by Bobbi Brattz
Gone…she was missing.
“Maybe she went to the ladies’ room?” Kona said, his eyes scanning the crowd.
Search as they might, no one could see her. When Van searched the area where they’d been sitting, he found a box with a red ribbon and a note attached.
Layla screamed, fear for Rae making her shake. “Rae!”
Van opened the letter and read it in the dim light.
“It says that he wants Layla to come to him or he’ll kill her friend.”
“Oh, my God!” Layla cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“You never listen to me, and now look what’s happened. You need to be tied up and whipped,” Van shouted at her.
When Layla tried to race off to find Rae, she met with a wall of muscles. Van and Logan wouldn’t let her past them, and Mateo was searching frantically through the crowd.
“Logan, take her back to the house while I get a search party.”
“Van, he wants me. I’m going to let him have me to save Rae.”
“Like hell you are. Logan, get moving.”
When she wouldn’t move, Logan lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder in a firefighter’s hold. She shrieked, but he wouldn’t let her go.
Van was on his radio calling for help. In minutes, Logan took her to the house and right to the bedroom. He was livid as he put her down on the mattress.
“Look at what you’ve done. Rae is in trouble now, and all you can think to do is get into more by offering yourself on a silver platter. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Without waiting for her opinion, he tied her to the headboard with the silk scarves, securing her so she couldn’t leave the room.
“You’ll stay here and wait for me to come back. You’d better start praying for Rae. That bastard might hurt her or even kill her, thanks to you.”
Try as she might, she couldn’t break the bonds that held her. Beyond tears, Layla spent the next few hours waiting to see what happened to Rae. Fear turned into horror as she thought about what Rae was going through at that moment. Layla wondered if Rae was already dead, her guilt weighing heavily on her shoulders.
“Oh, please, let her be all right.”
Finally, sobs took over as she lay there, lost, forlorn, and alone.
* * * *
Guilt weighed her down as much as the horror of Rae’s disappearance. Hours of waiting for word. Was she dead? Fear snaked up through her spine as she thought of Rae in the stalker’s hands.
“Why won’t the phone ring? Why is he doing this to me? Oh, my God, if anything happens to Rae, I’ll never forgive myself.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. After many hours of waiting for word, Layla thought she was going crazy. She couldn’t imagine what Rae was going through, and blamed herself for her own selfish act that got Rae into trouble.
Near dawn, Mateo, Piers, Logan, Van, and Tara all sat with her in Mateo’s office, waiting for word, anything that would tell them where Rae was and if she was okay. Van and his men had gone door to door, searching the entire resort, but there was no sign of her.
“I’m going back out to see if I can find anything now that the sun is up.”
Van stood, rubbing his eyes. He barely looked at Layla, and that hurt more than if he’d simply yelled at her. Even Mateo avoided her gaze. She’d never felt so alone.
A sudden knock on the door caused everyone to start. Mateo was out of the door first, racing down the hall, everyone else behind him.
When Mateo opened the door, there were two cops on the other side.
“Your barman found her hidden behind the beach bar counter a few minutes ago. She’s alive, but it appears she might have been drugged. The ambulance is on the way.”
Mateo rushed off with the cops and Van, but before he left, Van said in a harsh tone, “You will stay here. Do you understand?”
“But Rae—”
“Wouldn’t be in danger if it wasn’t for you. Now, this time, do as I say.”
Tears pricked her eyes as she watched him leave her, Logan and Piers on his tail. Tara stayed behind.
“She’ll be fine, Layla,” she said, though Layla didn’t think it was sincere. Tara was just as worried about Rae as she was.
* * * *
It seemed like hours had passed, yet it was only minutes when Van returned. He didn’t say a word but took Layla’s hand and practically dragged her back to the bedroom. His anger was so great, she feared him.
When the door closed behind them, Van began pacing the room.
“Tell me how she is,” Layla said, a quiver in her voice.
“She’s unconscious. I think she’s okay, but we don’t know for sure. Layla, why did you leave here last night?”
“We heard the explosion, and I was terrified that you were hurt. It was all I could do to stay here like a fool while everyone else is in danger. I can’t explain it, Van, but I was terrified that one of you would be hurt or worse. Why is he doing this to me? Why?” she cried, turning away so he wouldn’t see her tears.
She heard him sigh, and then his arms were around her, his lips caressing her temple.
“I don’t know why, honey, but when I tell you to stay put, you have to know it isn’t a control thing. It’s to protect you, not to push you around. Please, believe me.”
She looked up at him, gazing into his eyes, and saw the truth. Up until that moment, she’d thought he only wanted to boss her around, but it wasn’t so. She vowed to listen to him from now on.
“I’m so sorry, Van. Is she going to be all right?”
“It looks that way. The paramedics and Piers agree that it was some kind of drug that they gave her. She’s going to get evaluated at the hospital, and then we’ll know what went on. As far as we can tell, the bastard is only after you. Rae was a distraction to batter you psychologically so you’d react, just like when he sent the other letters and gifts.”
“He’s horrible. I wish I could go outside and confront him myself. This has got to stop.”
