by Bobbi Brattz
When she was able to gain a little control of herself, she made her way back to the patio door and left the same way she came. This time, the guard stood silent in the night. With her wrath unquenched, she snuck up on him and attacked. He didn’t make a sound when she slashed his throat, but for a gasp. He dropped onto the soft grass and lay still, air leaving his body in a soft hiss.
Without taking time to enjoy her success, she moved on into the night, safely making it back to her room.
Chapter 18:
Reality Check
It was late in the morning when breakfast was served. Piers and Kona were the first to arrive at the table. Moki was waiting patiently for the group, ready to cook eggs to go with the mountain of bacon she’d made along with fresh fruits on a small platter.
“Good morning, boys. I’ll get your coffee and start the eggs. Isn’t it a beautiful day?”
“Moki, seeing you here with that beautiful smile on your face makes it so,” Kona teased. She blushed and rushed off into the kitchen, giggling like a young girl.
Next to show up was Mateo. He walked into the room smiling wide.
“Good morning. I trust that you both slept well.”
“Good morning, Mateo. We barely slept a wink.”
Kona’s wide grin said that it was worth the lack of sleep.
Pushing the door open with her shoulder, Moki carried a pot of coffee into the room.
“Good morning, Mateo. Where are the girls?” she asked.
All three men smiled. Piers said, “In their rooms, probably curled up on their beds sound asleep. We–"
From down the hallway, they heard a scream filled with horror. Mateo jumped to his feet and raced down the hall, followed by Kona and Piers. Tara’s room was ajar. Rae raced out the door and into Mateo’s arms.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, holding her protectively.
“The…on the bed. Tara…”
Piers pushed past her, followed by Kona and Mateo. On the bed there were numerous slashes, yet there wasn’t a drop of blood. The patio door stood wide open. Piers headed outside and found Greg Mallory, one of the security guards. He didn’t need to check for a pulse based on the pool of blood surrounding his head. His throat had been slashed.
“Call the police!” Piers yelled.
The killer had taken a life and slipped away without detection.
* * * *
“Who screamed?”
Each of them turned around and looked at her with relief. Tara came out of the bedroom, her sleepy-eyed look testament to her sleepless night. Her lips were swollen from endless kisses. Piers rushed to her and held her tight.
“Don’t go in there.”
“Why, Piers? I need to get dressed.”
“The killer struck last night. One of our guards is dead.”
“Oh, my God!” she moaned, holding onto him with shaky hands.
“Tara, he stabbed your bed. I thought it was you beneath the covers,” Rae cried.
“We put pillows in the shape of a body in case he got close enough to strike. It looks like he did.” Kona was for once quite serious.
“Piers, who could do such a thing? You’d think after the first stab, they’d have figured out I wasn’t there.”
“Blind rage. He must have been furious to find you weren’t there.”
“Mateo,” Moki said from the door, her eyes full of tears. “I flagged down a cruiser. The police are outside.”
“Tell them to come in. Everyone else, let’s go to the dining room. We need to preserve whatever evidence they can find. Maybe now they can bring a warrant to search all of the rooms.”
Together, they headed down the hall, Piers and Mateo stopping to speak to two of the officers. Van pulled up with sirens blaring, an ambulance on his tail.
“You’re going to want the coroner for this one, Van,” Piers said.
“How many were killed?”
“One.” Once Piers explained the situation, he led Van and his officers to the room. Another officer was out on the patio with the dead body. It was time to cancel the class for the day and focus on keeping Tara safe.
* * * *
“Will you please stop following me, Piers?”
Exasperated, Tara placed her hands on her hips and faced him. Much as her stomach flipped as she looked at his fit body, she was tired of not being able to so much as turn around when either Piers or Kona shadowed her.
“You know I won’t do that. You’re under house arrest until we find the killer. This time it wasn’t a near miss. I had to go to Greg Mallory’s family with the news, and it wasn’t a scene I’d like to repeat. Now, do what you have to, but I’m not leaving your side.”
The heat was almost unbearable under the sun, and Tara wanted to go to the beach for a swim, but even that Piers wouldn’t allow. As much as she enjoyed his company, he was beginning to annoy her.
“You can’t arrest me. You’re not a cop.”
“But I can, Tara.”
She turned to see Van standing in the shadows on the patio. He stepped closer and smiled at her. Tara thought it was strange that no matter how handsome Van was, and he was gorgeous, he didn’t turn her on like Piers and Kona did.
“Not you, too!”
“Yes, me, too. You are a target for a murderer, and there is no way you’ll be left to your own devices. If you want to go to the beach, it will be with an escort of no less than two armed men or women.”
“I’m telling you, I don’t–"
“Tara, you have no say in the matter. Greg died protecting you. The least you can do is try not to get anyone else killed in the process until we can get you on a plane home.”
“I’m not going anywhere! I did not make anyone protect me, Piers, and I’ll thank you to lay off the guilt trip. How dare you treat me like I had something to do with this. We don’t even know why someone’s trying to kill me.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she fought to hold them back. Either Piers was being cruel to protect her, or he wanted her gone. His features softened for a moment and he pulled her into his arms. She hated to admit it, but she felt safe there and, yes, loved.
