“She called a few minutes ago. Nani hasn’t found anything.”
She sagged against him, then turned and buried her face in his chest. He held her close without saying a word. What was there to say? They’d lived in the islands all their lives. No one knew the dangers of the sea better than the two of them. The muscles in her back were rigid and unyielding as if she was holding herself apart from him.
He stroked his hand along her spine and wished he could comfort her somehow. He still needed to tell her about Zimmer too. For all he knew, the man could be despicable enough to seek revenge by hurting Leia.
She pulled away and wiped her eyes. The sun sank faster now, plunging into the water like a fireball. “We’ll ride back with Kaia and Jesse on the boat. It will be too dark to see the potholes in the lane. Look, they’re coming in now for us.”
She nodded and let him lead her into the water as the roar of Jesse’s boat grew nearer. Nani swam up to them, chirping her friendly hello, and Bane rubbed her warm, rubbery body before helping Leia climb the ladder to the boat. He clambered aboard himself and moved to drop into a seat by his sister.
How’s Leia? Kaia mouthed.
He winced and shook his head. His gaze found Leia where she sat with her head down. When she was like that, it was tough to get through the remoteness she’d pulled around her. She barely looked up when he moved to sit by her.
He took her hand, so cold and motionless. “Honey, talk to me. We have to hold to each other through this.”
Her eyes were wide and unblinking. “This is my fault.”
“You’re just upset.”
“No, I need to do a better job with Eva. If I hadn’t been distracted . . . I don’t think I can marry you, Bane. Eva needs me too much.”
“Of course you can marry me. We’ll find Eva and things will be back to normal soon. You’ll see. Eva loves me. She wouldn’t want to go back to life without me there. You know that as well as I do.”
“I don’t know.” Leia exhaled with a rush of air, then turned her head and looked out over the dark sea. The tight line of her pressed lips broke his heart.
“Maybe she came ashore somewhere. She might be wandering around lost. Her picture will be on the news tonight and in the paper. Someone will see her.”
She shook her head. “I realize now this marriage is not the right thing for any of us.” She pulled her hand away, then wrenched off her ring and handed it to him. “I’m not going to marry you, Bane. I’m sorry.” The last word ended on a sob.
His fingers closed around the ring she pressed into his hand. He stared into her face. What was she thinking? This wasn’t happening. She loved him. But staring into her remote eyes, he saw no spark of the constant love he was used to seeing.
He put the ring in his pocket. “We’ll talk about it after we find Eva. You’re just upset, and I don’t blame you.”
“I blame me,” she whispered. “I should have known better.”
Was she punishing herself—and him—for Eva’s disappearance? He slipped his arm around her and tipped her face up to his. His lips found hers and his pulse sped at the way she kissed him back.
Then she jerked away. “Just because we have passion between us doesn’t mean we belong together.”
If that was how she felt, he didn’t know her anymore. He gave her a long look, then moved to his side of the bench.
Three
The clock on the bed stand showed 12:02, but a rooster still crowed in the dark beyond her window. A breeze blew in the scent of ginger from the flower bed outside. Leia lay on the guest bed at Kaia’s with her eyes wide open. How could she sleep with Eva in such danger? And she kept replaying the hurt in Bane’s eyes. She moaned and threw her hand over her eyes.
Her life had seemed so perfect. How could everything fall apart so quickly? She had to find Eva and get her back safely.
She sat up and swung her legs to the floor. Maybe some chamomile tea would help her sleep. She padded across the wood floor to the door. She put her hand on the doorknob, but her cell phone rang, a blaring sound in the still of the night. She leaped for the nightstand and snatched it up, sparing a glance at the display.
Blocked.
Her throat tightened. It was him. “Hello?”
“You haven’t called off the wedding.”
The electronically altered voice gave her chills. She tightened her grip on the phone. “I did! I gave him back his ring.”
“The food has not been canceled.”
