by Jayne Rylon
“Does he usually handle your shipments?” Archer asked.
“No, Hemi does. He runs the store on Rarotonga, too.” She closed her eyes. “I thought he was just being helpful as always. But something was strange about it. On the way to island night I forgot my fire poi, and when I came back, Hemi was in here searching for the packages. Pāpā hadn’t mentioned his mail run to Hemi even though he knows Hemi always takes care of that. Looking back…”
For the first time she wavered. Tosin was right by her side to hold her steady.
“I feel like the world’s worst daughter for even considering that he could have done this. But besides that, the men in the jungle asked me where ‘he’ was. The only person missing is Pāpā. Nothing else makes sense, does it?” She hiccupped.
“While I hope you’re wrong, I’m glad you’re keeping your eyes open.” Tosin rubbed her upper arms, which were chilled despite the heat. “And if it turns out that he did this, then I think it’s him that’s earned the title of world’s worst.”
“For shits and giggles…” Miguel looked to Tosin, then Kahori. “I think you should open that. If they’re real too, then maybe the switcheroo is happening on Rarotonga. Maybe it’s Hemi we should be worried about.”
Kahori looked ill. She plopped into her office chair as if the thought hadn’t occurred to her. “They’re my family. I can’t believe we’re even having this discussion. Besides, Hemi was at the island night the entire time last night, right?”
Banks nodded. “I was sitting right next to him when everything went to hell.”
She turned the package over in her hands a few times before psyching herself up. When she grabbed a letter opener from a tipped earthen cup and went to slice the packing tape, she froze. “It’s been tampered with. I can see two layers of tape already.”
As if she still didn’t want to believe, she practically stabbed the package then ripped it open. A pearl necklace poured into her hand. Kahori took one look at it and began to sob. She grasped the strand in each of her hands and yanked, snapping it in half.
Fake pearls rained on the floor among the rest of the rubble.
Tosin rushed to her and crouched by her feet. He hugged her, guiding her face to his shoulder as she cried.
“Pāpā! Pāpā, why?” She broke their hearts as she expelled her misery.
No one had an answer to that question except her father. And he was definitely missing. Either he’d realized they were on to him and he’d run, abandoning his daughter to madmen…or they’d gone after him too, and he hadn’t been as lucky as Kahori.
When her bawling had slowed to weeping, Banks and the rest of the guys huddled around. “We really should get moving.” Banks told them.
“But where?” Kahori asked. “You said it yourself, the ship has a lot going on right now. I won’t endanger anyone else over my family’s problems.”
The guys winced. They’d like to argue, but the reality was they couldn’t take chances anymore. They’d learned from past mistakes and wouldn’t put anyone at risk.
“Look, we only need to buy a little time.” Archer told her. “As soon as we’re back to the Divemaster, Captain Alex and I will meet with the security team. Banks can have reinforcements flown in from New Zealand. It can probably be done in the next twenty-four hours. Where can we hide you until then?”
Tosin suggested, “How about the glowworm cavern? I’m staying with you. We can hide out there pretty comfortably for a while.”
“I have a better idea.” She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of the shirt she’d borrowed from Sabine. “Do you trust me?”
“Absolutely.”
Fifteen
Kahori appreciated Tosin holding her hand for the entire boat trip over to the motu that housed her uncle Kimo’s resort. Even that simple connection was enough to stabilize her. In the end, Archer and Miguel had decided to stay with them while Captain Alex and Banks returned to the ship to make the arrangements they’d agreed to.
Archer drove while Miguel searched the ocean around them with a pair of high-tech binoculars. Every minute or two he checked in with the head of their security detail back on the Divemaster.
They glided along outside the barrier reef, staying out of sight as much as possible before she directed Archer to duck through a slit in the coral on the backside of the motu. It was less than a minute before they had beached the rigid hull inflatable boat with its ridiculously overpowered engine then hauled it into the trees where it practically vanished from view.
