Chief Distraction (18 page)

“Do you think they’ll leave soon?” she asked in
a whisper.

“Do you want the truth or a lie?”

“I always expect the truth.” The phrase deepened
her guilty conscience.

“They won’t chance leaving until they know we
can’t talk. We’ll have to stay hidden until help arrives. It could be hours, it
could also be days, Blythe.”

Chapter
Sixteen

Roland practically collapsed with the weight of
Sanders’ heavy frame wrapped around his shoulder like a python. The big dumb Neanderthal
had gotten himself beaten up by the very two people they were trying to
capture. It had taken hours to half-drag Sanders semi-conscious body back to
the drop-off point, and many times along the way he’d wanted to leave the
stubborn ass for dead or find the closest landmine and throw him on it. But
that was something Sanders would do if their roles were reversed. Not him. He
was different from these guys, so he told himself repeatedly.

Roland viewed arriving back at the boat in one
piece as a sign. He knew it was time to count his blessings and abandon this
group once and for all before it was too late. He would leave after this last
shipment, break it off clean and make a fresh start.

The path wound around a high slope. With his
last resources of strength, Roland heaved Sanders onward until he spotted Blunt
and Pax sitting close to a fire. “Hey, help me out!”

Seeing Roland’s struggling silhouette through
the darkness, Blunt and Pax rushed over to unload his burden. Together, the men
laid a moaning Sanders down beside the small fire as Roland collapsed from
exhaustion in the nearby grass.

Blunt straightened and rushed toward him. “Where
the hell have you two been? I’ve been calling that damn walkie-talkie for
hours!”

“The walkies were out of range. Couldn’t hear a
thing, couldn’t call you for help either. Sanders got ambushed. They took his
gun.”

“What do you mean they took it? Where were you?”

“I was checking a couple of the other military
buildings. Guess Sanders picked the right one.”

“Or the wrong one judging by what happened to
him,” Pax added.

Blunt sneered in Pax’s direction before turning
his eagle eyes back to Roland who swallowed hard in nervous anticipation of
Blunt’s wrath. “So that’s it? You two just gave up, decided to stroll back here
all lazy like? I told you to find those two and you failed me.” Blunt threw his
hands up and paced around the fire, grimacing in frustration. “And now the
shipment’s going to be late. We just heard from our contact, Wood. Says there
was a suspicious boat snoopin’ around the barge when they were leaving. Thinks
the powerboat’s being followed. They had to take a detour and throw ‘em off, so
we’re stuck here another few hours at least.”

Roland scratched his head. That meant another
few hours of being stuck with this lot, his decision to disappear after this
job was prolonged again. He’d have to be patient. Maybe he could report
everything they’d done to the police and go into one of those witness
protection programs depending on how much – or how little – Blunt
decided to fork over at the end of all this.

“Roland, where’d they go?”

“Don’t know. It was dark and I heard a scream,
some sort of fight, a gunshot and then nothing. Just silence. I walked around
the base camp and found Sanders lying on the floor in one of the buildings. He
was mumbling for help. I thought they’d shot him but I guess they just hit him
on the head with something. He’s gonna need stitches for sure.”

Pax let out a noise like a laugh. “Yeah, right.
As if we can just cruise on into a hospital. See one around here?” He put his
hands out mockingly.

“I’m just sayin’ he’s in pretty bad shape.”

“He’ll be fine. Give him some water. He’s coming
around already.” Blunt bent in front of Sanders. He reached back and snapped
his fingers at Pax. “Give it. That water canteen.” Pax jumped into service.
Blunt held the canteen gingerly to Sanders mouth and eased the water in.
Sanders lapped it up, trying to guzzle yet still disoriented. His head lolled
to and fro. Blunt stood up again, assessing the situation before spilling a bit
of the canteen directly into Sanders face. The cool water jarred him upright.
He shook it off and seemed a little more alert. Blunt grabbed hold of Sanders
hair and straightened his head so they were staring at each other squarely. “Where
are they?”

Sanders closed his eyes, like he was about to
fall asleep. Blunt took a backhand to his cheek, startling the others. “I said,
where are the two people who attacked you?”

Roland sneered as he watched, disgusted by the
act. These men were nothing but animals, heartless, cruel animals willing to
rip each other to shreds.

“They got away. The one guy’s a fighter. Took my
gun.”

Blunt tore his fingers from Sanders hair,
pushing his head back in the process out of shear frustration. Roland held his
breath. He was in trouble too, so he stayed as quiet as possible.

“What about the woman?”

Sanders shook off more of his concussion. “She’s
a beauty. Ready for the plucking if we get rid of him. She’ll give us somethin’
to do when we’re waiting around. She really got me though.” Sanders touched the
back of his head. When he brought his hand away Roland saw sticky dark blood in
the firelight. “I’ll get that bitch.”

“Good, I like your fighting spirit. See that,
Roland,” Blunt threw his piercing gaze toward him. “That’s what I’m looking
for…a real man. Get my point?”

Roland nodded, placating.

“Take another drink and then get your sorry ass
back out there to take care of those witnesses. Otherwise we can’t use this
island again. They have to be found and eliminated. I don’t care what you do to
the woman first,” Blunt knew this would perk Sanders grogginess. “No trace
left, am I clear?”

Sanders nodded. “I’ll go do it and getter done.”

“We’re on it,” Pax added.

The two men cocked their guns and rushed away in
the same direction, Sanders a little slower than usual. Roland raced ahead, in
step with Pax. He leaned in real close. “Someone’s gotta tell Blunt we don’t
have time for chasing two nobodies around this damn island. I wanna get paid
and leave.”
 

“Listen, you don’t understand how determined
Blunt is. I’ve seen his type before. He’ll stop at nothing to get what he
wants. Remember Hani, the Hawaiian guy that used to work with us?”

