The Executioner 2: Love, Lies, and Revenge (The Executioner Series)

by Melissa Silvey

  “I think you’re right,” Jordan agreed.

  “I’ll fly back to Hong Kong in the morning,” Vince suggested as he rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm. “Don’t freak out,” he implored.

  “I’m trying real hard not to.” Jordan ended the call and looked down at the biscuit he held in his hand. Then he threw it at his stereo, and Chicago poured out of the speakers. “I’m trying real hard,” he repeated to no one at all, and wiped his arm across his desk. The potatoes went flying, along with his phone and his tablet. Then he pounded his fists against the desk offbeat to the slow jazz tunes that wafted through the air.

  “You’re an excellent swimmer,” Arianna complimented him when he finally came up for air.

  “I grew up swimming in the sea,” he bragged as he doggie paddled closer to her. She huddled down in the warm water, only her head and neck were above the water line. He swam slowly so as not to splash at her. She smiled brightly at him.

  God, her smile could charm the devil, Damien thought to himself. “Let’s try the hot tub.”

  “Okay,” she nodded. They didn’t have to get out of the pool; they just swam to the other end and lifted themselves into it.

  “Would you like a drink,” Damien asked as he signaled to Kosum. She sat inside the bar area with the netting down. But when she saw Damien motion his arm she was immediately beside him. He spoke to her in her language, and she nodded and returned to the bar.

  “How did you learn to speak their language,” she wondered as she stared at him.

  “I told you when I was little I came here every summer. My mom couldn’t take off work during the summer school breaks to care for me, so she basically brought me here and left me.” He paused every time he said the words me and I. She knew why.

  “Do you remember Clarice,” Arianna inquired.

  “Not really,” he said as he shook his head. He leaned back into the warm water and let it relax him. “Not like you and your sister.”

  “I think of her all the time,” Ari admitted, and then turned away from his knowing hazel eyes. Kosum carried two mixed drinks and handed one to each of them.

  “Thank you,” Ari said with a nod. Kosum nodded back.

  “It’s pineapple juice, coconut, and Thai rum,” he said with a grin. “It’s not frozen, it’s poured over ice.”

  She took a sip and an “ummmm” escaped her lips. “It’s good.”

  “I know why you did what you did,” he continued. “I wish I could have done it too.”

  “It got old after a while,” Ari admitted.

  “You know, I always thought I took it worse than my mom. She didn’t seem to really care at all. But for me, until I was a teenager, every day was hard.” He took a long sip of his drink. “When I realized what she’d been doing the entire time I felt relieved that she was not as cold as she appeared.”

  “My mom cried for weeks, months, after Jasmine died. And then after the charges against Conner Samples were dismissed she cried even more. I have to admit I got a little tired of it. I just wanted to shake her and tell her I was still alive.” Ari fidgeted with her straw while she spoke, then took another drink.

  “My mom left me here on the island because she thought no predators could touch me here.” As he spoke he seemed like he was somewhere else for a moment. But he didn’t continue and the thought was forgotten. She hoped to God she didn’t have to hear that he was abused too. He shook his head slightly and changed the subject. “It’s nice to talk to someone who understands.”

  “It is,” Ari turned back to him to catch him staring at her. She blushed and glanced down at her drink. He reached out his hand, slowly, and gently touched her pink cheeks. “When are you going back?”

  “It’s Friday,” he said with a smile. “I don’t have to go back until Sunday night or Monday morning.”

  “That’s great,” she said, and returned her gaze to his. His eyes were as blue as the tiles in the hot tub.

  “Would you like another drink,” he asked as he motioned to Kosum.

  “Yes,” Ari nodded.

  “Hello Sam,” he heard as he walked down the hall inside the courthouse. He knew the voice, and he hoped to God he could act like he didn’t hear her and keep on walking. “Sam,” she said louder, and her heels clicked faster as she tried to catch up with him.

  He turned as if he didn’t know who was behind him. And when he faced her he said through gritted teeth, “Oh, hello Selena.”

  “Any news about Vince,” she asked. She truly seemed worried about another human being. Sam was stunned. The only problem was, of course, she was worried about the wrong person.

