“Thanks for picking her up at the airport, Beni,” the man said, not taking his eyes off Charlotte.
“Anytime,” the woman with the curly hair replied.
He must be the “Damian” the women had been referring to when they’d first arrived. From where Isiah stood, he could see Charlotte’s smile before Damian dipped his head and placed a lingering kiss on her lips.
Isiah looked away from the intimacy and, instead, allowed himself to ponder questions he’d previously refused to consider. Did Alexis live on the island? If so, what did she do and was it something that would keep her on Tildas more permanently? Seeing her with her friends made him think that she might work at one of the luxury hotels—there were quite a few that hired former military as security. But still, that didn’t feel quite right.
“Can I get four beers and two gin and tonics?” Dominic asked, as he approached the bar.
Isiah pushed the lingering questions aside as he refocused on his job. “Draft or can?” he asked as he started to gather the ingredients for the GnTs.
“Draft, please. And I hear you have food, too?” Dominic asked.
Isiah inclined his head. “We serve until six pm. After that, it’s just the bar.”
“Good enough. Dominic Burel,” the man said, surprising Isiah.
“Isiah Clarke.” He held out a hand.
“Nice place you have here.”
“Thanks.”
“When’d you get out?”
Isiah looked up sharply.
Dominic grinned back. “Takes one to know one. Former PJ,” he said, rightly assuming that Isiah would recognize the nickname for the elite Airforce Pararescue teams. “And that one,” Dominic said, pointing to Damian, “Is a former Ranger, but I don’t hold it against him. Much.”
Isiah’s lips twitched at that. “Been out eight years. SEALs.” He very rarely talked about his military career, but something about the easy comradery within the group reminded him of his own team.
“What are you all doing down here?’ Isiah asked as he set the gin and tonics on a tray.
Dominic shrugged. “Right now? Drinking and welcoming our friend, Charlotte, back to the island. She’s Damian’s fiancé but lives off island, although I think that’s going to change pretty soon.”
“And when you’re not drinking?” Isiah knew the former PJ might not answer—old habits died hard when you’d been trained as part of an elite team and the need for discretion and secrecy was something drilled into each of them.
“FBI,” Dominic answered. Surprise shot through Isiah. Not at Dominic being FBI, it wasn’t unusual for former military to go into the Bureau, or even the fact that he’d admitted to it, since working for the FBI wasn’t exactly a secret. But his answer encompassed Alexis too, and that he hadn’t seen coming.
His eyes swept over the table as he poured the last beer. “All of you?”
“Except Charlotte.”
Chagrinned at the assumptions and judgments he’d made about Alexis—judgments that didn’t reflect well on him—he told Dominic the first round was on the house. After sliding the tray over and setting a menu on top, he watched the PJ return to his friends. Isiah’s eyes lingered on the group for a moment, straying to Alexis more than once.
FBI.
He hadn’t expected that.
Isiah glanced up from the tap filling the pint glass in his hand when Alexis’s voice carried from the veranda.
“Go,” she urged. “Seriously, I’ll have one more than head home.”
Of her colleagues, all but Dominic were standing, clearly getting ready to leave.
“I’ll stay and have one more with you,” Dominic said. Isiah’s eyes darted between the table that held his attention and the nearly full glass in his hand. By now he was certain the five agents were all just friends, but it was still nice that Dominic seemed to be looking out for Alexis.
Not that she needed looking out for, he reminded himself. Not only was she trained in self-defense, but she’d been in his bar enough times for him to know she was perfectly capable of getting herself home.
“I’ve had enough of you for the night, Dom.”
“No one ever gets enough of me, Lex,” he interjected which gave rise to a chorus of snorts and sarcasm from his colleagues.
“Go,” Alexis repeated. “If you leave now you won’t wear out your welcome and I might still like you tomorrow.”
Isiah lost track of the conversation as he took another order, though he did give a nod to the crew, including Dominic, as they filed past him toward the door.
Not bothering to ask, he poured a double shot of Laphroaig and took it to Alexis. She was typing something into her phone when he arrived and she glanced up in surprise.
“I’ll take it if you don’t want it,” he offered.
She peered around the corner, looking inside the bar. The afternoon had started slow, but now all the tables were taken as were all the spots at the bar. Marty, who’d arrived a few hours earlier, was taking orders for a group of eight and there were even a few people dancing.
“Now I feel kind of bad for wanting it, it looks like you might need it more than me,” she said, reaching out for the glass.
“Good thing I know where to find more of that once this place clears out.”
She held his gaze for a moment and then gave him a lopsided smile. “It’s always good to have a job with benefits.”
He lingered for another second not wanting to leave but seeing the line already backing up at the bar. “It’s on me.” Damn, he wasn’t sure why he’d done that. He’d already given the table a free round—they’d bought another, and some food, and had tipped well. But still, this felt like unfairly crossing the line he’d not so subtly drawn in December.
She shook her head. “I’ll pay on my way out. You better get back.” She nodded to the bar. “Marty is good, but tonight looks like a two person job. At least,” she added.