She sank onto the edge of the bed. “They were closed by the time we finished searching for Eva.”
He said nothing for a long minute. “If the food isn’t canceled by noon, look for Eva’s body.”
A mental image came of Eva’s long blond hair floating around her lifeless body. Leia choked back a wave of nausea. “I’ll do it when they open at nine. Please. Don’t hurt her.”
“I don’t like it when someone plays games with me.”
She bit her lip. “I’m not playing games. I told you—there was a search going on for Eva, and I couldn’t do anything about the food. They believed she might have drowned, and it was easier to let them think that rather than she’d gone off with a friend.”
“I’ll give you one more chance. Don’t screw this up.”
When the call dropped, she lowered her hand and stared at her phone. Could there be a way to trace him? She tossed her phone onto the bed. He’d said not to tell the police, but she was so ill equipped to find Eva by herself. Could she even trust him to follow through on his promise to release her sister? What if she did everything exactly as he said, but he killed Eva anyway? Leia would never be able to live with the regret.
She moaned and put her head in her hands. What should she do? No matter what she decided, it could all go horribly wrong.
She lifted her head at a soft knock on the door. “Yes?”
“It’s me.” Bane’s deep voice spoke on the other side of the door.
She grabbed her robe and pulled it on over her shorty pj’s before opening the door. “What’s wrong?”
“I wanted to talk and I heard you on the phone. Who was calling so late?”
She stiffened until she realized that of course he had the right to ask that kind of question. What could she say? She looked into his warm brown eyes, alight with love and concern for her. How could she put him through what that evil man demanded? Couldn’t they work through this together? Wasn’t that what married couples did?
He took a step closer, and his warm palm enveloped her cheek. She closed her eyes and relished the heat that spread down her neck to her belly. She loved him so much. How could she go on with this lie? Because that’s what it was. Withholding the full truth was just as much a lie.
He rubbed his thumb over her skin. “I know you love me, Leia. Even now I can feel it. I have your ring in my pocket. Let’s put it back on your finger.”
She opened her eyes and studied him. Everything in her warred over what to do. “I can’t do that, Bane. I wish I could. Th-There’s . . .”
He dropped his hand and turned away before she could get out the words she needed to say. He moved toward the door, but she grabbed his arm and spun him around. When he turned to face her, she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. She needed to feel his passion, needed his strength and wisdom.
He stood still for a moment, then his arms went around her waist, and he pulled her close. The stubble on his face rasped against the tender skin of her face, but she didn’t care.
Heat flared over her skin, and he wrapped his hand through the loose hair trailing down to her waist. Her hands clutched his shirt and she closed her eyes and willed herself to forget the dire circumstances, just for a minute. All that mattered in the moment was his warm breath mingling with hers and the firm assurance of his embrace.
She made a small sound of protest when his lips left hers, then opened her eyes. His expression was hard to read in the dimly lit room.
He retreate
d a few feet. “What’s going on, Leia? One minute you push me away and the next you’re kissing me l-like that.”
She inhaled, knowing in that moment she couldn’t live without him. “Eva’s been kidnapped.”
Bane shook his head to clear it. “What are you talking about?”
He couldn’t take his eyes off her with her brown hair spilling over her shoulders. He’d loved her for so long, but since this afternoon, he wasn’t sure he knew her as well as he thought he did. His lips still tingled from her kiss. He stared into her blue eyes, so filled with pain.
Kidnapped.
She wet her lips. “That was the kidnapper.”
There was more she wasn’t telling him. She should have run to his room the minute the guy called. Instead, he’d had to find her and she was still in her room. Almost like she’d hidden it from him.
She stepped toward him. “That’s the real reason I broke our engagement. The kidnapper told me if I didn’t, h-he’d kill Eva.” She bit her trembling lip.
He put his hand on his head and took a step toward her. “Wait, let me get this straight. You took a call earlier today and instead of telling me about it, you broke our engagement?”
