by Bobbi Brattz
“I’m sorry. I don’t know anything.”
“The only person on the resort that might want to do you harm is Selina.” Piers said, then growled in frustration.
“Yes, she’s a good suspect. I’ll take the cops to her room when they arrive.”
Angry, Kona pressed a little harder without meaning to and Tara moaned in pain.
“I’m sorry, honey. Don’t you worry, we’ll get the person who did this to you. I promise.”
“Piers, I–"
Once again Tara passed out. Piers was beside himself with fear of losing her. Apparently, Kona felt the same way, by the look on his face. His skin was pale, his lips pursed tight, and the muscles in his neck were stretched full out.
“She’s okay for now, Kona. Hang tight.”
“Piers, why?”
“I have no idea, unless Selina wanted her out of the way.”
Moki ran into the room, her face a mask of concern.
“Here they come, Piers. They’re right behind me.”
Two paramedics came in followed by two cops. Piers stayed beside Tara while Kona moved out of the way.
There were two cops standing in the hallway, guns drawn. One was Constable Van Johanson, the other Constable George Newman.
“Hello, Piers. What happened?”
“Hi, Van. We heard a shot then found her slumped over against the window. The only person we can think who might do her harm is Selina Waybridge, one of the clients. She’s had a hate-on for Tara since the first class.”
“The first class?”
Piers answered Van’s query, “We teach classes about ways to get pleasure out of sex.”
“Okay.” The only way Piers could tell the officer was surprised by this was by a slight lift of his brow. “No one comes in here. You might want to clean up before you go to the hospital with her.”
When Piers looked down, he saw that his chest and hands were covered in blood, the coppery scent stinging his nostrils. Tears pricked behind his eyes but he fought them off, focusing only on getting back to Tara.
“I will, but I’m not leaving her side for more than a minute. I’ll be right back. Call me if you need help,” he said to the paramedic.
He raced down the hall and had a quick shower, only long enough to wash off the blood. Kona was with her, but went to do the same thing when Piers got back. The paramedics were ready to load Tara’s gurney into the ambulance. Van and his partner were gone after checking the house for the shooter, now in search of Selina based on Kona’s information. A maid would meet them at Selina’s room to open the door for them.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital, Kona.”
“Okay, Piers. I’ll come as soon as they take her into custody.”
Piers nodded and climbed in behind the paramedic. The doors shut and they raced down the road. Tara was still unconscious, but the paramedic and Piers worked to keep her alive. She’d lost so much blood, Piers feared for her life.
If I lose her--no, I won’t think like that. Damn it! This wasn’t supposed to happen again.
They arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later. A trauma team met them at the door.
“I’m going into surgery with her,” Piers said to the doctor on call.
“You’ll have to get scrubbed fast. We’ll start a transfusion as soon as we have her blood type. Do you know if she has any health issues or allergies?”
“No. She’s a guest at the resort.”
“We’ll have to do a workup to get some answers.”
“She’s coming around again. Tara? Tara, wake up. We need to ask you some questions.”
“Piers, it hurts.”
“I know, honey. We’ll take care of it. Do you have any illnesses we need to know about? We have to do surgery. Are you on any medications?”
“No. I…I’m fine. Apparently, I’m allergic to bullets though.”
She tried to smile, but Piers knew she was faking the humor.
“Tara, you’ve lost a lot of blood. Do you know what type you are?”
“AB negative. I think.”
A nurse put her hand on his arm to stop him from following Tara.
“Dr. Kaaumoana, we have to prep her for surgery. You know where to wash up and dress in scrubs. We’ll see you in OR 3 in ten minutes.”
He looked down at Tara.
“I’ll see you soon. Don’t worry, I’ll be with you through it, okay?”
“Yes, Piers. I…thank you.”
With a shaky hand, he brushed back her hair and smiled at her.
“Save the thanks for later.”
He watched as she went through the operating room doors, then rushed to get ready.
I’ve never been so afraid for a patient before. I swore I wouldn’t get involved. Damn it anyway!
* * * *
The endless waiting was driving Piers crazy. In the waiting room, he met Kona to give him the details of Tara’s surgery. Kona appeared distraught and tense.
“What happened in there?” he asked.
“Kona, I’ll be honest with you. She was in dire straits for a time, but she’s going to be okay. We had to give her three bags of blood. Surprisingly, the bullet missed her bones and sailed right through muscle and tissue. In short, she’ll be fine. It will take a few days for her to get out of here, but I’m sure she’ll be back with us soon.”
“Piers, you’re a doctor and Moki is an excellent caregiver. She’d take good care of Tara. Why can’t we take her home tomorrow?”
“We’ll see how she does in the morning. I was only able to watch in the OR. Dr. Jacqueline Jacobs is her surgeon. It’s up to her to decide. You might as well go home and get some sleep.”
“What about you, Piers?”
“I’m going to stay with her until she wakes up. I’ll be home after that.”
“Then I’ll stay as well. We’re a team, we three. I care a lot for her and I’m not leaving.”
“All right, Kona. She’ll be out of ICU in a few hours. You might as well grab a coffee. It’s going to be a long wait.”
