Wild Nights

by Tina Wainscott

  Darius looked to her for confirmation, and she nodded, running those numbers through her head again. He pulled it out of a file drawer and woke it up. “What is the code? I have to make sure I’m not giving away evidence.”

  “Three, five, nine, seven,” she said.

  The numbers cleared the opening screen. “Who’s in your contacts?”

  Crap. Think, think. “Knox. Chase. Dad.” Sax had told her a story about his cousin. “Chad.”

  Darius was searching the contacts list. “All right. Here. You need to leave now. Do you want the cart to take you back to the resort?”

  “No. I’ll walk. I could use the fresh air.”

  She looked at Sax again, who was leaning against the back wall…beneath the open window. He subtly lifted his chin. “Don’t worry about me, darlin’. I’ll get this straightened out in no time.”

  She nodded, then made her way out and down the path. When she heard the golf cart’s motor fade away, she turned and came back. The tiny jail, which wasn’t even identified as such, probably wasn’t on Decadence’s website. It was nowhere near the resort. She walked around to the back of the building and found the window.

  “I’m here,” she whispered, even though no one was around. The window was too high for her to see him.

  “You understood me.” She could hear pride in his voice. “You’re amazing.”

  “Stop flattering me. How am I going to get you out of there?”

  “You propose a jailbreak? Wow, you really are quite the woman.”

  She leaned against the cool, concrete wall. “How can you joke at a time like this? I don’t like you being in there.”

  “Well, I’m not too thrilled about it myself. My boss has a way of working things out, and he’s already been in touch with the Bahamian authorities. He should be able to spring me in no time. But I need to let him know. Can you hand me the phone?”

  His fingers thrust out through the bars, and she jumped up and pressed it into his hand. She’d been so angry at his stubbornness only minutes ago, but now the touch of his fingers felt bittersweet.

  “Hey, Chase, I have a sitch. I’m in jail…yes, again.”

  “Again?” she asked.

  “Long story,” he said, then gave his boss a thumbnail version of events. “Talk to you later.” After a moment, Sax said, “You still there?”

  “I don’t like leaving you.”

  “I’ll be fine. I want you to catch that flight. The sooner you’re out of here, the better I’ll feel. I’ll check in on you, I promise.”

  She let out a sigh. “All right.”

  “Here, take my phone so they don’t catch me with it. Leave it in the big pot at the airport, where you kissed me that first time.”

  The airport—where things were much simpler, and her heart had merely been humiliated. Now it was crushed in the grip of a fist. She took it, holding on to his hand for a moment before releasing it.

  “I’m not hearing you leave yet,” he said. “You don’t have a lot of time to pack and get to the pickup spot.”

  “I’m going, I’m going. Sax? Be careful.”

  She headed back toward the trail, feeling uneasy. Halfway down, a flash off the main trail caught her eye. Through the leaves she could see the golf cart. Maybe she’d ask for a ride the rest of the way, and that would give her a chance to talk Darius into releasing Sax. She picked her way around the trees and over the soft loamy ground, seeing that Darius was alone in the cart. Perfect.

  She slipped behind a tree and listened as Darius put his phone to his ear. “Reed? It’s Darius. We have a situation. You know that guy who was at the Point last night? I have him at the jail, because I think he is involved in something shady. But he’s telling me that you and Willie are drugging women and selling them for sex to our guests. It’s not true, is it? I didn’t think so. He’s trying to cover his ass, no doubt. But that’s what he’ll tell the Bahamian authorities when they arrive tomorrow. I just wanted to give you a heads-up, because they’re going to question you, too. Be prepared.”

  He disconnected and tucked the phone into his pocket. Jennessy froze, gripping the smooth trunk of the tree and holding her breath. Was he working with Reed and Willie? But no, he wasn’t warning them as a coconspirator. He never even mentioned the murder. Darius sat there for a few agonizing minutes. She didn’t dare move, afraid she’d catch his eye.

  Sax’s phone dinged, and blood rushed to her head as she ducked behind the tree. Darius must have heard it. What if he caught her? Would he put her in the cell, too?