  “Vince is fine. Arianna is the one who is missing,” Sam chided.

  “Of course,” she said as she shook her head. Her blonde hair floated around her face. “Is there any news about Ms. Becker?”

  “No, nothing. It’s as if she simply vanished.” He tried to sound unemotional, but it didn’t work.

  Selena’s green eyes narrowed as she realized that this man too cared for Arianna. Another man that she desired had fallen for the girl. Selena couldn’t understand what men saw in Arianna Becker. She probably hadn’t even had her hair cut or styled in the past year. Her nails were unpainted. She was about the least feminine woman that Selena knew.

  “Well, I’m glad Vince is okay at least,” she sighed. “I’ll let you get back to your day.”

  “Oh, there is one thing,” Sam said as she turned to walk away. “What do you know of Damien Tremblay?”

  Selena’s mind was a steel trap. Every piece of information she received was analyzed quickly. She concluded immediately that Damien Tremblay, whose mother and father were both arrested due to Jordan Stewart’s involvement, was a suspect. It made sense to Selena. If this was her case, and she had to pick a person of interest, he would top her list.

  There was one hot piece of meat that she’d never got her hands on. By the time she met him he was married, and as far as she knew he didn’t cheat on his wife. She began to form a plan, one that no longer included Vince or Jordan.

  “Damien Tremblay? He’s a great guy, as far as I know. He was just recently divorced. His wife left him after…” She let the thought drop. But it was excellent news for Selena. “Nothing pops out about him.” She said it with a shrug. “I need to get back to something.”

  “Of course,” Sam nodded. “Have a good day.”

  After two of the drinks Kosum made the hot tub was a little too hot. She tried to pull herself out but failed. Kosum noticed from behind the sheer netting and hurried toward her charge. But Damien was much more clear-headed, being used to the potent Thai rum. In short time was out of the tub and helping Arianna before Kosum could reach her. Kosum handed two towels to Damein, and he wrapped one around Arianna. Then he helped her inside, and Kosum went around to all the torches surrounding the pool and blew them out.

  “I think I can walk,” Arianna slurred the words. She nearly made it to the steps, then Damien had to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way. It was hard for him to stop at her bedroom, but he did. He opened the door and sat her down gently in one of the bamboo chairs by the windows, then fetched another towel for her hair.

  “That’s better,” she said with a lopsided grin. She gazed up at his pretty face, his wet hair that seemed darker, and his glowing white skin. She really shouldn’t be looking at him like that.

  “I’m glad,” Damien nodded. “But you can’t sleep in that wet bikini.” He wanted to undress her, carry her to the bed, and do all the naughty things he’d been thinking about all evening. He leaned forward to kiss her dusky pink lips when Kosum entered the room. Damien nearly yelled at her to get out. But he didn’t. He turned toward her and held up one finger.

  “You’re going to kiss me,” Ari murmured. Her mouth opened slightly for him as she stared at his pink lips. She wanted him to kiss her breathless, mindless, until she forgot about everything and everyone but him and that moment.

  “Not tonight, dear,
” he whispered. “I’ll let Kosum take care of you.” He touched her cheek softly and left the room. Kosum helped her out of the wet suit and into a nightgown.

  Vince couldn’t just lay there and think. His thoughts kept taking him to dark places he didn’t want to visit. He was sure the men who kidnapped Ari were dead. He wasn’t sure if Ari was alive. And he couldn’t stop thinking that Damien Tremblay was responsible. He had no idea how, or if, Jordan was coping this time. And that made it even worse.

  He climbed out of bed, threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and headed out into the humid air of Kuala Lumpur. The streets seemed darker after the beautiful sunset earlier. And they were full of women, and men, selling their bodies. He picked one, for no other reason than they wore blue contacts, and took them back to his room. He wasn’t sure of their gender until they undressed. It was a man, with breasts nearly the size of Ari’s, well defined abs, slim hips, and a small package. Probably from the estrogen, Vince thought.

