“What do you mean, no?”
“Exactly what I said, no. You’re trying to run away, and I won’t let you.”
“I’m not running away. I just don’t want you to work so hard, like my dad did. You can finish school and —”
“What are you thinking?”
“I just don’t need all this, Jesse. I don’t want you to work to support me.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Kayla. It wasn’t God’s fault. Sometimes, things just happen. And your dad would’ve worked no matter what. You didn’t make him work. And you don’t make me work. If I wasn’t running our business, I’d be working somewhere else, probably even harder.”
“But he worked so hard to provide for me, and I know you —”
“I said, no,” he cut me off. “This is my career choice. And I won’t allow you to sell your horses. They are a part of your life. Now stop this nonsense. End of that discussion. I’m hungry.”
His resolve surprised me. It was the firmest he’d ever spoken to me. I wasn’t sure whether to be offended or mad. He sounded like my father. A wave of emotion soared through me and I started to get up, but he pulled me back into his arms.
“Oh, no you don’t,” he said. “You’re not walking away from me. If you have something to say, say it.”
“You said you were hungry,” I hissed.
“I am, but it can wait if you have something else to say?”
“You just sounded like my dad a minute ago. Whenever he spoke like that, end of discussion, he meant it; there was no arguing with him. I never liked it.”
Jesse lifted his eyebrows and smiled.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because you can argue with me, Kayla. I’m not your father. Of course, you’re not going to change my mind about selling your horses, but you can try. And you know what? I’m glad I sound like your father. He was a great man. You need to start remembering the good times, and I guess what upset you about him too. I’ve never heard you mention a characteristic of his that upset you, so that’s why I’m smiling. That’s a good thing.”
I rolled my eyes and attempted to roll free again.
“I’m not letting you go, cowgirl, until you talk to me.”
“I have nothing to say,” I growled.
“Why do you want to sell everything?”
“Because I don’t want you to work so hard. Because I think my father worked too hard to provide for me, and I’m afraid I’ll lose you. You’ll get tired of me, or you’ll become exhausted like him.” I sighed in exasperation.
“Kayla …” He pulled me closer, lovingly this time. “Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“You won’t allow it,” he said, grinning.
I dropped my head against his chest. “I’m sorry, Jesse.”
“Don’t be sorry, just stop being sad.”
“I’m trying. Can we eat now?”
“Almost. Kiss me first.” But then he kissed me quickly, almost roughly. It was a different side of Jesse I’d never seen. It made me feel safe. He wouldn’t let anything hurt me, even myself.
Chapter 46 - Jesse
The next morning, Kayla readied herself for our day in Nassau. She was excited. She loved the idea of shopping at the straw market, meeting the locals. I wasn’t thrilled, but it was what she wanted to do, so I agreed.
“Leave your purse, Kayla. I hear these places can get rather crazy and I don’t want to have to chase after someone. Are you sure you really want to do this?” While she rummaged through the drawers to find something comfortable, I pulled on the shorts and shirt she had picked out for me.
“Yes. I love this kind of stuff. I know it’s crazy, but isn’t that what it’s supposed to be like?”
“From what I read, it’s filled with just a lot of knockoffs. You don’t even like designer handbags.” I thought of my ex-girlfriend for a fleeting moment. How she’d drooled over the purse her mother had given her on her sixteenth birthday. It was something like five hundred dollars. For a purse! I was so thankful Kayla didn’t want that type of nonsense. Even if she did have the money, it just didn’t make sense to me.
She pulled out a cute pair of what looked like overalls, a jean-short contraption with straps. That’ll be fun taking off later. It surprised me how I couldn’t seem to get enough of my wife. If I wasn’t ripping off her clothes, I was thinking about it.
“It’s the culture,” she continued, “or at least, it used to be. Besides, they need us to buy their products; it supports them.”
“Okay, but we need to get going. I don’t want to be out after dark. I’ve heard it isn’t safe.”
“It’s your fault we’re late. We were supposed to leave directly after breakfast.”
