Venom (Page 47)

I thought about my earlier tour of the riverboat this evening. Where would I go if I wanted to have a quiet meeting away from the crowd? Only one spot I’d seen this evening had been conducive to lovers.

"Come on," I said. "I know where they are."

Owen nodded, and we walked on. I went through another door, stepping out into the walkway that lined the back side of the riverboat. My stiletto heels slammed against the wood. The time for being quiet was over. Because if I didn’t reach Roslyn and Xavier before Elliot Slater did, they wouldn’t be getting off this boat alive.

Up ahead, I noticed the door to the glassed-in section of the boat was closed. Some of the blinds had also been drawn, providing a bit of privacy for whoever might be inside the salon. I didn’t bother knocking, instead twisting the knob and throwing the door to one side. Inside, Roslyn sat in a chair, shoulders shaking, tears trickling down her tight face. Xavier perched on his knees before her, holding her hands, as though he’d been pleading with her.

"What do you two think you’re doing?" I snapped.

"Gin-" Xavier started.

"Do you know what you’ve done? How much danger you’ve put yourself and Roslyn in by coming here tonight?"

The giant bit his lip. "I couldn’t help myself, Gin. Knowing that Roslyn was here with that bastard-"

"I know, Xavier. I know. But I need you to be quiet right now and listen to me. Okay?"

The giant pressed his lips together, but he slowly nodded.

I turned my gaze to Roslyn. "I told you to keep Xavier out of it, that I’d take care of Slater. You said you could handle it."

"I’m sorry," she whispered. "But I-I just couldn’t lie to Xavier about where I was going tonight. And what might happen if you failed. If I… if I had to go home with Slater."

I tapped my toe on the wooden floor. A migraine throbbed in my head in time to the sharp, staccato motion. Because I had failed Roslyn. I’d had my chance at Elliot Slater, and I’d let Jonah McAllister get in my way. I should have just killed them and dumped their bodies over the railing, despite the consequences. That way, at least Roslyn and Xavier would have been free of this mess.

Owen Grayson stood in the doorway behind me, still looking and listening. I had no idea what the businessman was thinking at this point, and I had no idea what I was going to do about him after the fact. Right now, though, I had to focus on Roslyn and Xavier. Like it or not, I was responsible for them, and neither one of them was going to get dead tonight if I could help it.

I stabbed my finger at Xavier. "You. You get out of here right now. Go back to your partner, Detective Bria Coolidge, who I assume you dragged to this thing for cover, and tell her that there’s some emergency you have to take care of. Then you get off this boat and go straight to this house." I rattled off Jo-Jo Deveraux’s address to the giant. "You stay there, and you wait for me to show up. No matter how long it takes. Understand?"

The giant closed his eyes and slowly nodded.

"Good. Get going. Now."

Xavier looked at Roslyn another moment before getting to his feet. Owen stepped to one side so the giant could leave the salon. I waited until the echo of Xavier’s footsteps had faded away before I turned to Roslyn.

"What about me?" she asked, tears still streaming down her face. "Do you want me to go back out there? Back out to-Slater?" Roslyn’s voice broke on the last word.

Instead of answering her, I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and dialed Finn.

"Yes?" his voice sounded in my ear.

"I found them. Xavier’s coming your way. Make sure he talks to Bria, then gets off the boat. Go get your car without drawing too much attention to yourself. Roslyn will meet you in the parking lot. Take her to Jo-Jo’s. Owen, what’s your address?"

The businessman told me the information, which I passed on to Finn.

"Once you get Roslyn settled at Jo-Jo’s, come over to Owen’s house and pick me up," I told him.

"Got it," Finn said and hung up.

I stuck my phone back in my purse and pulled out some tissues. I drew in a breath and turned to Roslyn, reminding myself to be gentle with the vampire. Yes, she’d put herself and Xavier in danger by telling the giant she was coming here tonight, by not trusting me to do what I’d promised. But I couldn’t fault her for it. Not after everything that she’d already been through.

"No, you’re not going back to Slater," I said in a quiet voice, handing her the tissues. "We’re getting you out of here and away from the giant for good. Now, let’s get you cleaned up before we go."

Once Roslyn wiped away her tears and runny mascara, the three of us left the salon. I curled my arm through Owen’s, and we strolled back toward the hustle and bustle of the main deck. Owen still hadn’t said anything, and I was grateful for his silence. Roslyn walked behind us, moving at a slow, steady pace just the way I’d told her to.

I glanced over my shoulder at the vampire. "Five more minutes, and you’ll be safe in Finn’s car. Five more minutes. Just remember that, Roslyn."

The vamp nodded, but her toffee eyes were dull and flat in her face. Exhaustion and fear tightened her features.

Owen and I rounded the corner and stepped onto the main deck once more. Roslyn joined us. Owen and I moved toward the gangplank, drawing as little attention to ourselves as possible. We walked several feet away from the wall, creating a sort of human screen for Roslyn, trying to shield her enough so no one would realize that she was leaving.

At this point, we were five hundred feet away from the gangplank. Four hundred. Three.

We walked on, Roslyn picking up speed with every single step. She pulled ahead of us, moving out into the open for everyone to see, but there was nothing I could do to call her back without drawing even more attention to the vamp.

Two hundred feet. One hundred-

"Roslyn!" Elliot Slater’s voice boomed through the crowd.

She hadn’t been quick enough. Roslyn froze at the sound of the giant’s voice, fifty feet away from the edge of the gangplank that led down into the dark night and to her freedom.

The giant used his speed to maneuver through the crowd. Five seconds later, he reached Roslyn’s side. I pulled Owen back against the wall that fronted the dining hall. We stood ten feet away from the other couple.

"Where are you going, baby?" Slater asked. "I told you to wait for me at the blackjack table."

Somehow, Roslyn managed a trembling smile. "I got cold. I was just going down to get my coat out of the limo. I’ll be back in a minute."

She started to walk past the giant, but he put his hand on her arm, stopping her. Roslyn flinched at the touch. The giant’s hazel eyes narrowed. He wasn’t buying her excuse.