by Bobbi Brattz
“Someone knocked on the door loudly, banging hard as they shouted, “Are you all right?”
“Shit.” She hid the gun beneath the mattress and straightened her auburn hair. “I’m okay,” she yelled.
The person on the other side of the door kept knocking. “Open up. I want to make sure you’re okay.”
Though furious, she put on her best fake smile and opened it. There was a security guard looking past her to see if she was alone.
“I’m sorry. I was having a bad day and broke a mirror. I suppose I’ll have seven years bad luck now.”
“Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?”
“No. I’m fine, as you can see.”
“Okay. I’ll call someone to get that cleaned up for you.”
“Thank you, sir. I’d appreciate that.”
When he was gone, she closed the door. The mocking voice spoke up once again.
“See what you’ve done? He’ll report you to Dr. Piers and you’ll be in for it. You don’t go around breaking mirrors without raising a few eyebrows.”
“Leave me alone. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
Mocking laughter filled her mind until she cried out, fingers digging into her scalp.
“Take the gun and use it. Go on. You useless old bag. Use it!”
“Go away. Go away. Go awayyyy.”
She threw herself across the bed, holding a pillow over her ears but the voice wouldn’t stop, not until there was a knock on the door once again. It was a maintenance man, come to clean up the glass. Like the shards, her life was split into a million pieces. A whisper of loathing hissed through her mind.
“I’m going out. Thank you for cleaning that up.”
It was time to work on her plan. First up, she’d make note of the guards surrounding Piers’s house. Tara would pay for interfering with her man. She would pay…
* * * *
For hours, Piers remained in the office trying to work on the books. He was way behind, and it was all because of a beautiful woman. Not willing to admit he was a goner when it came to Tara, he fought to change the way his mind and body reacted to her. Alas, every time he got near her, his cock stood up straight, begging to be useful.
“Damn it, she’s right. I have to let Rae go or I’ll never get my life back. The strange thing is that when I’m around Tara, I don’t think of Rae at all. What does that mean?”
No one answered his query because he was alone in the office.
“Great, now I’m talking to myself. Time for a psychiatrist, I guess.”
“Now what’s going on?” Kona said from the doorway, a grin on his face.
“I’m just trying to make sense out of this situation,” Piers said, hoping Kona hadn’t heard too much.
The smile disappeared.
“How’s she doing?”
“See for yourself. She’s been fed and had her medication. Should be sleeping like a baby about now.”
“Any word on a suspect?”
Kona’s expression told Piers more than he wanted to know. He’d heard, all right. The best thing he could do at that point was to pretend he had no idea that Kona knew anything. To his credit, he acted like he hadn’t been privy to Piers’s thoughts.
“I’ll go check on her and be back. Why don’t you pour us a Scotch and we can talk about our…situation.”
“It’s a deal.”
Kona was back in minutes to report to Piers. He looked grave and unsettled.
“She’s asleep. I was wondering if we should move her to a different room. That one has a wide patio door and the lock is broken. I checked. What do you think?”
“We could move her to my room. I have that California king-sized that could fit all three of us comfortably.”
“Piers, she’s in no shape for sex.”
Shocked, he shook his head. “I wasn’t talking about sex. I was thinking about the two of us watching over her. I don’t like her being alone in that room either. The bed is big enough that she can sleep undisturbed. What do you think?”
“Are you sure you’d be comfortable that way?”
Thinking of his permanent hard-on since Tara arrived on the island, he wasn’t positive, but nodded anyway. It was more important to protect her. If anyone could slip by the guards, Tara’s room would be the best place for a break-in.
“Yeah, let’s tell Moki. She might want the sheets and blankets changed first.”
“I’ll sit with Tara after our ‘talk.’”
Kona watched Piers until he became uncomfortable, knowing what was coming.
“Let’s get Moki on it first, and then we’ll talk.”
“Okay, Piers. I’ll call Moki.”
“You don’t need to call me, boys. I’m here.” She came into the room with a grin on her face. “I think it’s a great idea. If you’ll help me, we can make up the bed now. Kona, you can sit with Tara and Piers, and I will do the preparations. She’ll need her clothes and toiletries moved as well. While you’re in her room, you can pack her up. She’s sleeping now so you can work quietly.”
“Moki, sit down and I’ll pour you a drink. You’ve earned it after all you’ve been through in the past few days.”
“I don’t mind if I do. I love Mateo’s scotch.”
“Let’s talk about you and Tara, Piers.” With a sly smile on her face, Moki sipped her drink and waited for his answer.
Stunned, Piers sat back, sipping his drink slowly to give himself time to think. Moki knew everything that went on in this house. She was sure to have picked up on the relationship issues with him and Tara.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Warm laughter met his reply.
“Come on, Piers. I’ve known you since you were a little kid. You can’t pull the wool over my eyes. What do you plan to do about your relationship with Tara?”
Anger made his cheeks burn.
“There is no relationship. Neither one of us want one.”
“If you say so, son, but I’m not blind. I can see that there is, whether you believe or admit it or not.”
“I have no intentions to do anything, Moki. She’ll be leaving in three weeks and that’s that.”
