by Bobbi Brattz
It was Kona’s turn to speak up. He placed a finger on her lips and shushed her.
“You are staying here with us and that’s final, slave girl.”
“Oh, I love it when you two go all manly on me. Really.”
What she said and how she reacted were worlds apart. All three of them were in agreement that she was in danger, yet she wanted to keep her own space. Piers was sure she’d feel safer with them, but why didn’t she want to stay there?”
“Case closed.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She was grateful that they wanted to protect her, but feared they’d become too close to her if they actually slept together.
“I’ll tell Moki that we’re eating in the bedroom. That should be fun. I’ll have her throw a little chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and maraschino cherries in for dessert. I can see you now, licking it off our—”
“Kona, behave yourself,” Tara said, laughing suddenly.
“Are you all right?” Piers asked from the doorway.
Tara suddenly stopped in her tracks, surprise written all over her face as she swiped at a tear.
“I didn’t expect you back so soon. I’m sorry. I don’t usually cry, but for some reason I’m very sensitive tonight.”
“It’s okay to cry. Sometimes, while exploring new things, people get scared.”
Kona stood staring down at her while Piers leaned in closer, taking her hand in his.
“I’m not scared, Piers, just emotional.”
Piers lay down beside her and Kona and pulled her into his arms, cautious about her shoulder.
Kona kissed her forehead gently.
“If not scared, then what?”
“I’m not used to being submissive, I guess. I’m going to go to my room,” she said, about to get out of bed.
“You aren’t leaving us tonight, Tara. Let’s agree to keep it the same way. Now, take your pajamas off.”
“But, Piers,” she whispered.
“We aren’t going to hurt you. Take them off.”
“Okay, but one of you will have to help me get the top off.”
Smiling, Kona sat her up and began to carefully strip her shirt away.
“You just try and stop me.” He growled low in his throat and made her laugh.
“Lie down. Kona, put the covers over her and go find us some dinner. He’ll be right back. Consider us your round-the-clock guards.”
Once Kona left them, Piers tucked her in and sat looking down at her. She looked so beautiful, yet helpless, with the tears making trails down to her jawline.
“Talk to me, Tara, and tell me what’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours.”
Piers wiped the tears with his thumbs, cradling her face in his hands.
“I’m fine, just a little weepy. I don’t usually cry so easily!”
“If you’re fine, then why are you yelling at me?”
He leaned over and kissed her so gently that she sobbed into his mouth. She was trembling from head to toe, so he lay down beside her and carefully pulled her into his arms while she cried it out.
“Tara, it’s okay now. Everything is okay.”
“No it’s not. Someone is trying to kill me and I’m scared to death. I don’t want to die.”
He lifted his head and looked into her eyes.
“Listen to me carefully. You have nothing to fear, because Kona and I will not let anyone hurt you again. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Piers.”
Now she was docile, and lay still. He was about to kiss her again when Kona came barrelling into the room with a huge dinner tray, loaded with food, including whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and a jar of maraschino cherries.
“Hey there, kids. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
“You know what?” Tara asked. “I’m so hungry I could eat a whale.”
“Not a horse, but a plain old whale?”
“I feel like fish tonight.” Laughter bubbled up until she was snickering. “I feel like dancing all over this room.”
“Well, that’s not going to happen. You’re to stay in bed and eat. Doctor’s orders.”
“I don’t usually eat in bed, but that looks delicious, especially the cherries and whipped cream. You sure know the way to a girl’s heart.” When she said that, she cringed. Her heart was off limits.
“I’m the doctor in this house, missy, and you’re my own personal patient. Now, eat your dinner.”
“Yes, sir,” she murmured.
“Mmmm…Let’s try some chocolate on your delectable skin, my darlin’.”
“Kona, we eat dinner first, then we play,” Piers said in a firm tone, though he was anything but stern.
“Yes, daddy,” Kona teased, laughing.
“Let’s sit you up, Tara.”
Kona lifted her while Piers prepared the pillows to make her comfortable. Once she was ready, Piers picked up a bowl of chicken broth and began feeding her.
“Piers, I’m not a child. Let me do that,” Tara protested, an unwilling slave to his ministrations.
“You’ll eat whatever I give you, slave girl.”
“Oh, we’re back to that, are we?”
“Yes, and you’ll do as you’re told. We need to nurse you back to health so we can play with you again.”
She was fighting to keep from smiling, but Piers knew that and played his game. Once she’d finished the soup, Kona cried, “Time to play!”
Kona began feeding her cherries and dribbling chocolate on her skin, then licked it off.
When Piers put whipped cream on her breasts, she squirmed. The cherries went on top, and then both of them began to lick and suck on her nipples, cleaning her up. They were so gentle and careful with her that Piers caught her sob. He finished with her breasts and leaned over to kiss her, so sweetly and tenderly that she began to cry.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. It’s going to be all right.”
“That’s not why I’m crying, Piers. It’s because you two are so…so very gentle with me. It’s a whole new experience.”
“You’ve never been worshiped before?”
“Worshiped? I’m only thinking about when I go home, there won’t be any of this. It’s a wonderful feeling and I’ll miss it.”
