Eight Reasons Why

by Jeannette Winters

  She wished she had a copy of his résumé with her. It really wasn’t too late to do some snooping. With her access she could go around Scott, but doing so, or getting caught, might put her position at risk, or at least have it questioned. And I bet Mr. Sexy would still come out smelling like roses.

  Her eyes flew open as she realized how she’d just thought of Caydan. Granted she didn’t voice it, but she shouldn’t even think of him in such a way. Totally unprofessional. He was a colleague, one she might not trust, but one just the same.

  No matter her position, though, Allyson wasn’t blind. He might be mid-forties, but there were men in their twenties who didn’t look so . . . delicious. When he’d opened the door with his tie hanging around his neck, his shirt unbuttoned, and his hairy chest begging for her fingers, she’d almost frozen. The man was not only tall but fierce-looking. His eyes alone, dark and menacing, could make someone shake in their boots. Or go weak in the knees. Either way, there were a few times she’d almost backed down. The only thing that prevented it was her standing on policy and procedures. And knowing that I’m right.

  Her job meant everything to her. Mostly because work was really all she did. Back at High View Falls, she’d put in a lot of extra hours, hoping to get noticed. Since she’d earned the promotion, it apparently had worked. But like anything else, when you drive hard for a career, something has to give. In her case, it was a personal life.

  It wasn’t as though she hadn’t dated. Yet over the past two years, there hadn’t been many. She’d found herself talking about work all the time and somehow that had become a turn-off. One guy even had the nerve to say, “You really need to get laid.” Since then, she really hadn’t been interested in dating.

  She didn’t have to worry about men knocking on her door in Tabiq. If any would, it most likely would be because there was an issue at the resort.

  Her bath water had begun to cool. She was tempted to turn the hot water back on, but she would turn into a prune if she didn’t get out. Reluctantly she stepped out of the tub, grabbed the large bath sheet, and wrapped it around her. Before she went into the bedroom, she picked up her book.

  She wasn’t one to sleep in pajamas, but sleeping in the nude here didn’t feel right. So she let the towel drop to the floor and replaced it with the white bed sheet. It was hot in Tabiq, so there wouldn’t be need for anything more.

  Allyson opened the sliding door to let in the fresh air. She wasn’t a fan of air-conditioning and avoided it whenever she could. The scent of the ocean immediately filled the room and the sound of the tide rolling in echoed through the room. Smiling, she headed to the bed and lay down. She opened her book, but her eyes were heavy.

  She thought she wouldn’t sleep, but found it impossible to stay awake. Turning, she placed the book on the nightstand and shut off the lamp.

  Finally she relaxed. Letting out a long sigh, she rolled over and snuggled her pillow. A good night’s sleep was exactly what she needed to have a clear head tomorrow.

  A flash of Caydan’s eyes entered her mind as she closed hers. That wasn’t the last thought she wanted before falling asleep, but no matter what she wanted, her dreams had other plans. Damn.

  Chapter 5

  Caydan knew Allyson would pace the floor counting the seconds until she found out what he knew. Unfortunately, her lack of sleep was for nothing. Roger had paid both employees rather well to quit and keep their mouths shut. Without any of the Hendersons or Fletcher there to intervene, he wasn’t worried either of them would talk.

  Sadly this place always sells out to the highest bidder. It sickened him to know, all these years later, money still did all the talking. At least what he did couldn’t compare to what James Henderson had done to Tabiq. He had brought rich men to the island to prey upon the innocent. Human trafficking never would’ve existed there if it hadn’t been for James. Once the powers that be found there were people who would pay for anything, they sold out to James.

  And it seems like he passed the torch. Caydan was about to snuff it out. Until last night, he hadn’t given any of the other employees a second thought. If they weren’t willing to work for the Hendersons, they should’ve looked for employment elsewhere. But that wasn’t possible here. If there had been options, they wouldn’t have been so fucking desperate to do some of the things they’d done. Someone needed to step in and save them from themselves. Tabiq shouldn’t be controlled by outsiders. They’re blind sheep simply following another shepherd. They needed their independence, and he knew how to get it for them.

