“Jason—”
“Please. Just let me drive you. I’ll stay in the car.”
“We’re meeting at Sweet Breeze.”
Of course they were. Everything seemed to happen at Sweet Breeze, and Jason was actually glad he was stationed there. “Great. I’ll hang out with Sterling.”
Lexie didn’t argue after that, but he could tell she wasn’t happy with the arrangement. Jason wasn’t either, so at least they agreed on something.
The ride over to the hotel was silent and tense, and Jason wished he could do something about it. He pulled into the bay and waved at Sterling, and then proceeded to take the car to valet parking himself. He knew the system.
“What else did Luke say?” Jason asked once they’d parked and neither of them had made a move to get out.
Lexie turned her eyes on Jason and blinked those long, black lashes at him. “He said you’re not who I think you are.” Challenge lifted her eyebrows. “What does that mean?”
Jason swallowed, knowing exactly what that meant. He owed her the truth and had wanted to give it to her for seven years. From the moment they met, actually.
But some things were still too painful to talk about, even two decades later. “I have an idea,” he said, hoping vague would work for now. “Your meeting is going to start in ten minutes.”
Lexie still didn’t budge. “They can wait.”
“Are you sure?” Pure fear gripped Jason’s insides.
“Jason.” She sighed. “I think what we have is great. Once this is all over, I want to talk diamonds and children and how I’m going to be able to put up with Steve in my house. So I think I better know who you are before that happens.”
Jason’s hopes soared as high as the clouds, spiraling around like a happy little bird. She’d just said everything he’d been hoping for, praying for, and yet he knew that what he said next could ruin it all.
“People change, you know?” He looked out the window.
“I know.”
But did she? She’d been raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, and while she worked hard for her success and money, it wasn’t the same thing as how he’d clawed his way back from the gutter.
Literally.
Just say it, he told himself. Tell her.
“When I turned twenty-one, my friends at college threw me a big party.” He felt himself turning off the emotions, smothering the guilt, escaping from himself. “I drank too much.” He didn’t let himself look at her as she inhaled sharply.
“You told me you didn’t drink.”
“When I met you, I didn’t.” He blinked, finally letting all the memories off the shelves where he’d kept them for so, so long. “And the reason I didn’t—and still don’t, and have been sober for seventeen years—is because I got behind the wheel of a car while I was intoxicated and I hit someone.”
“No.” Lexie sounded like he’d just told her he was the Grim Reaper and he’d come for her soul. Her fingernails made horrible noises on the door handle as she tried to grip it. “No, Jason.”
“A family,” he continued. “Two kids. Everyone survived, but there were some injuries. I got arrested. I spent some time in rehab and counseling. I got sober, and I left Boston and haven’t been back.”
Lexie didn’t say anything but she also stopped trying to flee from him. He’d have to take that as a good sign, because there weren’t many others.
“I send them cards still, at Christmas and dumb stuff like Easter. They—” His voice betrayed him and his throat closed off.
Lexie opened the car door, said, “I have to go,” and got out. He couldn’t tell if she slammed the door so hard his teeth rattled on purpose or not. Didn’t matter. He didn’t turn his head and watch her walk away, because he didn’t want that visual in his mind. Not again.
“They advocated for rehab and an alcoholism treatment program instead of prison, and they send me stuff too,” he finished. “On my birthday and every year on the anniversary of the accident. They’re the kind of family I wish I’d come from. The kind of family I hope to build—with you.”
He’d never told her this ugly truth about himself before, because she’d made such a big deal about him being a dry bartender. Said how much she admired him for that. As he’d grown to learn her past, he’d shoved his further and further away. He wanted to be the perfect man for her, but he’d always known way down deep that he could never be that person.
Luke had known. So when Jason had learned that he and Lexie’s relationship had been splashed all over the Internet and front pages of the tabloids after the housing crash, he’d known it was Luke. Known why he’d done it—so people would go after Jason and not Lexie. So her name would be cleared. So she could focus on rebuilding the company without a once-drunk at her side.
And Jason had been just enough of a coward to allow it.
Time didn’t seem to have meaning, and he wasn’t sure how long he sat in the car. Eventually, his body told him that it was much too hot to continue brooding without air conditioning, and he got out and walked through the underground parking structure toward the valet podium.
Sterling wasn’t there, but another man stood there with his valet ticket. “How can I help you, sir?”
The man turned, and recognition flashed in Jason’s mind. He might forget a name, but he never forgot a face, and he’d seen this man’s before. Recently.
“Do you work here?” the man asked, looking dubious. He had wide shoulders and at least sixty pounds on Jason, with his Polynesian heritage tattooed all over his forearms.
“I sure do.” He extended his hand to take the ticket. “I can grab your car and be back in a jif.” He wasn’t sure where Sterling was, or why he felt like he needed to get this car for this man, but he did.
Relief cascaded through him when the man handed over the yellow ticket. Jason looked at it and plucked the correct set of keys from the peg behind the podium. “Be right back.” He’d only taken three steps when sudden understanding slammed into him.
He’d seen that man before. Riding as a passenger in the car the drove slowly, slowly, slowly by Lexie’s, with blue smoke lifting into the air.