He nodded. He couldn’t blame her for insisting on paying, not after the message he’d sent six months ago—one she’d obviously received loud and clear. But even so that didn’t mean he had to like it. The urge to sit down, have a drink with her, and explain everything was strong. But what would he say? “Sorry I was an asshole, but I thought you were a tourist?” Somehow, he didn’t think she’d be impressed by that apology.
No, he needed to be more strategic. He also probably needed a little more time than just the past few hours to consider what he actually wanted. He’d apologize either way, but he should give some thought as to what he wanted, or hoped, might come after.
And besides, Alexis didn’t seem to want company. Or at least not his. She’d gone back to looking at her phone as she rolled the tumbler between her thumb and forefinger. Again, he couldn’t blame her for all but dismissing him.
With a small shake of his head, he returned to the bar and the next hour flew by. It wasn’t until he was outside, dropping a bag of trash in the bin, that he heard Alexis’s voice again.
“Don’t do this, gentlemen. Why don’t you head inside and we’ll all go on our merry ways.”
He closed the lid of the bin and stepped around the building, his heart stopping at what he saw. Two men had Alexis backed up against a car. They weren’t touching her, but they were definitely in her personal space and leaning in even more with every passing second.
“I don’t know,” one of them said. “I think you should come back inside and party with us.”
“You might be this big of an asshole in your real life, but even then, I’m guessing you don’t do this at home,” Alexis replied. Her voice sounded more curious than concerned, and that was the only thing that kept him from charging out there. Oh, he wasn’t about to let anything happen, but not only was she trained for this kind of situation, but his training was based on the premise of using the least amount of force necessary in the circumstance. Now sometimes that meant a shit ton of force, but was now one of those times? As much as his muscles bunched and tensed to pounce, an
d as much as his instinct hollered at him to protect Alexis, he recognized that it wasn’t. At least not yet. He needed to give Alexis the space to deescalate the situation, because if he stepped in at the wrong time, it could get infinitely worse.
Taking deep, measured breaths, he melted into the shadows as he moved closer, craning his head to listen. One of the men said something and the other laughed. The muscles in Alexis’s legs went taut. Isiah hadn’t a clue what she had planned, but while she kept her voice calm, her body was ready for the storm.
“Now I’m going to give the benefit of a doubt to whoever raised you both and assume they taught you right from wrong. Obviously, you’ve chosen not to listen to them, so I’m going to give you another chance to make a better choice,” she said.
The man closest reached for her and Isiah’s entire body flooded with adrenaline. But before he had a chance to move, Alexis had the man up against the car. With her body behind his, she forced him forward against the door, his right hand held in a grip against his waist, and his left bent up behind him. He jerked against her restraint, but she held him immobile.
“If you don’t want this to escalate any further, I suggest you back off.” For a moment, he thought Alexis was talking to him, but when the second man stepped back, Isiah realized she was in complete control of the situation.
“Now you are going to listen to me, gentlemen. And yes, I use that term loosely.” When neither man responded, she continued. “You’re both going to make better choices from now on. Just because you’re on vacation does not mean you get to be assholes. Obviously, that’s your default personality, but like I said, I’m going to wager that you know better.” She lowered the man’s left hand enough that she could grip it with the same hand she held his other wrist in, then she spoke again. “Now, what you’re going to do is walk inside, have a drink or two, be polite to everyone, then head on back to your hotel and never visit here again. In fact, I’ll even help you out.”
Isiah thought his eyes were deceiving him when Alexis dug into her pocket and pulled out what looked like some money. But when she spoke next, he had to look away to keep himself from stepping into the situation and telling her she was crazy.
“The drinks are excellent here. Marty makes a mean Painkiller. Try a couple on me.” She shoved some cash into the man’s pocket. “But when you leave here today, don’t ever come back. Do you understand?”
Isiah forced his attention back to the scene to see the man behind her nodding. But the man against the car hesitated.
“Now, now now,” Alexis admonished. “Now’s not the time to hesitate. Just give me a nod and you and your little friend can go on your way.”
Isiah tensed as the seconds ticked by. But then the man finally gave a terse nod. Alexis moved back, one step at a time, until she released the man’s wrists enough that he could shift away from her.
Isiah’s heart thudded against his ribs, and the preternatural calm he’d always felt when on a mission swept through his body. His attention remained focused solely on the man Alexis had released. If the situation was going to go to hell in a handbasket, now was when it would happen.
The man spun around but kept his back to the car.
“Make a good choice,” Alexis said. Her arms hung down, relaxed, but her hands were still and ready should she need to use them.
A beat passed. Then another. Finally, the two men stepped away then scuttled into the bar. Alexis stood still, watching them. But once the bar door closed behind them, she took a deep breath, let it out, then started walking up the road. Alone.
He couldn’t—wouldn’t—let her go on her own. Not after what had just gone down. But even with the little bit he’d learned about her, he knew she wouldn’t want his company. Asking her to wait for him was out of the question, but so was letting her go—as much for her sake as for his. Okay, maybe more for his. She may not be interested in having anything to do with him after what had happened in December, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep unless he knew for certain that she’d made it home safely.
Decision made, he quickly slipped back into the bar through the rear exit and stepped up next to Marty. The two men who’d cornered Alexis were in line for drinks.
