“Lucinda,” Hailey called after her.
Lucinda and Talbert turned and saw Hailey holding the necklace. Lucinda subconsciously touched her bare chest, groaned, and snatched the necklace from Hailey.
“Damn that Melana,” she scoffed.
“Why don’t you lock it in your room safe,” Talbert announced. “No point in losing your jewelry over a broken clasp.”
Lucinda handed the necklace to Talbert. “You still have a key to my suite, don’t you?”
Talbert forced a smile and nodded while accepting the necklace. “I’ll take care of that for you.”
Hailey passed Rafe and returned to the bar in time to see Tam straighten and shake her head while sneering at Skyler. He wasn’t winning any points with anyone today.
“Just another one of your delusional fantasies,” Tam scoffed. “I should have known.”
Tam walked away from them and began wiping the top of the bar. Hailey collapsed onto her bar stool and exchanged looks with Skyler. Both appeared defeated. Rafe approached them without a word and placed a gold earring on the bar in front of Hailey. She eyed the earring then looked at Rafe with surprise.
“Where did you get this?” she suddenly demanded.
His expression never changed while staring at her. “Where you claimed you saw the girl’s body.”
Hailey felt her entire body twitch with her rising blood pressure as she stared at him with astonishment. “Why didn’t you tell Marcus you’d found this there?”
“The former police sergeant turned hotel rent-a-cop would never listen to me,” he replied. “I only went along to cover my ass and make sure I wasn’t accused of anything.”
They stared into each other’s eyes only briefly. She actually understood his reasoning. He was probably used to being accused of things. Rafe walked away without further comment. Hailey and Skyler studied the earring she now held in her hand. The piano music abruptly stopped, although neither had noticed. Logan appeared alongside them at the bar, startling both. The look on his face was serious.
“Tell me about the panther,” Logan suddenly demanded.
They stared at him with the same look of surprise on each of their faces. His question was odd, to say the least. Out of everything they told the others, why was he so curious about the panther?
“There’s not much to tell. A black panther fought with the creature,” Hailey informed him and thought back to what she had actually seen and heard. The more she thought about it, the less she’d actually seen, but she had definitely heard it, and so did Skyler. “By the sounds we’d heard, I’d say that panther may have met his match.” She maintained her odd stare at Logan. “Why are you so interested? Have you seen a panther on the island before? You should tell Marcus, if you had.”
“No, I’ve never seen a panther, and I’ve been all over this island. With all the tourists, someone would have reported seeing one by now,” Logan insisted. “That’s what makes it so strange. I know how this is going to sound, but this is starting to mimic my fable.” He leaned on the bar near them and stared both in the eyes. Despite his farfetched comment, his look was serious. “The Protector takes on the form of various animals to protect the princess and can’t be destroyed as long as she lives.”
Hailey and Skyler stared at Logan. Hailey was amazed. Finally, someone sounded crazier than she sounded. Hailey’s mouth fell open from his comment. She wanted to laugh, but his look was so serious, she found it difficult.
“You can’t seriously think some mystical creature was protecting me,” she announced.
“I know how it sounds,” Logan protested firmly, “but I know what I wrote.” He hesitated while staring at both. “And I know what I’d left out.”
“What do you mean?” Hailey suddenly asked.
“My original manuscript was over four hundred pages and not meant for children,” Logan informed them. “My publisher edited it down to a twenty page fable. In the original manuscript, there were large, black beasts with claws and fangs. The beasts were sort of like guard dogs for their evil master. The princess also had her Numinous to guide her.”
“Numinous?” Skyler asked while tilting his head. “What’s this Numinous?”
Logan’s brows suddenly arched as he studied him. “Her psychic advisor.”
Skyler appeared stunned. His mouth fell open in response, and he abruptly straightened. “What is this fable?”
Hailey held her head and groaned softly. She couldn’t believe her day could get any worse, but she was wrong.
“Great,” she scoffed, “now you’ve sucked him into your delusion.”
Skyler quickly turned toward Hailey with a serious look and defiantly shook his head. “Something about this seems very familiar to me, Hailey.”