Her eyes on him, she nodded. “He threatened to kill Eva if I told you.”
Raking a hand through his hair, he paced toward the window. “And you believed him? You didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth? Instead, you flippantly break my heart and push me away.”
He’d been in the Coast Guard, for Pete’s sake. Danger was nothing new to him. Who would be better equipped to find Eva than him? Leia must not trust him at all.
She held her hand out toward him. “It’s not that at all! This is my sister’s life we’re talking about. He was very specific about what I had to do if I wanted to see her again.”
She was so beautiful standing there in her white robe with her feet bare and her hair loose. Another week and she would be his bride. Naturally she’d been upset when this guy called.
She should have told me.
He took her hand. “Tell me exactly what he said.”
She tucked a long lock behind her ear. “His voice was electronically garbled. He said I was not to call the police, and that if I told you, we’d find Eva’s body in the sea.” Her voice wobbled. “Then he said I had to break the engagement if I ever wanted to see Eva again.”
“This guy has something personal against me. I bet it’s Zimmer.”
“Who’s Zimmer?”
“A scumbag I sent to jail for robbery and manslaughter. He swore he’d get revenge.” He watched her flinch. “My tires were slashed this afternoon. Two of them.”
“You’re sure it was him?”
“Who else?” He stared at her and wished all his doubts could be erased with a kiss. “Before today, I would have sworn you believed in me, trusted me with your life.”
“I do!”
He made himself take her outstretched hand. She was dealing with enough upset today. “You should have come to me immediately. We looked for her all afternoon until dark. Yet you didn’t say a word. It was all a lie. You knew she wasn’t out there, yet you let me and the Coast Guard waste our time when we could have been looking for the kidnapper.”
Her eyes welled and tears slipped down her face. “You’re right. I was just so scared, Bane. I couldn’t bear it if my actions hurt Eva. He sounded so—so deadly, and I was sure he would kill her on the spot if I didn’t agree to his demands.”
Her tears melted his anger, and he pulled her against his chest. “I wouldn’t have shut you out like this.”
“You don’t understand! This is Eva. She’s like a child. You know she’s scared. I just want her back.” She began to sob. “I know I should have told you, but I panicked. And I’m telling you now. I could have still kept it from you, but I didn’t.”
He smoothed her hair, fragrant with the scent of ginger, and pressed his lips against her temple. “I’m worried about Eva too. What did he say just now when he called?”
“He said he knew we didn’t cancel the food order. If it’s not canceled by noon, he’ll kill her.”
Bane stilled as he thought through what that meant. “So he’s checking up on you.”
She nodded. “I told him I’d cancel it at nine when they opened.”
“So why tell me now?”
“I realized I was wrong,” she whispered. “I can’t handle this by myself. We have to find her. I can’t trust that he’ll keep his word.”
He nodded. “We can’t trust anything Zimmer says. We have to find her.” Bane wheeled toward the door. “We’d better call the police.”
“But what if he finds out? He’ll kill her!”
He turned slowly back to face her as he thought about it. The guy did seem to be anticipating their every move, and he knew they hadn’t canceled the food order. “Let me talk to Mano and Kaia about it.”
He walked out the door and into the hallway. He’d have to wake up Kaia and Jesse.
Four
Eva sat with her feet dangling into the water. The tile decking was warm under her, and she felt a little sleepy. “Leia would like this pool.” She smiled up at her new friend Chris.
Chris smiled back. “I’ll invite her over.”
Eva straightened and smiled. “When? I want to see her. I’m not used to her being gone. When did she say she’d be back?”
“In a few days.”
Eva pooched out her lip. “She usually takes me with her.”
Chris sat beside her. “I know, but you can’t expect to go with her on her honeymoon. That wouldn’t be fair.”
Fair. Eva hadn’t considered fair. “I was supposed to be in the wedding. It wasn’t fair they did it without me.”
“Bane was going to have to go to a new job.”
