by Sherie Keys
She saw a couple of security guards walking the grounds. It looked as if they had called in backup and more were arriving to patrol the premises. The feeling of anxiety grew in her gut; she just knew something wasn’t right with this guy.
She heard the pitter patter of little paws and turned to see Rascal bounding toward her. Alberto trailed behind, concern written all over his face.
“Alberto, good to see you this morning.” She tried her best to give a friendly greeting, but her breath was shaky.
“Morning, Señorita, do you know what is going on out there? Lots of security today.” He sat down at the table, and Rascal ran back to him and jumped in his lap where the man subconsciously started scratching behind his ears.
“We had an unexpected visitor today, we’re not sure what his intent was…” she paused and peered out the window, “or is.”
The older man nodded and looked around. “Where’s Mr. Francis?”
“Taking a phone call, he should be out shortly. What are you and Rascal up to today?” she asked as she sat beside him then reached over and gave the terrier a scratch on the head.
“Oh, the usual rounds to the market and post, I’m sure we’ll swing over to Lucas’ new recovery house and have lunch with him.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and she smiled back at him. “That sounds nice, the recovery house is gorgeous, be sure to check out the view from the balcony.”
While Lucas had made a full recovery, Catherine advised he stay close to the clinic over the next few months just to be safe. The estate was a good thirty minutes away, and in case of emergency, he needed to be there quick. The company had purchased a small, luxurious house that was only a few minutes away in town, and Lucas seemed more than thrilled about the freedom, even if it had one condition.
Michael stepped in the room. He was fully dressed, and he had a book bag strapped to his shoulders. His eyes met Catherine’s. “We need to go.”
His words cut the air like a blade, sending a jolt of shock through her. His tone spoke volumes, and she could sense his tense state.
Alberto gave him a look of confusion. “What is it, sir?”
Michael ran a nervous hand through his beard. “Just spoke with my lawyer. While my case hasn’t changed and there shouldn’t be a single agent after me, he has been informed by the feds that one of their agents working the case has gone missing.”
“What?” Alberto and Catherine asked in unison.
He nodded. “That was all they could say, he tried to find out if this meant someone involved in the terrorist group had got him, or he had gone rogue, or he was simply missing. But they couldn’t give him a single detail, only that a new agent had been assigned and that one had gone totally MIA.”
With a shake of his head, he turned to the window and looked out at the guards as he spoke, “My guess? He has gone rogue and come here to bring about his own form of justice.”
Catherine’s eyes went wide. “Who the hell would do that?”
“I have no idea, but that’s the only thing that makes sense right now. Otherwise, he might just be a con man after some money. Either way, we need to get out of here for a few days. Whoever he is, he found me, and that’s not ok.”
Alberto nodded. “I can take care of things here, you heading to the island?”
“Yes, that’s that plan. Thank you, Alberto, I’ve sent a message to Lucas to let him and the team know. Please keep the information about the agent to yourself, just let them know I’m taking a break. You will take Rascal as well?”
He nodded and hugged his canine companion. “Of course, I’ll keep you updated on things here.”
“Whoa! Whoa! Slow down, what’s happening?” Catherine held up her hands and looked to the men for answers.
Michael grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Congratulations, you’ve won a trip to a private island. Now, get changed and grab what you need, we’re leaving in ten.”
****
This was not how Michael or Catherine saw their morning going. A usual day at the office had turned into a boat trip, the sun shining bright overhead and the waves gently lapping at the white finish. She looked out as she listened to him speak over the roar of the motor.
“The land came with the estate, it’s a few miles off shore, but it has a full house with solar electricity. I keep it stocked, just in case. Turns out that was a good idea.” He looked at her from behind his sunglasses. “How you holding up?”
Her eyes trailed away from the waves back up to him. “This wasn’t in the plan,” she replied sharply, a hint of anger in her voice.
He shook his head. “Wasn’t in mine either, beautiful. But life’s a bitch sometimes, you just gotta go with it.”
With a quick look, her eyes returned to the vast ocean as they steered on toward the island in the distance. Before this morning, they had been living the dream, and then suddenly, everything had come crashing down. When could they return? Who was this man? What did he want? Why was Michael simply running away from all of this?
She was agitated, but she didn’t want to be angry at him. She couldn’t seem to help it, though. How had he allowed this to happen? She brushed the thought away as she argued with herself. She knew he hadn’t meant for any of this to happen—this was the cost of being an exiled billionaire. But she wasn't ready for this. A piece of her had forgotten all about his stained past until this morning. Now it was all in the light, and she wasn’t sure she could handle what was in front of her.
