I reached the top of the basement stairs and glanced into the kitchen. The house was still quiet, with only a few candle sconces burning in the hallway. Just as I shut the door behind me, light footsteps landed in the hallway. I shot toward the back door, but the circular light of a flashlight surrounded me.
I turned slowly around. Becky’s face reminded me of my own reflection in the bathroom mirror, puffy eyes and a red nose. Her eyes rounded as she noticed the supplies in my hand.
I raced over to her and knelt in front of her. Tears ran down her cheeks as I hugged her. My heart was pounding. I was sure Katherine and her bionic ears would hear us.
“You can’t leave, Kinley. This is Marcus’s fault, isn’t it? I hate him.” Each word grew louder, and I was sure I would be discovered.
“It’s not Marcus’s fault,” I whispered. “But I need to leave. I will miss you, Becky. You have to know that. You are an amazing person, and I’ll never forget you. But I have to go. Please promise me you won’t tell your mom.”
She used the sleeve of her pajamas to wipe her eyes. “I promise. But it’s stormy out on the water. You might die. You might die like Daddy did.” Her shoulders shook with sobs, and I hugged her again.
“The raft will keep me safe. I’ll be fine. I’ve survived a mummy’s curse. I can survive anything.”
“But it wasn’t a mummy’s curse. It was just bad luck,” she argued.
I took a deep breath. “True. And it seems putting the stone back didn’t stop the run of bad luck after all.” I kissed the top of her head. “Work hard and make sure you get into college. It’s your surest way to see the rest of the world.” I picked up the handle on the raft case.
Becky’s sniffles followed me as I slipped out the back door.
Chapter 29
Dax
I’d paced the small guest house like a caged animal, nearly wearing a hole in the wood floor. I wanted badly to just storm the house and find Kinley. I needed her to know that none of this was for money. But I needed to find her alone, without Katherine lurking between us like a dangerous snake.
I’d spent hours in the guest house, waiting for everyone to fall asleep trying to cool my head and come up with my defense. And I had one. I could have married a hundred times already if I’d wanted the money. Katherine knew it because it was the plain, honest truth. I’d never fallen in love until I met Kinley.
The storm outside had quieted some, but the clouds were still hanging overhead, as if they weren’t quite empty yet. I had no real plan except to sneak into the house and up to Kinley’s room. All I could hope for was that she answered my knock and didn’t slam the door in my face before I could get my words out.
I grabbed my coat and pulled it on. The air was brisk and heavy with moisture as I strode across the yard to the house. One of the perks of living on an island that was surrounded by rocks was never having to lock doors. But tonight was different. Katherine knew I was just a few hundred yards away in the guest house. I reached the back door. It was unlocked. The woman must have been getting sloppy in her quest to be evil.
I crept through the kitchen and down the hallway. Only a few candles had been left on for the night. They made my shadow flick back and forth across the floor. My rebellious teen years had required me to chart the perfect path up and down the stairs to avoid squeaky floorboards. I flew up the steps and made it to the top without a sound.
I headed down the hallway with my heart beating loud enough to wake the dead. Fortunately, the living slept right through it. I reached Kinley’s door and took a deep breath. I knocked lightly hoping it would be loud enough to wake Kinley but quiet enough to leave the rest of the house sleeping.
There was no answer. I tried again and again. My heart turned to stone a little more with each knock. I’d lost her. I’d lost Kinley for good. She wanted nothing more to do with me.
As I knocked one last time, a flashlight illuminated the hallway behind me. I shaded my eyes and squinted into the light. Becky scurried toward me, pushed open Kinley’s door and motioned me inside with the light. Kinley’s bed was empty.
Becky’s face was a mix of pink and white, both from crying and from what looked like grave concern.
“You have to go to the canoe clearing. She’s trying to leave the island, only she has a raft and not a canoe. You have to bring her back to me, James.” Hiccoughs and sniffles muddled her words. “Go—go get her.”
I grabbed a tissue off the dresser and handed it to Becky. “You’re not making sense. What about the canoe path? Where is Kinley?”
As Becky smeared the tissue over her face and tried to catch her breath, pieces of what she’d said were coming together to form a picture. I knelt down in front of her. “Becky, is Kinley taking a life raft off the island?”
“Yes, hurry.”
I shot out the door and my feet pounded the floor. I didn’t give a damn anymore who heard me. What the hell had made Kinley do something so dangerous? Did she hate me so much now, she’d decided to risk her life just to get away from me and my freaky family?
My feet pounded as loudly as my pulse as I raced toward the section of beach where the rocks had been cleared by early island inhabitants. They might have used the narrow stretch of sand successfully, but they had sturdy canoes and the skills needed to navigate the dangerous coastline. Not to mention, the early tribes probably never shoved off during a raging storm or in the dark of night.
The dense foliage was like a wet maze of leaves and branches. There was no moon or stars to light my way. I had to use my innate sense of direction to find the shortest path to the canoe launch. The heavy rain had left behind puddles that acted like quicksand, and my shoes got sucked under with each step. One extra deep sinkhole yanked me down to my ankle. I used all my strength to pull my foot free. As my shoe popped to the surface, I fell back against the gnarly trunk of a silk-floss tree.
