Authors: Cat Mason
I
can’t help feeling
guilty for the amount of press that ended up tailing us to the marina. Seeing me with Brannon was just the proof of us being at the diner needed to load the parking lot with reporters and photographers all desperate to get a shot of the band or a detail worthy of a grocery store checkout rag. I have no idea how I can possibly help this insane situation, but if I can, I will.
“Here,” Henry says, pointing to a phone on a nearby desk. Picking up the receiver, he begins dialing numbers. “When she answers, you tell her that you work for the Galleon Marina and have information to sell for the right price.”
The surfer looking guy who let us in hands me a notebook. “This is the log and destinations for Wisteria. Tell her you have it, then read it to her.”
I nod shakily, and put the receiver to my ear as it begins to ring. “This is Katheryn, are you calling to report a Shaft sighting?” Her voice sings into the phone and I put two and two together.
She’s the chick who was talking to Henry outside the diner.
“I am.” Squaring my shoulders, I remember the reason for my call. “My name is Nikki, and I work for Galleon Marina.” Looking up at Henry, I continue when he nods, silently encouraging me. “I think I’ve got some valuable info for sale, if you’re interested.”
“Well, well, well,” she tsks, clicking her tongue. “I believe you could be my new best friend. What’ve you got for me, Nikki?” I watch the screen as she begins digging through her bag, pulling out a notebook and pen.
“I have a ship log for Wisteria. The large yacht has been booked for a party of eleven passengers from Tennessee to leave here momentarily. The rental agreement is listed under Richardson.” Looking down at the notebook, I blow out a breath. “You know that helping you out could cost me my job, right?”
“You’re sure this is correct?” she asks, and I hear the rustling of papers in the background.
“The logs don’t lie,” I reply harshly, hoping to drive the point home by being a bit defensive. “I mean I could just walk outside and hand it off to one of the dozens of photographers and reporters outside, but I figured your site would want the exclusive.”
“I do, Nikki, I do and I appreciate this. I’ll be sure to make it worth your while,” she coaxes. “Now, does it happen to say anything about destinations or date of return?”
“It does,” I reply. “According to this, they’re docking in Cancun in two days where an additional three passengers will be picked up before heading out to the Caribbean.” I rattle off more stops and then eventually give her a return date just over two weeks away.
“I’ve got it. Thank you, very much for all your help.”
I rattle off some sort of ridiculous email address for her to contact me along with a completely off my head phone number before she thanks me again and promises to be in touch soon and ends the call. Katheryn wastes no time, on the screen we all watch as she grabs her laptop and types away, her fingers scrambling on the keyboard.
“We’re ready over here, Liam. Launch Wisteria.”
“Good to go, Simon.” A very dark skinned man with long dreads shouts from the deck of the beautiful white yacht with ‘Wisteria’ written in red letters along the side. He salutes when the motor roars to life and he begins pulling from the boat house, heading into open water.
All our attention goes to the cameras. The crowd starts to move toward the docks, flashes are going off like crazy as everyone tries to get shots of the boat as it gets farther and farther away. Simon radios back and forth with Liam, until the ship is gone from the screen. A ping goes off from Henry’s phone, his eyes flying to the screen immediately.
Henry’s jaw ticks as he reads the screen, his face an impassive mask. “Katheryn bit, she will be posting everything just as Rae fed it to her along with some photos of the boat. Now, we wait.”
“For what?” I ask, curious as to his next move. He’s very methodical and seems to have planned this entire scenario out.
“Watch.” Henry steers me closer to the monitors, and points as people start grabbing for phones and pagers before they all scramble for their vehicles. Pointing down at his screen, he shows me the latest update. “Looks like there has been an alert go out, thanks to an anonymous tip. Looks like everyone is being told to get to Cancun.”
“It worked?” I ask in disbelief. Looking up, I meet my reflection in his mirrored gaze.
Henry nods. “Yes, it did.”
“I’ll radio your ride and give them the all clear,” Simon says, turning back toward the radio and adjusting dials and pushing buttons.
“Mack, let’s unload,” Henry shouts, heading over toward the van.