“This entire conversation is insane,” she retorted.
“I know it’s insane, but I’m willing to take the evening off and discuss it,” Logan replied firmly. “I’ll dig out the original manuscript so we can look at it. If nothing else, we can have a good laugh in the morning.”
Logan and Skyler stared at Hailey and waited for her response. She was feeling ganged upon but managed a dreary sigh and gave in to their insistence.
“Okay, but there had better be alcohol being served,” Hailey informed them then held her head. “It’s not as if I’m sleeping after this anyway, so I may as well get silly with you guys.”
Chapter Twelve
Logan’s tidy studio style guestroom was covered in plants from ceiling to floor, lending an almost jungle like atmosphere. His odd fascination with plant life was curious for a man who looked more like a linebacker than a gardener. Hailey sat on the older, flower-patterned sofa with a drink in her hand. She’d had one too many drinks already in the two hours they’d been looking over Logan’s old manuscript. It was only a little after eight o’clock, but it felt later. Hailey was having a difficult time hiding her drunken condition in front of the men. Although she didn’t know them very well, she felt she could trust them not to try anything. Skyler slouched in an overstuffed chair while reading the old, tattered manuscript. Logan sprayed his plants with great care. Hailey couldn’t be certain, but she thought she heard him softly singing to the plants. Skyler suddenly straightened in his chair and vigorously tapped the page.
“That’s the creature I saw in my dreams!”
Logan glanced at him and showed almost no reaction. “Freaky, isn’t it?”
Skyler’s expression immediately dropped. “I despise that term,” he muttered then studied Logan and appeared curious. “Are you psychic too?”
“No, I’m not psychic,” Logan replied. “That story just came to me.” He grinned almost proudly. “I’m considered a ‘one hit wonder’.”
Skyler gave Hailey a serious look. “Fate brought you here.”
Although she believed his tales when they’d first met, she was regretting encouraging him. He was starting to sound like a raving lunatic.
“Listen to yourself,” Hailey announced firmly. “I’m not some magical princess. If you want to be some mystical Numinous--go right ahead.”
Despite her negativity, he wasn’t about to be shot down. “It says here that the princess can communicate with spirits,” he informed her. “You said you saw Amy walking in the woods.”
“We don’t know that Amy is dead.” Hailey took another sip of her drink and groaned. “I’m not drunk enough to have this conversation,” she muttered while covering her eyes. She took a deep breath, leaned forward, and stared Skyler in the eyes. “Let’s suppose, just for argument’s sake, I am this magical princess and you’re my Numinous. What do you suggest we do? Ride our magical unicorn off to gumdrop city?”
“According to the story, you’re supposed to choose your council,” Skyler replied with enthusiasm and didn’t seem at all bothered by her sarcasm.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to encourage him, especially since he was completely sober and wanted desperately to believe the story. He was obviously getting caught up in
something that allowed him to escape the life he hated. Of course, with all the alcohol Hailey had consumed, she found the situation a little more humorous than she had earlier.
“Okay, just for the sake of playing along,” she announced, a little more giddy than usual. “That would leave Balance, Charmer, and the Guardian.”
“Logan is Balance,” Skyler interjected. “Artistically talented, musically inclined, and has a natural gift with plant life.” He indicated the plants around the room while gesturing with his hands. “Need I say more?”
He wasn’t completely wrong with his assumption, and she admired his enthusiasm.
“So that just leaves Charmer and the Guardian,” Skyler continued.
Hailey sank into thought while leaning back on the sofa and smiled mockingly. “Who to pick?” She gave Logan a curious look. “Would Charmer be someone I find charming, or someone who just thinks he’s charming?”
“Don’t look at me,” Logan announced while holding up his spray bottle defensively then nodded to Skyler. “Get your Numinous to translate it. That’s his job.”
“Well, Talbert certainly thinks he’s charming, not that I think he’s anything special,” she muttered.
“I think we can all agree that Marcus would have to be the Guardian,” Skyler announced and glanced at both for approval. “He was on the police force, and he’s in charge of security. Seems only natural.”