I strolled up behind her. “You didn’t seem to object,” I purred into her ear, pulling on the straps of her jumper. “We could just stay inside today.”
“Jesse, this is the only day. You said so yourself.”
“But you’re just so darn cute.”
I started to pull the strap over her shoulder, and she slapped my hand away playfully.
“Later. It’ll give you something to look forward to.”
“Okay, but only if you let me remove these later. I find I appreciate the finer workings of women’s clothing. I think they do this purposely to make men crazy with anticipation.”
“You’re really quite insane, Jesse O’Brien. They’re overalls, for Pete’s sake. How can that be sexy?”
“You could wear sackcloth and I would probably find it appealing. Let’s go before I attack you again.”
After nudging her into the hallway, I pulled the door closed behind us. I really didn’t understand it myself. The more I made love to my wife, the more I wanted her. I’d literally worn us both out in the last four days. I kept expecting her to say no, but she continued to accept my advances, so I continued pressing my luck morning and night. I simply couldn’t get enough of her.
We took a taxi to the docks alongside the Straw Market. We weren’t out of the car a minute when a lady started toward us. “Pretty lady, pretty lady, a gift for you,” the woman crooned, slipping a bracelet onto Kayla’s arm.
I sighed. And it begins. I pulled a five from my pocket. I’d made sure I had plenty of small bills at the hotel.
“Surfer man, deese be made by de sick children. Can you donate ten?”
Kayla looked at me, her eyes pleading; she was a sucker. I pulled out another five, then pulled her from the lady before the woman started putting a necklace around her neck.
“’ey, surfer mon,” a dark-skinned man with dreads approached a few minutes later. “You want some weed? I have de good stuff.”
It was going to be a long day. I pulled Kayla closer and hurried us toward the market.
Kayla giggled. “’ey, surfer mon,” she mimicked.
“Pretty lady,” I bellowed back. “Come on. Let’s get off the street.”
“They’re harmless, Jesse. They’re just trying to make a living.”
Kayla had such an innocent nature. She couldn’t imagine anyone trying to hurt her. I, on the other hand, was scared stiff. It’d only been a few minutes and I was already clutching my wife with one arm.
The Straw Market was obnoxious, but it wasn’t as bad as the alley. Vendors shouted out their wares. Most of the items were cheap knockoffs, didn’t resemble anything straw, and definitely didn’t hail from the Bahamas, but Kayla looked happy. She loved talking and laughing with the shopkeepers, and insisted we spend at least a couple dollars at each place, even if we’d never use the items. She looked really cheerful, and that was all that mattered to me. She was always worried about money, but I’d pass out hundreds to each shop owner if it made her happy.
Finally, after we’d walked up and down each crowded corridor of the market, we made our way to Bay Street. The shops there were more dignified. Kayla discovered cologne that she loved on me. Then we found a few scents I loved smelling on her. We st
opped for lunch at a small two-story restaurant. It was quaint and filled to capacity with every nationality of tourist, so it must have been a hotspot. It looked safe, so I didn’t mind the wait for a table.
When we were finished with our meal, it was twilight. I nervously hurried down the road back to the docks to get a taxi. This wasn’t good; this wasn’t good at all.
We passed a side street and my skin started to crawl. Four men hovered around, and when they saw us, they blocked our path.
“’Ey, mon, where you rushin’ to?” one of them asked, eyeing his friends. “You be wantin’ some reefer, mon?”
“No,” I said firmly, attempting to pass them, pulling Kayla quickly to my side.
“Maybe de lady?” the man asked, reaching out and blocking my escape.
Kayla tensed.
I pushed his hand aside and attempted to pass again. “Thank you, no. We need to get going. Our friends are waiting down the street.”
“Why you not let ’er answer?” The man raised his chin toward Kayla. “You want to party, pretty lady?”
“Look, man,” I said, louder this time. “We don’t want anything, and we don’t want any trouble.” The other men had encircled us, and I couldn’t do anything but try to talk my way out of this mess. I should have noticed it was late.
