Authors: Cate Beauman
“Oh, come on. You’re beautiful. I’m proud of you. Let me show you off a bit.”
She smiled again, but shook her head reluctantly. “I told Austin I would stay in.”
“What, is he your keeper?”
The vehement dislike in his voice, in his eyes, surprised her. She swore she saw a flash of hatred before it vanished. “No, Austin’s not my keeper. He’s a bodyguard who happens to care about me. He doesn’t want me out alone until they find out more about the kidnappings.”
“The kidnappings? That happened miles away.”
“How do you know? I couldn’t find much in the news.”
“The locals talk.” He shrugged, dismissing it. “Come on, Hailey. I know I’m not some fancy over-muscled bodyguard, but I won’t let anything happen to you. I really want you to meet my boss. I want to show you what I’ve done, what I’ve accomplished. For once, I can actually back it up. Call Austin if it makes you feel better. Tell him you’ll be with me.”
Despite their conversation moments before, she saw glimpses of the sweet little boy she remembered years before. He was so eager to please, so desperate for approval. “Oh, all right.”
He grinned. “Do you want to call over to Austin’s room?”
“Oh, he’s not here.”
Jeremy stood and played with the hem of the pale green curtain. “Where is he?”
“At work. He had to meet with the landlord at the apartment we’ll be using for Project Mexico.” Jeremy’s small smile puzzled her. “I’ll just leave him a note.”
“We won’t be gone too long.”
She got to her feet. “I need a few minutes to get ready. How about fifteen?”
“Better yet, I’ll give you sixteen.” He winked. “I’ll be back after I shower and shave.” He pulled her into a long hug. “This is going to be awesome, Hailey.”
She wanted it to be. If nothing else came from tonight, she would finally see for herself what Jeremy did, who he hung around with. Hopefully she would be able to put the doubts Austin had planted about his gang and drug affiliations aside and could stop feeling guilty for wondering.
Jeremy gave her a last squeeze, kissed her cheek. “Fifteen minutes.”
“Sixteen.” She said with a smile.
Hailey locked the door behind him. As Jeremy wandered back to his own room, Hailey hurried to the bathroom. She was finally going to have dinner with her brother.
Chapter 16
H
AILEY PULLED A WISP OF hair from her updo, twisting it around her curling iron. Counting to five, she released it as she scrutinized herself in the mirror. Not bad for eleven minutes. She’d played up her eyes, making them appear huge with a trick of eyeliner and a few sweeps of mascara. She applied clear gloss to her lips and studied herself a moment longer before hurrying to the bedroom to slip on her backless white sandals.
As she was scrawling a quick note to Austin, a knock sounded at the door. “Hailey, it’s me.”
“Hold on. Coming,” she hollered. She grabbed a wrap from the closet and opened the door. Jeremy stood before her in dark gray slacks and a white collared shirt. He was so clean-cut, so handsome. “You look amazing.”
Grinning, he pulled a tropical bloom from behind his back, handed it to her. “So do you.”
She beamed, touched by his sweetness as she took the only flower he’d ever given her. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.” She hurried to the bathroom, sliding the blossom in her hair. The delicate petals were accented by pale shades of purple—a perfect complement to her sleeveless sundress. Hailey wandered back to the bedroom.
Jeremy smiled. “Awesome. Are you ready?”
“Yeah. Let me hang this note for Austin, then we can go.” She secured the white sheet to the door and locked up. Smiling, she looked at her brother. “I’m really looking forward to this.”
“Me too.” Jeremy held out his arm.
Hailey looped hers through as they headed down the steps. “So, where are we eating?”
“It’s a surprise.”
He steered her away from the hotel path and kept going down, toward the water. As they approached the dock, she noticed the man usually standing close by was now gone. Frowning, she peered over her shoulder. Where did he go? He was
always
there, no matter the time—day or night.
Jeremy followed her gaze. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
They stepped on the dock, and her frown returned. “What are we doing, Jeremy?”
“Just trust me.”
That wasn’t necessarily easy, but he was trying. “Okay.”
As they walked closer to the water, she spotted the powerboat docked to the wood post. “What—“
“
Trust
me, Hailey. You love the water, right?”
“Yes, of course. You know that.”
“Exactly.”
In the darkness she could make out the form of a man standing at the driver’s seat. Hailey stifled a gasp. It was
him
, the one who nodded at her by the palm tree, the one who stood on the sand day and night, always watching.
“Hailey, this is Desi. Desi, my sister Hailey.”