“Can you see her in ICU?”
“I’ll be with her and come check in with you every half hour or so. Have you heard anything from the police?”
“Piers, the cops took Selina in for questioning, but she has an airtight alibi. She was with a male guest at the bar all evening. There are about twenty witnesses who swore it was so.”
“Then who did it? Maybe they wanted to rob Mateo, and Tara was in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
“That doesn’t make a lot of sense. They could have simply left. Why would they nearly kill Tara?” Kona frowned. “It could be any one of our guests. Maybe even someone from the island. The security guards have seen teens sneak onto the resort, but not tonight. I checked with them and they saw no one. I had them post a few guards around Mateo’s house.”
“Good idea. The guests should know that they need to be careful, too. I’m going to go back in to see her. I’ll come get you if she…if she has any issues.”
“Thanks, Piers. Oh, and Piers?”
“Yes?”
“Good job keeping her safe until the paramedics came. You were great.”
“Thanks.”
Piers headed back to the OR and found that Tara was still out. He nodded to one of the nurses and grabbed a chair, placing it beside the bed. When a baby started to cry on the other side of the room, Tara stirred, opening her eyes.
“She shouldn’t be awake for another hour or so. That’s amazing,” the nurse said, her eyes wide with surprise.
“The baby needs me.”
Though still anesthetised, Tara was waking up, her maternal instincts clicking. He watched her try to sit up, but pressed her good shoulder down.
“Shhh, stay where you are. It’s not your baby. Lie still now, honey.”
Big grey−green eyes looked up at him, confused.
“Where are we?”
“You’re in the hospital, Tara. Don’t you remember being shot?”
&nbs
p; “I…oh, that’s right.”
“The police are going to want a statement from you. We’ll leave it for an hour or so and see how you’re doing.”
“I’ll talk to them now if you want…me to,” she said as she dozed off.
Piers took her by the hand and held onto her. He hated that he loved her and was determined she never know about it.
When she leaves for San Francisco, I won’t stand in her way. The last thing I need is another Rae in my life.
He was sure that she’d sleep a while so he went to report to Kona. It was important to distance himself from Tara to preserve his heart.
“Kona,” he said as he walked into the waiting room.
“How is she?”
Still, he looked worried, yet he’d calmed down a bit since the last time they’d talked. They both had. Now Piers was beyond emotions, feeling numb inside. He put his hand on Kona’s shoulder to offer some comfort.
“She’s going to be fine now. They had to give her a transfusion, but she’s recovering nicely. I’m going to head home. I want to speak to Van about suspects.”
“I’m glad you know him personally, otherwise we might not get straight answers. I’ll wait here to see her when she wakes up.”
“Are you in love with her?” Piers was afraid of the answer, but he had to know.
“I love her. She’s a wonderful woman. I love her spirit, her zest for living, and her ability to take charge even when she’s not the one in control. Yes, I can honestly say I love her, Piers.”
“Watch over her. I’ll see you back at the resort when you can tear yourself away from her.” A hesitant smile was all he could offer before he turned and left.
On his way back to the house, Piers felt a tear slide down his cheek and was shocked. He never cried! He looked up to see a clear blue sky, so it wasn’t rain. It was an alien feeling, this tearful moment. Was it relief or regret?
“It must be relief. How strange, I’ve never felt like this before.”
All he could think about was Tara lying in that pool of blood. Hoping that the police were done with the scene and he could get back to business, he studied the yard. There were two police cruisers still there.
What if the shooter tries again? I’ll have to guard her closely. It will take her a few weeks to recover, but she’ll be going home then and I won’t have to be concerned with her anymore. The strange thing is that I’m not thinking so much about Rae. Tara sure is a good distraction.
When he pulled up beside one, he climbed out of the car and looked for Van. As he opened the front door, Van frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Piers, Selina wasn’t the culprit. We’ve interviewed her and she has an airtight alibi. We can’t seem to find any suspects. How is Tara doing?”
“Tara will be fine. I’m concerned that she’ll be home in a day or two and the potential killer will try again.”
“We still have no motive for it. Tara seems like a good person and no one has had anything bad to say about her…except for--“
“Selina.” I know. She’s the only person I can think of that has a grudge to hold. When can we get in there to clean up? I don’t want her coming home to see that and Moki is pretty upset herself.”
“We’ll be done here in another hour. I’m sorry we don’t have any better answers for you, Piers, but our investigation will continue. Make sure you place some extra security guards around your house.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks, Van.”
“Call me if something comes up or if you can think of anything else.”
“All right, Van. Talk to you soon.”
Defeated, Piers went to the office and poured himself a stiff brandy then picked up the phone.
“Hello, Charlie? I want you to bring in four more security guards and have them stationed near the house when Tara gets home. Tell them to be careful. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
He paused as he listened to the reply then hung the phone up gently, turning to face the window. The bushes outside moved, but he couldn’t see anyone there.
“I want the bastard caught so badly I’m imagining things.”