Following Henry over, I open the door and help a very irritated Jasmine out of the back of the van. “This is not where I’m getting married,” she sulks. Crossing her legs, she begins shuffling around. “It smells like fish and boys…and I have to go, for really really.”
“We won’t be here much longer,” I reply, grabbing my bag from the seat. “Let’s see if we can find a bathroom before our ride gets here, huh?”
Turning to the group, I make sure Henry hears where we are headed before Jazzie and I go in search of the bathroom with him following closely behind.
By the time I have washed up, Jazz is done. Walking out, we find Henry waiting against the wall and I can’t help but laugh because it looks like he’s holding the damn thing up instead of resting against it.
A boat, not quite as big as Wisteria, is pulling into the boat house when we make it back over. “Uncle Luke!” Jazzie screams, starting to run toward the boat, but is stopped when I don’t let go of her hand. “Come on, Miss Rae, it’s Uncle Luke!”
“I see that, but you’re going to have to wait. It’s not safe to run like that in here.” I say, firmly keeping hold of her hand.
A man with a goatee and blonde hair pulled back through the back of a baseball cap releases the wheel once the boat is parked and leaps over the side. Running up the dock barefooted and in nothing but a pair of black board shorts, he smiles brightly at Jazzie. Once he’s close enough, I release her hand just in time for her to leap into his arms. “Hey, how’s my favorite tattoo artist?” he asks, before kissing both her cheeks with loud smacks.
“Uncle Luke, did you bring me a surprise?” Jasmine asks, wrapping her arms around his neck as he stands to his full height.
“You know it, dollface.” Hugging her to him, he chuckles. “Hi, I’m Luke, you must be Rae,” Luke says, shifting Jazzie to extend a hand to me.
“That’s me,” I reply, shaking his hand. “Good to meet you.”
“You too,” he smiles before turning toward Chase as she comes up to him and wraps her arms around him. “Hey, baby girl, sounds like it got thick for a bit there, huh?”
“Nothing that Big Man can’t handle,” Chase replies, pushing up on her toes to press a kiss to Luke’s stubbly jaw.
“Speaking of Big Man,” Luke says, handing Jazzie to Chase. “I probably should go help him and Mack get shit loaded so we can get the hell out of here. The beach is waitin’.”
Luke leaves us, heading over toward where the guys are unloading our bags from the back of the van. When Chase walks toward the boat with Jazz, I follow behind, staring at the ship in awe.
I’ve never been on a boat like that. Hell, until I married Joshua I had never even seen the ocean before. The sight of it was staggering, seeing the waves crash in and out and realizing how small we truly are in the grand scheme of things. I never wanted to leave the beach.
The sand beneath me, the water rushing over my feet…
“Shit, look out!”
I hear the warning, but it’s too late. Next thing I know, something slams into the back of my head sending me tumbling into the dock. Pain explodes through my head and down the back of my neck, stealing my breath. I hear people shouting and scrambling, but I can’t say a word, I can’t move.
“What the fuck did you do, Mack?” I hear Henry shout, loudly.
“I lost my grip,” he replies, guilt lacing his voice.
“My God, Mack, you couldn’t fuck this nanny, so you decided to kill her off?” Hunter blurts from behind me. “And with my guitar? Dude, come on.”
I feel Henry—even before his hands grip my arms—helping me to my back. “Are you okay?” Pushing his sunglasses up, he begins looking me over. His fingers run along a sore spot on my forehead before slipping into my hair, brushing over an already growing bump, making me hiss through my teeth. His eyes are filled with worry. “Let’s get you up onto the boat, Simon can check you out while we wait for an ambulance.”
Lifting me into his arms, Henry cradles me against his chest. I can’t help taking him in, his strength, his scent. I don’t know why, but I feel safe and comfortable in his arms, even though I know I shouldn’t. I don’t know him well enough to be comfortable. Hell, I don’t even like him much at all and I know he doesn’t like me. I don’t bow to his command, so he watches, simply biding his time, until I fuck up somehow and he can get my ass canned.