“Fuck!” I pushed off the thorns and immediately felt warm blood dripping down my back. I kept moving.
I’d flown out of the house so fast, I hadn’t thought to ask Becky how long Kinley had been gone. She could’ve been well out on the water by now. If she’d made it past the rocks. That terrifying thought shot more adrenaline through me, and I charged ahead. I pushed into the clearing that lay just above the primitive canoe launch.
“Kinley!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, but the ocean was in a loud frenzy from the storm. It slapped the rocky shoreline as rough waves pounded the island. There just wasn’t any way a raft could make it safely past the rocky reef. Not with the storm surge raging below.
“Kinley!” I raced down to the water’s edge. Salt water sprayed my eyes, and I wiped them to clear my vision. That was when I saw it, the ripped remnants of a self-inflating raft. It clung to the rocks like a deflated balloon.
My heart pounded against my ribs, and I choked back the bitter taste in my throat. I waded into the water, fighting the angry tide as it forced its way onto the beach. “Kinley!” A wave picked me up and tossed me back toward the sand. I pulled my arms through it as if I was working to catch the best wave of the day. All the while I had to reassure myself that she was still alive. She fucking had to be alive.
The next wave sent me barreling toward the rocks bordering the canoe path. I stuck my feet out, hoping to keep myself from being splattered on the rocks. My feet jammed painfully against the craggy edges, but before my body could follow, I was being dragged back out by the tide.
I swam farther out and had to work to keep my head above water. Just before I got pulled under for the fifth time, a flash of light lit up the rocks. I used all my strength to tread water as I watched for another light. Three short lights. Three longer lights. Three short. She was spelling SOS with a flashlight.
I took the first wave back to shore and left the water at a run. I circled around to the place on the beach t
hat led out over the ledge of rocks. The storm surge had begun to shrink back, and a few of the clouds had parted enough to shine some moonlight over the slick layers of slate.
I hopped up onto the first ledge and headed in the direction of the light. “Kinley!”
The light flickered on and off. I followed it. The rocks were hard enough to cross on a dry, sunny day, but on a dark, stormy night, especially when there was no time for caution, they were like sharp jaws just waiting to snap an ankle or break a leg. I fell painfully to my knees once but managed to get my feet back under me.
The light flicked on and off again. This time a soft cry followed it. The sound reached right in and grabbed my heart.
“Kinley!”
“Over here,” she replied in a thin, reedy voice.
I reached the highest point on the rocks. My gaze swept to the bottom layer. The flashlight flickered on. I could only see her silhouette as she hugged a rock to keep from being pulled into the tide.
I trotted down as fast as I could and jumped across several deep, wide crevices to land on the rock next to her.
Kinley was soaked and shivering uncontrollably as my hands wrapped around her arms. The flashlight that’d saved her clattered down the rocks and disappeared into the waves as I lifted her into my arms.
“Fucking hell, Rabbit, I thought I lost you.”
Her entire body was shaking as she lifted her head and looked at me. “Tell me this is real, Dax. Tell me you are real. Please.” Her chin vibrated as she spoke.
“I’m real, baby. I love you. I don’t want a fucking penny of Jack’s money. I just want you.”
Chapter 30
Kinley
I was still in Dax’s arms. Right where I wanted to be. It took him no effort at all to carry me back to the house. The way he held me, as if he never intended to let me go, warmed me on the inside. But the rest of me was chilled to the bone. My face stung from the brisk air. Even though Dax’s shirt was soaked, I closed my eyes and huddled against him, hoping to steal his body heat.
The last thirty minutes were mostly a nightmarish blur now. I’d inflated the raft and pulled it into the raging water. A current grabbed the raft and pulled me away from the beach. I was sure I’d made it clear of the dangerous rocks when a wave lifted me up and tossed me back toward the treacherous reef. The raft had cushioned me against injury, but the impact tore a gash in the canvas. Seconds later I was climbing free of the ruptured canvas. I couldn’t get much farther than the bottom layer of rocks. I found a secure perch and huddled there. Waves pounded me and worked hard to dislodge me, but somehow I managed to hold on. Then, in the midst of my nightmare, I heard Dax calling me.
The clouds had cleared completely, leaving behind a chilly night. Dax’s feet stomped the ground hard as he hurried toward the house.
“I’m sorry, Dax. I deserve a royal kick in the ass for this.”
“Not a kick. A spanking, maybe. You don’t need to apologize. I don’t blame you for trying to run.” He climbed the steps to the house and the front door flew open. Katherine’s usual smooth as marble expression had crinkled to one I’d never seen before. I was almost convinced it was worry.
“James, take her straight up to her room for a hot shower. I’ll make hot tea.” Katherine sounded almost motherly.
We swept by Becky, who looked exhausted from crying. I reached out my hand, and she touched it as Dax carried me past.
“I can walk up the stairs, Dax.”
“Not ready to let go of you yet. In fact, I might never let you out of my arms again.” He easily climbed the stairs, and I realized as we passed through the hallway that the lights had been turned back on.