  An alert on the phone indicated activity at location one. Willie’s cottage. She peered around the tree, seeing the back end of the golf cart still there. She needed to listen to whatever was going on at Willie’s. She entered the password and lifted the phone to her ear.

  “I’m up, I’m up,” Willie said, his voice gravelly.

  “I need you at the office now. Darius just told me that the guy who’s been causing trouble is in jail. And he’s fingered me as your partner in a drugging operation.”

  “Shit! Does Darius think we’re—”

  “No, thank God he thinks the Cole guy is up to something. But we gotta shut this dude up before the authorities get here. The sooner, the better. You man the office.”

  “You’re going to…”

  “Yeah. Poor guy’s so distraught at getting caught, he hung himself. We don’t talk about any of this, understand?”

  “Yeah. I’m getting dressed now.”

  Panic squeezed all the air out of her lungs. She had to tell Sax! And Darius still sat there, either pondering whatever plan he was concocting or waiting to see if that ding he’d heard meant something. Sweat trickled down her neck. Leave, dammit!

  Instead, she heard footsteps. Coming closer. She didn’t dare move, hardly breathed. In the distance, she saw him looking for the source of that sound. Slowly, she started maneuvering around the back side of the tree. He turned toward her just as she rounded the bend. She had no idea if any part of her could be seen. She wasn’t that skinny.

  More footsteps. Was he coming her way? What story could she give him about why she was hiding?

  But the footsteps were fading away toward the cart. She nearly drooped in relief as the motor shifted and the cart headed away. She raced back to the jail, trying the door this time. It was locked, so she ran around to the back again. “Sax!” she called in a breathless whisper.

  “What are you doing here?” he hissed.

  “Darius just told Reed that you identified him as the one working with Willie. But you didn’t.”

  “He’s trying to flush out Willie’s partner, I bet. See if he panics. Maybe even see if he pays me a visit to find out what I know.”

  “He’s going to pay you a visit, all right. He called Willie and told him he plans to make it look like you hung yourself.”

  Sax was quiet for a moment. “If that’s Darius’s plan, he’ll be watching, probably standing where you are listening to Reed give himself away. He’s not going to let the guy kill me. Thanks for letting me know. All the more reason for you to haul ass out of here.”

  “Sax, I don’t like this. What if he hurts you?”

  “Even if Darius lets him go that far, I’ll be ready. I can handle this life-and-death shit, trust me. If he’s planning to make it look like suicide, he’ll have to come in here with me.” Sax’s laugh was deep and rather evil sounding. “And he won’t know what hit him. What I can’t handle is worrying about you.”

  “All right, I’m going,” she whispered.

  “You haven’t left yet,” he said a few seconds later.

  “Sax, I—”

  “I know.” His voice was thick. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Call me as soon as you can. I’m going to be worried to death that Darius’s crazy plan will go awry.”

  “I promise, I will. You need to go, because Darius is probably on his way here now.”

  She reluctantly headed back down the path, keeping a careful eye o
n her surroundings. Yes, she heard the soft purr of Darius’s golf cart motor. Okay. He was going to be there watching his setup unfold. He wouldn’t let Reed hurt Sax. This would work out even better. Reed and Willie would be hit with attempted murder charges on top of everything else. Her stomach still churned with fear and worry. Even if Sax was a badass SEAL. Even if he had faced men who wanted to kill him before.

  She checked the time on the phone as she reached the resort. Barely enough time to return to her room, pack, and make it to the pickup spot. She ran toward the Wild side. The only wild thing for her was the terrible feeling she had about this.

  —

  Sax paced in the small cell, flexing his hands, stretching. Getting ready to confront someone who would kill him. Would have been nice if Darius had let him in on his scheme. But, of course, most guys wouldn’t allow themselves to be bait. He knew the guy was determined to stop the drugging and keep it out of the press, but this was pretty desperate. Sax didn’t like desperate.