“Hello, Hailey,” the large, muscular man said in a thick Spanish accent. She wanted to take a step back, to tell Jeremy she’d changed her mind. Instead, she clutched her brother tighter. “Nice to meet you, Desi.”
“Let me help you aboard.” Desi lifted her from the dock to the boat much the way Austin always did, as if she weighed nothing. “Please sit and relax. Señor Rodriguez is glad you can come tonight.”
She stared at Desi, confused. Perhaps he hadn’t been watching her after all?
Jeremy hopped down and sat beside her.
Hailey bent close to her brother’s ear. “Uh, who is he?”
“He works for Donte.”
“Yeah, but…” The low, powerful rumble of the motor drowned her out.
Jeremy shook his head. “What?”
She didn’t want to shout her questions. “Nothing.” She glanced around again. What did a powerboat have to do with dinner and Donte Rodriguez? “I’m trusting you, Jeremy, but I’m seriously confused,” she said louder.
He smiled. “You’ll see.”
“Hold on, please,” Desi called over his shoulder.
Hailey did as she was told. They pulled away from the dock, gaining speed on the water. The sweet racer cut across the waves as if the swells were nothing. Hailey closed her eyes, smiling, enjoying the wind on her face, caring little that her updo would probably be ruined by the time they arrived wherever they were going.
“What do you think so far?” Jeremy shouted.
Grinning, laughing, Hailey opened her eyes, meeting Jeremy’s in the deep dusk. “I think this is
amazing
.”
The boat cut closer to the bright yacht, eating up the distance quickly. “Look how pretty, how festive it is with the lights ablaze. I wonder what it must be like to stare out at the ocean from the decks.”
“Maybe we should find out.”
“That would be so awe—” she stopped, her eyes widening as she met Jeremy’s. She took his hand, gripping it. “Are we having dinner there? Did Mr. Rodriguez make arrangements for us to have dinner on that yacht?”
“Hailey, Donte
owns
that yacht.”
She gaped as she stared at the small cruise liner lit up like an elegant white Christmas. “I—I can’t believe this. Holy crap!” She grabbed him in a hug. “Thank you for inviting me tonight.”
He hugged her back, kissed her cheek. “You’re welcome.”
She’d thought herself happy an hour before, but now… She shook her head as she smiled, staring at the magnificence of the yacht. Jeremy certainly hadn’t exaggerated Mr. Rodriguez’s wealth.
In a week’s time, so many wonderful things had come together. She had Austin in her life; Jeremy appeared to be on the straight and narrow, building himself into a man her parents would’ve been proud of. If everything Jeremy and Mateo told her was true about Donte Rodriguez’s charitable causes, he could only be an excellent influence in her brother’s life.
She couldn’t wait to share this with Austin. He’d made a mistake, had run with the wrong information, but that was over now.
Hailey sighed, perfectly at peace for the first time ever.
Desi cut the motor. The boat drifted toward the back of the yacht. Two large men walked to the edge of the launch, both of them heavily armed.
Hailey gasped, grabbed Jeremy’s arm. “Jeremy, look at the guns. Are those machine guns? Why do—“
“Relax.” He took her hand, squeezed. “Donte is extremely wealthy and lives out on the open water. This is just a safety precaution.”
She stared at the weapons and the serious men holding them. A wave of uneasiness twisted her stomach as she nodded, unsure.
“They won’t hurt you, Hailey. I’ve been on this boat a dozen times and I’m still here, right?”
“Yes.” She glanced back to shore. They were miles from the flicker of lights in the distance.
As Desi stepped from the boat, he reached for Hailey’s hand, pulling her up with him. Jeremy stepped up next to them.
Hailey stared at the circular hot tub and pool combo glowing in the eerie lights several feet away. Her gaze swept up the flight of stairs, leading to two more decks. She then looked back at the men standing close by, still holding their massive guns.
She gave one of the leering guards a small smile, nodding as the dull unease in her stomach grew to a full bloom. She looked down at the black pumice slip-proof tread she stood on, telling herself that the man eyeing her was a bodyguard, just like Austin, only working for Mr. Rodriguez instead of Ethan. She peeked at him again under her lashes, studying him further. No, the man staring was nothing like Austin. There was no kindness in the deep brown of his eyes.
A man descended the steps from the second deck. He was sleeker, less bulky than the others, wearing slacks and a button down. The gun resting at his hip was much less intimidating in its side holster. Was this Donte Rodriguez?
