“I assure you, that wasn’t the case,” Hailey abruptly informed him. She fell silent, considered his comment, and attempted to stare into his eyes. “Skyler and I have been communicating with each other through our dreams since I was a little girl, but that’s only possible because he’s Numinous. I couldn’t have given you that sort of gift.”
“Then I guess I’m just an overly horny bastard,” he announced while hiding his smile. “From the moment I saw you in the lobby, I remembered this amazing erotic dream I’d had a few years ago. Sort of struck me like a bolt of lightning.”
“Want to tell me about it?”
He appeared surprised while staring at her. “You really want to hear it?”
She shrugged while grinning. “Sure, why not?”
“Aren’t you the cool girlfriend,” he remarked with humor. He gently brushed the hair from her face while recalling his dream with a look of boyish fascination. “There was this gorgeous, tropical waterfall flowing into a glacier blue pond--”
Hailey stared into his eyes and suddenly tensed.
Chapter Twenty-nine
It was a little after sunrise the following morning, but there wasn’t any sun to be found. It was a dark, dreary morning on the beach with heavy storm clouds rapidly rolling in, promising to ruin everyone’s fun-filled day in paradise. The winds were harsh and the surf was fierce, indicating the potential for a tropical storm was great. Several maintenance workers ran around outside the hotel stacking lounge chairs and moving them closer to the building to prevent damage to the chairs. Other than the staff preparing for the worst, the area surrounding the hotel was deserted. Even the early risers seemed to have little reason to be up and about on such a dreary morning.
With the curtains closed and little light outside breaking through, Hailey’s suite was only dimly lit. The bedroom door opened to the quiet, nearly dark living room. Mel shuffled across the room and approached the kitchenette, briefly glancing at the sofa. Rafe and Hailey were nestled together beneath the blanket and appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Mel hid her humored grin to the cuddling, sleeping couple. She grabbed a bottle of water and quickly returned to the bedroom, making as little noise as possible. Once the door closed, Rafe groaned softly and moved against Hailey. She gasped, clung to him, and kissed his neck.
“That was close--” Rafe announced as he returned his mouth to hers and kissed her passionately and with aggression.
Hailey returned the aggressive kiss and pawed at his chest as he moved against her beneath the blanket.
†
Despite the early hour, Lucinda exited the elevator and crossed the lobby toward the front desk. She wore a stunning yet casual sundress with thin shoulder straps and matching wedge sandals. Lucinda slowed her approach, giving Cass a strange once over. Cass seemed surprised to see the boss that hour of the morning, since it wasn’t her usual routine to rise so early.
“Good morning, Ms. Keenan,” Cass announced cheerfully while hiding her surprise. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” Lucinda replied abruptly and again studied the young woman behind the desk. “Weren’t you working the evening shift last night?”
“Talbert fired Skyler,” Cass timidly informed her. “The night clerk was supposed to relieve me at six this morning, but he never showed.”
“Delaney was in charge last night, wasn’t he?” Lucinda demanded.
“Well, yes,” Cass replied and fidgeted, “but I haven’t seen him since midnight.”
Lucinda appeared impatient while strumming her manicured fingernails on the marble desktop. She was obviously deep in thought, which put Cass on edge. She looked into Cass’s eyes with a stare that alarmed the young desk clerk.
“There’s something funny going on in my hotel,” Lucinda remarked lowly without taking her eyes off the girl. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I do know I’m going to get to the bottom of it. Tell Delaney I wish to see him in my suite at ten o’clock.” She straightened proudly but didn’t take her eyes off the clerk. Her look was intimidating and cold. “I’m sure you’ll get the message to him--seeing how close the two of you have become.”
Cass’s cheeks reddened as her lips parted with surprise, but Lucinda hadn’t noticed, having already turned and stormed off across the lobby. Lucinda was heading for the elevator when Talbert appeared and nearly ran into the fuming woman. She jumped back a step in response and glared at him as if it had been his fault they nearly collided. Talbert managed a polite smile, although he was obviously surprised to see her up so early.
