When The Water Burns

  Chapter Three: Tomas

  Watching Kyla chatting with that killer made his chest ache. Tomas couldn’t resist glancing at them across the room, but he only began breathing normally when she stood and picked up her guitar to resume playing. Fear ate him hollow. There was nothing he could do to change her collision course.

  Old Mitch came over with a plate of grouper and slid it onto his table. “That guy’s trouble with a capital T.”

  “She thinks she knows better than me,” Tomas answered. Kyla had already been playing at Mitch’s bar for years so he knew her just as well. “I told her to stay away.”

  Old Mitch gave him a watery, blue-eyed stare. “You don’t know much about women, do you?”

  Tomas sat up fast at his sharp comment, immediately offended, but then slowly slumped back to rest his elbows on the table when he realized it was true. “No.”

  “I’ve known Kyla a long time. I don’t like that guy, but she’s gonna do what she’s gonna do.”

  “I think that guy works for the cartels,” Tomas leaned in to whisper.

  Old Mitch’s sarcastic reply was, “No shit.

  “We gotta do something!”

  “Dude, you really don’t know women,” Old Mitch sighed as he walked back to the bar.

  Tomas ate the spicy grouper despite his lack of appetite. And like a cool breeze on a hot day, Kyla’s voice soothed him as she sang her last set. She played a soul stirring ballad that kept his attention so focused that he didn’t notice when the killer sat down at his table.

  “You love her,” the man stated matter-of-factly and Tomas jumped like he’d been speared.

  The killer’s brown eyes were so dark they looked black as they bore into him. It stole his voice.

  “I saw you watching us talk.” Though his voice was low and steady like a friendly conversation, the threatening undercurrent dried Tomas’ mouth. “She isn’t yours.”

  “She’s not yours, either,” Tomas whispered at last through his tight throat.

  “Not yet,” he said with a toothy grin. “But she will be.”

  Applause drew his attention away from the intense stare as Kyla walked up and joined them at the table.

  “Tomas, this is Veto. He’s in contract services,” Kyla said as she leaned the guitar against the table and stole Tomas’ beer to take a sip. “Veto, Tomas is a local charter captain.”

  “We were just discussing you,” Veto said with his pleasant mask firmly in place.

  “I’m flattered,” she said and caught Tomas’ eyes. “Relax. It’s okay.”

  Tomas suddenly felt like he’d just taken a huge bong hit. Her words filled him like warm smoke, soothing the places his fear had eaten away. Stunned to silence, he sat there trying to focus his thoughts when Kyla turned to stare at Veto.

  “My set’s over. You still interested in some company tonight?” she asked.

  “I don’t want to intrude if you had plans with Tomas.”

  “Oh, he’s just a good friend. Besides, I don’t date locals.” Kyla stood and picked up her guitar. “Let me go put this away and I’ll meet you out front in five minutes.”

  Once Kyla left the bar, Veto turned to study Tomas with a puzzled frown. “Where did your fear go?”

  Tomas pushed at the fog in his mind, but still couldn’t focus his thoughts. He knew he should be concerned about Kyla leaving with Veto, but it was like trying to light wet driftwood on fire. “I don’t know.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Veto let his mask slip to show the shark lurking beneath. “I’m going to enjoy your friend. You can have whatever’s left over when I’m done with her.”

  The fog lifted slightly as he clung to his love for Kyla like flotsam in a storm. “Don’t hurt her.”

  “Pain and pleasure are two sides of the same coin, and I spend freely. Which side faces up in the end isn’t my concern. I enjoy them both.”

  “Please,” Tomas begged as Veto got up and strode from the bar without a backward glance.

  Fighting the lethargy that still lingered, Tomas leaned on the table as he forced himself to stand. Kyla had no idea what she was getting into. He had to keep her safe somehow, but could barely walk. He’d only had a couple of beers, but it felt like he was at the bottom of a long bender. Had Veto slipped him something?

  Walking carefully into the night, Tomas saw Kyla and Veto heading towards the waterfront resort just up the beach from the bar. He kept them in view, but couldn’t catch up fast enough to follow them inside. Collapsing on a bench near the entrance to the resort, Tomas bent over and tried not to retch.

  His imagination painted horrific pictures of what might happen, but at least his mind was beginning to work again. Focusing on the crushing pain of Kyla being with a man like Veto pushed the fog back even more. Why would she want to be with someone like that?

  Tomas was a fool. He should go to his boat and just sail away. There were thousands of other ports in the Caribbean where a charter boat could earn his living. It had been easy before he came to Key West and walked into that bar. Before he’d seen her and heard her sing.

  His life had been an uncomplicated series of transactions. He loved the sea. Loved fishing and seeing new places. Now his anchor was stuck and he couldn’t go anywhere. His only option was to cut and run, but Kyla had chains around his heart he couldn’t break without breaking himself.

  Sitting up as the nausea passed, Tomas stared up at the lighted windows towering above him. She needed him even if she wouldn’t acknowledge it. And since he couldn’t do anything else, he waited in the hope that when Neptune’s price came due, it wouldn’t include losing her.