Page 84 of Twilight Destiny

Chapter Thirty-Four

Sunday was a long, lazy day. Rosa slept late. Not wanting to wake Jake, she called for room service again. Feeling famished, she ordered bacon, eggs, hash browns, toast, and orange juice. And when breakfast was over, it was only 11 a.m.

She called her Mom and Dad and assured them that she was fine and promised to visit them soon.

At noon, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Barefoot, she went to the window and gazed out at the town. It was a beautiful day, the sky a bright, clear azure dotted with a few fluffy white clouds in the distance. A faint breeze stirred the leaves of the trees. The afternoon stretched ahead of her. What was she going to do until Jake got up? It was, she thought, the perfect time to go sit in the park and read for an hour or two. And then she sighed. Jake didn’t want her going anywhere alone as long as Paul Rhinehart was in Morgan Creek. As much as she hated to admit it, he was probably right.

But what if the hunter had left town?

She was about to call the front desk and ask the clerk if Mr. Rhinehart had checked out when there was a knock at the door.

Rosa frowned, wondering who it could be. All the vampires she knew were likely at rest this early in the day. Going to the door, she called, “Who is it?”

“I have a floral delivery for Miss Rosa Ravenwood.”

Flowers? “Who are they from?”

“A Mr. Kincaid.”

Flowers from Jake? That sweet man. Had he sent them as an apology for almost turning her into a vampire last night?

Smiling, she opened the door, let out a startled gasp when Paul Rhinehart yanked her out the door, pulled her into his arms and pressed a foul-smelling rag over her nose and mouth. Before she could scream for help, blackness descended on her.

Rhinehart drove across the bridge. Then, feeling a little sick to his stomach at what he was doing, he pulled to the side of the road. Last night, he had come up with an idea that had seemed plausible at the time. Convinced it would work, he had gone to see Luca and outlined his plan. The witch had screamed that he didn’t give a damn how he accomplished his task but he’d damn well better get it done.

“Bring me the vampire!” Luca had roared, his voice like rolling thunder. “I know where your family is! This is your last chance!”

Rhinehart shivered with the memory. He had nothing against Kincaid. Nothing against Rosa. But with his family’s life and his own neck on the line, he had no choice but to do as he was told.

It had been no easy task, getting Rosa out of the hotel. He had confiscated a wheelchair, settled her in it, and covered her legs with a blanket, hoping anyone who saw her would think she was asleep. He’d taken the service elevator down to the ground floor and wheeled her out the exit to the parking lot where his car waited, praying the whole time that no one would see him. He had folded her into the backseat of his car and driven out of town as fast as he dared.

Fighting off a wave of regret, he pulled onto the highway. As the miles slipped past, regret turned to concern, which quickly coalesced into a hard knot of fear in the pit of his belly as the town fell behind him. If things with Luca went south, if Kincaid survived, his own life wouldn’t be worth a plug nickel.

Kincaid woke with the setting sun. He knew immediately that Rosa wasn’t in the room, nor was she in the hotel. He frowned. Surely she wouldn’t have gone out alone, not with Rhinehart in town. Opening his senses, he bit out a vile oath when he realized Rhinehart wasn’t there, either. Were they together? He swore under his breath. She wouldn’t have left the hotel without letting him know. He would have heard if she’d called for help.

Rising, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt, tugged on his boots and took the stairs down to the lobby three at a time. The desk clerk confirmed what he’d feared. Rhinehart had checked out several hours ago.

“Have you seen Rosa Ravenwood?” Kincaid asked, his voice tight with worry.

“No, sir. Not since last night.” He turned to his assistant. “Have you seen her?”

“I might have. I didn’t see her face, but I saw a woman with dark hair being wheeled out of the service entrance a little after noon.”

A wheelchair! What the hell was she doing in a wheelchair? Kincaid spewed a string of curses as he left the hotel, his gut churning with fear as he made his way around to the rear of the hotel. If Rhinehart had harmed a hair of her head, he’d tear the hunter apart with his bare hands! Fighting for calm, he drew in a deep breath. He sorted through the myriad scents, some fresh, some fading. Rosa’s was barely discernable.

He swore again as he caught Paul Rhinehart’s scent. Both traces disappeared in the same place in the parking lot. Had Rosa driven away with the hunter? That seemed unlikely, and yet it was the only answer that made sense. The question was, why? Why would she get in Rhinehart’s car and go off with the hunter? Had she gone with the hunter willingly? If so, why hadn’t she let him know? And if not, what the hell was Rhinehart up to? And why had Rosa been in a wheelchair?

Pulling his phone out of his back pocket, Kincaid punched in her cell number. The phone rang several times, then went to voice mail.

Dammit!He tried to open the link between them, but there was only emptiness. Fear tightened his gut. Was she dead?

He was trying to decide what to do next when Saintcrow materialized beside him. “What’s got you so uptight?”

“Rosa’s gone.”

Saintcrow lifted one brow? “Gone? Where?”

“I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure she’s with Rhinehart and that can’t be good.”

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