It took every ounce of control in him to keep walking. His step stuttered slightly, but no one but him would’ve noticed. As soon as he was out of sight, he broke into a run toward the car in the valet spot. He unlocked it and slid into the passenger seat, yanking open the glove compartment to get any information he could.
His chest tightened, and the air was so hot, so hot. He swiped open the camera on his phone and went snap, snap, snap on the registration documents, anything he could that could identify this man and tie him to Victor.
As if lightning had struck, Jason thought, What if this is Victor’s getaway car?
And everything slowed once again. He carefully put everything back in the glove compartment and went around to the driver’s side. He fired up the engine and fiddled with the air conditioning, the radio, the seat placement.
Finally, he drove back over to the bay, but Victor hadn’t come out yet. Maybe this man—Tane Palu—really was here by himself, but somehow, Jason didn’t think so. Still, he had no choice but to get out and give the man his car.
He did, falling back to the podium just as a group of men came out of the sliding doors. A blast of the air conditioned air inside Sweet Breeze hit Jason, and he said, “I’ll get someone to help you. Just a moment,” and ducked inside as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to get caught retrieving cars for people when he needed to figure out where Lexie was having her meeting—and find Sterling. It was completely unlike the man to leave his post without a note.
He approached the check-in desk like a hurricane, drawing Owen’s attention. The man, always so polished and poised, turned from the dark-haired woman he was talking to. She had a flush in her face, and if Jason didn’t know better, he’d say Owen did too.
But he clasped his hands and said, “Jason, what can I help you with?” in that smooth, rolling voice he
had.
“Do you happen to know where Lexie and Luke Keller are having their meeting?” He gazed straight into Owen’s eyes, trying to communicate the urgency with which he needed to find them.
“Fisher gave them the conference room on the third floor,” Owen said, flicking his eyes around the lobby. “Is everything okay?”
“I don’t think so,” Jason said darkly. “Remember what we talked about last week?”
“I do.” Owen glanced at the woman still standing there. “I’m afraid I’ll have to reschedule, Gina.” He cleared his throat, and Jason wondered what was going on with the two of them. He’d seen that woman in Lexie’s Beach Club, and she’d clearly cast her spell over Owen. Jason actually had two seconds to think Good for him before Gina left, her fingers trailing down Owen’s arm and finally leaving his suit jacket.
Owen pulled on his sleeves and said, “I’ll call the police.”
“Probably a good idea.” Jason turned away from the general manager, wanting to sprint up to the third floor but not wanting to miss Victor, Lexie, or Luke in the transfer. There was only one way in and out of this hotel, and staying by the door was probably his best bet.
“I’m going to be security at the door,” Jason said.
“What shall I tell the police?”
“That we have a robbery in progress.” Jason strode toward the huge, gaping doors and positioned himself on the near side, where most of the activity in the lobby took place. Lexie had certainly stolen his heart, but he didn’t think the cops would care about that.
A few minutes later, Owen hung up and nodded at Jason, who was starting to doubt his instincts. He kept his eyes moving left and right, trying to find that one thing that was out of place.
It was very busy on Sunday morning, with guests checking out after their long weekends at the resort, and Jason wished the crowd wasn’t quite so thick. A limping man caught his eye, and it only took Jason two seconds to identify Sterling.
“Owen,” he called, abandoning his post. He pointed to Sterling, who was clearly confused and turning in a half-circle. “Call an ambulance. Move aside, please,” he said in a commanding voice, somewhat surprised when people actually did.
He got to Sterling in five strides and touched his arm. “Sterling.” His heart tore a little for the friend who’d trained him to be a night valet. “What happened?”
“I think someone hit me. I woke up in the bathroom.” He lifted his hand to his head, and his fingers came away smeared with blood.
Jason passed the man to a couple of registration clerks, who whisked him away down the hall. Owen appeared, obviously concerned—and angry. “We need to clear the lobby,” Jason said.
Owen didn’t question him. Just lifted the radio to his lips and said, “Code pink. Lobby cleared. Non-panic. Fisher, I need you on the floor.”
“Coming,” Fisher said almost immediately, and the radio had barely silenced before someone said, “Confirming code pink. Additional personnel will arrive in thirty seconds.”
Jason couldn’t help being impressed with the efficiency of this hotel, and sure enough, men wearing suits and hotel uniforms spilled out of the stairwell doorway only seconds later.
Owen started directing them to set up ropes for in and out, and he himself moved over to the check-out counter. “Folks, we’ve got a situation in progress. I’m going to need you to move your line to the right. To the right, please.” As they moved—it was like herding cats, if Jason were being honest—employees set up ropes to keep the line where they wanted it.
His phone chimed at the same time the elevator opened and four men darted out of it.
One of them was Victor Bunce, and he led the charge for the doors. Jason braced himself, knowing he was about to get hurt. Hopefully, though, Victor would as well.
He had just enough time to see the door to the stairs open again and Luke, Lexie, and an unknown suit sporting a bleeding lip burst into the lobby.
Then he threw a punch, hoping it was on target.