The island became larger and larger until the land towered before them. Thick woods of palm trees decorated the beach, but through it a cabin and beach house could be seen. The two of them looked out with their hands shielding the sun and watched as the details came into view. The structure was an A-frame with large, glass windows. The wood was painted a dark green to blend with the tropical woods, and the solar panels lined the roof and shone against the sun.
The inlet went right to the small boat house, and Michael slowed and steered the vehicle in. He hit a button below the control panel, and as they rolled past the sandy beach in the crystal clear blue water, she saw the garage door open.
He parked and hopped out onto the deck, the small structure shaded and cool despite the burning sun outside. He reached up and offered her a hand; she took it and stepped off onto the old wooden boards. They quickly grabbed the few bags and supplies they had brought and headed toward the cabin.
The stone path was only a short way from the entrance. Brown eyes swept the tropical land. If not for the circumstances, Catherine would have been reveling in every aspect of the place. Flowers bloomed everywhere one looked, in shades of fuchsia, lavender, gold, and yellow, making it feel as if she was in a whole new world. Bright and dark greens splashed across the large, leathery leaves of the jungle, and streams and waterways seemed to make their way around the structure and toward the open waters. It truly was a private paradise.
Michael pulled out the radio he had brought. He had managed to set up a satellite here for Wi-Fi and phone calls, but he had brought the radio to keep tabs with security.
“Hey Robert, give me an update,” he asked the lead as he approached the door, pulled out a key, and unlocked it.
The radio crackled to life, and a faint voice came over the speaker, “We’ve had a sighting on the south end of the property within the last thirty minutes.”
“Damn it.” Michael cursed as he pushed the door open and hit the lights.
“Alright, keep me updated if he tries to get in again. You boys stay safe out there.”
“You got it, boss.”
He set the device on a small table beside the door then gestured for Catherine to follow him. She looked up as she walked in. The ceiling towering above her was made of native, caramel-colored wood, the walls were painted bright, floral colors to match the blossoms outside, and the windows let the natural light splash across the hardwood floors and over the intricate details of the place. A second level revealed a balcony with a master bed
room, and the downstairs held a large kitchen, living room, and dining room.
“Have you stayed here much?” she asked as she set her bag on the ground.
He shook his head as he dug through his bag. “A few times when we first got here, not for quite some time though.”
“It’s beautiful.” She spoke softly as she looked around and then returned a quiet gaze to his. He caught her look and sensed her concern, prompting him to stop rummaging and walk over to her, then pulling her close and kissing her head.
“I’m sorry, I know this isn’t how we wanted it to go. But right now, our priority is to stay safe, and that guy has me worried.”
She sighed. “I know, I just wish there was more we could do.”
He nodded. “Me too, but for now…” he took her hand and led her to the balcony. The view overlooked the rolling waves and white sand beaches. He smiled at her. “We wait in paradise.”
Chapter12
Catherine had trouble sleeping that night. There was a hot tension in the air, and she couldn’t help but feel upset by the entire incident. Michael tried to make things right by gently wrapping his arms around her and offering soft words of encouragement, but she was angry. She would look away and work out of his arms, leaving him to watch in frustration as she walked back to the balcony without another word.
This went on throughout the morning. While Michael called back home and got an update, she remained unusually quiet, simply sitting on the balcony and watching the waves roll out on the ocean below. He hated this feeling. He wanted to make it right, but he didn’t know what he could do that would possibly change his exiled existence.
The crackle of the radio stirred him from his thoughts. “Michael, the gentlemen was spotted at the clinic. He has been harassing the employees as they come and go.”
“Fuck,” Michael grumbled as he rubbed his eyes and ran a hand over his face.
“Can we contact the Cuban police about any of this?” he asked his security lead.
“I’ll give them the report on the clinic situation and see if they can do anything, if not, I’ll send some of our guys up there.”
“Roger that, thanks, man.” He clicked off the radio and returned to watching Catherine.
He had never felt so strongly for a woman before. There was no denying this deeply embedded familiar feeling that seemed to stretch beyond their understanding—he knew deep down she was his and he was hers. He felt he knew her better than anyone, understood her thoughts, her actions, her decisions, and her very being. And as she brooded up on the balcony, he felt the raw pain of her denial hit him like a knife in the heart.
He stood up, knowing he had to fix this. That’s what he did, right? Fix things. Knowing he could make this work, he climbed the spiral staircase and opened the glass door, the sound of the ocean waves and the salty, moist warm air of the tropics greeting him. He silently stepped onto the overhang and walked up behind her, laid his hands gently on her shoulders and attempted to massage away the stress.
