Enemy Mine

Chapter 74

Minnie returned just as Stan and I were helping Joseph sit up to drink some water.

"Good, you're awake," she said as she wet a hand towel and started wiping Joseph's face with it. "Adamo's source at the airport said that Marco and Deidra checked-in. There is a scout looking for them to confirm their exact location. For now, I suggest we get some rest." 

"Has anyone called the Valentinos to tell them what's happening?" I asked as we all helped Joseph into a standing position.

"I was going to call Wren as soon as I got back to my room," Minnie said. "First, let's get Joseph to his."

Once we had Joseph tucked into bed, Stan walked Minnie and me to our rooms. He made sure we both put his phone number in our contact list and insisted we call if we needed him. I joined Minnie in her room after thanking Stan for his help, and when Minnie closed the door, we both looked at each other and chuckled.

"That poor guy has it bad for you," Minnie said, stating the obvious. "If Vincent were here, he would have put a stop to it straight off. I'm sorry if I haven't been a good chaperone."

"Don't be silly. Stan behaved himself in the bathroom, although he did proposition me."

"Oh? What did he say?" she asked as she scrolled through her cellphone, probably looking for Wren's number.

"He suggested a one-night stand. To satisfy our curiosities."

She shook her head. "He's got a lot of nerve propositioning someone who is clearly engaged, especially with the situation being what it is." She appeared to regret rambling as her brows curved into an apologetic arch over her eyes. "I'm going to call Wren. You can rest on our bed if you'd like."

"Actually, I think I'll slip next door to my bedroom and call Colin."

"Sure, honey. And don't worry. I've endured nights like this before. I'm sure you've heard this already, but I'll say it again. Gollums are hard to kill."

~ ~ ~

"Reese? I didn't expect to hear from you."

I welcomed the sound of Colin's voice as I paced the interior of the red velvet room, although it didn't feel like the lover's suite without Vincent.

"Why?"

"I'm still unsure of the boundaries. You know, the boundaries we don't talk about?"

"I know the ones. I'm calling you because Vincent has disappeared."

"Disappeared? How?"

"He flew out in a snowstorm to rescue my stupid wedding dress and he hasn't been seen in nearly four hours."

Colin had the nerve to laugh and it pissed me off. Clearly, he didn't realize the seriousness of the situation.

"How can you laugh? He should have called three hours ago to check in. And there's the thing with Marco and Deidra."

"What about Marco and Deidra? Vincent told me they left the courtroom with their tails between their legs."

"Well, the planes are grounded and we still haven't located them. The man at the inn said the guy delivering my dress met with two people who could have been Marco and Deidra. Even Caleb thinks it's fishy. He took a search party to look for..."

Colin was laughing again before I could finish my sentence. "Haven't you figured out by now that Vincent is invincible? I may match him in size, but he has always been the better fighter. Don't tell him I said that."

A grin appeared on my face for the first time since Vincent last kissed me. I missed the easy way Colin could make me smile. Now, it seemed almost forbidden. "I won't break your confidence. And whether you think I should be worried or not is irrelevant. I called because I thought... I thought you might offer me some comfort."