Kona answered for them both. “We’ll miss you, too, but you decided to keep it impersonal, so we’re trying. The only problem is that we love having you around, even if you did have to get shot to get you in here overnight.”
“You never know, big boy, I might slip out when you’re not looking.”
“No way! You’re staying with us all night in case the shooter tries again.”
“Good excuse, Kona, but I’m on to you.”
Piers looked down at her.
“You’re staying here until I decide otherwise. Understand?”
She swallowed hard, suddenly submissive.
“All right, Master Piers. Perhaps tonight.”
“No ‘perhaps,’ slave girl. No more arguments. I’m not letting anything else happen to you.”
Visions of her being shot again made him so angry, his face flushed with heat. It was time to check on the guards. Also, he had to find out what had happened to the medic. The clinic was opened until midnight every day. He had a bad feeling about it.
“I’ll be back later. Kona, bathe our little slave girl. Keep the dressing dry though.”
“Yes, sir. I’d be happy to.”
Chapter 15:
Near Miss
The clinic still appeared to be closed when Piers walked up to the door. He’d brought the key with him this time. When he opened the door, he found the medic lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
“Shit!” Piers checked for a pulse and found it weak, but the medic was alive. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.
“Dr. Piers Kaaumoana. I’m a medical doctor. I need the police and an ambulance stat. It looks like attempted murder. Constable Van Johanson was at Dr. Love Shark Resort a couple of days ago with another issue. What’s their ETA? The
patient’s lost a lot of blood and is unconscious.”
“We’ll have someone there in ten minutes, Doctor. Where on the resort are you?”
“Tell them to come past the bar to the medical hut. I’ll be waiting here.”
“Will do.”
Piers hung up, then dialed the house.
“Moki? Tell Kona to watch her like a hawk. We have trouble. I’m at the medic hut and Mark has been attacked. I think it’s the same person who shot Tara.”
“Oh, my God! I’ll tell him right away. Watch yourself, Piers.”
“I’m okay. Talk to you later.”
Soon he could hear sirens as he tried to stop the bleeding. Mark was still out when the paramedics and Van arrived.
“Van, this is crazy. I can’t keep everyone safe. How am I supposed to run the resort for Mateo with all of this going on?”
“I’ll double the number of cops to rotate drive-by shifts. Your security guards should increase as well.” Van was taking notes as he spoke. “It’s time for some room searches, Piers.”
“I agree. I’ll have to contact Mateo as well. He needs to know what’s going on.”
The paramedics loaded Mark onto the gurney and took him to the hospital. Piers went to the house to get cleaned up for the ride to the cabin to get Mateo, but first, he wanted to check on Kona and Tara. She was in more danger now as the number of victims escalated.
Entering the house, he called out, “Kona?”
He came running. “What’s wrong, Piers?”
“Mark was attacked. He’s unconscious so we can’t find out what he knows. I have to go get Mateo. This has gone farther than I imagined. The shooter now uses different tactics to take down his victims.”
“I’ll watch over Tara. Don’t worry about her. How long will it take you to get to the cabin?”
“About two hours. They have no phone or cell. When he wants seclusion, Mateo is a master at it.”
“I’ll go tell Tara.”
“No, don’t. I don’t want her to get any more upset than she already is.”
“I guess you’re right. I’ll check all the doors and windows. The locksmith can’t come until tomorrow, so I’ll have a guard watch the back bedroom door.”
“Good idea. Maybe you should take Mateo’s gun into my room, just in case.”
“All right, Piers, but I don’t know how to shoot guns.”
“I’ll feel better knowing you have it there. It’s already six o’clock. I’ll be back before eleven.”
“We’ll be fine. I’ll try not to shoot you when you get back.”
“I hope so. It’s going to be a busy night.”
Piers raced out the door to the car and took off like lightning. He had to get to Mateo fast, regretful that he had to break up the honeymoon. He was surprised that he didn’t take pleasure in stopping it. He still loved Rae, but it didn’t hurt as much anymore. Tara had taken over his heart. The thought of losing her was more important than disturbing Mateo and Rae. He was a goner when it came to love.
* * * *
Mateo answered the door when Piers knocked. Surprised, he stared at him for a few seconds before he spoke. He had a towel riding low on his hips, as though he’d been in the shower. Rae walked up behind him, wearing a robe.
“Piers. What’s wrong?” she asked.
“It’s bad, Mateo. Rae, sorry, but the honeymoon is over. You’d both better sit down.”
“Come in and tell us about it,” Rae said, taking his hand in hers. Together, they all walked into the living room and sat down.
“Would you like a drink?”
Piers shrugged. “I’d love one, but I can’t. I’m heading back home as soon as I give you the details. I think you’ll probably join me.”
“What happened, Piers?” Mateo sat forward, ready to listen.
“There is a killer at the resort.”
“What? Tara, is she all right?”
“Tara was shot. She’s okay, but it was touch and go for a while. We have her at home in my room. Kona’s watching her until I get back, then we both will. Our medic, Mark, was hit over the head and lost a lot of blood. He’s in the hospital, but still unconscious.”