My body sways against his as he climbs the ramp up onto the boat and settles me onto a large padded seat on the starboard side, taking a seat beside me. Simon kneels at my side, almost coming out of nowhere. Henry’s hand cups the back of my head when I start to sit up.
“No, don’t move yet,” Simon says, placing his hands on my shoulders.
“I’m fine, really,” I defend, swatting at his hands. Pushing up, I grab my head with both hands when their faces begin to blur in front of me.
“Call an ambulance, Mack.” Henry says, wrapping an arm around me.
Brushing him off, I shake my head adamantly. “No, the last thing we need is to call attention or stay here any longer than necessary. I didn’t lose consciousness. I know my name, date of birth, and who the president is, even though I didn’t vote for him. Take your finger off the nine-one-one speed dial, Bear, I’m gonna live.” Pushing to my feet, I grab the railing and steady myself. “See, totally fine. Now, can we get the boat loaded and get to the island before we lose our chance at doing so without being followed?” Staring at Henry, I silently plead with him to drop it and get on with loading and setting sail. I don’t need people hovering over me like I am some invalid. I’m breathing, which means I’m fine. All I need is a trip to the restroom to check myself over and then to stick my ass in the sand and smell that sweet salt air while the kids play on the beach.
“Did you just call me bear?” Henry says, growling low in his throat.
“Yes, I did.” I answer, turning my eyes to Luke as he climbs aboard with a cooler in his hands with Camaron following behind him. “Bathroom?” Grabbing my bag from her, I thank her for grabbing it while listening to Luke explain where the bathroom is and then head below deck to find it.
Walking into the bathroom, I close the door behind me and set my bag on the small vanity. Turning on the faucet, I splash some water over my face and stare into the mirror. “Well, Rae, you’ve had a damn fine first week,” I say to my refection. “How about we focus more on doing the job and less on providing soap opera style theatrics?
I take out my bow and brush out my tangled hair, careful not to brush over the bump that is forming on my head thanks to the guitar case Mack dropped on me, before slipping on a headband with a red lace bow. Once I right my clothes and fix my smeared make-up, I pull my ruby red studded sunglasses out of my bag and slip them on my face. Looking in the mirror, I force a smile and open the bathroom door, running straight into Mack’s now bared chest.
“Shit, almost got ya again. I was just coming to tell ya we’re pulling out,” he says, grabbing my forearms to steady me when I wobble. “You okay? I’m sorry about your head and shit.”
“Oh, I’m fine,” I reply, shouldering my bag. “Thanks, Mack, I should go see if they need me to help with Brannon and Jasmine.”
“You know, beautiful,” Mack purrs, resting his arm against the wall above my head. His eyes heat as he stares down at me, his lips quirking into a confident smile. “Maybe, I can make it up to you on the island…”
“Mack,” Henry booms from behind us, making us both jump. Mack whips around, facing Henry, knocking me back against the wall with his hip. “Need you up on deck to help Luke. We’re about to head out into open water.”
“Mackarella, Mackarella…” he huffs, walking past Henry up and heading up the steps. “When is my day off?”
“The day after mine, asshole!” Henry shouts, not taking his eyes from me. “Are you sure you’re all right? We can still have you taken to the hospital to be checked out.”
“I told you, Henry, I’m fine,” I reply, rolling my sunglass covered eyes. If he thinks a bump on the head is going to get rid of me, he’s got another thing coming. I’ll just have to be more careful. Stepping around him, I walk up the steps in search of the kids.
A
fter Mack
nearly took Rae’s head off with Hunter’s guitar case, everything went smoothly. We set sail for the island, and with Rae’s help, without any shadows.
For now.
It hasn’t for one minute let me believe that we’re safe on the island. The media will find us eventually; they always do. Thankfully, I am ready for that. I’m prepared for everything.
Once we dock the ship, we begin to unload everything and carry it into the larger of the two houses.
“I won that bet fair and square back at the diner, I’m not about to lose my chance at first choice of the rooms,” Hunter’s voice echoes throughout the house.
“You were disqualified for crying,” Aiden says, laughing. “Hell, your tears washed away most of the sauce.”