Hailey attempted to hold back her drunken giggle. “Okay, my council is in place. So what’s next, Numinous?”
“We have a mystery to solve,” Skyler informed her excitedly while nearly bounding out of his chair.
Hailey could no longer control her instincts to laugh at the entire situation. “Okay, Velma. You find Scooby and Shaggy. Fred and I will gas up the Mystery Machine.”
Logan chuckled despite his attempt to contain it. Skyler muttered something under his breath. He obviously wasn’t as humored as his friends were. Hailey finished her drink and stood with some unsteadiness.
“I’d love to stay and debate this all night, but her wicked, royal highness needs her beauty sleep,” Hailey announced proudly and nearly tripped over the coffee table. “I have a dragon to slay in the morning, and her name is Lucinda.”
Skyler groaned and reluctantly stood. “I’ll see the royal lush to her suite.”
†
Hailey and Skyler appeared from the staff wing and walked across the lobby toward the elevator. Hailey was clinging to Skyler’s arm more for support than anything else. She was finding it difficult to contain her giddiness in her drunken state. They saw Cass, who was working the evening shift, standing behind the front desk while talking with Delaney. Delaney cast a strange look at Skyler and Hailey as they passed. Hailey was clearly drunk but transformed into a sober appearance for Delaney’s benefit. She was painfully aware of what the security guard thought about them after their story about the dead woman. The way Delaney stared at them made her uncomfortable.
“I guess we gave them something to gossip about,” Hailey muttered to her friend.
“I’m used to being stared at in that way,” Skyler replied with little emotion.
Hailey then realized what Skyler went through every day of his life, and she suddenly felt bad for her earlier behavior. She gently squeezed his arm with hers.
“I’m sorry for mocking you earlier,” she said softly. “It’s been a weird sort of day.”
“Every day is a weird sort of day for me,” Skyler remarked while grinning.
They exchanged looks and laughed softly. Lucinda hurried along the corridor from the lounge and approached them, clearly with a mission. Hailey saw her and groaned softly. She didn’t need to deal with the barracuda yet tonight. Lucinda had already seen her, so it was too late to make a hasty exit. Lucinda nearly cut them off on their approach to the elevator. Hailey was concerned about the upcoming conversation, because in her condition, she was likely to say just about anything to her boss. She then saw the strange smile on Lucinda’s face.
“I don’t know what you said to Nevin, but he wants the contract,” Lucinda announced and could barely contain her enthusiasm.
Hailey stared at her with surprise. “Nothing very flattering, I assure you,” she muttered.
Lucinda affectionately touched her arm. “Well, whatever you said, it worked,” she remarked with an odd giddiness Hailey found slightly disturbing. “Would you be a dear and fetch the contract from my suite? I’d left it on my bedside table.” She gestured down the corridor. “I’ll keep him occupied in the lounge. Don’t be long.”
Lucinda handed her the keycard to her penthouse suite then hurried back the way she came. Both watched her with shared looks of surprise. Hailey had never seen Lucinda move that fast before. She glanced at Skyler and uncertainly shook her head.
“Huh? I guess I’m still employed,” she remarked then laughed softly. “I’d better get that contract before Brody changes his mind. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come along?” he asked with a look of concern on his face. “I wouldn’t want you to get turned around in your condition.”
“I’m fine,” Hailey replied, although she appreciated his concern. “Seeing Lucinda scared me sober.”
Skyler chuckled. “Then I’ll be heading back to my room,” he replied. “You know where to find me if you need me.”
“Goodnight, Skyler.”
“Night, Hailey.”
Hailey hurried to the elevator and pressed the button. She glanced back at the front desk and saw Delaney and Cass still casting looks at her. Hailey desperately wanted to gesture like an enraged truck driver but thought better of it.