“You know I won’t let you do that. It’s too dangerous. I think that when you do your fire dance, he thinks you understand his obsession with it. You are always fearless and in control when you do it. He must see you as a challenge. After all, when you dance, you’re quite spectacular.”
“Really?” she asked, wondering if he was telling the truth.
“Yes. I’m going to speak to a psychologist tomorrow who works with the police department. We’ll figure out between us what the best way to deal with him is. Now, why don’t you get some sleep, it’s going to be a long day.”
“Will you come and lie down with me?” she asked, almost afraid of his answer.
His expression suddenly cold, he shook his head.
“I have work to do.”
“You’re on holiday.”
“Not now. I want this guy caught. While I’m here full time, I plan on investigating.”
Hurt, Layla turned away so he wouldn’t see that he’d wounded her. After all, she knew it was her fault that Rae was captured.
“I’d like to go to the hospital to see Rae.”
“No. You’ll stay here where you’re safe.”
She didn’t say a word, feeling like a prisoner, but walked down the hall to the bedroom and locked the door behind her. The fact that he didn’t try to stop her made her heart ache. She’d never forgive herself for putting Rae in the face of danger, but the worst part was that Van and Logan were upset with her. Layla could bear anything but that.
Chapter Twelve:
Dance of the Temptress
When Rae returned to the house, Layla was still hiding in her room. Never had she felt so alone. She opened the door when she heard the commotion of everyone welcoming Rae home. Ashamed of herself, Layla stayed in the room, closing the door quietly. She wasn’t ready to hear all the recriminations about how she’d been the cause of Rae’s disappearance.
A knock on the door startled her. When she opened it, Rae stood there with an expression of concern on her face.
Without speaking a word, she pulled Layla into a warm hug. For a moment, both women cried, holding each other tightly, and then they began to speak at the same time.
“Oh, Rae. I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“Of course you didn’t. It was a fluke that he caught me rather than you. We should have listened and stayed here, but that’s water under the bridge. What’s done is done. Let’s move on from here, okay?”
“Everyone is so angry at me.”
Rae put her hand on Layla’s shoulder.
“Get this straight, Layla, they aren’t mad at you, they’re mad at both of us. I agreed that we needed to be there, and how that creep caught me is a blur. I think he stuck me with a needle, but I don’t remember a thing until I woke up in hospital. He’s a sly bugger. We’ll just have to be more careful next time.”
“There isn’t going to be a next time,” Van said, entering the bedroom.
“I’ve had enough tongue lashing to last me a lifetime, Van. Please, lay off me.”
“Layla, I can’t simply stop being angry. What if he’d caught you instead of Rae? I doubt he’d have let you go. Regardless, you placed yourselves in a dangerous situation. He’s here. We all know it, but we don’t have any clues to prove it’s him, whoever he is.”
Anger stirred in Layla’s belly. He blamed her for Rae’s kidnapping, yet he wouldn’t let it go. Layla knew she’d done wrong, and being reminded over and over was getting to be too much.
“I’m going to go lie down,” Layla said, frustrated and still feeling the guilt of disobeying Van’s orders. She simply hated being told what to do. She was an adult, after all—wasn’t she?
Rae hugged her again, whispering in her ear, “Try not to be so angry with him. He loves you, and it scared him that the arsonist took me.”
Layla nodded, hugging Rae hard for a minute.
“Good night, Rae. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night. Get some sleep.”
Layla was more than ready for sleep.
Rae walked off down the hall, while Van followed Layla into the room. She tried to ignore him, yet his presence demanded to be noticed. She could smell his manly scent, accented by his light, musky cologne.
“Layla, we have to talk.”
“I don’t feel like talking to you.”
“Regardless of that, there was a letter on Rae when she was found.”
Turning around fast, Layla barely kept her terror in check.
“What did it say?”
Van sighed, taking the letter out of his pocket.
“It says, ‘Layla, you must come to me. This time I didn’t kill anyone, but if you don’t do as I say, I’ll start on your ‘boyfriend.’ He should never have touched you.’”
Stunned, she stood staring at Van with her mouth opened, tears threatening.
“What will he do to me if I go to him?”
“You’re not going.”
“I said, if, Van.”
“Let’s just say that you’re in danger now, but if he has you, there’s no telling what he’ll do. Layla, you have no idea how dangerous this situation is.”
“Of course I do. All I want is to stop this insanity and get our lives back on track. I didn’t ask for this to happen.”
Van shook his head in frustration and stared at her like he had no idea what to do with her.
“Look, let’s put this to bed for the night. I don’t want to argue anymore. I want you to promise me that you’ll listen to what I say. I only want to protect you. If he ever got his hands on you, I’d lose my mind. Please, do as I ask?”
She fell silent for a moment while she thought about what he’d said. Knowing that he was right didn’t make it any easier to follow his rules, but she was willing to try.
“I promise I’ll do my best to listen to you.”
“That didn’t sound like a yes, Layla.” Though he sounded serious, his eyes betrayed him by the hint of humor in them.
She smiled. “I can’t commit one hundred percent. I’ll do my best is all I can offer right now. I want that guy caught and I’ll do anything to make that happen.”
The humor disappeared.
