Chapter 41
Dagger
I was up forty-eight grand. After the craps table’s favor had started to fizzle out, I’d moved over to blackjack and the cards had been far kinder than expected.
By Bryce’s deal, I could’ve cashed out long ago, but I was having too much fun. Besides, if I went bust, anything left went to charity.
I picked a thousand-dollar chip from my clump of stacks and turned it in my fingers. Maybe I should cash out, keep a month’s work of income, and then donate the rest… minus enough to take Serenity on a five-star date.
The table had quietened though, especially after Prince Osric had pulled me aside and passed on his intel about Fae artifacts passing though hands in New Nebraska’s black market.
Fae government officials were trying and failing to track down the items to their source.
Just another question mark in what was going with the Marchand coven and the nastier elements in this new state.
Osric’s absence left me alone with the water elemental dealer, Westen. I’d only lost a couple of hands to him, but I’d read his eyes each time. The kid didn’t like beating me.
“You think I should quit while I’m ahead?” I asked as he shuffled a fresh pack. “Or put the whole lot on one final hand, double or nothing?”
His eyes sang a song of ocean blue, the color washing and swirling in waves as he looked between me and the cards.
“Well, it’s against hotel policy for me to tell you to stop or continue but”—he glanced around before lowering his voice—“I’d say I can’t deal with this game anymore.
Lady Luck has her limits, so I’ve heard… ”
Wise advice. Anyway, there was another, far more alluring lady who’d hopefully saved me a dance. It had been too long since I’d seen her face.
God, what a sap I’d become.
“You might be right. You’re a good kid. How old are you?”
“Nineteen, sir.”
Damn. He was a kid even compared to Seb. “Takes you a few shifts to earn a grand, I’m guessing?”
He smiled. “A few. And then a few more.”
I undid my bow tie and let it hang in halves around my collar, plucking the top two buttons open. Leaning my forearms on the felt-top table’s squashy leather rim, I had a mouthful of lightly chilled vodka, enjoying its cool burn spreading through my insides.
I flipped the thousand-dollar chip like a coin, then slid it across the green felt, just shy of the betting circle. “This is your tip. You want the chip now, or you want to try for more with my final hand? Whatever I win, you win?”
Not looking up as he loaded the shoe with new cards, he tried to hide his smile as he whispered, “Fuck it, sir. What’s life without a little excitement?”
I raised my glass in salute. “Kindred spirit. Let’s—”
Hunter’s palm thumped on my shoulder. “Place this size should have more toilets. I just spent five minutes circling the place, and I still haven’t found one.”
I pointed a backward thumb to the casino restrooms, letting the vodka loosen my tongue to sing, “Hello, is it pee you’re looking for?”
Goddamn if Hunt’s chuckle didn’t seem genuine. He looked at my pile of chips, jerking his head back. “Damn, how much you got?”
“Fifty big ones. Minus this thousand for young Westen here.” I slid the black chip fully into the betting circle, tapping the felt for my cards. “Let’s do this.”
Hunter delayed his bathroom break to see the outcome. Westen held in a smirk as he dealt me my two cards. The ace of spades and the ten of hearts. Blackjack, motherfucker.
“Player has blackjack,” Westen said through a knowing grin. He slid over the winnings into the betting circle.
I picked up the chips, two and a half grand for a blackjack win, and poked them firmly into Westen’s waistcoat pocket. “You’d better buy your mom some real nice flowers.”
“Yes, sir. And I might treat a few other ladies too.”
I laughed, remembering me and Hunt at that age.
“You’re all right, kid. Can you line those chips into a tray?”
I had a lot of money to cash out. That brought more music from deep down as I clasped Hunt’s arm and sang softly in victory.
“See them sigh and wish to dieeeee. See them wink the other eyeeeeee.” I stood, holding my brother’s shoulder, moving slowly forward.
“I’m the man who broke the bank at Monte Carloooooo!
” I kissed his cheek, and he looked at me with shock at first. Then, as he shook his head, I saw the old indulgence soften his smile into that “only Dagger” look I hadn’t seen in years.
Once upon a time, it had blunted every disapproving word with a hidden laugh.
I hadn’t realized how much I’d truly missed it.
“Come on, Hunt,” I said, the old nickname rolling out with ease. “Your brother just stepped into the winner’s circle. Aren’t you going to bring it in?”
I opened my arms, but just as Hunter chuckled and started to move into the embrace, Seb charged up to the table, flushed and wide-eyed. “Shit, guys, I really messed up.”
Cecilia, the prince’s mate, ran up at his heels wearing a similar look.