  He didn’t care. All he could see was the long dark hair that lay in slight waves around small shoulders, skin a shade or two darker than his own, and bright blue eyes that seemed so out of place with the brunette features.

  “Come over here and undo my pants,” Vince ordered. He responded immediately, got down on his knees in front of Vince, and deftly released his tool. At least his new partner seemed as impressed as Ari was the first time she saw him half-naked in the shower. That was a bonus. “Now suck it.”

  He let the young man work his magic for a few minutes. Vince felt a little better, until he looked down and saw the blue eyes staring back at him. And he thought of Ari all over again.

  “Do you have condoms,” Vince asked. He nodded. “Get me one and then climb up on the bed.” He needed this, he told himself. This wasn’t like Ari fucking the gorgeous Sam Clark just because Jordan told her to. This was a way for him to get through the night without destroying the hotel room. This was how he always dealt with stress, or pain, or anger. This was his way of not turning to drugs and alcohol to deaden the memories of his past.

  The lady-boy lay on his back watching Vince undress with wide eyes. Vince put on the condom and strode toward the bed. “Turn over on your stomach,” Vince growled. He slid easily into his paid and willing partner for the night. And then Vince grabbed his hips and pounded into the other person, as hard and fast as his athletic body would allow. His partner braced himself on his forearms and whimpered with each thrust.

  Maybe he was hurting him, Vince thought for a moment, until he remembered that he didn’t care. He was at least nice enough to reach around and rub his partner’s penis while he thrust. The whimpers turned to moans. Suddenly Vince realized that he had to sleep there.

  “Don’t cum on the sheets,” Vince warned him. But he didn’t stop rubbing and jerking. He’d just see how much his partner could take. Vince held back his own orgasm just to see if he could outlast his partner. When he finally reached his peak he screamed out. His partner quickly moved away from Vince, off the bed, and jerked his tiny cock until he came in the carpet.

  “Good boy,” Vince moaned. He turned to Vince and smiled. “Now get dressed.”

  He, or she, dressed quickly. Vince gave him a hundred dollars and sent him on his way. Then he showered and returned to the bed. The thoughts were only chased away for a short time, because as soon as he closed his eyes he thought of Arianna and Jordan.

  Chapter Eight

  Arianna was already awake when she heard the knock on the door. The sun hadn’t yet risen, but the sky was lighter outside her window. The door opened and the light came on. She expected to see Kosum when she turned toward the sounds, but instead she found Damien gazing back at her. He wore a pale green t-shirt and black running shorts and sneakers.

  “Good morning,” he said. His musical voice was as bright as his smile.

  “Good morning,” she sighed, and rolled over onto her back to stretch.

  “I thought you might want to run on the beach. It’s really pretty as the sun is coming up.” He walked slowly toward the bed, and sat down on the edge. Her arms were stretched over her head, and she turned toward him. His eyes were fixated on her neck, but moved slowly up her face and to her arm. “Your skin is so beautiful,” he said softly as he reached out to gently touch her, as if she were a wild animal he could tame with the stroke of his hand.

  Her eyes followed his hand, and delighted at the differences between their skin tones. He was so pale, almost glowing in the fluorescent light. His fingertips lingered there, then moved down to her lovely neck. His hazel eyes were bright green this morning, as they focused in on her lips. They parted for him without her willing it. He noticed, and his parted as well.

  He swallowed hard, and pulled away slightly. His fingertips found themselves on her chest, at the round beginnings of her breast exposed by her gown. He jumped back as if he’d been burnt. “Let’s go jog,” he finally said after he stood up and walked toward the window.

  “Okay,” she replied, and grabbed her running shorts and a sports bra and t-shirt and headed toward her bathroom. When she finished dressing, and weaved her hair into a simple braid, she entered her room again to find Damien sipping coffee, and another cup waited for her on a tray on her bed.

  “I love the coffee here,” Ari admitted as she blew on her cup, then took a sip. “Everything here tastes so much better.