“I want your safety, Layla. That’s all I want. We’ll catch him, have no doubt.”
“I sure hope so, and it had better be soon.”
* * * *
His eyes on Layla as she walked alone down the path toward the beach, he calculated how he’d be able to get her out of sight before anyone saw him. The beach was wide open and usually dotted with guests. Seldom was it barren.
He watched the sway of her hips, the way her hair waved back and forth down her back, and the proud tilt of her head. He couldn’t see her face, but he knew she was stunning, especially when she mastered the fire.
“We need to get her when no one is around.”
Sitting at the pool bar, he studied the crowd. Many of the guests lounged on lawn chairs, some of them sleeping, while others drank and shouted, laughter filling the air. It was getting close to sunset, the heat fading.
“We might be able to do that now,” his companion said.
“Not in daylight. It’s much easier in the dark, just like the other night when we took her friend.”
“You should have killed the woman like I told you. Now Layla is walking among us without fear. She knows that you won’t kill anyone. You’re a weak man.”
Anger caused heat to suffuse his cheeks.
“I’m not weaker than you. If I left the job to you, we’d never have gotten away the other night.”
“Then kill the woman and get Layla to come to us.”
“There’s no point in killing her. She’s going to be protected by Mateo and Piers, not to mention the other women. Layla won’t be easy to capture either.”
“She’s disappeared down the beach path now. Are you going to just sit here, or are you going to go get her?”
“Not tonight. They’ll be watching her. We have to wait until the right time.”
“You’re right. Let’s wait for the perfect moment to spring our trap. She won’t know what hit her.”
“She will when we have her. Let’s have another drink then we can go watch the entertainment for the night. Too bad Layla won’t be at the luau. I’m getting impatient.”
“So am I, but it won’t be long now. I can almost taste her. She’ll be wonderfully innocent and deliciously afraid.”
“In time, we can train her to dance for us only. She’ll see that we are the ones she loves, and then you will kill her.”
“Perhaps…”
* * * *
“We’ve done everything we can to lure him into action. Officer Ellie Delaney dressed as Layla looked perfect, but he didn’t take the bait. He’s either too smart, or is biding his time,” Mateo said, keeping Rae close by his side.
Van nodded. “Do you think that he didn’t take the bait because she appeared to be too confident walking down the pathway as though she wasn’t afraid?”
“I tend to agree,” Piers said. “With all the things he’s been doing to her, she probably wouldn’t walk around without an escort. He wouldn’t have believed it of her.”
For a moment they were silent, and then Rae piped in, “That’s true. Layla has been shy and fearful around others. Why would she go out on her own now?”
Logan stood and ran his fingers through his hair. “We might have scared him off.”
“He hasn’t given up. That much we know.” Kona frowned, watching Layla who remained quiet.
Keeping Layla under his watchful eye, Kona never let her out of his sight, and it was driving her nuts. Between him, Van, and Logan, she barely had room to breathe.
“I say he’s waiting for the right moment to capture her. God knows what he will do if he does.” Van watched Layla, as though gauging her reactions.
“I wonder why the bait didn’t work tonight. I don’t think he’d have picked up on our switch unless he got close. From a distance, Ellie looks like Layla, and on the pathway, he wouldn
’t have been able to see the difference since it was getting dark out,” Logan mused.
Mateo nodded. “I agree. Maybe he doesn’t want to appear too interested in her. Ellie is a good cop. She’s been undercover many times, and was successful at solving cases. Van, maybe you should check on her. The rest of the guards are aware of her every move, but I’m concerned about her safety.”
“I’ll do that, Mateo, but give her a chance to lay the groundwork. He’ll make his move soon. Call my cell in an hour, and I’ll update you.” Van stood to leave, his gaze on Layla. “Be good, brat.”
His gentle kiss took the sting out of his words. His eyes showed the promise of good things to come in the wee hours of the morning. Layla shivered, excited about the prospect of having Van and Logan to herself. She’d fallen in love with both of them, but knew that she’d have to make a choice between them someday. Her heart ached at the thought.
Logan smiled as though he knew what she was thinking. He leaned in close and whispered, “I’ll babysit you for now. Van can catch up later.”
Her cheeks fusing with heat, she felt the blush and noted that Rae watched them, a grin on her face. She obviously knew he was preparing Layla for a night of passion.
“I’m going to turn in,” Layla said, avoiding Kona’s gaze.
“At least you’ll be out of the stalker’s sight for the night. Get some sleep,” Kona said, his eyes following her as she stood and took Logan’s hand.”
He appeared confused for a moment, and then the sudden dawning of recognition showed in his eyes. Layla smiled, tugging on Logan’s hand. She knew then that he’d connected the dots and realized that she was in a ménage.
“Let’s go wait for Van. I’m sure we could find something to do,” she said, laughing when Kona frowned. “I’m a big girl now, bro. You’ll get used to it.”
Her laughter filled the hall as Logan picked her up and carried her firefighter style down the hallway.
“Put me down, silly man. You’re acting like a caveman.”
“I’ll be whoever you want me to be, darlin’.”
Once the door closed behind them, he placed her on the mattress and grinned down at her.