Chapter Thirteen
Hailey entered the living room of Lucinda’s penthouse suite from the secured twentieth floor corridor. The twentieth floor was home to only Lucinda’s penthouse suite and the rarely used presidential suite. The penthouse suite had a large living room with a marble fireplace. The small kitchen was separated from the living room by a marble breakfast bar with a formal dining room to the right of the kitchen. The back wall of the suite was floor to ceiling glass windows with doors leading to the large balcony. To the left of the balcony doors was a sunken hot tub with enough room for eight people. Near the hot tub was a small but elegant wet bar. The penthouse suite contained two bedrooms, both with private baths, and there was a half bath off the living room. Hailey crossed the living room and entered the mostly dark master bedroom. She didn’t need to turn the light on, since she could see the contract lying on the nightstand next to the bed only a few feet into the room. As she crossed the bedroom, she noticed the open balcony door swaying slightly from a gentle breeze. Hailey paused near the bedside table and was about to pick up the contract when she again looked at the partially open balcony door.
There was always a breeze off the ocean that affected the higher floors, so she didn’t know why Lucinda had left the balcony door open. As Hailey approached the door to close it, she saw an intruder partially hidden within the corner just behind the curtains. Hailey gasped with surprise and ran toward the bed for the security button on the nightstand. She nearly made it to the button when she was tackled face first onto the elegant bed with the intruder landing on top of her. He skillfully flipped her over, rendered her motionless with his body, and held her wrists to the bed near her head. Between being startled by the man in Lucinda’s room and the amount of alcohol in her system, she was frozen by the assault. Her head was spinning slightly, moderately disorienting her.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” the man whispered close to her face.
She stared helplessly at the man on top of her in the near darkness. Her mind raced. She wasn’t sure if she should scream, fight to free herself, or head butt him in the nose. She couldn’t seem to convince her body to do any of those things. He had caught her off guard, leaving her completely paralyzed with fear. With his gloved hand, he snatched the sash from the bed curtain behind her head. Hailey gasped and su
ddenly fought against him. Fear that he was going to kill her, or attempt any number of other heinous acts, kick started her defenses. He easily rendered her immobile and again placed his face within inches of hers. Although she couldn’t see his eyes in the darkened room, she could feel him staring at her.
“Which part of ‘I won’t hurt you’ didn’t you understand?” he whispered more firmly. “You’re not on my ‘to do’ list.”
She couldn’t be sure, but she was convinced he was smiling at her.
“Relax,” he said softly. “I just need a five minute head start before you call security.”
She wasn’t sure why, but she believed him. She cursed her body for relaxing as he had instructed, but in her moderately drunken condition, it wasn’t as if she had a lot of options. As her head continued to spin, she feared she might pass out. He skillfully tied her right wrist to a brass headboard with the sash while keeping her immobile with his body. She could feel his neck brush against her face as he tied her right wrist. For a brief moment, she considered sinking her teeth into his neck. Her cannibalistic thoughts were short-lived as she inhaled the faint traces of his cologne. It was a familiar scent, but she couldn’t place it. Just about every man at the resort wore expensive cologne. She wasn’t sure why the scent relaxed her. Perhaps because it was familiar, lulling her into a false sense of security. For a moment, she thought maybe she even knew him. As he straightened over her, his lips brushed past hers. She was uncertain if it was by accident or intentional.
“That should keep you busy for a few minutes,” he whispered in an almost mocking tone.
She stared at him through the darkness even though she couldn’t make out any of his features. Hailey knew he was staring back at her, although she was positive he couldn’t know she was staring at him. There was an awkward moment where neither moved. She could feel his heart pounding against her chest, and he seemed to stop breathing. She then felt the all too familiar feeling of male arousal against her hip. Hailey tensed to the sensation but, oddly enough, wasn’t frightened by what was obviously going through his head. She felt his gloved hand gently touch her face. She trembled from the sensation of the soft leather touching her cheek, but she still wasn’t afraid he would hurt her. He groaned softly and kissed her passionately on the mouth. She had to force herself not to return the kiss even though her body screamed for her to do it. She could taste the expensive alcohol on his lips and tongue. He broke off the kiss as quickly as he’d indulged in it and jumped off her with amazing reflexes. Although she couldn’t see it, she knew he was smiling at her.
Misfits, Inc. Page 7