“Lucinda,” he announced in a tone meant to sound cheerful. “What are you doing up so early? Is anything wrong?”
She collected her rising temper and groaned softly. “No, I don’t think so,” Lucinda replied then hesitated, stared at Talbert, and seemed to reconsider her response. “I heard some rumors that have me slightly disturbed.”
“Oh?” Talbert questioned while studying her with a curious look. “What sort of rumors?”
“I heard some of the staff have been organizing illegal gambling in the basement,” she announced and folded her arms across her chest. “Do you know anything about this?”
Talbert hesitated and appeared uncomfortable by her directness. “I’d heard some of the guests had been playing poker, but I just assumed it was in someone’s suite and saw no harm. I assure you, if I knew of any staff involvement, I’d have shut it down and terminated the offending employees immediately.” He appeared curious. “Have you brought this to Marcus’ attention?”
She exhaled deeply, allowing her arms to fall to her sides with disgust. “No, not yet,” Lucinda replied. “When I heard it mentioned yesterday, I just assumed it was Brody indulging in gossip. Then this morning, I was awake when the penthouse maid stopped in with my morning tea. I questioned her about it. She’d heard gossip from some of the other maids that someone in security helped organize the illegal gambling.”
“Maids have been known to stretch the truth,” Talbert reminded her. “Most of our maids are notorious gossips.”
“Yes, I’m aware of the housekeeping grapevine,” Lucinda interjected, “but I have reason to believe this goes beyond a friendly poker game happening within my hotel. If someone in security is behind it, I want to know about it.” She looked around, casting a strange glare at the front desk. “I have some suspicions as to which security guard is behind this little gambling ring.” She shot a look back at Talbert. “I need to have a look around the laundry room.”
“Laundry staff hasn’t reported yet,” Talbert reminded her. “They’re not in until eight.”
“I know that,” she snapped while casting an impatient glare at him. “I can’t wait for Marcus. I’m going down there to see for myself.”
“I don’t think--”
Lucinda glared sharply at him, stopping him mid-sentence. He gently cleared his throat and offered a polite smile.
“If you insist on going downstairs to the laundry room, I’ll accompany you.”
She nodded and turned toward the elevator. Talbert frowned with annoyance while her back was turned. As the elevator doors opened, Lucinda bolted inside. Talbert obediently followed the barracuda.
†
Lucinda and Talbert walked along the quiet basement corridor and approached the laundry room. The massive, double doors were closed, catching their attention.
“That’s odd,” Talbert remarked almost to himself. “Those doors are never closed.”
“So it’s true,” Lucinda launched. “They’re probably still in there gambling!”
“The laundry staff will be here in less than thirty minutes,” Talbert reminded her. “If someone was doing something illegal down here, I doubt they’d cut it that close.”
“I want to see for myself,” she announced boldly. “I want to catch my employees in the act. Open the doors!”
Talbert opened both doors simultaneously, pushing them inward with added vigor to surprise anyone on the other side. Lucinda and Talbert s
tared into the laundry room with surprised looks on their faces. The large laundry room was empty without any indication anyone had been there since the staff left yesterday evening. Lucinda looked around the spotless room. The smell of disinfectant was almost overwhelming, although neither commented on it. Talbert inhaled deeply and glanced at his boss for her reaction.
Lucinda shook her head with disbelief. “I was positive we’d find something,” she remarked and continued to look around for anything unusual.
“Well, if something happened here last night, we missed it,” he informed her.
“This isn’t over,” Lucinda proclaimed. “I’m going to have Marcus install security cameras in every nook and cranny. I won’t have my staff taking advantage of the guests and disregarding my rules.”
†
It was a little before eight o’clock that morning. Rafe stood in the kitchenette on the kitchen side of the breakfast counter and poured a cup of coffee. His condition suggested he got very little sleep last night, although the tiny smirk on his face conveyed he wasn’t complaining about it. Mel appeared from the bedroom freshly showered and dressed in borrowed clothing from Hailey. Despite her refreshed appearance, she was stiff, sore, and moderately bruised along most of her body. Rafe glanced at her and raised the coffeepot as she approached.