  It wasn’t long before he heard a key turn in the jailhouse door. Reed stepped inside and closed the door behind him, wearing that phony concern he’d shown Jennessy earlier. “Got yourself in a bit of trouble, eh?”

  Sax had to fight not to search for his weapon, most likely a garrote of some kind. His hand was fisted at his side. He probably figured Sax was out of shape, and combined with the element of surprise, he’d get the jump on him.

  “Yeah, it’s ridiculous. Darius thinks I had something to do with a murder.” Sax shook his head. “I couldn’t hurt a fly.”

  Reed narrowed his eyes. “Murder?”

  “Yeah, some guy who was staying here.” Interesting. Why hadn’t Darius mentioned Malcolm’s murder? Sax slumped against the back wall. “I’m stuck here until the authorities come from the big island.” He gave him a hopeful look. “Unless you’re here to spring me?”

  “I came to see if you needed food, something to drink. Even here, your comfort is my responsibility.” He unlocked the cell and stepped in, pretending to inspect the space. “Temperature okay?” He tucked the keys into his pocket.

  “It’s a little warm,” Sax said, his body tensed, breathing regulated. He removed his glasses, not wanting them on his face when he fought.

  Reed checked the grate, trying to get behind him. “No glass. I need to see about bringing you a fan.”

  Sax played him, turning away to give him his back. He saw the movement and positioned his hands at his neck before the rope came down over his head. In the same instant, he shoved his body back, smashing Reed into the wall so hard that he heard his head bang against the concrete. Sax spun. Even though his eyes wobbled, Reed tried to throw a punch. Sax blocked it, then drove his elbow into Reed’s solar plexus. As the air gushed out of his mouth, and he bent forward, Sax drove his knee into his gut, then kicked him. Reed slammed into the wall again, his face contorted in pain. And rage. Spittle glistened on his lips as he rushed forward like a bull with a roar.

  Sax ducked, grabbed him by the waist, and used his body to launch him over. The guy landed hard, his head smacking on the floor. That was going to leave a mark. He let out a soft groan as he tried to pull himself up. Sax planted his shoe on his chest. “You’re done.” But where the hell was Darius?

  He reached down and wrested the keys from Reed’s pocket, then started toward the cell door when Darius stepped inside. He took in the scene with a measure of surprise.

  “It would have been nice to know what the hell you were planning,” Sax said at the same time Darius muttered, “This isn’t quite what I expected.”

  Before Sax could ask exactly what he had expected, the pieces snapped into place. He’d expected Reed to kill him.

  Darius pulled a semi-auto from beneath his shirt and shot Reed. His body jerked as two bullets sank into his chest. Reed tensed and wheezed as he stared at Darius in complete shock. Not what he’d expected either. Blood gurgled from his mouth, and then he went slack.

  Sax was already calculating the best angle from which to take the gun when Darius turned toward him. “Sorry about keeping you in the dark. I figured if he was guilty, he would come here to terminate you. And so he was.”

  Sax mirrored Darius’s calm. “Sure, good idea. Though you could have waited for the authorities. Except…they’re not coming, are they? Because they’d bust this whole ketamine scheme, and it would explode in the press. So you figured you’d let Reed whack me, then you’d take care of him.”

  Darius had the gun pointed in Sax’s direction. “I didn’t want to kill you both. I’m not a murderer. Or a rapist.”

  “Don’t you find it ironic that you’re innocent of drugging and raping women, but you’re willing to kill people to avoid another scandal? Even if you’re innocent of that, too?”

  The dude had no expression at all. He might have been sitting in his living room staring at a wall for all the emotion on his face. “I’m not a big fan of irony.”

  “You killed Malcolm, too. Because he could tell the world about this.”

  “I made a misstep. I offered him a substantial amount of money to kill you and your friend. After some consideration, he turned me down, and I realized he could go to the authorities or the press with that on top of the drugging scheme. As a bonus, his death worked well to set you up, too.”

  Sax was still stuck on the words your friend. Jennessy. Dread washed over him like a wave of ice water. “She doesn’t know anything, really. She was just tagging along with me, ’cause we had a thing going.”

