A moment later, Rip knelt beside her, his pistol also trained on the men.
“Got âem covered,” he assured Avery. Then he nodded at the hapless man on the ground. “See if you can help him.”
“Sure.” She managed to say, while Rip edged toward the guys at the gate.
Staring at the knife sticking out of Henriâs leg, Averyâs stomach churned, but she took a deep breath and untied her twine belt. As she tied it tightly around the manâs leg above the wound, she saw movement from the corner of her eye. The line of chanting women surged toward the retreating figure.
“Stop, JB Pollendene!” Mama Simone ordered in her eerie voice.
Avery craned her neck to watch the bizarre scene play out.
“Nooo⦔ JBâs high, thin scream trailed off as his body straightened. His limbs jerked and flailed as if he was fighting not to obey.
The line of women fanned out around him, and with a strangled whimper, he forced his legs to move backward. Obviously struggling to inch away, he seemed determined not to let the women encircle him,. Even at a distance, Avery could see him panting and grimacing with the effort.
“The Sage Femmes command you to obey!” Mama Simone shouted while the chanting increased in intensity.
JB shook his head, and backed up a few more inches.
Avery gasped in horror as she saw the heel of his foot reach the edge of the cement.
Jerkily, JB twisted to look and teetered precariously for a moment. Then, with a bark of laughter, he stepped off into nothingness.
Chapter 13
As Rip kicked away his adversaryâs pistol, Avery screamed. He whirled around just in time to see his cousin JB fall. Abruptly, the Sage Femmes went silent. While Rip sprinted toward them in disbelief, the women seemed to shrink, shoulders and heads drooping. No longer intimidating, they suddenly appeared as a group of tired women. Two or three of them stared over the edge where JB had fallen while several others rubbed at the garish make up smeared on their faces.
A scuffling noise from the direction of the gate made Rip stop and turn back. The four guys dashed toward the encampment. He raised his pistol, but even if it hadnât been dark, they were already out of range.
“Shit!” Rip exclaimed. He rushed over to where Avery sat beside Henri Roussellot, who still had the knife sticking out of his leg. “We need to get out of here! Those guys will rouse the whole camp and theyâll be here in minutes.”
When Avery continued to stare wide-eyed at the place where JB had gone over, Rip gently gripped her shoulder. “Avery, sweetheart, we gotta get Henri out of here.” Then he called out, “Mama Simone, can you help us?”
Before the old woman covered the short distance, Henri began to shake. Poor guy was going into shock. Avery looked like she was, too.
“Take off your shirt, mon cher,” Mama Simone ordered Rip as she knelt and tightened the tourniquet Avery had placed on Henriâs leg. “I need it to staunch the blood.”
Rip shrugged off his jacket and pulled the stained and dirty white shirt over his head. Mama Simone wadded it in her fist. Then with one swift movement, she pulled out the knife and plugged the hole with Ripâs shirt.
Henriâs moan of pain snapped Avery out of her fog of shock. She rubbed her index finger over the white make up under the old womanâs eye, and then studied the greasy residue.
“I canât believe you had that kind of power over JB.” Incredulity and awe laced her quiet tone.
Mama Simone pulled a small pouch from her waistband, extracted a dried leaf, and shoved it into the wounded manâs mouth.“You be fine, Henri Roussellot.” Then she patted Averyâs hand. “Donât matter what you believe, cheri. Only matters what JB believed.” She motioned toward the other women. “Claire, Lisette⦔
The two women knotted their shawls and Ripâs jacket together, and helped Mama Simone carefully roll Henri onto the makeshift sling. When Rip tried to assist them in carrying the young man, they waved him away.
“See to your pretty one,” Mama Simone insisted, waving over two more women.
Rip offered Avery his hand. “We need to hurry, Avery. Can you walk?” His shoulder was still tender, but heâd carry her over it if necessary.
But she got shakily to her feet, and stood watching for a moment as the four women and Mama Simone shambled off, carrying Henri. Rip pulled on Averyâs arm, urging her to follow.