“Coffee?”
She gave him a strange look, as if questioning the odd smile on his face. His smile immediately faded to keep her from reading his expression.
“I’ll have to pass,” Mel replied, shaking off his good mood. “Lucinda will have my head if I’m not on time. I don’t know how I’m going to explain all the bruises.” She gingerly rubbed the bruises on her wrists from the shackles. “Hailey’s in the shower. Tell her I went to the penthouse--”
“Sorry, I can’t let you do that,” Rafe suddenly announced while glaring at her. “You’re a target as well as bait.”
Mel stared at him with surprise then became defensive. “You don’t know Lucinda, I could lose my job.”
“You could lose your life. Weigh it,” he growled.
Mel was about to argue with him when there was a knock on the door. Mel sneered at him and headed for the door. Rafe stopped her with a warning finger as he passed her, looked through the peek hole, and then groaned.
“Speaking of the barracuda--” Rafe unbolted and opened the door to reveal Lucinda.
Lucinda stood in the doorway and looked at Rafe with some surprise and moderate concern. She looked back at the number on the doorframe then met Rafe’s gaze.
“Do I have the right room?”
“Hailey’s in the shower,” he remarked, offering no other explanation.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Mel announced and groaned softly. “You won’t believe what happened last night.”
Lucinda eyed Rafe suspiciously then looked at Mel. “I’m not sure I want to know,” she muttered then straightened proudly, dismissing whatever she was thinking. “We’re leaving this afternoon. Brody signed the contract, and I want to get the hell out of here before anything else happens.”
Mel glanced at Rafe, as if looking for approval. “I’ll go with Lucinda, if that’s okay?”
Rafe frowned his disapproval. “Fine, but wait for us in the penthouse.”
Lucinda eyed both as if attempting to understand the connection between them. Mel joined Lucinda in the hallway, shutting the door behind them. Lucinda was heard commenting on Mel’s bruises as they left. Hailey entered the living room from the bedroom. Her hair was still damp and slightly untamed. She saw Rafe as he returned to the counter for his coffee and hid her contented smile. As he turned and saw her, he looked away to hide his boyish grin. Hailey tried hard not to laugh. He was acting like a schoolboy after hearing his first curse word. She couldn’t help think how adorable he looked.
“The shower’s open,” she announced.
“Considering you took your shower without me, I’ll take one later,” he remarked. “My paying boss called. He’s uptight about the approaching storm. We need to stop in the dining room and see what he wants then meet the others in the penthouse.”
Hailey was surprised by the comment. “You let Mel leave by herself?”
“Of course not. Your boss stopped by--”
She felt her cheeks redden as her mouth fell open. “Lucinda found you here?”
“Was I supposed to hide?” By the sneaky grin on his face, he took a little too much pleasure in letting Lucinda come to her own conclusions.
“I can hear it now,” Hailey groaned, although it didn’t bother her all that much. She could handle a little ribbing from her boss. “I should stay with them in the penthouse.”
“Nice try,” he remarked while sipping his coffee. “I’m not leaving you unprotected.”
There was a knock on the door. Hailey turned for the door, but Rafe was already passing her to reach it first. He looked through the peek hole then unlocked and opened the door to reveal Skyler. Rafe immediately looked back at Hailey without acknowledging Skyler, although indicating him with a slight nod.
“You and Skyler can stay with Lucinda and Mel,” Rafe informed her. “I’ll see what Brody wants then meet you in the penthouse in twenty minutes.” He brushed past Skyler without comment, leaving the room.
Skyler watched Rafe leave and smirked. “Good morning to you too.” He shut the door behind him, looked at Hailey, and shook his head disapprovingly. “I don’t know what you see in him,” he scoffed. “All things considered, you’d think he’d be in a good mood this morning.”