The men walked in a triangle, keeping her at the center.
It felt so strange to be this cautious. To worry in a place that had only ever been peaceful before. The loss of that purity nearly shattered her again. Instead, she put her shoulders back and marched through the open-air lobby of Uncle Kimo’s resort and into his office.
He stood as they entered, a spear gun in his hands. When he recognized her, he propped it in the corner then flew to her side. Tosin stepped in front of her, blocking her uncle from invading her space.
“Because I appreciate what you did for her, I won’t hold that against you, papa’a. But I suggest you move now so I can see my niece.” Kimo spoke softly. The tā moko—decorative scarring around his eyes and along his jaw—he wore gave his underlying threat some heft, too.
Still, Tosin didn’t budge.
“It’s okay.” Kahori touched his arm softly. So he relented and let the man pass. When Kimo carefully enfolded her in his embrace, Tosin relaxed.
“I can’t believe this is happening.” Hearing the disbelief and pain in her gruff uncle’s voice made Kahori feel better about how she’d broken down in her workshop.
“You’re hurt. Ruru is missing.” At the mention of his brother, Kimo let Kahori go then pounded his fist on his desk hard enough to rattle everything on it. “What the hell is going on?”
“We’re not sure yet.” Kahori glanced at Tosin. He shrugged, leaving it to her discretion to confide in Uncle Kimo or not. They had to start asking some questions to find the answers they needed. This was as good a place as any to start.
“But you have some clue?” Kimo narrowed his eyes.
Kahori told him about the fake pearls and how they suspected the brutes who’d chased her had been some sort of collection crew that her father may have attempted to double-cross.
“They’ll be back.” Kimo sagged against his desk. “You can’t go home, Kahori.”
“I know.” She considered how he might take the news of the rest of their plan. In the end, she divulged everything. If she trusted her family and that ended up being the wrong call, she’d have to accept the consequences. But mistrusting even the people who’d loved her most seemed like a greater crime. “These guys are going to help me out. They’ve got more security coming in first thing in the morning. Until then, I was hoping Tosin and I could hide out in the honeymoon suite. Archer and Miguel will stay too, to guard the entrance.”
Her uncle frowned at first. Thinking of his gorgeous niece and a foreigner in the same sentence as “honeymoon suite” probably didn’t sit well, though as the island’s resort owner he certainly had more exposure to visitors, which had softened his traditional views. Eventually, he relented. “You’re right. It’s the easiest spot to protect. Since there’s only one way in…”
Kahori thought about the overwater cabana. It would be like a mini fort. No one could sneak up on them. “That’s what I was thinking, too.”
“Go ahead, Kahori. The longer we talk, the more likely it is someone might see you.” He shooed her. When she turned around, Hemi stood—feet spread, thick arms crossed—blocking the doorway.
“You’re letting them stay here?” He spat the question as if it were an accusation.
“She’s family—of course. Your uncle Ruru would do the same for you if something happened to me.” Kimo gestured for his son to move.
He didn’t.
The three divemasters huddled around her like a living, breathing shield.
“See…here you are inviting them in when they probably killed Uncle Ruru and fed him to the sharks,” Hemi snarled, viciously enough that spittle launched from his ruddy face.
“Right now you seem more violent, and far less civilized, than our guests.” Uncle Kimo put Hemi in his place.
“I can take care of Kahori.” Hemi bucked against his father’s authority. “We don’t need them.”
“If Tosin goes, so do I,” Kahori objected at the same time Tosin simply said, “No.”
“I never expected you to be the sort to choose a papa’a over your own blood.” Her cousin scanned her appraisingly. Then he shrugged. “Have it your way.”
Then he retreated to the check-in desk, where he answered a ringing phone, speaking quietly into the receiver as if he hadn’t been shouting moments earlier.
Kahori thanked her uncle then edged out the door toward the honeymoon suite.
