by Tara Rose
As everyone had predicted, JD Construction was served with multiple civil suits, all of which were settled behind closed doors and with the condition that no one disclose the terms of the settlements to the media.
While they ate lunch on Wednesday in Javier’s office, Renata asked him and Garrett how Asa expected to keep his involvement a secret, because everyone knew he was the one putting up the money to settle the suits.
“He doesn’t,” said Garret. “But he’s hoping that once the reporters realize no one is talking to them, they’ll give up and move on to something else.”
“I noticed that Palace of Eris is coming along nicely.” The resort was the project by JD Construction that had started all this, and progress on it had been delayed so many times now that most people speculated it would never be finished.
“Yes, it looks great,” said Javier. “I had to call Tom about something yesterday, and he said Merrick is thrilled. They’re finally back on track and hope to open in August.”
“That’s exciting,” said Renata. “Think of all the tourist trade we’ll have in the fall and winter.”
“And Mark told me that construction has finally started on Gisella.”
“Elliot, Kade, and Giselle must be thrilled.”
“They are. And they hope to have it open in time to take advantage of the tourist season, as well.”
She sighed. “Sounds like the only bad note right now is the curse. Any word on what Zaire found?”
Garrett and Javier both shook their heads. “I’m sure when someone knows what he has to tell us, we all will,” said Garrett.
They didn’t have to wait long. Wednesday afternoon, Garrett came over to Renata’s desk about an hour before they were due to leave work to tell her that there was another meeting at Asa’s house on Friday.
“That’s it?” she asked. “No reason why? Did he say what he found?”
“All Alaina said was that Zaire was ready to tell everyone what had to be done to lift the curse.”
Her stomach felt queasy. “I’m not going this time.”
Garrett lifted her to her feet and gathered her in his strong arms. She breathed in his scent, wishing Alaina had never pursued this. If she hadn’t pushed to send the clues and Shona’s diary to Jan, none of this would have happened.
“Yes, you are. You of all people need to hear this. And, you need to see firsthand how everyone on this island will back us.”
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
He cupped her face and then kissed her gently on the lips. “I know you can, and so does Javier. We’ll be there with you. You have nothing to fear. I promise you that.”
As they drove home, Garrett and Javier talked excitedly about what it would mean for everyone on the island when the curse was lifted, but Renata answered in monosyllables only, when she bothered to speak at all. She knew they’d protect her, but a horrible premonition had begun to grow as soon as Garrett had told her about the upcoming meeting, and it wouldn’t go away, no matter what she told herself.
She loved them both so much. It was time to tell them that in case she might never have a chance to one day. But was that fair to them? To tell them something like that now, before anyone knew what had to be done to end this curse? What if something happened to her? What if Zaire was able to force her to give up her life for this? Was it better she died with them knowing how much she loved them, or would it be less cruel for them not to have ever realized that?
And how freaking crazy was all this? Who had to deal with shit like this in real life? For the first time in two months, Renata began to wonder if it wouldn’t have been better for everyone on the island, but especially for Garrett and Javier, if she had simply stayed in Alabama.
Chapter Fourteen
On Friday, Renata woke and glanced at her cell phone, then groaned. When the guys asked her what was wrong, she told them it was Friday the thirteenth. “And tonight is the meeting. Does he realize that? Can’t this wait a week? What kind of a sick joke is this?”
“I had no idea you were so superstitious,” said Garrett, laughing.
“Well, I am. I can’t do this.”
Garrett put his arms around her. “And what if we told you that as your Doms, we’re ordering you to do it?”
“You told me we would negotiate everything. That neither of you would order me around like a servant.”
Both men chuckled. “Renata…” Garrett kissed her, but even that wasn’t working this morning. “I promise you that nothing will happen to you tonight. Nothing. Please come with us.”
“It’s creepy.”
“This whole thing is creepy,” said Javier. “We agree with you on that one. Every Durante and Raleigh agrees with you. I even overheard Asa last week tell his administrative assistant that this entire curse thing had everyone on pins and needles. That he’d even acknowledge it tells you how spooked everyone is.”
“Really?”
“Really. Now, come on. Let’s all get ready for work.”
“I’d rather stay home with you two.”
Javier groaned, and then he nuzzled her neck. “And I would much rather stay here with you, but going to work and concentrating on our jobs will help the time pass more quickly.”
She finally relented, but her work that day was shit. Several times she caught Garrett watching her too closely, and she knew he was worried about her, so she tried her best to calm down and keep her mind on her job.
By the time they were ready to leave for the day, she couldn’t even eat the take-out food they’d bought. There were far more people at Asa’s house this time than two weeks ago, and the mood wasn’t as festive. So many people came up to Renata and either hugged her or offered their support that she nearly started to cry.
The guys had been right, as they usually were. Everyone was backing her on this. She didn’t know why she’d expected a different reaction, but even the realization that no one would expect her to offer herself up as a human sacrifice didn’t ease the foreboding in her mind.