Hailey stared at Skyler and held back her startled gasp. “What do you mean?” she asked as her voice cracked.
He rolled his eyes and walked past her toward the coffeepot. “Come on, Hail, if the two of you glowed anymore, I’d need sunglasses just to look you in the eyes.”
She felt her cheeks redden even more than they had from his first comment. She gently cleared her throat and turned away from him, hiding her embarrassment.
“I guess there’s no keeping secrets from you.”
“Not the big ones.” He poured some coffee into a mug and glanced at her several times. “Something’s on your mind.”
She approached the counter and casually leaned on it. “Rafe and I met in a dream.”
“I know,” Skyler replied while sipping his coffee. He immediately grimaced and looked at the dark liquid. “Where did he learn to make coffee? This sucks.”
“No, Skyler,” Hailey announced firmly while straightening. “Rafe and I--” She hesitated. “I dreamt I had sex with a man in a pond by a tropical waterfall. That man was Rafe. He had the same dream. How is that possible?”
Skyler stared at her with surprise on his face. “It’s not. Only your Numinous can visit you in your dreams. The only time you’d ever met the others was through me. I bridged your dreams.”
“Could you have bridged the dream I had with Rafe?”
He frowned and vigorously shook his head. “I’d never do that. You knew how I felt about him. I certainly wouldn’t arrange a hook-up between the two of you.”
“I’m telling you, Skyler,” she announced firmly and with some irritation. “It happened.”
“Well, I disagree,” he replied. “He’d have to be your Numinous, and that position has been filled.”
She sank deep into thought and muttered, “Or someone else’s Numinous.”
“It’s not as if there’s a surplus of Numina, Hailey,” he informed her and seemed irritated at the suggestion.
Hailey knew she had successfully offended him, but she couldn’t resist teasing him over his last comment.
“Numina?” she questioned with a giggle.
“What?” he announced boldly. “It’s a word.”
Chapter Thirty
Only a few minutes had passed before Hailey and Skyler joined Mel and Lucinda in the penthouse suite. Having given her boss the shortened version of last night’s events, Lucinda sat with Mel on the plush sofa and stared at Hailey and Skyler. She
was obviously stunned by what her assistant was telling her about her trusted head of security. It was at that moment that Hailey realized how insane it sounded. She was glad she didn’t mention the enormous creatures with claws and fangs terrorizing the resort. Lucinda was having a difficult enough time with the cute and fuzzy version. Her neatly crossed leg swung back and forth as if indicating her reaction to the revelation.
“Marcus? A killer?” Lucinda gasped and was unable to blink while staring at Hailey. “Are you sure?”
“He abducted Mel last night and tried to kill us,” Hailey reminded her.
Mel nodded in agreement. Lucinda shook her head until she was finally able to blink after the shock. She fumbled a moment with her thoughts and had to force her leg to stop moving by placing her hand on her own knee. Once it sank in, her hostility erupted in true Lucinda fashion.
“I’ll have Delaney detain him immediately,” Lucinda announced and reached for the phone on the end table.
“He’s extremely dangerous,” Hailey offered before she could reach the phone, verbally stopping Lucinda. “We thought it best if Rafe took him down quietly.”
Lucinda stared at her as if not even hearing the comment at first. She suddenly appeared enthusiastic and almost relieved by the suggestion.
“Oh, yes. Of course. Rafe,” she chirped. “That’s an excellent idea!” Lucinda finally seemed to relax after her shock and reverted back into ‘boss mode’. She casually leaned back on the sofa and dramatically held her head. “Once this storm passes, we’re leaving,” she announced firmly then looked back at Hailey. “Hailey, would you get my briefcase in the bedroom? I don’t want that contract out of my sight.”
Hailey nodded and headed across the suite for the nearby bedroom. Skyler suddenly touched his temples as if in pain then looked at Hailey as she approached the open bedroom doorway. Skyler’s eyes widened with alarm.
Misfits, Inc. Page 17