“Stubborn kids. That’s what you both are. Why hide from the inevitable? Why is Tara so opposed to a relationship?”
Kona spoke up, laughter in his voice. “Neither one of them are willing to admit that they love each other.”
“Shut up, Kona. You’re wrong. You’re both wrong.”
“Deny it all you want, Piers, but you do and that’s not a bad thing. Rae–"
“Kona, shut the hell up!” Suddenly, Piers pushed away from the desk and stood then began pacing back and forth, frustration eating at him. He stopped abruptly and pointed his finger at his friend. “Don’t ever bring her up again. Do you understand me, Kona? That’s over and done with.”
Moki shook her head. “Then why are you so upset about her name being mentioned, Piers? It’s time to move on.”
Livid, Piers left them, leaving the house as well. He’d had enough reminders of Rae. Regardless of how angry he was, Piers realized that they were both right and that he was hanging onto someone out of his reach. He had to get over her, and Tara was the key to a new life.
“Damn it all to hell.”
He made his way to the beach, nodding at people who said hi to him but not giving anyone a chance to stop him for conversation. He needed space, and the only place he could find that was on the cliffs beside the beach. Though he wanted to race there, he chose to take his time and not gain attention from the guests.
“Piers! Oh, Piers, wait up.”
Shit! Selina. She’s the last person I want to see. Then again, I could pump her for information about the shooting.
He stopped and waited for her to catch up.
Chapter 14:
The Hunt Begins
Determined to find out if she was the shooter, Piers took Selina’s hand, walking with her to the beach. He figured he could worm the answe
rs out of her. Tara was in good hands with Kona and Moki, so that concern was addressed. Now, to find the person who wanted to kill Tara. The best place to start was with her rival.
“How is Tara?”
“She’s doing great. She should be ready to fly home soon. Of course, she’ll be sore for quite some time. The shot went right through her.”
“That’s horrible. Imagine someone hating her that much to try and kill her. I felt bad for her. Please give her my regards.”
“Are you sure you want me to say that? After all, you two haven’t gotten along since you met.”
He watched her face for reactions, but she appeared to be legitimate in her well wishes.
“I know. It’s because of you. If you weren’t so darned handsome and sexy, we would probably get along well enough. I can’t believe someone shot her. I’d be happy to fill in for whatever you need.”
When she placed her hand on his arm, he cringed. The last thing he wanted was to be near her. Selina was high maintenance, and she exhausted him. After patting her hand, he removed it and let it go.
“Are you angry with me, Piers?”
“No, why should I be?”
“Well, I can think of a few things, like the way I acted at your dinner table when that idiot woman spilled the soup on me. I think she did it on purpose.”
“First of all, Moki is family to me and I don’t care for the way you not only treated her, but the way you talked about her. She’s no idiot, nor is she sloppy when serving us. It was an accident, Selina.” Although it was anything but an accident, he stood up for Moki nonetheless.
“Well, I don’t believe you for a minute, Doctor Piers, but if you say so.”
“Did you do it?”
She looked confused for a moment.
“Do what?”
Piers had to ask, though he thought she wasn’t capable of murder. A bitch for sure, but she’d only begun to show her true colors.
“Did you try to kill Tara?”
Her eyes went round as saucers as she stared at him openmouthed for the count of ten seconds then she yelled at him. “Are you out of your mind? I don’t even have a gun, let alone know how to use one. I can’t believe you’d even ask me that, the police, too. Why is everyone out to get me? I’ll bet it was Tara. She hates me.” Tears filled her eyes, trailing down her soft cheeks. Her mascara ran as well. At that point, Piers understood her.
“Tara doesn’t hate anyone. She’s a wonderful woman who barely missed losing her life. I’m simply trying to find out who did it. I actually believe you, Selina. You haven’t the guts to pull a trigger. That’s a good thing.”
“Piers, whatever your last name is, I hate you! I never want to see you again. I’m leaving this resort, and I want my money back. You are such a jerk.”
She turned and walked away at a steady pace, her shoulders shaking from crying. If he was any judge of character, he’d cross her off the suspect list. There was no way she could act innocent. Glad to see the last of her, Piers sat down on the rocks and watched the waves come in, crashing up into the air in a spray. He found it relaxing to sit there alone with no one to bother him, but it wasn’t meant to be.
“Excuse me, Dr. Piers?”
When he turned around, he found one of his students standing there looking really nervous. Feeling sorry for the mousy woman, he stood and walked over to her.
“How can I help you?”
“Oh, you are so sweet.”
Her watery blue eyes and straw-colored blonde hair made her look washed out. Instead of a tan, she had a bright-red burn, especially on her nose. About the same height as Selina, she was a foot shorter than him.
“I…Well, I wanted to know if you could help me with this sunburn. After all, you’re a doctor, aren’t you?”
“You can see the medic at the first aid hut.”
“I tried, but the door was locked and no one answered. Would you help me, please?”
Taking care of sunburned guests was not something he wanted to deal with right then, but he really had no choice. She needed help, and he was indeed a doctor.
“I have some aloe vera gel at the clinic that will fix you up. Let’s walk over there together.”