  “They pick the coffee on the island, on the ridge and on the other side. There are also pineapples, bananas, mangos, and longans, and a pretty big vegetable garden as well.” She continued to sip her coffee as she pulled on her shoes. “My great-uncle had the forethought to keep the island a working plantation, as well as a private resort. The islanders stay because there is an abundance of food, and they pay no rent to live here. Plus there is electricity provided by solar panels, and some generators.”

  She was fascinated by the details of island life. He continued to talk as they made their way down the steps. “On the other side of the house, the roof is all solar panels. It provides enough electricity for the house. There are panels on the other side of the water fall as well, and on the other side of the island.”

  “That’s fascinating.” She wasn’t just saying it either, she was being truthful. And he could see it in her eyes.

  “The island was supposed to go to my father when his uncle died, but he’s changed his will to leave everything that was to go to my father to me. He still has all his wits about him at 92. He outlived all his siblings,” Damien said, then turned to Arianna. She nodded. She knew what that look meant. They had both also outlived their siblings. She finished her warm-ups, as did he, and she followed him down the path to the beach. “I almost forgot these,” he said as he pulled two new mosquito bracelets out of his pocket. His was a bright green, hers a bright pink.

  “Thanks again,” she said. “You’re very thoughtful.” When his hand lingered on her wrist again she didn’t pull away.

  “One other thing,” he said as he pulled a bottle of spray-on sunscreen out of his pocket. “Not that you need it.” His tone wasn’t condescending; he said it as if her dark skin was the biggest turn on. She liked it. “Okay, shoes on, or off?”

  “On, I guess,” she shrugged.

  “Good choice,” he nodded. She already wore her sunglass. He pulled his out of his pocket. He somehow looked sexier. “It’s three and a half miles around the island. Are you ready?”

  “Are we going to do one lap, or two,” she challenged.

  “I think one today,” he sighed loudly. And then they took off.

  Vince awoke before six to the sound of his phone ringing. He didn’t need to be up until eight to catch his flight, and after the night he had last night, he needed the sleep. He remembered the pretty transvestite with the blue contacts, and he frowned. He shouldn’t have done that, he thought, but he wouldn’t regret it for long. The sex didn’t help him sleep; he was still awake another hour or so thinking of Ari. He eventually masturbated while thinking of her, a
nd fell right to sleep afterwards.

  “Yea,” Vince groaned into the phone after he pushed the button.

  “Come home,” Jordan whimpered. “I need you.” His tone said he was just one step above losing it. Vince could relate.

  “I’m not coming back to the states without Arianna,” Vince stated forcefully. “Don’t ask me to.”

  “I’m losing my mind.” Jordan’s voice cracked. “This isn’t like Ari being in jail. At least we knew where she was. We knew she was alive.”

  “Jordan, what time is it there?” Vince asked.

  “It’s six pm.”

  “When was the last time you were home?” Vince knew he’d been sleeping in his office. It wasn’t healthy.

  “I can’t go back there,” Jordan sobbed.

  “Go back, cook something nice for dinner. Then take a warm bath and go to sleep in Ari’s room.” Vince sighed, and although he hated to suggest it, he continued, “Call Selena to come over and have a nice orgasm.”

  “I’d rather have you here,” Jordan admitted. He’d had a lot of time to think sitting in his office watching programs run. He didn’t want to be alone if Ari wasn’t there. And he didn’t want just anyone. He wanted Vince.

  “I can’t be there now,” Vince said calmly. He was still angry about what Jordan said before he left. But he couldn’t let his anger influence how he dealt with Jordan now. Jordan might totally flip out if Vince threw Jordan’s words in his face. “Call Selena.”

  Jordan glanced down at the plate that held the lunch Sam had brought him earlier. He was upset when he saw the potatoes Jordan had thrown in the floor. He cleaned it up and sat with Jordan while he ate. The only reason he left was he had a deposition he couldn’t reschedule. “I’d rather call Sam.”

  Were Sam and Jordan growing close? Vince couldn’t let jealousy seep in now. He’d just had sex with a hooker. But having sex with a hooker wasn’t like getting close to someone. Vince bit his lip, hard, to keep from saying what he thought. “Call Sam then. Cook a nice dinner for him. Get him drunk, and then see if he hits on you.”