“Honey, we only want you to be safe, and alive. This whole thing has gotten out of hand. Last night, if you’d been in your bed, you’d be dead. That’s not going to happen as long as I’m alive. Listen to reason.”
“All right! I’ll stay at the pool. I feel like a…a…a prisoner. Go away and leave me alone. I’m going for a swim.”
“Someone will be with you at all times, Tara, and that’s final.”
“I’ll swim with you.” Rae came out onto the patio wearing a bathing suit.
“You, I don’t mind, but them? It’s like having a bad tooth.”
Bitterness laced her words, even though she at least had one person to swim with. Van looked serious when she glanced at him.
“It’s a tough job, Piers, but I don’t mind it at all.” His wide grin irked Tara.
“Pervert!”
At that, he chuckled. “Piers, you realize she’s stubborn to a fault, don’t you?”
“That’s what I like about her, but she’ll do as she’s told or face the punishment.”
“Punishment? I did nothing wrong.”
Rae took her hand. Both women wore bikinis and had their towels with them, so there was no need to change. Actually, Tara was afraid to go to her own room since last night and had Kona bring her clothes to Piers’s room. Not that she’d admit it to anyone.
“Come on, kiddo. We have all afternoon to chat and get reacquainted. It’s been so long since we last saw each other.”
“All right, Rae. I’ll do it for you, but not him.”
Piers laughed. “Wear your sunscreen, too.”
“Oh, shut up.” She turned her back on him then squealed when he slapped her ass. With her hands covering it, she nursed the sting and thought about her favorite kind of punishment. Will he spank me tonight?
“Count on it,” he said, like he could read her mind.
>
Tara growled and walked over to the lounge chairs reluctantly to put on her sunscreen before her swim. With her caramel skin color, she already looked tanned, but she’d darken fast. She’d never been a sun-bunny, but she did enjoy lying in the sun a little.
“I’ll be back in time for dinner. Behave yourself.”
“Go hang yourself,” she snapped.
“Tonight will be a good lesson for you, I’m sure. See you later.” He left through the dining room door, leaving Van to watch over her.
“Ohhh…” she vented. Secretly, she was pleased about the potential.
Rae laughed. “You are in so much trouble. You’ll have fun tonight.”
“Did Mateo infuriate you as much as Piers does me? Kona isn’t as pushy as him.”
“Yes, he did and still does. I like it when he goes all protective-wolf-man on me. He can be a real taskmaster, and the punishments…yummy.”
“Let’s go for a swim, and then you can tell me all about your handsome husband.”
Rae smiled. “Husband. That has such a nice ring to it.”
“Speaking of nice rings, how many carats is that sucker?” Tara pointed to Rae’s ring finger.
“Enough to ensure that I have stronger muscles in this arm now.”
Both women laughed, then dove into the pool together. They played for a while, then climbed out and lay down on the lounge chairs to spend the next two hours chatting under an umbrella.
Tara shuddered, thinking that only a few hours ago, a man lay dead on the grass only a few feet away. Though the caretaker cleaned up all the blood on the grass, she could smell the coppery scent left over.
“Rae? Do you think Piers is in danger as well?”
“I think everyone is until they capture that person. Listen to what Piers said and be careful. Promise me?”
“Okay. I promise, but not because he said so.”
“Stubborn to a fault. That’s how he described you. I never saw that side of you before, but I think you’ve met your match. He’s a wonderful man, Tara.”
“I know, but I don’t want to get serious with him or anyone else.”
“Why not? You don’t have anyone else and you’re both single. What’s the problem?”
“Neither one of us wants a serious relationship.”
“You look like you lost your best friend, but I’m right here. Come on, tell me what’s bothering you.”
“It’s about the cancer and not being able to have children. I’m clear right now, but I can’t vouch for the future. I’m not going to saddle anyone down with the burden of my health. I just won’t do it.”
Tears filled Rae’s eyes, rolling down her cheeks. Tara rested her hand on top of Rae’s, unable to speak for a moment. Rae was the only woman she knew who she felt she could tell anything to.
“I’m so afraid that the doctor’s office will call and tell me time’s up. I can’t do that to anyone. I don't want someone in my life to have to deal with that.”
“Shouldn’t that be left up to the man who wants to be a part of your life? My guess is that Piers would–"
“Piers doesn’t want me in his life full-time anymore than I want him,” she lied. The bitterness lacing her words was heavy at best. She wanted nothing more than to be held by him and told that everything was going to be all right. He was the perfect man, but not for her.
Rae hugged her close, murmuring sweet words of comfort.
“Don’t worry, honey. Piers would take it as it comes. You should see the way he looks at you when you’re not looking at him. He loves you already, and if I don’t miss my guess, you love him, too. Kona seems to love you, too, but not in the same way. He’s a free spirit. I doubt there is a woman alive who can figure that one out.”
“Famous last words.” Tara laughed, wiping tears from her eyes.
Tara realized that Van was still standing in the background watching. One look at his face said that he’d heard everything. She jumped up and cried out, covering her mouth with her hands.
“If you say one word to him, I’ll break you in two.”