The look of relief on her face would have been comical if he wasn’t so twisted up inside. At least she provided a good distraction.
“What’s your name?”
“Oh, I’m Cindy. I take your classes. They are truly informative. I’m just not so sure about the sex part. I don’t get much chance to utilize that part.”
“Kegels are used for more things than sex, Cindy. It’s good for you to practice with them and the balls. The older you get, the weaker the muscles unless you exercise them.”
“I believe you, Dr. Piers.”
The medical hut came into view as they rounded the corner. No one appeared to be there. Piers was annoyed that the medic seemed to be missing.
“I guess they closed up for the day.”
“I’ll have to find a key.”
“Don’t you have any at your house?”
“Yes, I do. Let’s go up there. Normally, we don’t bring guests to the house unless Dr. Mann is home, but I think I’ll make an exception for you.”
“You are so kind, Dr. Piers. Thank you. It really hurts.”
“No problem, Cindy.”
They walked in silence for a bit, for which Piers was grateful. When they came to the front door, he opened it with a key and allowed her to walk in first. She gasped as she noted the erotic paintings along the walls.
“Oh, my gosh! I’ve never seen…they’re so…Oh, my gosh!
Piers laughed.
“Dr. Mann has a friend who paints them. They’re worth a lot of money, as the artist has become famous thanks to him.”
“They’re rather shocking, don’t you think?”
“Yes, but I like them. Let’s go into my office. I have some gel there.”
“You’re not going to take advantage of me, are you, Doctor?” She smiled, apparently interested in the idea.
“No, Cindy. You’re safe with me.”
It took half an hour, but Piers made sure Cindy was covered in aloe gel.
“I feel so cool now.”
“Aloe works great for sunburns. Some hospitals use it in their burn units. Make sure you put some on every hour and wear sunscreen. Your pale skin will burn more than the average person’s because you are blonde. Be careful, or it might ruin your holiday.”
“Thank you, sir. I really appreciate your help.”
As they stepped into the hallway, Kona came out of the bedroom with Tara in his arms. He was moving her to Piers’s room. Both of them were laughing at something, which made Piers tense up. When they looked up and saw him and Cindy, they stopped in their tracks.
“Hello, Piers. I see you have company,” Kona said, holding Tara still.
“Yes, this is Cindy. She has a sunburn. Did you know that the clinic is closed?”
“It was open half an hour ago when I walked past it. Maybe I’ll get Jack to check it out.”
“I’d best be going, Dr. Piers. Thank you for helping me.”
Piers looked down at her and smiled.
“I’m glad to be of service, Cindy. Would you like Kona to walk you back to your hut?”
“I couldn’t, really. He’s…got his arms full right now.”
Kona laughed at her quip. “I sure do, but not for long. I have to get this young lady to bed.”
Though Piers knew what he meant, it sounded more lurid than that. Tara snickered, looking up at Kona with bright eyes.
“He won’t let me walk, Piers.”
“I’ll let you out, Cindy. Take care of that burn like I told you. See you tomorrow morning at class.”
Her eyes were wide open as she nodded and left in a hurry, closing the door tightly behind her. Turning to face Kona and Tara, Piers realized that he’d calmed down and was ready to talk. All thoughts of Cindy vanished when he looked at Tara. She was laughing and happy w
ith Kona cradling her. Pains in his heart told him that he’d been set up again to love and lose the woman of his dreams.
“Come on, Piers. Let’s get this lady to bed. She’s awfully heavy, you know.”
“Kona, you lie like a rug. Put me down if you’re not man enough to hold me.”
“I can hold you, even though you’re breaking my back.”
With her uninjured hand, she pinched his cheek, bringing instant results.
“Owww! Hey, lady, watch it or I’ll drop you.”
Piers opened his bedroom door while Kona carried her through it and placed her on the center of the huge bed.
“What’s the idea, you two? I’ve only been out of the hospital for a few hours.”
“You, my dear, are staying with us in this bed. You’ll be safe from our wandering hands only if you behave yourself.”
Kissing her neck, Kona lay down beside her and waited for Piers to say something. He was ominously quiet.
“What’s the deal, partner?”
Both of them looked up at Piers and waited for his answer. He cleared his throat, and sat down on the mattress.
“Look, you two. I know I’ve been a complete ass for the past day or so, but this is a lot to take in. You almost died on me…us, and that scared the hell out of me. I don’t know how you can simply move on so easily.”
Tara reached out a hand to him and he took it.
“Come here, Master Piers. I haven’t exactly moved on. I’m just taking it step by step. Nothing will break up our trio. We’re friends, or as some put it, fuck buddies. That’s a bit crude, but it works. Can’t we simply continue in our temporary relationship and have some fun?”
“Tara–"
“Don’t Tara me, Piers. We made a deal and I’m sticking to it. Now, tell me why I’m in your room. I’m not sleeping here, and I doubt we’re ready for another ménage a trois.”
Suddenly, Piers found his voice.
“Tara, shut up and listen for a change. We brought you in here because your room isn’t safe. The lock on the door is faulty and we need to get it fixed tomorrow. I don’t trust that shooter any more than Kona does. We want you safe, and what better place to keep an eye on you than in my bed?”