They didn’t sit up front this time. Renata wanted to stand in the back so she could leave quickly if it came to that, but Garrett and Javier led her to where Nando, Graham, and Leta were sitting. Arizona, Dallas, and Celina were with them, and all three offered their support to her, as well.
“No matter what this witch doctor says, no one is going to go along with another human sacrifice,” said Arizona.
Celina gave him a dark look. “Sir, please. He’s not a witch doctor. Santeria and voodoo are both recognized religions practiced all over the world.”
“Yeah. I know. But if he thinks we’re going to start burning people at the stake, he’s crazy.”
While Celina and Arizona debated the political incorrectness of calling someone a witch doctor, Javier put an arm around Renata and pulled her close. They quieted down as Asa came onto the stage, carrying the same microphone he’d used two weeks ago.
“Thank you all for coming again. I know we have more people here than the theater holds, which is why some of you are watching from other parts of the house via closed-circuit cameras. I only wish it was a bit warmer outside, because I would have rented Striker Amphitheater and held this meeting there.”
His comment earned a few soft laughs, but as Renata glanced around, she realized almost everyone looked as nervous as she felt.
“For those of you who have been living under a rock these past two weeks and have no clue who this is next to me, this gentleman is Zaire de Morales. He’s staying with Phyllis and Petra Trudeaux, and he’s had the chance to examine all of our clues, plus Shona’s diary. So I’ll turn this over to him now.”
There was no applause this time. Several people around them shifted in their seats, as if doing so would afford them a better view of Zaire. He was dressed in jeans and a bright shirt featuring tropical flowers. His shoulder-length hair was streaked with gray, and he needed a shave. All in all, he wasn’t very imposing and didn’t look at all how she’d expected him to look.<
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But when she glanced into his eyes, a chill ran through her and then settled in her bones. His gaze was dark and piercing, and she swore he sought her out as soon as he stepped up to the microphone. His accent was similar to Petra’s, but not impossible to understand, and his voice was rough and gravelly, as if he smoked a lot or simply wasn’t used to speaking out loud.
“Thank you, Asa. And thank you, people of Sybaris Cove. I’m loving your little island, and I want to thank Phyllis and Petra for their hospitality.” Neither woman was on the stage this time, but Renata saw them both in the front row, next to Nita, Mark, and Brett.
“There have been a lot of rumors floating around town. I’ve heard them. And while it is true that my conversations with the loa have left me with no doubt that the easiest way to end this curse is to offer another boon to the demons who cast it and keep it, I have also been told they will accept a substitute.”
He paused because the murmuring from the audience was quite loud. Arizona turned in his seat. “He talks to loa? I wonder if he also knows Bigfoot and has seen Elvis lately.”
“Sir, please!” Celina looked mortified, but Garrett and Javier were trying not to laugh, as was Dallas.
“This is bullshit,” said Dallas, eyeing Renata. “I hope you realize now that you have nothing to worry about.”
Renata smiled at him, but she wasn’t quite ready to jump to that conclusion.
“A substitute,” said Zaire, “and they were quite specific about which families it needed to come from.”
That quieted down the crowd.
“A male from either the Durante or Raleigh family would also be acceptable in place of Faith Fontanette’s descendant.”
Renata heard several names shouted out, including Owen’s. The crowd was laughing now, but she didn’t find it funny at all and really felt sorry for Zaire. Asa sprinted across the stage and stood in front of the mike.
“Quiet down! That’s enough of that. What’s wrong with all of you? We invited this man here. I expect you to simmer down and listen to what he has to say.”
“Sorry, Dad,” muttered Arizona. His comment made everyone around him who heard it laugh again. Renata squeezed Garrett’s hand on her right and Javier’s on her left, drawing strength from their touch.
Zaire’s voice was louder and clearer now as he continued. “Tomorrow I will summon the loa I spoke to, in the same place where the curse was cast. Near the cemetery on the western edge of the island, close to the sea.”
No one laughed this time.
“I will ask them to call forth the demons, and then I will ask for the man who volunteers his body as a sacrifice to rid this island of the curse. Once he steps forward, I will ask the demons to accept him as a boon to banish this curse from your families. But they have the final say. Understand that. I cannot make them accept anyone, nor can I force them to lift this curse. This is your best option, based on my experience with these matters. This curse has gone on too long now, and this is your last hope.”
He eyed the crowd once more. “We will begin at sunset tomorrow.”
Zaire walked off the stage, and Renata watched Petra rise from her seat and run toward the backstage area. No one else moved or spoke. Renata swore she could hear Javier and Garrett breathing next to her. It was that quiet in the theater. Asa came back onstage and walked up to the microphone.
“Well, I guess that’s that.” She’d never heard Asa sound so uncertain. He glanced down where Phyllis and Nita still sat, his brows raised as if asking them what the hell he was supposed to say next, and then he shrugged slightly. If they’d said something to him, Renata hadn’t heard it.