“Tamāhine,” Uncle Kimo called for his niece. “Ignore my foolish son. He is hurting too. Don’t lose hope. Your pāpā is coming back. He would never choose to leave you. Understood?”
“Yes, uncle.” She wished the sickness in her gut didn’t say otherwise.
Sixteen
Kahori waved Archer and Miguel inside when they hesitated on the threshold. She knew why.
Because the honeymoon suite was clearly a place designed for romance. The overwater cabana had multiple decks complete with loungers and even a splash pool. Inside, it was a whole new level of cozy. Entire walls were made of glass. Gauzy fabric billowed around a giant four-poster bed. Flowers overflowed vases around the room.
For nearly everyone who stayed here, it was a once-in-a-lifetime way to commemorate the happiest days of their life. A new start with their soul mate.
“You guys can keep watch from in here.” Kahori smiled. “No reason to be uncomfortable. Besides, you’ll be less visible if you stay inside.”
Of course the three divemasters were already peering off the edge of the deck into the shallow water below. She didn’t blame them. A gorgeous reef sat in about twenty feet of water, drawing a million colorful creatures.
Miguel elbowed Tosin. “You hear that? No nookie for you. We’re your roomies for the night.”
“Fuck you,” Tosin grumbled.
Archer laughed at them both.
Kahori had other plans. She took Tosin’s hand, loving how large and strong it felt cupping hers. Even better, she was excited that she might be able to do something amazing for him. Give him an experience that even his millions might not have bought him yet. “Don’t worry, Tosin. You’ll have the last laugh tonight.”
“Ohh, a peep show?” Miguel asked. “I’ll have to text Sabine and see if I’m allowed to watch.”
“Not exactly.” Kahori patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t be too jealous, okay?”
That got the guys’ attention. All three of them stared at her as she wandered toward what appeared to be a glass-topped table in the center of the room.
Kahori grabbed a handle hidden on the underside then lifted. The top pivoted open, revealing a hatch and a ladder going down.
Tosin’s eyes grew wide as he rushed to her side and peered into the space below. Instead of ocean waves, a richly appointed room inside what was essentially a giant glass bubble awaited. “Is that for real? An underwater bedroom?”
“Why don’t you check it out and see for yourself?” She smiled then waved him toward the space usually reserved for the resort’s most extravagant customers.
He didn’t hesitate another moment. Tosin clambered down the ladder so fast it might as well have been a fireman’s pole. He ignored the high-end finishes of the unique bedroom to stare at the ocean surrounding them through the transparent walls of the suite. “It’s like I can finally breathe underwater. Pretty much my biggest fantasy. Well, you know, other than the sex kind.”
“I suppose that’s true.” She hopped to the ground, happy when her ribs and skull only protested the jarring maneuver a tiny bit. “Best of all, no one can sneak up on us down here. Hell, they’re not likely to find us even if they raid the cabana.”
From above, Miguel and Archer were cursing their best friend. Miguel tried to bribe his way inside. “Dude, I’ll give you a million dollars if you switch places with us.”
“Make it two million.” Archer didn’t sound like he was joking either.
“Sorry, boys, you’ll have to try some other time. We’re all booked up for tonight.” Tosin waved cheekily at his partners. “Close the door—er, table—would you?”
“Have fun, lucky bastard,” Miguel said then did as asked.
The second the sound from above was eliminated, the room seemed like a giant people bowl—you know, an aquarium where they were on display for the entertainment of the fish around them. Kahori had loved this room as a child. Hell, she still did now.
“I could stay here forever.” Tosin wandered to an oversized window seat that was really more of a spacious divan. He stretched out on it then patted the space in front of him.
Kahori joined him. When she neared, he reached for her, wrapping his arm around her waist then drawing her down in front of him so that they were both lying on their sides, her head pillowed carefully on his biceps as they stared at the butterfly fish schooling beyond the glass.