“Wait!” she cried out, and holding up her pants with one hand, she rushed to the metal box.
Momentarily stunned, Rip watched her claw open the door and grasp one of the three wheels inside.
“We need to open at least one of these gates!” She panted as she struggled to budge the stubborn mechanism.
The sudden sound of gushing water made Rip realize what she was doing. “Let me!” He pushed her hands aside and shoved the wheel a half turn.
Clutching her waistband again, she ran to the edge and gazed down. “Thatâs enough! Letâs go!”
He loped over and grabbed her hand, but as they turned to follow the women, the sound of shots came from the direction of JBâs encampment. Averyâs mouth flew open, but whatever she said was drowned out by a boom that shook the ground under their feet.
“What the hell?” Rip exclaimed, as he stumbled to maintain his balance. “A rocket launcher?”
Avery threw herself against him, burying her face in his neck. In the chaotic noises of screams, shouts, and more gunfire from below, Rip heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. Please, let them be on our side!
However, he raised his pistol all the same, determined not to go down without a fight. He angled his body so that he at least partially shielded Avery from whoever they were about to confront.
The truck screeched up to the chain-link fence. Its headlights threw their harsh illumination over the whole area where Rip and Avery stood. Rip squinted through the dust motes as a man leaped from the cab of the truck.
“Rip? Avery?” Lucâs voice echoed off the concrete.
Ripâs arm dropped to his side, his pistol falling with a thud.
***
Avery slept all the way back to Saturnina. Not even the rough road or the truckâs stiff suspension kept her awake. If sheâd been capable of clear thought, she would have realized the sleeping pill was still in her system. But all she could do was loll her head against Ripâs bare shoulder.
When they arrived at their destination, a small hotel at the harbor, she roused enough to let Rip and Luc half-carry her to the elevator and then into the room. She vaguely registered a wide bed with lots of lace and frills, before she collapsed face down on it, asleep again.
She awakened to the sound of running water and a cool breeze brushing her face. Looking up, she saw the ceiling fan whirling over the bed. The power must be back on.
Pale light filtered through the lace curtained French doors to the balcony. As she struggled to sit up, every muscle in her arms and legs protested, and her feet throbbed. Then she made the mistake of looking at them, and they were so filthy she gasped with dismay.
“Avery?” Concern suffused Ripâs voice, as he stepped into the room, clumps of shaving cream still stuck to his face. But when he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, his smile flashed dazzling white. “Good morning, Sunshine.”
Throwing her hands over her face, she moaned, “Donât look at me! Iâm a mess!” She pulled the sheet over her head and waved a hand in dismissal. “Please stop looking and go away!”
“All right, all right. Iâll go down and get us some breakfast.” He disappeared back into the bathroom, but continued to talk to her. “See that pile of clothes on the chair? The ownerâs wife sent those up for you.”
Avery peeked around the sheet at a stack of colorful fabric and prayed clean undies were included. Rip re-emerged and she ducked again, but not before she caught a glimpse of his clean blue jeans and red polo shirt.
“Iâ�
�ll be back soon,” he assured her as he slipped out the door.
Feeling like she was a hundred years old, Avery stumbled into the bathroom and flipped on the shower. The warm water did wonders to revive her and sooth her aches and pains. Shampooing her hair was sheer heaven. As usual, Rip had left a pile of wet towels in his wake, but luckily there were two left for her. She scampered out wrapped in both of them, grabbed the stack of clothes and dashed back just as Rip opened the main door.
“Good news!” he called out. “They found Yvette and sheâs okay.”
Relief spurted through her veins, followed immediately by concern. She had a hard time forcing the words out and wasnât sure Rip would even hear her. “What about her brother and Roussellot?”
“Thierryâs dead.” His quiet reply made a shudder of grief pass through her, even as he continued. “But Roussellotâs going to pull through.”
The rip-tide of emotions left Avery unsure what to feel. Mechanically she laid the clothes out on the bathroom counter. Wrapped inside the colorful skirt and t-shirt were the tiniest pair of black lace panties and matching bra sheâd ever seen. Not exactly what sheâd had in mind when she wished for clean undies. Dressing quickly, she found a comb and ran it through her wet hair. Finally, she used a diagonally folded face cloth as a hair tie and padded on tender feet into the main room.
