know that dour one in a pantsuit, came to get her for you.”
“Marjo?” Cass was puzzled.
“She told us you wanted Tilly backstage with you,” Cat said.
“No, I never…” His throat suddenly closed in on him. The song, the gala, and his audience receded as foreboding descended upon him. Like a switch inside him which flipped from happy to worry in an instant. Where was Tilly?
She had told him she was at risk. And baptême , he’d left her.
“Hells bro, you’re white as a sheet.” Mag unfolded himself from his chair to join him.
She had to be just fine. Marjo would know where she was. Cass checked his phone to see if his assistant had texted him.
He’d left Tilly with Marjo all day, but Tommy and Raphael were around then. Damn, he should have insisted Mag watch out for her. Why didn’t he think of that?
With a vampire and mob enforcer at the table, he didn’t think she’d be in any danger.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
“I don’t like this.” His lips were tight, tension prickled the back of his neck as he stared at Mag.
“Come on, brother. What are you so worried about?” Mag said lightly.
“Why do you think I asked you for Raphael,” he said. “You know she’s vulnerable, right? A pregnant banshee.”
“Aren’t you overreacting?” Mag exclaimed. “We probably heard wrong.”
Cat lifted her chin at them with a shake of her side ponytails. “No, I’m sure your assistant said that.”
“I’m texting security to look for her.” Nyssa had caught on Cass’s dire tone.
“I’ll go check the ladies’ room.” Cat got up promptly and left, her date following along with her.
“Do you remember which way she went?” Cass asked his brother.
“This way, I think.” Mag pointed to the exit off the stage. “She just followed your assistant.”
Cass took off in that direction, Mag at his heels.
They passed the venue’s lobby and stopped by the coat check.
“Have you seen a pregnant woman walk by here,” he asked the frizzy, auburn-haired hostess manning the counter. “Dark hair. Dark-red dress. Maybe with another woman. Green pantsuit.”
“I did, oui .” The girl nodded as she chewed on her gum. “Down the corridor to the offices.”
“Let’s go,” Mag said.
They hurried down the long hallway, listening for signs of life. But the hall was quiet at this hour. Mag was trying out every single door and finding them locked.
Heart pumping, Cass forced his immediate panic down. She was fine.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
“Cass, here. This one’s unlocked.” Mag yanked a door open. “Oh shit!”
Cass jostled past him and pulled up short.
Marjo lay sprawled in the middle of the floor, moaning. Her jacket was askew, hair in disarray, and a shoe had come off. But there was no sign of Tilly.
Cass dropped beside her. “Lisaquiren kolipas.” The words were on his lip in seconds.
“You still use Mom’s magic?” Mag asked.
Marjo’s eyes fluttered open.
“Where’s Tilly?” Cass questioned his assistant.
“They took her.” She blinked back tears.
“Where?”
“Cass!” Mag pointed out the large office window facing a service entrance.
Two people carried Tilly, who was bound and gagged, to a waiting van idling beneath a streetlight. The kidnappers were about to hoist her inside the vehicle. She twisted, bucked, and writhed, trying her damnedest to get free. Cass didn’t think. He smashed through the expansive window at vamp speed. An explosion of glass rained upon the concrete.
The two bastards gaped in his direction. They were young, early twenties at the most. In tracksuits and puffer coats. Beanies drawn down low.
“You fuckers,” he roared, fangs out to tear them both to shreds.
One of them freaked and dropped Tilly’s feet to jump into the open van. The other backed into the side door, struggling with Tilly in the crook of his arm while she fought her best to get out of his grip.
Fuck! His pulse pounded in his ears with rage.
In less than a second, he had leaped to the assailant and rammed a single punch to his face.
The bastard fell back into the van, dropping Tilly into Cass’s arms. Someone tugged the fucker’s body fully inside as the vehicle took off in a screech.
“Oh shit!” Mag was beside them.
“She’s ok, she’s ok.” Cass held her tight and kissed the top of her head as she eased into his arms. “Tilly. You’re okay.”
The van raced down the road, with Mag running behind it.
Cass sat her on the concrete step by the service entrance and very gently removed the tape from her mouth.
He ground his teeth with anger. The chiffon of her pretty dress was ripped, and she sported a large bruise on her shoulder. He took off his blazer and wrapped her in it.
She took a deep, shaky breath.
“Oh god. Are you hurt?” He clutched her arms. If those fuckers had done anything to her…
She rested her still-bound hands upon her belly.
“Sons of bitches,” she finally said. “They tried to put me under. They thought I would scream.”
“That’s why they gagged you.” He helped her up, conscious of her belly. “They knew a banshee’s scream can be deadly.”
She nodded. “Except I don’t think I can do that.”
“It’s a myth?”
“No, my cousin Sloane can.” She shrugged as a shadow crossed her strained features. “But when I tried as a teen, nothing happened.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He stroked her back, trying to be reassuring. “I’m here, you’re safe now.”
“I lost the van.” Mag returned, catching his breath as he took out his phone from his leather coat. “But we’ll find them.”
“How?”
“I got the plate,” Mag said. “Texting Akande right now. She can look up who it’s registered to.”
“Mag’s got a friend in the provincial police force,” Cass clarified. He nodded to her bound hands and feet. “Let’s get you inside. Cut this duct tape off.”
“Marjo?” she asked. “They hit her, and she fell.”
“She’s fine.”
“We were told you were waiting for us in the back office,” Tilly explained as he carried her up the service entrance which had been broken into by Tilly’s attackers. “She said one of the ushers told her. Now to think of it, it’s stupid. But after what happened at the hotel with your bassist, I thought…you know, more drama.”
“We need to get you to the ER. Check that you’re okay.” He was razor focused on her well-being. “The baby…”
“Baby seems fine.” She gave him a soothing smile as his fury returned making his pulse race faster. Dammit, she could have lost the baby.
They entered the office to find Marjo sitting on the floor. A breeze wisping through the broken window chilled the room.
“You okay, Marj?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” Her voice was steady as she rubbed the back of her head.
“She needs to go to the hospital,” Tilly said as he assisted her into a club chair far from the mess and looked for some scissors to help her with her bonds. “She may have a concussion.”
“Can you tell my driver to meet us at the back?” He passed his phone to his brother before kneeling to free Tilly’s limbs and rubbing the ugly red marks on her wrists. “We better get them both checked out.”
“Sure, bro.” Mag was on it, telling the chauffeur to hurry.
“She’s not safe here in Montreal, Mag.” Guilt flooded him once more. Instead of trying to impress her with the song, he should have been more prepared. Have Raphael follow her every move. He truly thought having Mag and Vince right there at the table was enough.
As soon as she’d be cleared by the hospital, he’d have to get her out of Montreal.
“What do you mean?” Mag wondered.
He looked at Marjo who was now scrolling through her phone. She knew nothing about vampires and banshees.
“Oh.” Mag had caught his look. They couldn’t talk with his assistant there.
“Must have been a crazed fan,” Cass lied.
“Right,” Mag said.
“We need to get out of town,” Cass repeated.
“Really?” Tilly interjected, and his heart broke to notice the big rip in the jeweled bodice of her pretty dress. She could have been killed or seriously injured tonight.
“Too many strangers in Montreal,” Mag noted with a shake of his head. “Any idea where to go?”
“Yeah.” His voice was hoarse with worry.
They both said it at the same time. “Chateau Briac.”