The first man shoved my shoulder. “Again, mon, I as’ed de lady.”
Kayla spoke this time. “Can we please pass? We don’t want anything, thank you.”
“Ah jus’ a little bit, pretty lady. You like it, I promise you.” He pulled her arm toward the side street.
“Get your hands off my wife!” I exploded, grabbing the man’s arm.
“You wife? You look a lil’ young, surfer boy, to be ’avin a wife. We jus’ wan’ a lil’ fun.” He shoved off my arm and punched me in the gut.
Kayla screamed until the second man clamped his hand over her mouth, while the others restrained her arms.
I threw a punch into the larger one’s jaw. The man stumbled back and then launched at me full force. Two of the men left Kayla and grabbed each of my arms while the larger man continued to punch me in the gut. The other man kept a tight grip on Kayla, and I looked helplessly into her eyes. I’d failed. I could take the hits, but I couldn’t stand her tears and didn’t want to think what they would do to her when they were finished with me.
“Money!” I screamed. “I have money. Lots of it! I’ll give you anything if you let her go.”
The man pulled his next punch. “’ow much you ’av?”
“I only have a few hundred on me, but I’ll go to an ATM. I can get five hundred more. It’s the most I can withdraw in a day. Just let my wife go.”
The man looked at his friends, weighing his options. Money or raping a woman, a tough decision when the woman looked like Kayla.
“Let de woman go!” the man in charge ordered.
“No, Jesse!” Kayla screamed.
“Kayla, go! Now! Get a taxi. I’ll meet you back at the hotel. I’ll be fine.” I looked at the men, willing my words to be true.
The man narrowed his eyes on Kayla. “Go now, lady. If you stop anywhere an’ call de police … if I see ’em, we kill your mon.”
Kayla looked at me, pleading with her eyes, and I knew what she was thinking. I tried to smile to reassure her. “Go, baby. It’ll be okay. They just want money.” I turned to the ringleader. “She won’t say anything. Will you, baby?”
Kayla shook her head, but still didn’t leave.
The man’s nostrils flared, and I knew he was questioning his decision. “Go, lady! Dis your las’ chance. Go now, or I take de money and you. We won’t ’arm ’im if you do as ’e says.”
Tears streamed down Kayla’s face as she finally obeyed and started backing away. “I love you, Jesse.”
“I love you, too.” Thankful for her safety, but now scared to death about mine, I mouthed the word “Pray” as I watched her leave. I waited until she rounded the corner and then turned to the men. “You have me, now let’s go.” I pulled out my wallet. “This is all of it, plus five hundred at a crowded area and you let me go.”
The man planted another fist into my gut. I took it willingly. Then spat blood onto the street.
“We do ’dis my way, surfer boy,” he spat, landing another fist into my gut.
“I’m not a surfer,” I spit out the words. I was so tired of people calling me that. It didn’t even make sense that it upset me, but it did. “Do you want your money or not? My wife is pregnant with twins; she needs me.”
“Aw, you a naughty rich boy. Get de girl pregnant and your parents send you on ’oneymoon. ’Ow sweet dat is.”
“I’m not a rich boy — whatever — can we get on with this?” I had lost all my patience. Getting hit didn’t bother me; martial arts had taught me to take an impact as much as it had trained me to hit. If it had only been two of them, I would’ve stood a chance. But four, there was no way, despite all the stupid movies. Without a weapon, there was no way I could take on the men without getting myself killed in the process, and Kayla hurt. I shouldn’t even have hit the guy, but when he put his hands on her, all I could see was red. No one had ever touched her, and I didn’t plan to allow these men to defile her. I’d die first; I knew that without a shadow of a doubt.
“Come on, lil’ rich boy, we ’ave some fun first. Den we find an ATM, and tomorrow we find anot’er one.”
I froze in my tracks. Kayla couldn’t take that. She’d go insane; she’d end up hurting herself trying to find me. There had to be another way.