  Not everyone in Tabiq was innocent. Those with power would do anything for money, including sell out their own people. Weeding them out so only scum went down with the Hendersons would be time consuming. More time than he had. He hoped he and Roger could figure it all out without innocent Tabiqians paying the price.

  Since the wheels were in motion, Caydan needed to move forward at a steady pace. Second guessing himself would be like throwing in the towel. That wasn’t his style. If anything, Caydan was looking forward to the day when the Hendersons figured out who was behind it all and why.

  Just a few more weeks and it will be too late to stop it.

  He adjusted his tie, put his cell phone in the breast pocket of his suit jacket, and headed to the offices—the first time he actually went there. When he was working, he wanted to be visible to the staff and guests so it appeared he actually cared about what happened to New Hope.

  He and the Hendersons were similar in that they both understood appearances were everything. But that was the extent of it. Caydan, although an asshole, didn’t inflict pain and suffering on the innocent. At least not intentionally.

  It was time to meet with Allyson. She wasn’t going to like what he had to say, but there wasn’t anything she could do to change it. That was just the beginning. More employees were going to bail next week for different reasons. Without proper staffing, New Hope’s reputation would quickly be tarnished.

  Caydan had tried to prevent its construction, but realized it would be more satisfying to wait, let them get comfortable thinking they’d made a wise investment, then step in and watch it crumble. Sweet revenge.

  It wouldn’t happen overnight, and Caydan needed to ensure Tabiq wouldn’t pay the price for his acts. Tabiq seemed to have a sign posted letting everyone know they were easy prey. With the Hendersons out of the picture, someone equally corrupt would step in. But he wouldn’t let that happen.

  Caydan was preparing to step in with a legal, revenue-generating company Tabiq could manage without caving in to corruption. He would stay until they were thriving as a society. It was a long-term commitment he was willing to make on behalf of his mother. Deep down, he knew she wanted to return. Tabiq had been her home. He hated that she still felt she couldn’t be there, and he knew it had something to do with the Hendersons running the country.

  He was just about to enter his office when he heard Allyson call from behind. “Good, you’re on time.”

  Caydan spun around to see her rushing to catch up to him. “I usually am.”

  “We’re meeting in my office, if you don’t mind,” Allyson announced.

  “Either is fine.” He’d prefer to be up in his living quarters where it wasn’t so stuffy, but what he had to say wasn’t going to take long.

  Her office was a few doors down from his and both were private. Allyson fumbled with her keys as she tried to unlock the door. He had no idea why she was so nervous. Although he could intimidate the shit out of people when he chose to, he was on his best behavior with her. Yet her hands trembled.

  Caydan reached out and took the keys from her. Half expecting her to snap at him, he was surprised when she said, “Thank you.”

  He unlocked it, handed her the keys, and stepped aside. She opened the door and entered first. As he followed, he watched her rush over to her computer, turn it on, and start to organize papers lying on her desk.

  “No need to tidy up on my behalf.”

  She didn’t lo
ok up as she replied, “I’m not.”

  He took a seat across from her desk and continued to observe her. Not only was she flustered this morning, but it didn’t seem to have anything to do with his presence. Not that it was a blow to his ego, but there was no one else there to get that type of reaction out of her. When everything was in order, her fingers began flying on the keyboard as though this meeting was the last thing on her mind.

  Leaning over, he pushed the laptop screen down so it closed on her hands. Only then did she acknowledge him still sitting there.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” she snapped.

  “I don’t have all day, so if there is something you’d rather be addressing, I’ll go.” He began to stand when she shook her head. “Then what the hell has gotten into you? Last night you weren’t this . . . panicked.”

  “I wasn’t expecting him this early.”