Rip greeted her with a wide grin and a steaming cup of coffee. Just the smell made her sigh appreciatively as she sank into a wicker side chair. He inclined his head at a plate of pastries on the night stand. “Sorry, thatâs all they had downstairs.”
Before Avery could reach for one, a loud rap sounded and Luc entered, smiling even more broadly than Rip.
He handed over her purse and shoes. “Thought you might like to have these.” Giving a little cry of joy, Avery grabbed them and started digging through her purse while Luc continued talking. “Everything is going incredibly well. The election will happen in a few days. Until we have the results, Rip, you can act in Jean Jacquesâ stead since youâre now his closest relative.”
Avery paused in the midst of combing her hair into a proper ponytail to ask, “Did you find JBâs body?”
Lucâs expression shifted to seriousness and he nodded. “And weâve moved Jean Jacque into protective care with a nurse as well as guards.” At Averyâs questioning look, he explained, “Itâs for the best, his mind is gone.”
Rip finished his pastry, rose to his feet and paced across the room. “But Iâm not Jean Jacquesâ only relative, am I Luc?”
While Avery stared wide-eyed, Luc shifted in obvious discomfort. “Youâre his only legitimate heir.”
In the glaring silence that enveloped the room, Avery heard voices echoing from the street below. Rip heard them too, and opened the French doors a crack.
A cheer drifted up, followed by the chant, “Rip! Rip! Rip!”
As Rip stepped out onto the balcony, Averyâs heart leaped into her throat. What if someone in the crowd had a gun? With her pulse pounding so loud, she couldnât hear anything Rip said, but the cheer grew to a roar.
Lucâs smile was back. “Heâs a natural.”
Rip might very well be, but Avery knew she wasnât. Her heart continued to hammer furiously and the panicky feeling of the walls closing in threatened to overcome her. She realized yet again that after everything sheâd gone through, she would never feel comfortable, much less fit in here on Benezet. If this was Ripâs destiny, she wouldnât stand in his way. But as much as she wanted to be with him, she couldnât stay.
“I-is⦔ She took a deep breath to fortify her resolve. “Is the ferry running again?”
“Probably this afternoon.” Lucâs voice faded in confusion. “But Avery, you canât - -”
“I can and I will.” She slid her feet into her shoes and stood to face him.
Rip stepped halfway into the room, motioning for Luc to join him. Seemingly frozen to the spot, Luc gazed from Avery to Rip.
“Câmon!” Rip urged.
Luc took a step in his direction. Rip grabbed his arm and dragged him out onto the balcony. Through the open door, Avery heard Rip shushing the crowd.
“I know I was born here, but Iâm an American,” he told them. “I donât know how to lead Benezet.” Then over the cries of protest, Rip shouted. “But hereâs someone who can â my brother, Luc DuBois!”
An eerie silence blanketed the crowd. Averyâs mouth flew open, her stunned mind struggling to absorb Ripâs words.
“Thatâs right!” Rip reiterated. “Luc is a Pollendene, too, and heâs one of you. He knows whatâs best for Benezet.”
As hope and happiness bloomed inside her, Avery heard a new chant start up, “Luc! Luc! Luc!”
“Go, spread the word!” Rip urged the street full of people. Then he clasped Lucâs hand and raised both their fists in a gesture of triumph, just like his Uncle Jean Jacques had done. While the group cheered and chanted, he sidled back inside the room. Luc followed.
Heâd no sooner pulled the door closed than Avery cried, “Thank all the stars in heaven!” And launched herself at him, peppering his neck with kisses.
At the same time, Luc demanded, “What the hell was that about?”
“The truth.” Much as he hated to, Rip pulled free of Averyâs enthusiastic embrace and faced his half-brother. “Iâm totally clueless about running this island. You arenât. Besides, last night I realized all I really want is to be with Avery if sheâll have me.”
