Wild Nights

by Tina Wainscott

  “It’s not okay,” she said, keeping Willie’s attention while Sax set the bottle on the table, snatched up the other bottle, and walked away. But he remained close enough to hear her say, “You’re upset, and I don’t blame you. I shouldn’t have grabbed the bottle.”

  Willie grabbed the napkins from her quick hands and turned to take the bottle. “I have to go.”

  Sax followed Willie to the restaurant, where he disappeared into the kitchen. He was going to mix up a batch of shots for his perv regular. When Sax returned to Jennessy, Magnum was talking to her.

  Surprise, surprise. Not.

  Sax wandered past, hearing Magnum say, “I see you have the same klutzy inclination I have.”

  “Oh, yeah. I did one of those cinnamon shots and desperately needed water. My mouth was burning. I spotted Willie with his bottle and grabbed for it. Ended up spilling it all over him. So embarrassing.”

  “Not as embarrassing as knocking you and your friend to the ground.” Magnum shook his head.

  Sax settled into a chair at an empty table. From there, he could watch the rear of the restaurant. Magnum leaned close to Jennessy’s ear, his gaze pinning Sax as he whispered something to her.

  Sax lifted the bottle to his mouth and sniffed. No, it didn’t have an odor. Of course, that’s what made it a perfect date rape drug. No color, no odor, no taste.

  The schmuck wandered off, and Jennessy came over and sat down at the table. Her cascade of flaxen curls caught the sunlight.

  “You are absolutely freakin’ awesome,” he said.

  Her grin was as bright at the sun. “Why, thank you.”

  He wanted to slide his fingers into those curls, nuzzle her neck, oh, and all those other things he could do to make her smile. He’d felt the silky skin of her inner thighs, the soft folds of her feminine places. He’d heard the intake of her breath as his fingers made contact, the raw need in her gasp. They could have all kinds of fun without going anywhere she didn’t want to go.

  But she was going to drive that bus. So down, boy.

  “What did the shmuck have to say?” he asked.

  “He’s seen you creeping around and warned me to stay away from you. You give him a vibe.”

  “A vibe? He really said that?”

  “Yep. He was in the Special Forces, you know.” She bobbed her eyebrows. “He has a ‘soldier’s sense.’ ”

  “Special Forces, that guy? No way. Doesn’t walk like military, and sure as hell doesn’t talk like military. Was that what the gun-shooting miming he was doing was about, during your Connections date?”

  “Yep. He was very impressive, telling me how he was the best, fastest, and then that rat-a-tat business”—she splayed her hand to her chest and rolled her eyes—“so sexy.”

  Sax had to hold back the laugh that wanted to burst out at her theatrics. “It’s a wonder you didn’t drop your drawers right then. Gee, I’m going to have to use that pickup line.”

  They both went silent as Willie emerged from the rear entrance of the restaurant and headed toward the Wild side with a bakery box. Sax pushed out of his chair, Jennessy following a few yards behind. Willie led them to the bar where he’d stored the last batch of his cherry bombs. There were only two inside, probably all he could make. He put them in the box with the X on the side and shoved it way in the back. Then he reported in at the Connections offices, taking the desk. Reed Jones disappeared into the back office.

  Sax leaned back against the metal railing that circled the pool area. “Why don’t we grab lunch and then go back to my room, see if Oscar’s given us anything?”

  “Sounds good. I’m famished.”

  He pushed away from the fence, and they headed to the open-air buffet. People laughed and flirted, many balancing a drink as they spooned food onto their plates. They’d never guess the dark undercurrent of this place. How many predators lurked here? How many victims grappled with missing hours and a sense of violation?

  “Wow, this looks so festive!” Jennessy said, taking in the cut flowers adorning the glass dome that covered the bins.

  He pushed the dark thoughts aside to enjoy the atmosphere. “It smells even better.”