She shrugged him off and let out a frustrated sigh. “Not now.”
Her words were like ice—he felt the sting and let his hands fall to his sides. A moment of silence passed and he looked to the clear, blue waters as he tried to process it all.
“Can we talk?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Sure,” she snapped.
“Can you tell me why you’re so upset?” he sat down beside her and tried to meet her narrowed eyes.
“Why I’m so upset?” she scoffed, “Do you even need to ask?”
Now he was growing angry. He crossed his arms and leaned back with a defiant look, “You think I’d be asking if I didn’t feel the need?”
She paused and looked to him with hard eyes. “Yesterday morning, you just ripped us away from everything to run away from one guy who showed up at your doorstep. I just can’t wrap my head around it, Michael.” She shook her head and crossed her arms as she fell back in her chair.
He took a deep breath. “And if you were in my position, what would you do? Step out there and fight him? Chase him away with guns? Threaten his life? Huh? Any single one of those can have me dragged back to the states and arrested. Any bad decision I make can end everything, Catherine. I mean everything,” he argued coldly, his voice raised as he tried to convey the importance of his hiding away.
She shook her head. “Yeah, maybe that’s so. But what about everyone you left behind? Sounds like he’s a danger to them, and you get to just hide away on an island while they might be in danger? Real hero you are.”
He glared at her. “You still haven’t told me an alternative option to this. The question remains the same, what the hell do you want me to do?”
She threw her hands up. “You have all the money in the world! Can’t you just call someone and make all this go away? It’s what you do for everything else!”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he asked with wide, angry eyes.
“Anytime you want anything or need anything, it’s just a call away. Why can’t your big, bad lawyers fix this one?”
“Because I don’t even know what this is! Is it a fed with a vendetta? A crazy guy with a fake badge? We don’t know, and that’s why we’re out here—to stay safe.”
She let out a sarcastic laugh. “That’s it? Sounds more like you’re being a coward and hiding from your problems instead of facing them.”
He clenched his jaw. “Why are you so angry about this? You knew from day one what you were getting into! What, the second shit gets real, you want to dip out? The glitz and the glam disappear and suddenly you’re not ready to stick it out with an exile?” He spat out a dry laugh. “Should have figured, just like the rest. Only after the money.”
His words were like venom and Catherine felt the sting as his poison coursed through her blood. She looked at him in shock then stood up, and his face fell as he realized what he had said.
“Catherine, don’t, I didn’t—” She silenced him with her hand.
“You think I’m just here for the money?”
“No, please—”
“No? Really? Because that’s exactly what you just said.” Her eyes glistened with emotion.
“You called me a coward and I got angry, I’m sorry.” His tone was low and apologetic, but her eyes burned into his.
“What is all this Michael? Huh? What are we? Ever since I’ve been here we’ve had this fling, but really, what are you after?” She put her hands on her hips and looked to him with a raised brow.
“I’m not after anything, Catherine. You know that, we have these feelings—”
“Really? Because we’ve never actually discussed our feelings or whatever this is, we just hang out and have sex,” she deadpanned as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
“What do you want me to say? I have feelings for you, I thought they were mutual, and we were enjoying a good thing. Is that wrong? I feel like your twisting my every word.” He opened his arms in a defeated gesture.
She sighed and shook her head. “I’m just frustrated and confused, and I can’t understand this complete change of character. You’ve always been a leader, a take charge guy. And this one dude shows up and you freak… I’m just questioning everything now.”
He let out a sigh. “Look, why don’t I call and have you taken back home, alright? You shouldn’t be locked up here, you should be back out there helping people. I’m sorry I dragged you into all this.”
She slapped her head and let out a sound of frustration. “For how smart you can be, you can also be incredibly dumb.”
He threw up his hands. “You’re the one not communicating!” he accused.
“I don’t want to leave here without you! This isn’t about me, this is about you figuring this shit out and not hiding out here. People out there need both of us, not us hiding here until the problem maybe goes away! What don’t you get about that?!” she yelled now, her voice echoing through the trees.
He stepped right in front of her. She
could feel the heat radiating from him as he towered over her. “And what don’t you get about consequences? If I ever want to help a single person again, I can’t fuck this up by going back and being some macho man. All that will cost is my entire life.”
“I’m not asking you to be macho! When have I ever said that?!”
“Then what do you want me to do?!” he yelled back.
“We go back, you call the authorities and your lawyer and you get this guy taken away. The feds said he disappeared, or if it’s not him, it’s a fraud who is stalking you! I don’t see why this can’t be resolved with a call to the right people?” she argued breathlessly.