“Okay. The meeting is over. There is food and drink throughout the house, so help yourselves. I’ll see all of you tomorrow night, near the graves.”
Was he joking? He didn’t look like he was. If Asa was taking this seriously, they were all in deep shit.
It took them nearly an hour to get out of the house because everyone they passed wanted to talk. But Renata wasn’t in the mood to be social. She needed fresh air. She kept glancing around for Zaire or Petra but didn’t see them. Javier and Garrett kept their arms around her shoulders or hung onto her hands, and if it hadn’t been for that, she would have bolted.
Why the hell had she come back to this island?
She could leave. It would be easy. All she’d have to do is call Scott McMurphy and ask him to fly her off this rock. She could even leave tonight. This wasn’t her problem. She didn’t have to take this on her shoulders.
As soon as those thoughts entered her mind, she pushed them aside. That kind of thinking was more nonsensical than Zaire’s ramblings about loa and demons. She knew very well why she’d come back here, and why she’d never sneak away in the middle of the night.
These two men with her tonight were the reasons. Ever since she’d left she’d missed them. No one she’d dated in college had measured up to either man. She loved them both so much, but she’d be damned if she’d watch one of their family members sacrifice himself. This was ridiculous.
They didn’t deserve this curse. Not even Owen deserved this. People committed terrible crimes every day. The men on this island were no better or worse than any other person in the country, or in the world for that matter.
And there were good people here, too. Plenty of them. People who gave back to this community and who would hand you their last dollar if you needed it. Even Asa had more of a giving spirit in him than anyone would believe when first meeting him.
As she walked through the house and listened to the comments from Javier’s and Garrett’s family members, and from the others who were here tonight, she took away the fact that nearly everyone had fallen into one of two camps. Those who believed this curse was real and that they would see supernatural beings tomorrow night, and those who were convinced that the curse was a load of horseshit and that Zaire was only going to put on a smoke-and-mirror show for them.
By the time they finally were able to walk outside and were on their way back to Javier’s house, Renata was more confused than ever and had no clue what she now believed. But she knew she was staying. This was her home, and she wasn’t going to give up Garrett or Javier again. No way.
That night, they didn’t talk about what might or might not happen the following evening. She made love to them like it was her last time, and when she thought they were both asleep, she whispered, “I love you both” in the darkened room. If they heard her, they gave no indication of it.
It took a long time for her to fall asleep, and once she did, demons chased her in dreams where the ocean threatened to swallow her up.
Chapter Fifteen
All day Saturday, Garrett tried to keep Renata’s mind off that coming evening. The fact that it was Valentine’s Day hit both him and Javier around noon as the three were flipping through TV channels trying to find a movie to watch.
“Shit,” said Garrett. “We didn’t even get you a card.”
“What?” Renata looked confused.
“It’s Valentine’s Day.”
“I don’t care. Honestly. All I care about is that this is over tonight without any bloodshed.”
Garrett was closer to her than Javier, so he pulled her onto his lap and held her tightly. “It will be. No one is going to die tonight. And tomorrow we’ll take you out to dinner and buy you something, okay? Something pretty and sparkly.”
“All I want is you two. I don’t need jewelry.”
Garrett glanced toward Javier, who pointed to his neck and mouthed the word “collar.” Garrett grinned, and then he nodded. It was perfect. They would buy her a collar, and then she wouldn’t have to feel as if she weren’t really their sub, or that they weren’t serious about this. And maybe then they’d both have the courage to tell her how much they loved her.
Because Garrett hadn’t needed to ask Javier if he felt the same way. It was written all over his face and showed in every gesture. It was obvious in each glance he gave her, especially whe
n she didn’t know he was watching her.
He had no idea what was going to happen tonight, but he knew it would not end in her death, or in anyone else’s. Not if he had anything to say about it. He’d waited too long to be with Renata again, and no demon or any other supernatural being was going to take her away from him. The curse be damned. It could keep going on forever for all he cared. As long as he had this woman in his arms, nothing else mattered.
* * * *
Renata sat in the passenger side of the Jeep, watching Javier and Garrett talk to several of their family members who were already assembled near the cemetery on the western edge of the island. The sun wouldn’t set for at least an hour, but she’d gotten herself worked up into such a frenzy that the guys had finally insisted on leaving the house.
She’d vacillated all day between believing that a miracle would occur tonight and the curse would be lifted, and imagining that Zaire would be outed as nothing but a phony. Once Javier and Garrett convinced her to emerge from the Jeep, she almost crawled back inside. The air felt heavy, but there were no approaching storm clouds, so that wasn’t it. Still, something was coming. She could feel it.
She walked toward the ocean and stood looking out over the waves. The night was clear, and the water was such a deep blue tonight that it almost appeared black. What had it been like for Agapito, Iago, William, and Robert to get into boats and attempt to cross over to the Louisiana coastline? The northern end of the island had the calm waves and gentle breezes, so it wouldn’t have looked this foreboding and impossible to them.