  The smoky aroma of spices and meat filled the air. Man, he could eat island fare every day. He piled his plate with jerk chicken, red beans and rice, and plantains. Jennessy had a similar selection, only about half as much. He swiped a peach hibiscus from the dome and tucked it behind her ear. “There, you look properly tropical.” And beautiful. The peach hue enhanced the tinge of color she had on her cheeks from the sun and the natural pink of her lips.

  She plucked a white one and tucked it into the buttonhole of his shirt. “And so do you.”

  He couldn’t help himself. He leaned down and kissed her. Just quick and sweet, but it was an impulse he couldn’t resist. She rewarded him with a smile that gave him that flip sensation in his chest again. He was suddenly aware that they were standing there staring at each other with grins on their faces. “Let’s find a table,” he said, before he gave into temptation again and leaned in for another kiss.

  Though the area was large, the strategically placed planters of tropical foliage gave many of the two-top tables a sense of privacy. Couples held hands across the table or played footsie beneath it. Several guys at one large table laughed as one threw a chicken bone at another. Servers in white shirts and shorts discreetly filled water glasses and cleared dishes. Sax scouted a small table at the edge, overlooking one of the arbor areas.

  Jennessy took it in as she sank into the chair. “It’s funny how among all of the raunchiness around here that they have these romantic little spots tucked here and there.”

  “They’d be perfect for wedding ceremonies.” Sax’s mouth nearly dropped open. Had he said that?

  Thankfully she didn’t catch how odd that statement was, coming from a confirmed bachelor. “How romantic would that be, especially if you met here?”

  He wasn’t saying one more word about weddings. “But how many couples who meet here actually stick together?” Ah, now he was back in familiar territory. “Odds are they come from different states, different lives. I give it one in a million, and that’s optimistic.”

  Her smile faded as she took in all of the couples in the vicinity. “I suppose you’re right. I don’t think people come here hoping to meet their one and only.”

  “But how about this food?” he asked, steering the convo into a safer territory, then dug into his meal.

  She rolled her eyes in pleasure after her first bite. “I could eat this every day.”

  “I just thought the same thing.” Wow, they were thinking alike now. His gaze strayed to that arbor, but he trained it back on her. He enjoyed watching her enjoy her food. Unlike many of the women in his hometown who ate like birds and talked about their figures. Leaving a piece of food on their plates because they thought they should. Jennessy tucked a forkful of chicken into her mouth, smiling as she chewed. When she caught him watching her, he checked to make sure no one was within hearing distance, then leaned closer. “If it weren’t for you, Willie would have made another batch of drugged shots. You were an incredible actress.”

  “Thank you. He, however, wasn’t quite as good an actor. Was he pissed!” She laughed. “He was trying so hard to keep that Mr. Charm thing going, but he was half an inch from calling me a not-very-nice name.”

  “I think he might have blown his cork if you’d wiped him down one more time. But that’s twice that we’ve interfered with his activities. Once was me, once was you. If he remembers seeing us together, it’ll pique his suspicion.”

  “And we don’t want that. What did you find at his place?”

  He filled her in. “I need to make up a batch of pseudo K.”

  She rubbed her hands together. “Ooh, chemistry lab all over again. I’ve broken down the composition of drugs but I’ve never replicated one.”

  “Let’s grab a dessert and take it back to my room.”

  They ate oversized co
okies as Sax fast-forwarded through Oscar’s conversations about housekeeping issues, an employee he suspected was using, and finally something more interesting.

  “Darius, it’s Oscar. When are you coming to Shasta?…Good, because we have a problem…we can talk once you get here.” Oscar’s tone took on a definite edge. “Of course I can handle things here. I’ve been handling this resort for five years now, dealing with everything while you swoop in, have the women clamor all over you, and fly back out again. I came up with the most profitable scheme this resort has seen, so don’t take that tone with me, little brother…don’t you hang up—he hung up on me. Bastard.” Oscar slammed down the phone with a loud crack.

  “That problem might be me,” Jennessy said, her eyes wide. “And the most profitable scheme could be the drugging.”