“If everything wasn’t so shitty outside right now, I’d say this was heaven. You, this place…I’ve got everything I need right here,” he murmured close to her ear as he curled around her.
“I need a break, Tosin. Until tomorrow, can we leave everything but us and this beauty out there? Forget it exists?” She ran her fingers along the arm he’d tossed over her waist.
“That sounds like the best idea I’ve heard in a while.” He kissed her cheek then acted like the only important thing in the world was them and their connection. He asked, “What’s your favorite sea creature?”
Kahori was happy to play this game with him.
“Easy. Pā’ua. I think you call them giant clams.” She pointed at one of the most beautiful examples she’d ever seen, nestled at the base of the reef about ten feet away from where they were laying. The enormous mollusk shell was impressive, but the mantle of neon blue and green photosynthetic material was easily the most unbelievable and stunning thing she’d ever seen in nature. It didn’t look real. “That one is about four feet wide. It’s lived here for at least seventy-five years. My grandfather wrote about it in his journal. It was one of the reasons Uncle Kimo chose this spot for the honeymoon suite.”
“Good choice. They’re awesome.” He hugged her as tight as possible without causing her bruised skin any discomfort. “Unfortunately, they’re also endangered.”
Not so different than her these days.
No, she would not let those thoughts intrude.
For a very long time they simply enjoyed each other’s company, pointing out the interesting things—like a manta ray, and a massive travally, and even a few black-tipped reef sharks—that wandered past their outpost. The constant swirl of color and life mesmerized them both.
As fascinating as the scenery was, Kahori eventually couldn’t stand facing away from the one thing she most wanted to see. She rolled over in Tosin’s arms so she could study his face. His eyes were even more striking since they reflected the turquoise water surrounding them. “You know, this isn’t called the honeymoon suite for nothing. It would be a shame to pass up an opportunity like this…”
Tosin leaned in to kiss her. The brush of his lips was even gentler than it had been the first time he’d tasted her. So she knew he was holding back.
Though she understood his concern, she couldn’t help but be kind of insulted that he didn’t think her tough enough to handle him. “Lame, Tosin.”
He barked out a laugh. “Sorry. I’m afraid I’ll hurt you. Or frighten you. Why don’t you let me hold you again tonight? I enjoyed the hell out of that last night and we didn’t even have this view to entertain us.”
“Not good enough.” Kahori hope
d he didn’t call her on that whopper. She would be satisfied with his comforting embrace in this ultra-peaceful haven if that was all they could muster. But she knew they were capable of a lot more than that.
And if this was her one chance, she didn’t want to waste it like she had during their time in the cave. If only she’d stayed, maybe none of this would have happened.
Maybe her father wouldn’t be missing.
Maybe she wouldn’t have been brutalized.
“You want me to make love to you?” he asked.
She nodded. “Please.”
“I’m warning you, Kahori. If we have sex tonight…here, in this magical place, with my emotions so wild already, and it being essentially your first time—the first time that counts, as far as I’m concerned—well, I can’t be responsible for what happens.”
“They’re just a few bruises, nothing major. You’re not going to hurt me if you get carried away,” she reassured him.
“That’s not what I meant.” He sighed then kissed her again, deeper this time. “If we do this, I’m going to fall in love with you. Hell, I’m halfway there already. Are you sure you want me following you around begging for your attention for the rest of your life?”
She laughed.
Except maybe he wasn’t kidding.
“I haven’t said those words to anyone since my grandparents passed away, Kahori. You’re the first person who’s made me even consider exposing myself to that kind of complication. I’m loyal, or stubborn—your call. Once my mind is made up, I’m not going to change it. So be sure that you really want me too—for more than a solid fuck—before you spread your legs for me.”
How could he say something so nasty, so crude, yet make it seem so romantic?
She didn’t understand, but that didn’t keep her from swooning a little inside.
That was what she’d thought she was signing up for when she’d gone to that club.