“I forgot all about the damn wings,” I say, pissed off that I didn’t even get to eat mine, or watch Hunter lose to Rae.
Chase walks over and kisses Hunter’s cheek. “Babe, face it. You lost. Move on.”
He puffs out his lip, pouting. “I don’t lose. I just seem to let others win.”
“Here you go, winner,” Daisy says, handing him a bottle of Pepto. “Better start now.”
Hunter smirks and removes the cap before taking a big swallow. “You know just how to get to my heart, baby momma,” he says, heading over and plopping on the sofa.
The living area of the house is large and all wood flooring. The big floor to ceiling windows are open and the furniture is scattered about the middle of the room. Dark brown couches along with chairs and tables that almost match the sand angle either toward a large flat screen mounted above a stone fireplace or towards the open windows with an unobstructed view of the beach.
“Bits would love it here, man” Hunter says, his eyes going to the view outside as he props his feet up on the table. “He should be here and not in the damn kennel.”
“That furry bastard is exactly where he belongs,” I blurt, chuckling at my ulterior motive for where we’ve sent Bits for his very own vacation. “It’s gonna be nice being able to sit something down on the floor without it being chewed and violated.”
“Henry, you remember Kionna,” Luke asks, walking up with his girlfriend. “They’ve changed Mom’s work schedule so she won’t be here until the night before the wedding.”
“Of course,” I say, reaching out to shake her hand.
“Sorry I wasn’t on the boat with Luke to meet ya, I was getting the things unpacked and put away. I also wanted to get a look at the lagoon before the bachelor and bachelorette party.”
“That’s much appreciated, thanks,” I reply, grateful that Ki and Luke had the idea to have the party up in the lagoon since it is completely secluded by trees and shrubs, according to the brochure and photos I’ve seen. “Camaron, Aiden, and Mack will be sharing the guest house with you and Luke, so let us know if you need anything,” I explain. “I’ve got the rest of them in here so I can keep tabs.”
“More like so we can keep Hunter and Mack separated some,” Chase giggles, heaving a bag up onto the counter. “Those two are up to no good more often than not, Ki. Fair warning.”
“If you’ll excuse me,” I say, heading toward the doors. “I should really take a walk around and get a feel for the place before everyone starts to wander off.”
Walking the paths and around the beach toward the lagoon, I’m relieved at how closed off everything is. The only things close together are the houses. Large trees, shrubs, and fencing block a lot of the non-beach areas from being seen from the water. This is a great set-up, and though I’ll watch like a hawk, this is definitely going to make things easier on Mack and especially myself.
Once I’ve checked out the lagoon and made a full circle around the island to check for any possible areas that will need frequent checks by Mack or myself, I make my way back up the trail and come out on the beach. Jazzie runs down the sand in her pink swim suit while Brannon plays with his toys in the sand.
“I found one, Miss Rae!” Jazzie squeals, holding up something in her hand. “I found one!”
“Let’s see.”
My eyes fall on the goddess standing on the beach. Her long brown hair is now pulled back from her face with a large green bow to match the mint green bikini she has on. The long strands brush over her ass, swaying in perfect time with her hips. A white sash wrapped loosely around her hips whips around in the wind as Jazzie runs to her proudly.
“That’s a beautiful shell, Jazz,” Rae says, eyeing the seashell. “How about we show Bran?”
Turning around, Jazzie bends and shows Brannon, who is much more concerned with the giant real-life sandbox he can play in. Rae meets my eyes and the breath whooshes out of my chest. The sun reflects off of every inch of her, making her tanned skin glisten. My mouth is damned near watering at the sight of her standing before me.
“Big Man!” Jazzie shouts, waving her arms. “We’re finding sea shells.”
Forcing my focus on Jazz, I walk up and hoist her into my arms. “Are you now?” I ask, taking a look when she holds it up between her purple, nail-polish-covered fingers. “That’s a good one.”
“I know right, I sure can pick ‘em.” She wiggles in my arms, no doubt wanting to continue her search. Easing her back onto her feet, I use the opportunity to let my eyes eat up every inch of Rae’s body close up. My fingers want to touch her, to feel that soft skin.