  “I was thinking about just how profitable it might be.” Sax relayed the numbers he’d come up with. “That’s a huge incentive to run this scheme. And to protect it. In the military, we tangled with people who fought and killed for their beliefs. It made them relentless and determined. Money is just as big a motivator, especially when, say, you’re trying to prove yourself to your famous, better-looking and pompous brother. We need to tread very carefully, Jennessy. The more we snoop and interfere, the more we risk gaining their attention. And if it gets the least bit dangerous, you go home. And that is an order.”

  Chapter 10

  Jennessy tucked her plate into the trash can, and Sax began to pull things from his suitcase. He set a bottle of capsicum powder on the floor, then four boxes of pain-relief powder, and a large cup that people used to make protein shakes.

  “In pain much?” she asked, taking in everything. Despite the casual way she said it, the thought tightened her tummy.

  “This is how we make a fake batch of K.” He pulled a piece of paper from the side of the luggage and carried everything to the dresser. “Chase, my boss¸ knows how to replicate drugs.”

  “And, uh, why would you need to do that?”

  “The agency sometimes takes on assignments like retrieving stolen yachts. So a couple of J-Men, our agents, pose as guys just hanging out in the Bahamas. To really blend in, you need to do some snort. And share it with the targets. It has to taste and feel like the drug to them.”

  “What exactly is this agency you work for?”

  “It’s called The Justiss Alliance. And like it sounds, the agency is about getting justice.”

  “Outside the bounds of the law, you said.”

  He flashed a sly smile. “But sometimes with the unofficial blessing of the law.” He opened several of the capsicum capsules from the bottle with the hot chili pepper on the label into the cup. “If Willie snorts this, it will give him watery eyes and a runny nose.” He added all of the pain relief packets.

  “Did security ask about all this stuff?”

  “They did. I told them that I’m former military and I have a lot of old injuries. Told them I supplement the aspirin with the capsicum, which is a natural anti-inflammatory. Since it’s all in sealed containers, they let it pass. After the drug-sniffing dog gave it a go.”

  He pulled out a small baggie. “This is the real thing, from Willie’s stash. I put a tiny bit in here so that he’ll get a buzz, but it won’t incapacitate him. Or anyone who receives it.” He shook the cup, then eyed it. “This will look like a drink, so I can carry it in the open.”

  She watched him mix everything with interest. Chemistry had been her hardest subject, but she’d enjoyed the lab aspects. None of her fellow students had looked like Sax, though. None had strong hands or those long fingers that were capable of eliciting quite interesting responses from her body…at least that she’d noticed. Because she’d kept her focus on her studies and not on the guys. She’d been so loyal. And now she was free. To explore who she was. And who Sax was, too.

  He glanced at his watch. “I need to switch this out before the scumbag mixes up another batch.”

  She took hold of his wrist and pulled his watch closer. “The scar on your back is a lot like this one. Bullet?”

  “Yep. We were caught in an ambush. Luckily, this was the only injury. My watch is just like the team; we take a lickin’ but keep on tickin’.”

  He said it so casually, but the images that went with that statement were anything but.

  As they headed to the door, she said, “I can’t imagine being shot at. Going into situations where you know there are people waiting who want to kill you.” It was hard to imagine Sax creeping into cities or buildings armed with automatic weapons.

  “If we didn’t go in and take out those baddies, they would take out some of our guys. Or innocent civvies. They don’t care who’s nearby. We’d ride into towns with gunned-up vehicles and there would be kids playing soccer next to a house where we knew the bad guys were holing up. It was surreal. And wrong as hell.” He banked the emotion in his eyes and opened the door. “But that’s war for you.”

  She put her hand on his arm. “Why aren’t you in the military anymore? I can tell how much you loved it. And that you were good at it. You should see the spark in your eyes whenever you talk about some maneuver.” She could see his struggle over what to reveal. “Oh, God, you were kicked out, weren’t you? What do they call it—dishonorably discharged? Because whenever I bring it up, an angry shadow replaces that spark.”