Chapter Fifteen
Lexie felt like she was watching a very bad movie. The director had slowed down the fight scene so that she could see every eyelash, every drop of sweat, every curled lip. She heard Jason’s fist connect with Victor’s jaw, saw the man’s head snap back, saw Jason pounce on top of him and growl, “Stay down.”
Somehow, she saw and heard all of that.
When life rushed forward again, the air was really full of screams and yelling. Luke ran off, followed by Drake. They wrested the satchel from the hands of one of Victor’s goons, and Luke wiped his too-long hair off his forehead.
Lexie stood still, completely unable to move. So much had happened in the last twelve hours that she couldn’t wrap her head around anything. She wanted to disappear on a nice, big boat and sail away from the island until everything made crystal clear sense.
Jason had Victor pinned, and he wasn’t moving. All of the men that had been with him had been apprehended, but Jason continued to bark orders and several men left through the glass doors to check something in the bay where guests arrived.
Policemen arrived, and Lexie sagged against the wall, beyond relieved that Jason had “waited in the car.”
At the same time, her promise to herself never to be with an alcoholic reared, reminding her of what kind of man he really was.
Anyone who got behind the wheel of a car while drunk…. She shook her head, her tears filling her eyes so completely she wouldn’t be able to wipe them before they spilled down her face. And then her perfectly crafted makeup would be ruined.
“Come on,” Owen Church said, latching onto her elbow and leading her down the hall toward his office. “Wait here, Lex. I’m sure the cops will want to talk to you.”
Luke will handle it. Lexie couldn't say the words, but Owen nodded at her and disappeared, closing the door and sealing her inside. Numbness spread through her, and though it wasn’t particularly cold in Owen’s office, she shivered as if she’d been encased in ice.
She should’ve had Jason in the room with her. Things had gone bad from the moment Victor walked in with four men to face her, her brother, and their lawyer. He hadn’t cared about the legal documents, and he’d refused to sign.
He wanted a lot of money right now—over a million dollars—and more next summer. And every summer after that. So Jason had been right. Victor Bunce wanted to extort them, and he said he could continue to make life very difficult for Lexie on the island if she didn’t pay.
Thankfully, she’d had a spine in the meeting, and she’d flat-out denied his requests. That was when one of the men left, and Luke had laid out what Keller Investments was prepared to offer. And he had half the money in cash, in the satchel that one of Victor’s men had stolen. Victor had punched Drake, and they’d all fled.
It felt like everything had happened so fast, and yet had taken forever. Lexie trembled for a final time and then got up. She was the CEO of Keller Investments, and she needed to make sure the company was safe and sound. That they had their money and assets in order, and that there would be no more threats from Victor Bunce.
So she stood and straightened her skirt, her blouse, and her jacket, patted her hair, and opened the door to face the situation head-on. She’d taken four steps in her pristine heels when Jason rounded the corner, his face a perfect storm of emotions.
“There you are.” He swept toward her, reaching for her, and she ached to find comfort in his arms. He paused and dropped his hands, his face falling and then bricking over as if a mask of stone had been poured over his emotions.
“The police need a statement.” He hooked his thumb toward the lobby. “They’ve arrested Victor and his men. Apparently your lawyer taped the whole conversation.”
Lexie nodded once as if of course she knew that Drake had recorded the meeting. “Thank you, Jason.” She made to move past him, but he put his hand on her forearm.
“Is this where we are?” The pain in his voice sounded like a shriek, but she couldn’t re
assure him.
Employing her bravery, she looked up into his dark, dreamy eyes. “I need some time.” When she walked away this time, she hoped it wasn’t for the last time. She didn’t look back at the corner though she could feel Jason watching her.
She faced the fray in the lobby, glad when a police officer guided her to a private room to make a statement.
When she returned to Sasha’s house, her friend wasn’t there but over at The Straw. Jasper was asleep, and the mansion felt like it might be the refuge she needed. But she couldn’t stay there. She packed quickly and let her brother take her back to her own house. Now that Victor had been apprehended, as well as those he’d hired, she had no reason to stay somewhere else.
Guilt pricked her at leaving Jason to return to her friends’ house and retrieve his things, and she’d have to get her car back from him at some point. But that was easy. Drop off and go. Or park it along the beachwalk near The Straw and she’d drive it home the next time she worked. She could catch a ride wherever she needed to go simply by calling Esther.
She did need time, but for what, she wasn’t sure.
Luke sat on her couch, having postponed his flight until the following day, and he looked like he’d rather be sipping whiskey instead of the seltzer water she’d given him. He hadn’t said much of anything since leaving the hotel, and Lexie wanted to crawl into bed and forget today had ever happened.
Instead, she made herself a cup of hot chocolate and joined him in the living room. She sipped and he sipped, and a giant elephant sat in the room with them.
“Did you know about Jason’s accident?”
“Yes.”
“Was it before or after you brought him home for the holidays?”
“Before, obviously.” Luke drained the last of his drink and set the glass on the side table. “You guys didn’t get together for another nine years after that.” He cut a glance at Lexie. “Don’t tell me you had a crush on him when I brought him home.”
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