Page 104 of Bad Medicine
Chapter forty-eight
Mia
Ialwaysforgothowcold it was in Las Vegas this time of year. The winter solstice had passed, and the days were now slowly creeping their way toward spring, but for some reason, the heat just seemed to disappear until well into the new year.
A biting wind danced along the back of my neck, causing the dangling end of my ponytail to whisper against my skin, sending a shiver up my spine.
I was so nervous I could have puked, but there was no way I would turn back.
No way in hell.
Making my way along the tree-lined path, most of the branches empty and skeletal in the December chill, I moved as fast as I could without appearing suspicious. Although, anyone who actually looked at me would probably know I was up to something.
Deceit had never been my strong suit.
Dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, I had my favorite hoodie zipped up and a baseball cap on my head pulled down low as I headed for the gates toSiegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden, the designated meeting place Gregor had set.
I was also carrying a massive backpack, which felt like a millstone around my neck, its weight on my soul far more than the weight on my shoulders.
Rocco had wanted something public, and this place absolutely qualified, but actually walking into the place, I realized that it might have been a terrible idea.
There were families everywhere.
Happy families with strollers and squealing toddlers with ice cream covered faces, laughing and enjoying the day out as though there was nothing and no one to fear.
I envied their ignorance.
Because I knew, likely better than most, that monsters could often hide in plain sight. I knew that a man with a beautiful smile could very easily use it to cover a rotten soul, and that kind of man could turn your life upside down in the blink of an eye.
Pushing aside my fear, I moved farther into the gardens, the weak mid-day sun glinting off the water of the dolphin pool in the center of the area. There was a set of wide bleachers to one side, covered in a canvas awning, which provided a shaded space to watch the dolphins out of the desert sun.
Of course, with the temperature hovering just above freezing today, there were very few people seeking shelter and everyone else seemed to be flocking to the edge of the pool, hoping to catch an up close and personal encounter with the dolphins that madeTheMiragetheir home.
I ignored all of them, my focus on the big cat enclosures at the back of the property as I powered past shops and cafés, the outdoor tables filled with people happily munching away on their overpriced fries and hot dogs.
Jasper would have loved spending a day here.
Crossing the little bridge that connected two dolphin pools, I entered the part of the exhibit dedicated to the lions and tigers, looking left and right for Jasper, hoping for just a single glimpse of him.
Why had I never brought him here? Why had I let my work consume me to the point that I hadn’t taken my son to indulge in the simplest pleasures?
Shaking my head at my own idiocy, I picked up my pace, wanting this to be over with and to have Jasper home where he belonged.
He’d been separated from me for less than twenty-four hours, but it felt like a decade. I just wanted to hold him.
Passing through the gate to the tiger habitat felt like entering a whole different world, with thick clumps of bamboo and noisy waterfalls creating a lush jungle backdrop that, any other day, I would have greatly appreciated.
As it was, I could barely focus on anything besides scanning the area for Jasper, my eyes darting from place to place, desperate for a glimpse of his little blond head.
But he was nowhere to be found.
Following the path with my heart in my throat, I darted around smiling families, couples posing for selfies, and an elderly couple bickering over what to have for lunch, before I finally spotted him, wearing the same outfit he was in at the playground yesterday, but looking unharmed, if a little bewildered. He was standing next to Greg, Roy clutched in his hand, as he stared at the beautiful white tiger lounging next to him behind a chain-link fence, her luminous blue eyes staring right back.
“Jasper!” I called, drawing his eyes to me.
“Mommy!” Jasper made to run to me, but Greg clamped a hand down on his shoulder, halting him before he could get more than two steps in my direction.
“That’s far enough, Mia,” Greg said, his eyes fierce as he pulled Jasper back against him. Jasper’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say a word.