“What the hell is going on? Why?”
“I don’t know, Mateo. At first I thought that Tara was the target because of her association with me, but now I’m not so sure.”
“What’s being done to protect the guests?”
“Van thinks it is one of the guests. He’s methodically checking through each room. The guests aren’t happy about it, but most of them aren't complaining. Twelve couples cut their vacation short and left, but I gave them free return tickets for anytime in the next year. Most of them assured me they’d be back, but frankly, they’re all afraid for their lives.”
Mateo looked at Rae. She nodded.
“I’ll be ready in ten minutes,” she said, rushing into the back room to pack and get dressed.
Alone, Piers and Mateo talked about the guards, the police, and the staff working together to figure out what could be done to trap the culprit.
“It’s bad, Mateo. I’m sorry I couldn’t resolve it myself, but with two people having been attacked, I felt it was imperative you know about it.”
“I want Rae and Tara under close guard. Are you still doing the classes?”
“Yes, except for tomorrow morning. I wanted to keep everything as normal as I could. It might even be one of the people in the group, and what better way to track them down than to have them in one room?”
“You’re right, Piers. I’ll get dressed and see how Rae is doing. She’s probably anxious to get there to see Tara. Are you sure Tara’s all right?”
“As well as can be expected. I’m keeping a close eye on her.”
“I’ll be back in a minute.”
While Mateo and Rae worked fast to get ready, Piers looked around the cabin. It hadn’t changed much since the last time he’d visited. Rustic, the small room had a cozy fireplace and oak floors. The throw rug matched the curtains in barnyard red, sage green, and brown. When he and Mateo were teens, they’d come up here for the weekend with a few friends or women they’d met who were into multiple sex partners. Those days seemed far away.
“Mateo, I’m going to head back,” he called out, anxious about Tara and Mark.
Rae reappeared in the room.
“We’ll be right behind you. Thanks for telling us, Piers.”
“It wasn’t something I wanted to tell you, sweetheart, but it was a necessity. Van wants to see Mateo as soon as possible. I wish we could have waited for you to finish your honeymoon.”
“Every day is like a honeymoon to me. Mateo has been wonderful. I do miss you, though. I hope you and he will eventually get back to being good friends.”
“I hope so, too.”
“Have you met someone?” Rae smiled, as though she knew a secret.
He felt his face flush with heat as he avoided her gaze.
“I may have, but I’m not sure yet.”
“It’s Tara, isn’t it?”
“I can’t say. She doesn’t want a serious relationship. You’ll have to get your info from her, Rae. I’ll see you at the resort soon.”
He gave her a gentle kiss and left. Climbing into the car, he realized that he didn’t feel the hurt and pain he’d felt before he met Tara. Something big had changed, and he was okay with it.
* * * *
When Piers arrived, it was to find the resort in an uproar. Cops, security guards, and even some of the guests were all talking at once while the ambulance waited for the paramedics to return. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Tara and Kona standing in the doorway, unharmed.
“What’s going on?” he shouted, racing up to meet them.
“Oh, Piers, I’m so glad you’re back. Another guest was stabbed. It’s that young woman, Cindy, who you brought to the house earlier today. She said someone broke into her room and attacked her.”
“Shit!” he said under his breath. “Where is she now
?”
“The paramedics are at her room, prepping her to travel to the hospital.”
“She was stabbed in the stomach. The paramedic I spoke with said it was shallow, so he doesn’t think she’ll have to have surgery, but she’ll definitely need stitches.”
“I’m going down there. Mateo and Rae will be along any minute now.”
Piers raced off down the path, afraid of what he might find.
* * * *
When Piers arrived, Cindy held out her hand to him, her eyes full of pleading and fear. He took her hand in his.
“It’ll be okay, Cindy. Just rest and let the paramedics work on you.
“Will you please come with me to the hospital?”
“Absolutely.”
Van entered the room.
“I’ll meet you there to get a statement from you, Cindy.”
“All right,” she said hesitantly. “I’m so afraid.”
“We’ll be here for you.” Piers said, his eyes filled with concern.
“Thank you. It hurts so much, Piers.”
“It doesn’t look too bad. The bleeding isn’t heavy. You’ll be fine.”
Cindy relaxed slightly.
The ambulance rushed off to the hospital, Piers riding in back.
* * * *
Shuddering, Tara held onto Kona’s shirt while he kept her in his arms. They’d thought that she was the only target, but obviously the killer was on a rampage, selecting anyone in their path. With Rae coming back, the danger was even more real. What if--
“Here comes a car. I think it’s them.” Kona pointed to the driveway and Tara’s eyes followed his lead.
“Yes, it is. I see Rae getting out. Put me down now. Oh, Kona, what if she’s in danger now, too?”
“Every one seems to be, to some degree. Don’t worry, we’ll catch the killer one way or another. I’ll put you down, but you’re staying with me, understand?”
“Yes, now do it.” With his warm hand holding onto her arm, she called out to Rae. “I’m here!”
“Tara!” Rae cried, racing down the driveway. “What are you doing out of bed?”
Tara laughed. “Always the mother hen with me, aren’t you, my friend.”