It’s been too long since I’ve felt a soft, sweet woman’s body against mine. Her entire body is pure fucking indulgence just to look at. I’ve spent hours watching her over the last week. If I got her beneath my hands, I have no doubt I’d devour her over and over only to want more.
My eyes land on her barely covered breasts, saliva pooling in my mouth at the sight of her nipples pressing against the flimsy green fabric of her top. My dick twitches in my pants, letting me know he’s more than happy to jump in any time with his opinion of what should go down.
“Finish your walk through?” Rae asks, pulling me from my X-rated thoughts.
“Yeah,” I reply, scrubbing a hand over my jaw. “Everything looks good. Just be sure if you take the children anywhere not to go alone. Situations change quickly, as you now know,” I add, knowing that even though I hate bring up the situation back at the diner, Rae needs to be reminded that this is a lifestyle where we have to be vigilant and constantly on our guard.
“You’re right, Henry.” Rae brushes her hair over her shoulder, nodding in agreement. “I’m sorry about before. You’re only trying to do your job and the last thing you needed to add to that was babysitting the nanny. I get it.”
I shrug. “Let’s just say that we both could’ve handled that situation better and move on, huh?”
“I can do that,” Rae replies, kneeling down in the sand where Brannon still plays, grabbing his empty pail. “Now, how about we get some water in this for you?”
Taking that as my cue to fuck off, I turn and head back into the house, passing Mack as I go. His eyes are glued to the kids and Rae as she stops at the edge of the water with Brannon to let it wash over his feet. Clapping him on the shoulder, I start past him.
“She’s not into me,” he blurts, shaking his head in disbelief. “Not even a little bit.” Adjusting his red hair he shoves it under a baseball cap. “It hurts, Big Man, it hurts right below my belt.”
“Not everyone who comes in contact with us will want to put your cock in their mouth man,” I say with a laugh. “I’m thinkin’ that Hunter may have neglected to point that out when he began passing on his whoring skills.”
“Big Man, exactly what shade of blue are your balls right now?” Mack asks, smiling huge he crosses his arms over his chest.
Smiling right back, I shrug. “Not nearly as blue as the ocean will be while you take the all night watch tonight, motherfucker.” Clapping him on the shoulder again, I chuckle. “Remember, young one, who thou art fuckin’ with.” Tapping my temple, I grin. “Older, wiser, and all around better at the game.”
Walking into the house, I do a walk through and get a feel for the place. I learn which room everyone has chosen before settling into my own. I have evacuation routes and scenarios planned in my head for any and all situations. I begin making notes of things to run over with Mack later, before he starts his night watch.
Ha.
I can’t help laughing to myself as I head back up the hall and see him still standing just outside the doorway. Mack is a cocky little shit, but a damn good man when you get past the asshole he puts up as a front. He treats our girls like gold, and damn near worships the ground Jasmine walks on. That five year old has had him wrapped around her finger since day one of her coming to live with us, and she knows it too. Leaning against the railing, he grunts in aggravation, no doubt at the idea of pulling an all-nighter the first night here. Of course, I’ll get up and relieve him because I usually don’t sleep well anyway, but he doesn’t need to know that. Let the little fucker stew over being put on night duty for a bit.
Walking into the kitchen, I open the fridge and grab a water. Camaron turns and smiles at me thoughtfully, but her face looks anything but happy. Opening her mouth, she starts to speak, then closes it again. Twice more she does this and I can’t help picturing a fish gasping for air. Whatever she’s gotta handle is something she isn’t happy with. Twisting the top, I swallow a mouthful of the cold liquid before biting the bullet. “For fuck’s sake, Camaron, spit it out or stop chewin’ on it,” I say, hoping that if it’s some sort of simple wedding issue that she has blown out of proportion.
“I’ll learn not to check-in while on vacation,” she sighs, clearly frustrated with the situation. “We have a meeting with Ironsound Records as soon as we get back, I just got off Skype with Abby. She wants to make some changes to the band, you know, to make Shaft stand out more. Well, let’s just say that some of the suggestions she mentioned has me worried about some of your reactions.”