“What’s going on?” My euphoria and vodka fuzziness started fading fast as I realized who was missing from this picture. “Wait, where’s Serenity?”
“Did something happen?” Hunter grasped Seb by his tux lapels, wide eyes scanning his face for answers. “I told you not to let her out your sight.”
Seb shook his head, grimacing. “I’m sorry.”
“It was the fucking bodyguards’ job,” I ground out, watching two of the grizzlies in question finally perk up at our obvious distress, split from the group around the dance floor, and jog toward us. Idiots.
“This guy hypnotized me,” Seb was saying, “some sort of magical trance.”
“What?” Hunter released Seb, brushing a hand down his crumpled suit jacket in an apologetic gesture, brows knitted.
“It’s only just worn off,” Seb said, “and it feels like a godawful hangover. I can’t remember much. This Fae, he—”
“Fae?” Hunter interjected, scanning the crowd over Seb’s head. “What fucking Fae?”
“A redheaded Fae,” Cecilia piped up. “I’m ninety percent sure he’s the one I saw that day Jack 2 was killed. The one who gave that monster his powers.”
That perked me the fuck up. What a doozy of a case that had been. If someone tied to that mess had Serenity… I clenched my fists, feeling my tattoo harden into a steel sleeve. “Just where the fuck were you?” I growled at the lead bodyguard before he could get a word in edgewise.
“At our post,” he harumphed.
“With your thumbs up your asses?” I asked.
“You let Serenity walk off with a Fae stranger!” Hunter thundered. “What’s Bryce paying you for?”
“We’re looking for a vamp,” the guard snapped back. “That guy didn’t smell like the target at all! And he didn’t alert us.” He tossed a thumb at Seb. “She looked fine, went willingly.”
“Went where?” I snarled, teeth bared.
“We saw him leading Serenity out into the gardens,” Cecilia answered for the moron. “She didn’t look in her right mind. Osric and Aaron are following to confront him.”
“Red hair? Like flame hair…? Fuck.” Hunter clenched fists at his sides, whole body vibrating like he hated standing still. I knew the feeling. “Can you show us which way they went?” he asked Cecilia.
She shook her head. “I came to the detective straight away. We need to get to the gardens. Right now.”
Seb’s eyes screwed shut, and his palm flew to his temple. “Everyone please, be quiet.”
Fuck was he doing? “Quiet? We need to get out there, let’s—”
Eyes still clamped tight he shouted, “Shut the fuck up!”
I startled, catching Dagger’s equally surprised expression as Seb continued. “She’s talking to me.”
“She’s in a dark place, tons of apple trees. The prince is there, he looks scared. There’s an enormous grizzly. She’s begging for help.”
Ceci’s eyes bulged. “Oh my God. That’s a problem. I need to get there, to calm him.” She gulped hard.
I hammered the blackjack table with my fist, sending my chips jumping and rolling in every direction. “Westen, apple trees? Where?”
“The Colonial Orchard. Straight down the main path to the central fountain, take a hard right just before the fountain. It’s not lit up, but that path’ll lead you right there in a couple of minutes.”
“You morons stay here and alert the boss,” I snapped at the bodyguards. “You’ve already screwed things enough. Now you’re on crowd control.” I reached round to the small of my back and drew my concealed Colt, chambering a round. “Police, move out of the way!”
Biggest. Fucking. Grizzly. Ever.
The colossus had to be seventeen feet tall on its hind legs. Its bulk blocked out the moon as it bellowed at a redhaired Fae cowering on his knees, his hands raised in surrender.
The beast thudded onto all fours, shaking the surrounding branches and rattling apples across the dark grass.
Hunter was in the early stages of a shift, jaguar eyes burning brightly through the orchard’s shadowy labyrinth and fur poking between his cuff links.
I held my own transformation back, relying on the Colt clutched in my right hand.
But I had to be careful. My jaguar tat was pulsing and alive, its fearsome power solidifying my forearm into the magic hammer that had saved my life.
If I squeezed my gun too tightly, the tat’s power might crush it or cause a misfire.
A few feet to the side of the flame-haired prick, the prince cradled Serenity’s upper back with one hand.
She was mumbling, rubbing her eyes, as if waking from deep sleep.
Osric tried his best to revive her and calm the raging behemoth at the same time, but when he saw his mate, he called, “Ceci, thank the gods. Placate him.” He spotted my gun and outstretched a diffusing hand.
“Detective Pierce, don’t shoot. You’ll make him even angrier.
And don’t shift or try to fight him. It’s suicide. ”