“I have an offer for you,” I said as coolly as I could muster. I had plenty of experience negotiating, and Bahamians liked to negotiate.
Chapter 47 - Kayla
I hailed a cab at the end of the road and unwillingly got in and headed to the hotel. Jesse would be okay. He had to be. He’d asked me to pray. Would God hear me? Would He care?
I fretted the entire drive to Atlantis. I shouldn’t have left. I’d had to leave; he’d forced me. But why had I allowed it? Maybe they would have just let us both go if I had begged. Why hadn’t I fought?
“You okay, miss?” the driver asked.
I’d been crying the entire trip; I barely remembered our hotel, I was so distraught.
“I’m fine,” I lied. But it was true. I was safe, but Jesse wasn’t, and that brought on another wave of tears.
Pray. He asked me to pray. But how? How could I ask God to help me now, when I had dismissed Him for not being there before? Jesse had said that God couldn’t interfere with free will. So what could I ask for? I could pray for Jesse. He was smart; he’d find a way. I could pray that he’d think of a way to escape or bargain with them, as he had for me.
The cab stopped. I hadn’t realized we’d crossed the bridge.
“Oh!” I whooshed out a breath. “I don’t have any money with me. I forgot. My husband had all the money. I’d only stuffed the room card in my pocket.”
The driver swung around and glared at me.
“I have some in the room,” I said. “Can you wait for me? I’ll go get it.”
“’urry, I ’av other clients I’m missing,” he said.
I leapt from the cab and made my way back to the room. I pulled out enough money for the fare and a large tip.
The driver accepted the money and the hefty tip, and apologized. All of the Bahamians I’d met had been so nice — until those thugs. Of course, brutes like them were everywhere — in every city and every country — just waiting for someone to cross their paths. Why had I made Jesse stay so late? He’d told me he didn’t want to be there when it got dark. He’d known it wasn’t safe, and now he was paying the price. Would I always hurt the ones I loved?
I made my way back up to the room and fell to my knees by the bed. I did believe. I was just angry with God, but I’d heard once that God would never give me more than I could bear. I’d lived through my parents’ deaths, but I knew I couldn’t live without Jesse. So, I pleaded with everything I had. I woul
d pray until God returned Jesse to me. God could take everything I had. It didn’t matter what it was. He could take anything, the house, the trucks, my horses, and the business, anything except Jesse. He simply couldn’t allow anything to happen to Jesse. He had to intervene.
Chapter 48 - Jesse
With a grunt, I stood as upright as possible. The man had hurt me more than I was accustomed to.
“W’at you ’ave to offer, mon?”
My father-in-law had come to the rescue again. I had a blank check with nothing but the business post office box address on it, per John’s instructions. After buying the barn and paying for our honeymoon, I’d transferred what was left of my savings into an account in North Carolina. John had said never use your home address and always keep a business check with you. I had done both.
“You’re a man of your word. You let my wife go as you said you would. Now, I want you to know I’m a man of my word, too. I care nothing for money, but I have a large sum in the bank. I’ll give you all the cash on me, five hundred more at the ATM, and I’ll write you a check for ten thousand dollars. I swear to you, I don’t care about the money. I won’t stop payment. You can cash it first thing in the morning. It takes longer than that to even put a stop on a check. In exchange, you let me go tonight, right after I give you the check.”
“’ow I know it even be good?”
“Easy. I’ll show you my balance at the ATM. Who should I write it out to?” I was being presumptuous, I knew, but this man had nothing to lose. “You get eight hundred tonight and ten thousand tomorrow, and I go free. I assure you, I never want to come back again. I couldn’t care less about notifying authorities. I don’t even care about my own life. I care only about my wife.”
“If it no good, I’ll ’unt you down, I swear to you, rich boy.”
“I’m not a rich boy. Actually, I’m a poor country boy. I’m giving you everything that is in my account. I worked three years for that money.”
“Well, country boy, if it not good, I’ll ’unt you down.”
Love Like Crazy (Crazy Love Book 1) Page 29