“Some of our reactions?” I ask, arching a brow.
“All right.” She sighs, throwing a hand up and rolling her eyes. “Hunter’s reaction is what I’m worried about. You know how he gets. Plus, they are pushing for us to bring in more security. Abby doesn’t think that you and Mack will be enough come fall.”
“I do, and whatever it is, we’ll handle it,” I reply, hoping to ease her mind. “You work your ass off, and everyone appreciates that, Cam, but you’ve gotta remember it’s not your job to always keep everyone happy. Hunter may piss and moan, but let him. He’s a grown ass man and you gotta admit he has changed a lot since Jasmine and Chase came into the picture. The business demands you evolve; it’s organic. So, if Ironsound needs them to change things up some, then that’s what they do, or they risk losing momentum. Hunter will understand. As for security, we can cross that bridge when we need to. Right now, Mack and I have that shit handled.”
“I get what?” Hunter asks, walking into the kitchen headed for the fridge. “Beer?” Grabbing one from the fridge, he pops the cap off. “I sure as fuck don’t mind if I do. I’m officially docked in Boozeville, USA for the next two weeks.”
“Oh no you aren’t, Hunter Chesterfield,” Chase shouts, storming into the kitchen. Marching up to him, she meets him toe to toe, not concerned with the over half a foot height advantage he has on her. Grabbing the bottle from his hand, she slaps his arm. “I plan to make memories that we
both
remember, not ones that you need to watch on a home movie after your hangover is gone.” Turning, she hands the bottle to me, shaking her head as she blows out a breath. “I need things to run smoothly, please. I’ve already got my mother bitching because we chose to get married here instead of going back to Vegas where she can plan some huge event. You couldn’t even invite your mother.”
“Unless we get married in the state of Georgia, my mother doesn’t come unless you want the SWAT team to storm our reception because she crossed state lines. I made amends with the woman before she got out of the pen, doesn’t mean we are gonna be havin’ Sunday dinners and shit. I want something private; I don’t want to share this day with fuckers who don’t matter,” Hunter says, wrapping his arms around her. He kisses the top of her head then shrugs his shoulders, a grin spreading across his face. “She wants to know why Florida, huh, well I’ll tell her. Gray and Daisy, then even Cam and Aiden got married in Vegas. No doubt, Luke will too when the time comes. I’m a rebel, Chase, a real people stunner. I love shock and awe almost as much as I love my cock in your jaw. Besides, Florida is a very Shaft worthy state, I mean it looks like a cock for fuck’s sake.”
“So, technically…” Pulling out my phone, I pull up the state of Florida map. Turning my phone upside down, so that Florida does in fact resemble a rather sketchy looking dick, I show him the screen. Pointing to the tip and then the scattered islands out from it, one of which we are currently standing on, I laugh. “Your theory puts you getting married on the sandy shores of Jizz Splatter Island.”
“Taking a load off on the white shores of Jizz Splatter Island.” He laughs, slapping my back as he swipes back his beer, smirking victoriously at Chase who simply flips him off. “Big Man, this is why I fuckin’ love you. The only thing that upsets me is your timing.” Sighing dramatically, Hunter looks back at me. “I totally would’ve put that on the invites and invited more people. Oh, well, I guess there’s always the thank you cards and the wedding announcements for after we get back.” Turning, he releases Chase and heads for the doorway. “Cam, I’m using your laptop, by the way. I need to get those designed, A.S.A.P.”
“Hunter, you can’t…” Chase shouts, her fiery ass hot on his heels.
My eyes follow Hunter until they land on Luke firing up the large stainless steel grill on the deck. “I’ll just go see if Luke needs any help.”
“Henry, I was hoping you could help me talk to Hunter and the guys about…” Cam starts, stopping me in my tracks.
“Cam, everything is going to be fine. I just don’t think now is the time to discuss it,” I explain, heading for the door again. “We are all drained from touring and need this time to unwind and celebrate Hunter and Chase getting hitched. I’m sure that it can wait.”
“If you say so, Big Man,” Cam replies as I step out onto the deck.