“I need to step out for a minute,” Isiah said.
Marty’s head swiveled in his direction and his mouth opened to say something. Then it promptly snapped shut. “Everything okay?” Marty asked.
“Those two.” Isiah subtly jerked his head in the direction of the men and Marty glanced over. “I wouldn’t be opposed if their drinks were sub-par. And if they so much as look at someone sideways, kick them out.”
Marty eyed him for a moment as he poured a beer from the tap. “Got it. Anything else?” he asked, turning back to the drink.
“Sorry to leave you—”
“Go,” Marty insisted, “Whatever you need to do, go do it. I got this.”
Isiah hesitated, it was a busy night. But then Marty jerked his head toward the exit and Isiah took the hint. Not wasting any time, he left through the back door and, pausing under the emergency light, he scanned the street for Alexis. His heart stuttered when he didn’t immediately see her—the road stretched in either direction and there were only two ways she could have gone—but then he caught a glimpse of her form as she picked her way along the side of the road, heading south.
Letting out a deep exhale, he allowed all his training and experience to come to the surface, and silently, he made his way toward the cover of the foliage and began to follow her.
Alexis turned and walked up a short driveway to the entrance of a luxury apartment building. Tapping in the code, she walked through the first door, then used a key to get through the second.
Smiling to herself as she stepped into the elevator, she hit a button and the door slid closed. As the lift rose to the fifth floor, she wondered if Isiah would breathe a sigh of relief thinking she was home.
It was kind of cute how he thought he’d be able to follow her without her knowing. And no, she wouldn’t admit that she kind of liked that he’d tried. Okay fine, she’d admit it. But that didn’t mean she’d gloss over how unexpected it was.
Not that seeing her safely home after being accosted in his parking lot was unexpected—that was something Alexis chalked up to basic human decency and the fact that, despite his previous behavior, Isiah wasn’t immune to her. But what was unexpected was what he hadn’t done. He hadn’t interfered with her handling of the two drunks and he hadn’t rushed to her side and treated her like a helpless victim. No, he’d hung back, assessed the situation, determined that she could handle it, and stayed out of her way. He’d respected her skills while ensuring her safety, and all without pulling the alpha-male/he-man card.
Not that she doubted he was one—a man didn’t become a SEAL without being an alpha—but it was one thing to be one and another thing to know when you didn’t need to act like one. And damn if it wasn’t sexy as hell that he knew the difference.
The door opened on the top floor and, pushing thoughts of Isiah to the side for the moment, she stepped out. There were two doors in the hallway, both of which led to apartments owned by her parents. The one to the left housed Yael and Eric Goodman, her head of security and her cook/dog trainer, respectively. To her right was Rachel Goodman’s flat. Rachel was Eric’s mother, but she was also Alexis’s house manager—she’d been with the family since before Alexis was born and was like a second mother to her.
To the right she went.
She didn’t have to wait long for Rachel to answer, and the door swung open before she’d even had a chance to rap a second time.
“What’s wrong?” Rachel asked, stepping aside so Alexis could enter the apartment.
“Hey, Yael. Eric.” Alexis ignored Rachel’s question for the moment and greeted Rachel’s son and daughter-in-law instead.
“What’s wrong?” Yael repeated from where she sat on the couch with her feet in Eric’s lap.
Alexis rolled her eyes. “Nothing
is wrong. There were a couple of troublemakers at the bar and Isiah followed me home. No doubt to make sure I made it safely after the encounter.”
“Encounter?” Rachel asked, handing her a glass of wine without asking.
“Followed you home?” Yael asked, at the same time.
“Two assholes, who were already one too many drinks in, took a safari taxi up to The Shack. I was on my way out when they decided I needed to party with them,” Alexis answered Rachel first. “I disagreed. One got a little handsy but it took less than fifteen seconds for them to realize they’d made a bad decision. Frankly, if you ask me, my guess is that most of their lives are made up of one bad decision after the other, but that’s my armchair psychology for you,” she added.
“You’re not hurt?” Rachel asked.
Alexis shook her head. “Didn’t even get my heart rate up.” Not entirely true, but close enough.
“I want to get back to the part where you said Isiah Clarke followed you home. You mean he walked you home? Why are you here?” Yael asked, confused.
Again, Alexis shook her head. But this time it was in equal parts to answer the question as well as to shake the image of Isiah in her home out of her mind. “We barely know each other but he saw the whole thing go down—”
“And he didn’t step in?” Eric said.
“He wouldn’t have wanted the scene to escalate,” Yael interjected, prodding her husband with her toe. Dutifully, he started kneading her foot again.
“I give him props for recognizing you could handle the situation,” Yael continued. “Most men, particularly military men, wouldn’t have been so, what’s the word…”
“Equal opportunity?” Alexis said.
“Level headed,” Rachel offered.
“Those are not the words I’d use,” Eric muttered.
Yael shot her husband a quelling look and shook her head. “So then what?”
Alexis took a sip of her wine as she shrugged. “Not much. I started walking home. I assume he went in to tell Marty he wanted to keep an eye on me because it was a few minutes before I caught his shadow moving along the side of the road following me.”
Night Deception Page 2