I peered up at him. “Was it my imagination or was Katherine—”
“Acting human? I noticed it too. Weird.” He carried me into my bedroom.
“Not that I’m in any hurry to leave this marvelous pair of arms, but you can let me down.”
He hesitated before lowering my feet to the ground. Some of the trembling had subsided but my skin was still clammy, and I felt lightheaded from the chill. Or it might just have been the incredible looking man standing in front of me, soaked with saltwater and looking more than slightly relieved.
“Thank you. You risked your life out there.” I took a steadying breath to stop my voice from wobbling. “It was a stupid stunt, and I’ll never forgive myself. It’s just that I didn’t know where to go or who to trust and—”
Dax took hold of my arms and pulled me closer. “You can trust me, Rabbit. If I’d wanted that inheritance, I could have gotten married long ago.” His cocky half smile was a dream to see after the horrid night. “As you’ve noted, I’m like a piece of candy in a town full of sweet tooths.”
“Yes, you are. Only now you are my piece of candy, so the other women are out of luck.” I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him.
Chapter 31
Dax
Katherine was almost civil as I sat in the kitchen drinking hot coffee to warm up. It seemed she did have some empathy and worry in her steely heart. Either that or she was buttering me up for something. Or perhaps she was just taking pleasure in secretly plotting my death.
Marcus stepped into the kitchen looking as if he’d just risen from his grave. His bizarre lifestyle was robbing him of his youth and any happiness. The grim set of his mouth assured me he’d fallen for Kinley, or at least fallen in his sense of the word. “So she’s all right?”
“Yes, Marcus,” Katherine spoke firmly, “come sit. I’m brewing tea for you.”
Marcus walked into the kitchen and shot me a glance that was almost friendly as he sat down in his specially sanitized chair at the far end of the table. He’d barely settled when he hopped up again to stand for Kinley as she stepped into the room.
The pink was back in her cheeks, and the usual sparkle had returned to her blue eyes. She stopped just short of the table and wrung her hands together. “I apologize for causing so much chaos tonight. And, Katherine, I will replace the raft and the flares.”
“Don’t worry about it. We are well stocked. All that matters is that you’re safe. Have some tea.” Katherine set a cup of tea at the table several seats away from me. Then she settled herself on a chair in between.
We were only allowed a few quiet sips before Katherine got right down to business. “Obviously, James, I need to know what your intentions are. If you plan to marry Kinley—”
That statement caused Kinley to suck in her sip of tea. She covered her mouth to stifle the cough.
Katherine waited for her to recover and continued with a questioning look my direction.
“As you can see by Kinley’s reaction, Katherine, the topic of marriage might be a little premature. We are staying together though, and as far as I’m concerned, when Kinley’s ready we can set a date.”
Kinley peered across the table at me with those big blue eyes that I thought about day and night. She smiled faintly and went back to her tea.
I leaned back in the chair. “Katherine, if I got the money, I sure as hell wouldn’t keep it for myself. I know you never loved me, but you allowed me into your home. I won’t ever forget that.” My words caused the slightest flicker of emotion in her face. It was fleeting, but I was sure I saw it.
Marcus picked up his tea. “Well, I for one am glad this is over. Besides, it’s not fair to Becky.” He turned to Kinley. “I hope you consider staying on for Becky’s sake. She’ll be devastated if you leave.”
Kinley had no response. She glanced around the table at each of us. “I love being her teacher but only if it doesn’t cause problems.”
Katherine sighed. “You’re not the problem, Kinley. It’s my late husband, I’m afraid. He’s caused us a lot of grief with his practical joke. If he’d taken care to make sure his real will had gotten to his lawyer none of t
his would have happened.”
“Have you looked for the will?” Kinley asked. “Maybe it’s somewhere in the house.”
“We have looked everywhere,” Katherine sighed. “It’s in some secret place that none of us know about.”
Kinley nodded and lifted her cup but slapped it back down on the table hard enough to slosh tea over the side. “Wait. A secret place? I know where it is.” She hopped up from the chair.
We sat stunned and speechless as we watched her head to the door. “Hurry up. It’s in the library.”
Katherine, Marcus and I followed her through the hallway, past the stairs and to the library.
“But I spend all my waking hours in the library,” Marcus protested as we stepped into the room. “I would have seen it.”
Kinley hadn’t spoken since she’d told us to follow her to the library. She was concentrating on her mission to find the secret hiding place, and she seemed pretty damn confident about it. I stepped forward to help her pull Jack’s oversized atlas from the shelf. It was an expensive, professionally bound book that Becky loved to look at.
We carried it to Marcus’s work table. His mouth pulled tight with tension as we placed it on the one empty corner.
“Becky wanted me to show her where the pyramids were located, so we pulled this book out the other day.” She opened the book, flipped it to the back cover and flashed us all her perfect smile. “And that’s when I noticed this.” We moved in closer. A large piece of thick paper had been affixed to the back cover. It seemed to be concealing paperwork of some kind. “Becky told me that her dad liked to hide important papers here.” She paused and dropped her gaze. “Papers he didn’t want Katherine to see.” She lifted her face again. “Maybe I shouldn’t have shown you this.”