“I won’t say a word, Tara. I’m sorry, though. All I can say is live for today. You never know what tomorrow will bring, but leaving Piers out of it can only harm you. He’s a doctor. He’s capable of dealing with illness. Give him a chance.”
“Rae, I’m not going to allow a relationship based on pity.”
“Pity? Do you think he’d really do that? He’s a warm and caring man, Tara. He’d give you his heart and anything else you need.”
Tara turned away from them both, trying to hold back tears.
“I can’t do this. I’m going to go lie down for a while.”
“You can’t run from reality, honey. Rest, take some time out, and I’ll see you at dinner. I love you, Tara. You’re the best friend I have. I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“You didn’t, Rae. I’ll see you later.”
Tara went to lie down in Piers’s room. The bedding smelled fresh with a floral scent. She breathed it in as she rested her head on the fluffy pillow. In no time at all, she was asleep, dreaming about Piers and Kona…
* * * *
Piers wandered around the resort looking for a clue, any clue he could find that would indicate who the killer was. As he walked up to the bar, a woman called his name.
“Dr. Piers! Dr. Piers?”
He turned and saw her coming toward him, a wide smile on her face.
“Hello, Cindy. What can I do for you?”
“Well, first of all, I wanted to thank you for the aloe vera. It worked like a charm on my sunburn. Also, I wanted to ask you about Tara. The police have been going through everyone’s rooms looking for something, but I haven’t a clue as to why. I suppose it’s because she was shot, but I can’t imagine why she’d even stay at the resort. I’d hightail it out of here if someone was trying to kill me.”
He smiled gently at her. “Cindy, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to harm you. You’re a lovely lady. Are you going to the luau tomorrow night? Many of the guests are finishing their vacations, and it’s their last night on the island.”
“I might. Do you think it’s safe? After all, there is a crazy person running around trying to kill her, isn’t there?”
“We believe so, but we have plenty of guards and police officers guarding the resort. Something will kick into gear. I’d best be going now. I hope to see you tomorrow night. Goodnight, Cindy.”
“Goodnight, Dr. Piers.” The woman was blushing and giggling like a schoolgirl as she stood watching him walk away.
At least there’s one person I can rule out. She’s as sweet as candy.
Walking along the beach, Piers watched carefully for anything out of place, but there was nothing. After an hour of chatting with guest after guest, he finally made his way back to the house. Exhausted from lack of sleep the night before, he decided to lie down for a while. He expected that tonight also, he’d get little sleep. He planned on it.
When he opened the door to his room, he found something worth keeping. Tara lay on the bed, sound asleep. Her fingers were tangled in her braids, and she looked like a young woman without a care in the world.
Stripping down, he crawled into bed with her and carefully slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. In minutes he fell asleep with the scent of vanilla surrounding him.
Chapter 19:
Friend Recall
Warmth, the scent of a man, and a feeling of security were what Tara awoke to. She didn’t want to wake up and find it was a dream, but she opened her eyes. With a slight turn of her head, she saw that it was Piers. He slept deeply, his face softened by slumber.
Love. That was what her heart was screaming at her. She loved him, yet it was a dead-end street. Piers, Kona, and Tara had made it clear from the beginning that the relationship would end once the month was up. They were already in the second week of it.
Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of living without him. Kona wasn’t as difficult to deal with b
ecause he’d made sure she understood that his love was platonic, and she was fine with that, but with Piers it was something different.
He was waking up slowly. She could tell by the bulge in her lower back that was growing stronger by the second. Tracing his lip with her finger, Tara tried to memorize every moment with him. Suddenly, he bit the tip of her finger gently, his eyes opening wide.
“Trying to capture my attention, are you?”
The smile she gave him should have been enough distraction to keep him from reading her thoughts. He did that on occasion. It was like he was in her mind whenever she thought of him. Another deep breath filled her senses with him. He was naked, while she still wore her shorts and tank top.
“Let’s get you out of your clothes. They are in my way.”
Delightful shivers traveled through her veins and trickled up her back. She had it bad, she was sure of it.
“I think I should go home,” she whispered. Ask me to stay, please.
Piers looked stunned, like he wasn’t expecting her to want to leave.
“That’s probably a good idea. I’ll have to call the airport and see if there’s room on the plane that leaves at noon tomorrow.”
Pain washed over her heart at his quick agreement. Why don’t you want me?
“Tara, is that what you really want? I thought you’d prefer to stay for a while longer. If it’s the killer that has you worried, I can assure you that he’s not going to get to you. Over my dead body, anyway.”
“That’s the problem, Piers,” she said. She tried to sit up, but he kept his arm tight around her waist. “Let go. I have to go pack. It’s too dangerous for you to keep me here.”
“You don’t trust me? I won’t let him harm you, Tara.”
Her senses were all awry as he remained close to her, spooning his body as it molded along her back and legs. At that moment, she knew he’d die for her if need be, but that wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted…him.
“Will you make love to me, Piers? Just this once. I don’t simply want sex this time. I promise I’ll not get involved with you or expect more. When I’m with you, I feel so safe. Help me forget all this mess. Please?”
