Sucker Bet (Vegas Vampires #4)(46)
Author: Erin McCarthy

Gwenna felt her heart swell as she moved into the room, running her hand over the glossy issue of Cosmopolitan , pristine and unread on the nightstand. Studied the pictures of a pretty young woman with the same caramel-colored hair as Nate and chocolate brown eyes, posing for pictures with her girlfriends, tanned and healthy, and vital. Pictures of her with Nate, laughing and making faces in front of the Hoover Dam. Later pictures, obviously, in front of a Christmas tree, where her hair was falling out and her eyes had dark circles under them, her cheeks sinking in. But her smile still firmly in place, her eyes knowing and at peace with her fate.

Nate stood next to her, his arm protectively around Kyra as she leaned against him. He was holding her up, his strength enough for both of them, and Gwenna knew right then, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she had fallen in love with Nate Thomas. He wasn’t a man who would ever doubt himself. He wasn’t a man who would crumple and not be able to walk forward. He knew who he was, held firm to his convictions, his truths, his love. There was a strength in him, one that she appreciated and envied, and she was in love with him.

Now she could only hope that when he woke up and she told him the truth, in its unfathomable entirety, he wouldn’t turn that decisiveness against her and walk out of her life.

Chapter Fourteen

"Where’s my husband?" Sasha asked.

Ringo took a step back, hand holding on to the knife she’d driven into his chest. It wouldn’t kill him, but it hurt like a mother and he wanted it out. And then he was going to stab the crazy bitch in front of him with it.

"I don’t know where your husband is and it’s not my problem if you’ve lost him." The knife handle was slick with his blood and he couldn’t get a good grip on it to tug it out.

This was so typical of women. Constantly playing head games. And if the dumb broad thought he was going to die from a knife to the heart, she was about to get a little reality check. He didn’t appreciate the blood loss, but he could take her down in about half a second, given she was mortal and he was a vampire.

"He has been missing since yesterday and you know where he is. You are on the loop, yes?" she asked.

Man, it was crazy how excellent her English was given that for months she’d been claiming not to understand a word of it. Ringo shook his head, getting a little annoyed that he couldn’t get the knife out. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"I promise, we can work an arrangement, you and I. But you have to tell me where he is. And help me get to Carrick’s sister."

"Carrick’s sister?" What the f**k was she talking about? "What does Gwenna have to do with anything? I’m sorry, you’ve totally lost me and I’ve decided I don’t give a shit about any of this." He was quitting. A little cash and a piece of ass were not worth this aggravation. He wasn’t feeling all that great anyway. He wanted to get back to his apartment and drink some blood, take the last of the heroin he had. That would even him out, because he was really starting to feel like crap. His chest was agonizing, his stomach was revolting, and the room was spinning a little.

Ringo shoved past her, heading for the front door.

She ran and threw herself in front of it, blocking his exit, her chest heaving, expression crazed. "No! You cannot leave."

"Who’s going to stop me?" She was married to a vampire. She had to know he could snap her like a pencil. Though now the room was really dancing in front of his eyes, spotted and dark. Ringo shook his head hard to clear it.

"You’re dying, you know," she said.

"I don’t think so." But he felt something like panic, and he renewed his efforts to pry the hot, wet knife handle out.

"Yes, you are." Her face wavered in front of him, but he could see her conviction, her revulsion. "That knife has a wooden tip to its blade. You cannot retract it yourself. It requires someone else to pull wood out of a vampire, and I am not going to do it."

Well, that threw a f**king monkey wrench in his day.

There was a knock on the door right behind Sasha’s back, and Ringo was instantly aware that it was his wife standing there. He could smell her vanilla lotion scent and feel her anxiety. Sasha didn’t open the door, but charged at him full force, knocking him to the ground, her hand shoving and pushing at the knife, driving it deeper.

Ringo’s chest exploded in pain and he let out a yell, trying to toss Sasha off, but discovering that his arms didn’t seem to work anymore. He was pinned, everything dark and hazy, his body wracked with pain, his brain scattering around, trying to find a solution, but not coming up with any sort of plan.

Then the door crashed open and he heard Kelsey’s voice. "Get your slutty Russian hands off my man."

Sasha went backward, completely disappearing, and Kelsey’s head bent over him.

"Hey, babe," he said, trying to smile, relief coursing through him. "I am really friggin’ glad to see you."

With one swift motion she yanked the knife out of his chest and pressed the open wound with the material of his T-shirt. She bit her lip, tears in her eyes. "Damn it, Ringo, why did you do this?"

Like he stabbed himself? Having the knife gone gave him instant relief from the excruciating pain, though he still felt numb and disoriented. He swallowed hard, reaching out to flick his finger on her bottom lip. "Shit, Kels, I didn’t do this on purpose. I had no idea the bitch was crazy."

She sighed and caressed his cheek. He liked her soft touch on his skin. "I miss you," he told her. "Come home."

"We have serious issues we need to work out," she said sternly, right before she kissed him.

"What issues? The only issue is that you left me." He was still ticked about that.

But Kelsey pulled back. And when she did, Ringo saw his brother Kyle standing behind her.

Jesus Christ. Ringo lifted his hand, wanting to touch Kyle, whose mouth was moving as if he were speaking, but there was no sound. Kyle’s hands were on Kelsey’s shoulders.

When Ringo sat up and tentatively swiped at the spot where Kyle’s hand was, he felt nothing but air. His brother was gone.

Kelsey didn’t seem to notice. She just took his raised hand and squeezed it. "You have to get clean and stay clean."

The heroin felt like the last of Ringo’s worries at the moment. He craned his neck to see around her. "Where’s Sasha?"

"On the floor. I accidentally knocked her unconscious."

He suspected there was nothing accidental about it. But he was damn glad for his wife’s timing. "How did you know I was here?"

"Kyle told me."

Gwenna booted up the computer in the corner of Nate’s living room. He was still sleeping soundly, and she could get online and check her e-mail while keeping an eye on him. She wasn’t surprised to immediately see an e-mail from Slash.