“Yeah.”

“He started running his mouth off about island
superstitions and how Blunt was upsetting the universe or something. You don’t
see him around anymore, right?”

Roland sneered. “Where is he?”

“Good question. Just sorta disappeared. Blunt’s
a kamikaze or something. He won’t stop until those two are dead, especially now
that they’ve seen Sanders. No way.”

“Ever wonder if it’s all worth it?”

Pax stopped short and stared him down. “’Damn
right it’s worth it. Why wouldn’t it be? You a traitor or somethin’?”

“No. Just wondering what you thought.” Roland
dropped back and followed the two men without another word.
 

Chapter
Seventeen

“They’re searching for us, look.” Mak pointed
toward the small yellow dots that bounced along the shoreline.

Blythe sighed. “Flashlights. Will they come for
us then? They’ll figure out we’re up here, won’t they?”

“No. They probably think we’re still on the
other side of the island. That’s my guess.” He studied her as she stood hugging
her arms to generate warmth. “Still cold?”

Blythe nodded. She threw a few more branches on
the blaze and stood watching it, mesmerized by the dancing flames.

He consumed her image from a safe distance, his
energy charged with anticipation. They’d gotten off on the wrong foot, but Mak
found her smart, witty, and…very, very attractive. He liked her immensely,
despite her feisty exterior. She was unwaveringly independent and capable,
having proven herself by trying to take out her attacker earlier in the
bunkhouse. Watching her, he got the impression she could hold her own and
didn’t want to rely on a man for anything – yet she was caring and
vulnerable at times too – like her sadness over Lou. A lovely combination
of sassy and sweet. He found it irresistible.

As part of his training at the Fire Academy,
he’d learned to control his rising fears and anxieties. He knew Blythe didn’t
have that luxury. When in the midst of a blazing inferno, one had to suppress
the fight or flight response and work it to one’s advantage. The same could be
said about the willpower needed to suppress his raging sexual fantasies. With a
few visualization and breathing techniques, Mak could direct his mind
elsewhere, though it took great effort. Hell, all he really had to do was think
of his damn curse and his ego would deflate like an old inner tube.

His eyes rose to meet Blythe’s. She stared right
back. Even thinking of the curse couldn’t cure him this time around. His body
buzzed with desire for her. She was blatant temptation. His hands itched to
caress her back, to skim her gentle curves. His mouth grew dry at the yearning
and he coughed, trying to clear his thoughts in the process. He ripped his gaze
toward the distant water, forcing himself to think clearly, be on guard, but
without fail his eyes drew back to the curve of her breasts in the firelight,
the length of her supple legs, and her flowing auburn hair each time she pushed
it back off her beautiful face. Would seducing her be fair? No. She deserved
more than he could ever hope to give. Like any other woman, she was vulnerable
to the dreaded curse, and the thought of losing Blythe left him with an ache he
hadn’t expected. It was best not to go further, though it took every fiber of
his being to resist. She wasn’t like all the other women he’d met. Not by a
long shot. She was special.

                 
<><><>

Blythe
could tell he’d wanted her as she’d fixed up his wound, and the very thought of
his stare made her face flush in giddy anticipation. Since their first meeting
at the cane burn, the way he’d reprimanded her, scolded her even, she never
would have guessed his true feelings. He was good at masking them, but then
again, most men she’d encountered were good at that.

On the volcano last weekend he’d been friendly
yet distant, but he’d also been preoccupied with his nephews. Blythe remembered
how the two women had shown interest. He could have had his pick, but he’d
politely declined.

And yet he wanted her.

Making love to Mak would be a really, really bad
idea. Not sure if she wanted a relationship with anyone now, she sure as hell
didn’t want one with the one guy in Maui who every other woman considered toxic.
He was the equivalent of a walking plague. No way, no how. It couldn’t happen.

And yet, something nagged at her heart and she
couldn’t overlook the heat that traced up her body when he looked at her a
certain way. He was charming and sexy as hell. The chemistry they shared was
white hot and Blythe longed to act on it, even if she was struck down by a bolt
of lightening or attacked by killer bees all thanks to the curse. A thug with a
gun would probably strike her down anyway, so why not go for it.

And through her own reservations, she sensed his
as well. What would have happened if she’d taken their kiss further? She could
tell he’d been aroused to no end. Would Mak have seized his opportunity and had
his way with her against the rock, right then and there? Crazy, mixed up
emotions of elation, giddiness, and shear terror flittered around her head. She
knew thinking of Mak romantically at this point in time when ludicrous. She
should solely be strategizing on how to get off this damn island. Still, her
mind veered toward his image in hopes of escaping her present reality. And boy
oh boy, it was easy to imagine all the possibilities. Like seeing Mak in his
fireman’s hat – and nothing more – as he swooped her up in his
strong arms and carried her breathless to her bed before ravaging her
senseless.

Blythe shook her head, trying to clear the
x-rated visions that captivated her mind’s eye. The images were too
tantalizing, too explicitly provocative to forget. Blythe longed to make them a
reality. She tried to imagine what things would be like if he hadn’t been
cursed, and if she hadn’t played a hand at propagating the now well-known
legend. Perhaps they would have been drawn to each other instantly, without
hesitation or second thoughts. They would enjoy exploring each other’s mind and
body without a care.

Mak stood and walked around the edge of the
clearing, his movement pulling her attention out of her fantasies and into the
here and now.

“I should throw a bigger branch on the fire.
Otherwise it’ll go out.” Finding one, he brought it over and nestled it beside
the existing tinier branches. He stood beside her, so close she could feel the
heat coming off him, a pulsing expectation. “That should last a while.”