  Him? Could she have a boyfriend paying her a surprise visit? That would explain her odd behavior. If he was involved with Allyson, there was no way in hell he would’ve allowed her to come to Tabiq without him. The resort might be safe, but for someone with her looks, it was dangerous to go anywhere else alone. In her position, it was only a matter of time before work required her to leave the resort. It’d be good for her to have someone here to . . . protect her, and it would be good for Caydan to have her distracted.

  “Then I really don’t want to keep you. I’m sure the two of you have . . . things you’d like to be doing instead.”

  She reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Oh no. You’re not going anywhere.”

  He cocked a brow. “Meeting your lover doesn’t really appeal to me.”

  Her eyes widened as she echoed his words. “Lover?”

  “Am I interrupting anything?”

  Caydan turned around to see who that deep voice belonged to. Fuck! That was not in his plan. How the hell had Shaun Henderson arrived without his knowledge? Roger better have an iron-clad explanation. Fuck!

  Allyson was right back to being a nervous wreck. Her words came back to him: she wasn’t expecting him so early, but she knew he was coming today. Funny she’d failed to mention that last night. He knew that wasn’t an oversight on her part. He’d already learned she didn’t miss much.

  Damn, this would be so much easier if it’d been her boyfriend.

  Reaching out, he offered Shaun his hand. “Welcome, Mr. Henderson. I didn’t realize you were joining us.”

  “Please call me Shaun. And you must be—?”

  “Caydan Pintino, the resort manager.”

  Shaun nodded then turned. “You must be Allyson.”

  “I am. Thank so much for coming,” Allyson said.

  Caydan knew she was avoiding meeting his eyes. Feeling guilty of something?

  “Guess you were hoping for one of my other brothers, but I’ll have to do,” Shaun stated. “So what exactly is going on that you want to discuss?”

  Caydan sat back down. He was looking forward to hearing what that was. It couldn’t be the two men quitting because there wouldn’t have been time for Shaun to fly there. No. Allyson had requested it before that. His gut said it was because of him. Although that didn’t please him, he was impressed by her actions. Another time he might actually think she would be suited to work for him. But he wasn’t about to forget whose payroll she was on.

  Allyson didn’t answer, and for some unknown reason, he provided her with an out. “No problem, just the staff might feel better with the transition if there was . . . one of the owners here.”

  “I mentioned that to Alex when he told me. But he had promised Ziva he would take her back to Boston. She wants their daughter, Charisa, to grow up knowing all her cousins back home. Seems this family is growing faster than we can count.”

  “That’s a beautiful thing.” Allyson smiled.

  Shaun nodded. “My wife, Morgan, is probably home baking up a storm for all the kids now.”

  “And you’re here missing it all,” Allyson said.

  “Yes. But, I guess I’d have done the same in your shoes. I usually don’t leave Boston, and most definitely not to come here, but I’m well aware of the turmoil that had taken place here, and I’m sure we all agree we don’t ever want that to return.”

  Got that fucking right, Shaun. Caydan clenched his fist, biting back the accusations about Shaun’s family being the ones to blame. There would be plenty of time for such a conversation, but now wasn’t it. Playing nice with Shaun was going to prove challenging, but not impossible. “Do you think that’s a possibility?”

  Shaun shrugged. “If someone is willing to pay a high enough price, there is always someone willing to take the offer.”

  That was an honest answer and an unfortunate truth. That’s why Caydan was treading lightly. He couldn’t afford to go down with them. That would leave Tabiq exactly where he was trying to rescue them from: under someone else’s control.

  “Although we regret taking you away from your family reunion, we do appreciate your coming here, even if it’s only for a few days.” Any longer than that and Caydan would need to reconsider his plan.

  “I’m prepared to stay a month if needed.”

  “That won’t be necessary. I’m sure a few days and everything will be . . . under control,” Allyson added.

  “Well, while I’m here, I guess I might as well get familiar with the island,” Shaun said.

  “Oh, that’s not wise. It’s highly frowned upon to go exploring on your own,” Allyson warned.