  Sax glanced at the clock on the wall behind Darius. She should be waiting with the others now. Safe in a group. Please let her be safe. “You do realize that people will know Malcolm disappeared here. And me. Four missing people at once will seem pretty damned suspicious. I assume Willie will be among the missing as well.”

  Sax didn’t like the way the corner of Darius’s mouth tilted up. “Both of the men who jeopardized my reputation will pay the price. And yes, that might seem odd, except that three of you were involved in a skirmish at the Point with supposed drug dealers. I’m sure Reed can be tied into Willie’s activities. And your girlfriend—”

  “No. Leave her out of this.”

  “She will be on the manifest of my airline. Once she arrived in Nassau, well, who knows what happened to her? Since no bodies will ever be recovered, there won’t be any definitive answers.” Darius raised the gun. “Allow me to take you out of the misery you seem to be in at that thought.”

  Chapter 19

  Jennessy pulled her carry-on down the winding pathway toward where she and Sax had been painting each other’s bodies not long ago. So much had happened since then. Now he was in jail, with a man coming to kill him. And, while Darius wouldn’t allow that to happen, it was still a harrowing thought. The good news was that Reed would be caught dead to rights trying to kill Sax, giving the authorities plenty of evidence to convict him. That in itself would blow the whole case wide open.

  She made her way to the entrance, where a small group waited for the bus. Some looked tired, some sad, and some drunk. She bet none of them looked as tense as she did.

  Every fiber of her being screamed to go back to that jail. Sax would be furious. She could handle that, but the thought of jeopardizing the setup, that she couldn’t do. He’d call her as soon as it was over. Maybe she should have left his phone closer to the jail. She could go back…

  No. She promised him she’d be on this flight. By the time she landed in Nassau, there would be a message from him. She checked her watch, though she already knew by the waning sunlight that it was getting late. This must be the last bus to the airport for the 7:45 flight.

  A couple of people gathered their things, and soon everyone was moving closer to the driveway. The van ambled its way toward the pickup area.

  “Look, it’s Darius Mitchell!” someone whispered.

  “He’s even better looking than he was on television,” a woman said.

  Darius rode up on his cart, but his eyes were on h
er. He curled his fingers, beckoning her forward. “Ms. Shaw, I need to talk to you.”

  Where was Sax? If they’d pulled off this staged setup, shouldn’t he be sitting beside him? She tugged her suitcase toward the cart, and Darius stepped out to take it.

  “What happened?” she said in a low voice.

  He loaded the case and gestured for her to sit on the golf cart. He looked stonily calm, and unwilling to tell her anything until they had privacy. She bit back her demands for an answer.

  Only after he’d driven her away from the group did he say, “Mr. Cole has been hurt. He’s at my home, getting treated. He wants you.”

  You son of a bitch! You set him up! She had to hold back the words, considering she had no reasonable way of knowing about his scheme. She did allow herself to grip his arm hard. “How did he get hurt? He was locked in a cell!”

  Darius’s mouth tightened. “Reed heard about Cole’s arrest. He sneaked in and tried to kill him.”

  “Oh my God.” She didn’t have to act shocked. Though Darius would think her reaction had to do with Reed’s attack, her fear and confusion had to do with how Sax had gotten hurt. Nothing should have happened. Sax was capable, a warrior. And he was prepared. “How bad is he hurt?” Her heart fell with each second Darius waited before answering.

  “He’ll live. The resort physician is tending to him now.”

  “But…why would Reed attack Sax?”

  “He’s Willie’s accomplice. Apparently he wanted to take out one of the people who caused them so much trouble.”

  “How did Reed know that Sax was in jail?” Would Darius tell her the truth?

  “It’s a small island. Word travels.” No, he wasn’t going to confess.

  “And you caught him?”

  His eyes kept scanning their surroundings as he drove deep into the woods. It was darker here now that the sun’s angle was lower in the sky. “Yes. Luckily I forgot something and went back. The two were fighting over a gun.”