She made a cute little sound in the back of her throat, then grabbed his face and gave him a loud smack on his lips, her breasts rubbing enticingly against his chest.
Rip draped his arm around her waist to keep her close and continued to address Luc. “You know what to do and who to trust. Plus, youâre a Pollendene. Thatâs what Uncle Jean Jacques meant when he said Phillippe sent both his sons away, didnât he?”
Still looking uncertain, Luc nodded, and Avery spoke up. “You know Ripâs right, Luc. Youâll do whatâs best for your country.”
“I need to be elected first,” Luc muttered.
“Piece of cake, youâre a Pollendene.” Rip assured him with a wink. “Avery and I will hang around for a few days, if you still need me to sign stuff for Uncle Jean Jacques. But as soon as this election is done, we have about ten years to make up for.”
He wiggled his eyebrows at Avery and she wiggled hers back.
Luc rolled his eyes and sighed wearily. “Guess Iâll need to make some adjustments to our plans.”
“You can do it.” Averyâs tone was cruise director cheerful and encouraging. “Youâre good at things like that.”
“Exactly.” With his free hand, Rip clapped Luc on the shoulder and propelled him in the direction of the door. “So why donât you go and do whatever it is that keeps this place running? Avery and I have a few adjustments to make too.”
As Luc closed the door behind himself, Avery broke away and ratcheted the security chain in place. “There, that takes care of that little adjustment.”
With a sassy smile, she sauntered to the rumpled bed, plopped down and kicked off her shoes.
“Why Miss Knox, I do believe youâre trying to seduce me,” Rip teased, slipping his hand into the pocket of his jeans, and easing out a condom packet.
Blue eyes sparkling with mischief, she murmured, “Goodness, Mr. Pollendene, you seem to have all the answers today.”
“Not all,” he admitted as he kicked off his own shoes. “Right now, Iâm wondering if youâre wearing those little scraps of black lace I saw folded inside that skirt.”
“Well, why donât you come over here and find out?”
“Suuu-weet!” he declared.
THE END
Author’s Note
The island of Benezet is wholly fictitious but was inspired by several Caribbean islands I
have visited on various cruises: Grenada, Dominca, and St. Lucia being the chief among them.
Loucinda McGary has been a storyteller and writer all her life. In 2003 she left her day job to pursue her twin passions of travel and writing. To date she has visited forty-seven states, thirty-four foreign countries, and taken twenty-three cruises. She likes to set her stories in some of the fascinating places she has visited. Her stories have placed and won several contests and awards including the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart contest, the Australian Romance Readers Awards, and the Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Book of 2012.
Learn more about Loucinda, her travels and her work at: www.LoucindaMcgary.com
If you enjoyed this story, please check out her other books:
The Wild Sight (2008)
The Treasures of Venice (2009)
The Wild Irish Sea (2010)
All from Sourcebooks Casablanca and available on Amazon and B&N.
Her novelette available on Amazon and B&N:
The Sidhe Princess (2011)
In the rural Northern Ireland of the 1960s, sixteen-year-old Moira Mullins is newly released from her second stay in a mental institution. Her problem is that she canât seem to escape the notice of the other-worldly inhabitants of the wild lands bordering her familyâs farm. Creatures nobody else can see or hear.
When one of these beings, a fairy princess called the Maid of Ulster, offers to foretell the future, Moira jumps at the chance. But the Maid has ulterior motives that could have tragic results for Moira, who learns the future is sometimes better unknown.
A dark modern-day fairytale, this 14,000 word novelette (easily read in a couple of hours) is a prequel to Ms. McGary’s award-winning debut release The Wild Sight.
Book 1 in the Adventure Cruise Line series also on Amazon and B&N:
High Seas Deception (2012)
A DANGEROUS MISSION
The Irishman is a ruthless mercenary who performs any task for the right price. His current assignment involves intercepting a dangerous package smuggled aboard the cruise liner Intrepid. If the contents of the package reach Los Angeles, millions will die.
His Reluctant Bodyguard Page 16