  He rubbed his face, looking pained. “I’m not angry, but I don’t like talking about it. Legally, I can’t tell you much. Five of our team took a covert mission knowing that if things went wrong, we were on our own. Things went wrong. Our OIC—officer in charge—was killed, and we barely made it out alive.”

  “That’s terrible. You all are pretty close, I imagine.”

  “We’d never worked with this guy, but he was still one of us. When he was identified, people wanted retribution and justice. We were the sacrificial lambs.”

  “Was that the thing that happened in Mexico a few months back?”

  “One and the same. I shouldn’t have told you that much. You have to promise me you’ll keep it secret.”

  “I will. So you went from being a group of brothers kicking butt for your country to outcasts. How awful.”

  “Look, we were better off than the OIC. The five of us made it out alive. We have our limbs, unlike a lot of guys. No one at home sees me as an antihero. They know something went down. So I settle back into my old life. My dad gives me the position I’d gone to college for, vice president of Cole Grills. Life is easy and safe. Except I have the same kind of meltdown I had when I was just about to finish college and take an upper management position in the family company. Everything’s handed to me, and I don’t know if I deserve it.” He ran his hand over his hair. “I haven’t earned it. In the SEALs, you earn your place. First by surviving BUD/S, the training course you have to pass. Ten percent of my class passed, and that’s not unusual. Then you earn your place on every mission.”

  He could have taken the easy life, using the cheating card whenever he wanted. But he had pledged his life to his country in one of the toughest units of the military. And he’d given up on the idea of a committed relationship because he didn’t want to hurt a woman.

  She wanted to wrap her arms around his shoulders and tell him what a good man he was. But she asked, “How did you end up working for this Justiss Alliance?” instead.

  “My boss approached us as we were leaving the courthouse where we had a so-called trial. Offered us all jobs right there. He knew the score; I’m guessing he’s been there, done that. Four of us have signed on.”

  “What about the fifth?”

  Sax stared beyond her, his eyes narrowing slightly. “He’s probably going to get himself killed trying to find out what really happened over there. Stubborn as hell, and knowing the truth isn’t going to change anything, other than…well, knowing.” He blinked, coming back to present. “We’d better get going.”

  They stepped out and headed down the path.

  “Thanks for telling me
that.” He’d told her the truth about the mission, his life. But she had a feeling he was lying about how he felt about it. Maybe even to himself.

  Sax gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’m going to check out the Connections office. Be back in a minute.”

  Even in his business-y shorts and loose shirt, he walked with a confident swagger. The glasses only served to give him a sexy-but-smart look. She leaned against the back of a chair and sighed. And for the weekend, he was all hers.

  She watched a couple sitting in one of the cozy arbor areas, kissing and whispering. Most of the people who hooked up here were after only one thing: sex. But Sax was offering her more than that…and not even that, if she didn’t want to go that far. Despite his protestations that he wasn’t doing it to be nice, he was doing it for her.

  “Miss Shaw.”

  She spun at the voice behind her to find Reed Jones standing there. “Yes?”

  “I understand you went to Mr. Mitchell’s office and that you were upset. Is everything all right?”

  This completely threw her. Where he had been only pleasant, now Reed’s expression was genuinely concerned. Did he know why she’d gone to Oscar? Probably. “Waking up in a stranger’s room with no memory of the night before was very upsetting. I never do things like that. I’m sure someone slipped a drug into my drink. It happened to another woman, too.”

  “I assure you that we do not condone drug use of any kind at our resort. Though, of course, that doesn’t stop some guests from smuggling in their own entertainments.” Reed made a face that expressed his distaste. “Can you tell me who might have slipped you, what, a roofie, you think?”

  “The guy whose room I woke up in said I was out of it when we met, and he took me to his room because I couldn’t tell him where mine was.” She dredged up those confused and shameful emotions. “Since nothing happened, I doubt he drugged me. What would be the point?”