Eva had heard all of that already, and it didn’t make it any better that she’d been excluded. She swished her feet in the warm water and watched the swirling eddies around her toes. “There’s no Christmas tree here. There should be a tree and decorations. It’s the holiest holiday of all.”
“I don’t like Christmas.” His voice was gruff.
“You have to like Christmas. Jesus was born. I love Jesus.”
“Quit talking about it! There’s no Christmas here.”
“I don’t want to talk to you anymore. You’re being mean to me when I just want to see my sister.” She folded her arms across her chest. Just because Chris had bought her a new bathing suit and some shorts didn’t mean anything when her heart ached to see Leia.
Chris stood. “Suit yourself.”
Eva didn’t look up when the door to the house banged. There was a fence all the way ’round the yard, but maybe she could still get out. If she couldn’t see Leia, she could stay with Kaia. She liked Kaia and Nani, the coolest dolphin ever. She was almost human and liked swimming with her. Eva pulled her legs out of the water and stood. Glancing toward the door, she saw Chris wasn’t around. She picked up her towel and wrapped it around her waist.
She trailed her fingers along the fence, hoping to find a gate. Didn’t all fences have a gate somewhere? But the solid fence was six feet high and without an opening. To get out, she’d have to go through the house. Maybe Chris would be in the bathroom or bedroom. Eva went to the back door and opened it as noiselessly as she could.
Chris’s voice echoed over the tiled floors. “I think we should kill her. She’s driving me crazy.”
Terror gripped Eva’s throat. She tiptoed over the marble floors toward the front door. Ice clinked in a glass in the kitchen on the other side of the fireplace wall. Hopefully, Chris thought she was still outside. She unlocked the door and opened it, freezing when it made a squeak. The sound of soda pouring into a glass reassured her, and she eased open the door, then stepped out onto the wide plantation-style porch.
“Eva?” Chris’s voice was still distant.
Not bothering to shut the door behind her, Eva bolted for the walk that went to the front gate. She wrestle
d with the lock, then realized she had to have a key to get out.
“Eva?” Chris was right behind her.
She whirled with her back to the gate. “I-I heard you! You said you wanted to kill me. I don’t want to be dead. I don’t like you anymore. You need to let me go before Bane comes. He’ll be mad at you.”
She lashed out a hand as Chris reached for her.
Leia, surrounded by Bane’s family, sat at a secluded table on the patio at Joe’s on the Green. Christmas music on steel guitars played over the loudspeakers. “My Hawaiian Christmas” was just ending. She picked listlessly at her eggs and Spam.
Bane’s shoulder brushed hers as he reached for his coffee. “I canceled the food.”
“I called the florist,” Kaia said. “What else?”
“The tents?” her husband, Jesse, suggested. He was a Navy officer and spoke in a clipped, no-nonsense voice. His blond hair gleamed in the sunshine.
“I took care of that,” Annie said. Her quiet competence, inherited from her Japanese mother, usually calmed those around her.
It did Leia’s heart good to see the way they all rallied around her. Kaia hadn’t scolded her for keeping the phone call from her, though Leia had glimpsed hurt in her eyes when she heard the news. Didn’t they understand this was her sister’s life at risk? Surely they would have done the same thing.
She realized they were all staring at her. “Sorry, did I miss something?”
Bane slipped his arm around her. “I know it’s rough on you, honey. Kaia just mentioned the guy called you shortly after he and Eva had evidently jumped off the cliff. That seems to indicate more than one person is involved.”
She nodded, relaxing into his embrace. At least he wasn’t acting as upset with her. “I wondered about that too.”
Mano shook his head. “Not necessarily. I’ve jumped that cliff plenty of times, and I’m back to shore in five minutes. If he left his cell phone on the beach and called as soon as he got back, the timing would work.”
“But why did Eva go with him? No one heard her scream,” Annie said.
Holy Night Page 2