Still, Piers decided he’d feel a whole lot better about having a murderer on the loose if Tara was gone from his life. As far as he was concerned, she was as good as on a plane home the minute she was released from the hospital. His heart did a little flip, reminding him that living without her wouldn’t be as easy as he thought.
* * * *
When Moki came into the office, she appeared to be full of fear.
“What’s wrong, Moki?” Piers asked.
“Piers, I’ve been searching for my large kitchen knife, but it seems to be missing.”
“You’re sure you can’t find it?”
“Absolutely. I keep all my tools clean, and the blade is missing from my knife block.”
“Thanks for telling me, Moki. I’ll report it to Van. With Tara being shot, we have to consider a break in.”
“Okay, Piers. Give him a call.”
“Van will probably want to check the house for a break in. Somehow the shooter got into the house. If they stole the knife, then they might intend to do more harm. Don’t worry about it. Take a few days off and relax. You no doubt deserve it. You’ll get paid anyway.”
“You are a kind man, Piers. I’ll go, but I’m not going to stop cooking for you all. It’s my job.”
“Have it your way, sweetie. I love your cooking.”
“I’m going to head home now. I have most of the dishes done, but I can wait.”
“Bye, Moki. I’ll call and let you know when you can get your kitchen back.”
“Bye, Piers.”
After she left, Piers called Van.
“We know what the murder weapon is, but with the knife taken from Moki’s kitchen, we need to cover all the bases. I told her to leave so you can dust for prints.”
“Good job. I’ll send a team right over.”
“Thanks, Van. I’ll keep everyone out of the kitchen.”
The attacker was getting bolder. Now he’d have to have a guard monitor inside the house. Things were getting worse instead of better.
Chapter 12:
Heal or Be Healed
The sun shone brightly from the hospital window when Tara awoke the next morning. With an IV bag attached to her hand, she could only ring for the nurse to help her to the washroom. She’d had enough hospital visits to know what to expect. When a male nurse came, it took all of her strength to get up, but she did it with sheer determination.
“Thank you, Carl,” she said to him as he helped her.
“You’re welcome. Do you need anything else?”
“No, you’ve been a big help. I’ll call you later if I need anything.”
“Good. Dr. Jacobs will be in to see you in the next hour or so. Try to get some rest.”
“Yes, sir, I’ll do that.”
She gave him a gentle smile then watched him leave her. She began to doze off almost immediately, but something woke her up. Kona stood looking down at her with a relieved look on his face. He looked terrible, with his crinkled clothes and unshaven face. His long hair had lost the tie long ago based on the disarray and tangles.
“Hello, darlin’.”
When he leaned down he gave her a butterfly kiss, so soft and gentle, she nearly cried at his tenderness.
“Hello, Master Kona,” she whispered. “Have you been here all this time?”
“Wow, not here, slave girl. Someone might be listening, and yes, I haven’t left the hospital once since you were shot. You scared the devil out of me.”
“Somehow, I believe you still have some of the devil in you.”
They both laughed, though Tara grimaced at the twinge her shoulder gave her.
“Okay, I give. Don’t make me laugh. It hurts too much.”
Suddenly, he became quite serious.
“I’m sorry, Tara. Maybe I should leave you to get your rest.”
“Hell no! Y
ou have to stay and keep me company. Where’s Piers?”
“Oh…ah, he had some work to do for today’s class. I’ll be at your beck and call though.”
“Good. Now tell me how I can get out of this place?”
He chuckled, picking up a braid and rolling it between his finger and thumb. For a moment he appeared to be fascinated by it, then his eyes became wistful, his gaze soulful.
“I thought I’d lose you.”
“Kona, you know what I said about relationships…”
“It’s not like that, Tara. It’s…well, I do love you, but in a sex-buddy way. Look, you are wonderful, and I’m no more interested in a complex relationship than you are. The plan was one month of wild and crazy sex. Are we still good with that?”
“Of course I am. Thank you for being honest with me.”
“Can you be honest with yourself, Tara?”
“What do you mean?” Her heart started beating faster as she realized what he meant.
He wrapped a braid around his hand and smiled at her.
“You and Piers are in love with each other, but both of you are too stubborn to admit it.”
“No, I’m not. I…”
Suddenly, there was no hiding from it. She nodded, her heart breaking at the thought of going home and never seeing Piers again. Three weeks. She’d be going home in three weeks.
“This bullet hole should remedy that. I doubt I’d be up to much for a week or so.”
He leaned in close and kissed her gently, slowly. She savoured it every moment until she inhaled his scent then wrinkled her nose.
“I think you’d best go home and get cleaned up, Kona. Nothing personal, but you stink and could use a shave. Go on, out with you.”
If he didn’t leave soon, he’d see her cry and that she couldn’t allow. Kona gave her a last kiss.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Kona? Please don’t say anything to him. This ends when I return home. Promise me?”
He nodded, “I promise. I’ll leave that up to you. Remember, you were the one who wanted to heal his broken heart.”
“What a price to pay. Good-bye, Kona.”
Once he’d left her, she let the tears go, sobbing softly. The pain in her shoulder kicked into gear. Carl came in to check on her and noticed her condition.