“Good evening, Mr. Kagan, Ms. Roberts.”
The guard she’d stared at, the one with the harsh brown eyes, stepped forward, yanking her purse from her grasp.
Hailey gasped. “What are you doing?”
“If you will excuse us, Ms. Roberts,” the sleek one said with a smile, “—a small precaution.”
The guard searched through the contents before he handed it back.
Hailey snatched it with a huff, then turned to look at Jeremy. She glanced at the shore again, remembering there was no way back to her room. “Jeremy, may I speak—“
“Ah, so you have finally arrived.”
Hailey blinked in surprise as another man descended the stairs. He was movie- star-handsome with his dark good looks and boxer’s build. She relaxed a degree, certain that this was Donte Rodriguez. He exuded wealth and power in his designer suit. He was so young, probably early thirties at most. She’d pictured Jeremy working for an older man.
He took the last step and stood before her. “Jeremy.” Mr. Rodriguez nodded at her brother. “Ms. Roberts, I presume.”
“Uh, yes.” Good grief he was handsome.
“It’s lovely to finally meet you.” Mr. Rodriguez took her hand, kissed her knuckles in an elegant gesture. “You’re brother speaks of you often—and very highly.”
Relaxing further in his easy charm, Hailey gave him a friendly smile. He seemed nothing like his security staff. “Thank you for having me, Mr. Rodriguez. I’ve been eager to meet the man Jeremy works for. He clearly admires you.”
He gave her a regal bow. “You are too kind. Please, call me Donte, and come with me.” He led her gently by the elbow as they climbed the steps to the second story deck. Another hot tub bubbled in the corner by the smooth, glossy railing.
The large, glassed-in dining area was elegantly decorated. Lush tropical plants and flowers highlighted creamy shades of brown. Dozens of white candles flickered in crystal throughout the room. A table set for three was beautifully arranged with fine-bone china, silver, and more crystal.
“How beautiful, Mr. Rodriguez.”
“Thank you—but it’s Donte. Please.”
She smiled her apology. “Yes. Donte.”
“May I offer you a glass of champagne? Jeremy?”
“Sure, please. I’ll take a glass,” Jeremy said.
“I would love a glass.” She would take small sips. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass Jeremy or herself with her low tolerance for alcohol.
“Very well.” Donte guided Hailey to the marble-topped bar nestled in the corner of the dining room.
Hailey watched Donte pull a bottle of Cristal from the small wine fridge. His eyes never left hers as he peeled away the golden foil and popped the cork. She struggled not to fidget in his penetrating stare. This was a powerful man—a man who always got his way; of this, Hailey had little doubt.
“If I may be so bold, Ms. Robert’s—you are quite stunning.”
What was she supposed to say to that? “Uh, thank you.”
A smile spread across his lips. “I have made you uncomfortable.”
Horrified she had somehow offended Jeremy’s boss, she placed a hand on his arm. “Oh, no, no. You didn’t. And please, call me Hailey.”
“Please, relax, Hailey. My only goal is to make you comfortable as my guest this evening.” He handed Hailey her glass.
“Thank you.”
Smiling again, Donte walked to her brother, handing him his flute of golden bubbles.
“Thanks.” Jeremy set his glass down. “I have to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” Jeremy opened a door and started down the hall. Apparently he knew his way around the place.
“Would you like to join me—“ Donte’s phone began to ring on his hip. “If you will excuse me for a moment, I need to take this.”
“Sure.”
Donte stepped from the room to the sleek, polished wood of the deck. Hailey wandered to one of the windows facing the shore and stared at the lights. If she squinted, she could just make out her cabana, and to the right, Austin’s. Was he okay? Was he back yet? As much as she was enjoying her time on Donte’s yacht and a chance to sit down to dinner with her brother, she wanted to be with Austin more.
“What do you mean?” Donte snapped.
Hailey’s gaze slid to the deck at Donte’s sharp tone. She focused on the view as Donte continued on in short, harsh bursts of Spanish. Someone was getting an earful. For a moment, Hailey wished she knew what he was saying. She caught a word here and there—
idiots, tonight, now
—but in the end, she had no idea. Even with her practice, she would never be able to keep up with the speed at which he spoke. Moments later, Donte came back.
Hailey turned. “I hope everything’s all right.”
He raised his eyebrow a fraction, but his eyes stayed cool, not reflecting any of the anger she’d heard seconds before. “I apologize, Hailey. I had a business venture go sour this evening. I do not like to lose in business.”