  Laughing, Shaun said, “I didn’t come alone. My brother-in-law, Bennett, decided to come and check up on a few things.”

  That was the last thing Caydan wanted to hear. Bennett Stone was going to make things difficult, and Roger would have to keep out of sight now. It was an unforeseen change, but if he played his cards right, Caydan might be able to use this in his favor. It meant using Shaun to do the dirty work without him knowing it.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to join you on your travels. I believe it would be beneficial for me to understand the locals.” He knew all he needed to know, but no one knew that. “Especially since most of the staff is from here.”

  “Caydan, that is against policy,” Allyson said.

  “It’s a dumb policy,” Caydan declared.

  Allyson huffed as though she had written it. But he knew her attitude was because he once again challenged a policy.

  “New Hope cannot guarantee your safety out there. That’s the best reason to have such a policy,” Allyson snorted with her chin up in the air.

  Caydan gave her credit, she took her position very seriously. And sometimes it’s annoying as hell. Like now.

  Shaun raised his hand. “It is, but he’s right. Unless you can relate with the people who work for you, you can’t manage them well.”

  “Then maybe I should accompany you as well,” Allyson stated.

  In unison he and Shaun said, “No!”

  Allyson huffed and said, “I hope this has nothing to do with the fact that I am a woman.”

  Caydan leaned closer to her and replied, “It has everything to do with it. You are not leaving this resort with or without an escort.”

  He had no idea what had come over him. The words that came out of his mouth made it sound personal. She was nothing to him. They had met just over a week ago. If she was foolish enough to come to Tabiq, she should be ready to face the consequences. Yet his gut twisted with the thought of her roaming around Tabiq. If anything happened to her because he was so focused on the Hendersons, he’d never forgive himself. She’s not my responsibility, but hell, someone has to watch out for her if she’s not going to do it herself.

  He was, however, thrown by his words. When did he start caring about anything beyond keeping her out of his way? She seemed to be a nuisance, always popping up when he didn’t want her to. Yet he couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was one of a few people with the guts to challenge him. The other day he had spoken so harshly to her he wouldn’t have bee
n shocked if she had hightailed out of there and reported him. But he hadn’t received a call. Allyson had earned his respect, but she didn’t have his trust. She was hiding something from him. Then again, I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what I’m keeping from her.

  Shaun broke the tension, saying, “Guess you two can finish this conversation without me. If you don’t mind, I’m going to go unpack. Caydan, I’ll contact you later, and we can head out early tomorrow if that is convenient for you.”

  He nodded. “I look forward to it.”

  Shaun added, “Allyson, don’t be so hard on him. I’m sure he’s only thinking of your safety, like he would any other employee here.”

  As Shaun left the office, Caydan could feel Allyson’s eyes on him. She was pissed and for good reason. That’s right, Allyson. Whatever game you were playing just got shot to hell. Although he didn’t need or want Shaun’s compliment, he appreciated Shaun backing him up. Keeping Allyson safe had officially been added to his duties. A duty he planned on fulfilling.

  Smiling, Caydan asked calmly, “Was there anything else you wanted to discuss this morning?” She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. Caydan got up from his seat and said, “Then I guess I’ll get back to work. Have a nice day.”

  As he left the room all he could hear was her cursing to herself. He laughed as he headed back down the hall. She can’t stand me even when I’m being nice. That was a shame, because what she didn’t know was he actually had meant it and that was a rarity in itself.

  He didn’t go to his office or his room. Instead he headed out for a walk by the beach. Caydan was overdressed for it, but he needed some air. He knew he needed to keep things cool, but he couldn’t help himself. Today had gone in his favor, but it so easily could have gone the other way. Although he knew he was right today, Allyson didn’t. He hadn’t meant to, but somehow he knew he’d just drawn a line in the sand. I might as well paint a target on my back. He knew she was upset and probably thinking about how to turn the tables on him.