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Little did they know that they had a devil among them. Of their three children Robyn was the oldest and bossiest. What made it worse, she was deceitful. Things had started out manageable even though Robyn seemed to think that with the new arrival she’d suddenly acquired a personal servant. Not wanting to put her position in jeopardy, Erin acquiesced most of the time and with each ‘favor’ she did for Robyn the girl mellowed to her.
Then came the night when, overcome with loneliness and depression, Erin crept into the bathroom to weep in private. That was where Robyn found her, curled up on the bathroom floor, her face buried in a thick bathrobe in an attempt to stifle her sobs.
In that moment of weakness she had shared a secret with Robyn. That was a big mistake. Thereafter the girl used that knowledge to her advantage.
And now she was doing it again. Erin had no idea what Robyn was up to but it could not be good. It never was.
“I’m coming back to Santa Marta. To visit you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I want to come for a visit,” Robyn said, even more emphatically this time. “We haven’t spoken in a while. We need to do some catching up.”
The only catching up Robyn wanted to do was to get to know the billionaire ex-bachelor Erin had ‘stolen’ from under her nose. That was exactly what she was thinking. Erin had no doubt about that.
But Robyn knew too much. And if she felt it would serve her purpose she’d be all too ready to spill those precious beans.
Erin had to think fast. How could she keep Robyn from coming to the island?
“I’m not sure this is a good time.”
“Baloney. Now is a great time. I’ve got to come see you before you get bogged down with marriage. Now let’s see…” There was the sound of paper flipping and then Robyn spoke again. “I’m free all of next week. I’ll come in on Sunday. I’ll e-mail you my flight information so you can pick me up at the airport.”
“Robyn, I don’t think you should book any flights just yet.” Erin’s voice was firm. “I need to discuss this with Dare. What if he’s not ready for visitors?”
“Nonsense. A girl needs to have her friends around her especially at this sensitive time when she’s adjusting to a new life. I have no doubt that you can convince him of that.” There was hardness in her tone and Erin knew immediately. Robyn was issuing a not-so-subtle threat.
So that was how it was. Either give in to Robyn’s ‘self-invitation’ or risk the negative repercussions.
She could not take that risk.
Erin sighed. “Okay, I’ll speak to him tonight but please don’t book any flights till I get back to you.”
After Erin hung up she sat for a moment deep in thought. This was not good. She did not like either one of her options. If she tried to keep Robyn away the girl would stir up trouble for sure. And if she came to the island and, even worse, came to stay at the house, Robyn would find some way to make her life miserable. That was Robyn.
Erin drew a deep breath then stood up. She would talk to Dare and then she would start planning. She would have to keep Robyn as busy as possible so she would have no opportunity to be alone with Dare. There was no telling what Robyn would let slip. Erin could see it already. The coming week was going to be a nightmare.
Chapter 7
“I don’t like it, Dare.” Roger’s voice was grave. “I don’t like it one bit.”
At those words Dare’s sense of foreboding mushroomed into dread. Roger had been his accountant for over ten years and even when he’d undertaken the riskiest business deals not once had the man expressed such doubt.
But this time was different.
“How bad is it?” Dare almost didn’t want to ask but he had to know. He’d never been one to back away from his problems.
“This is your biggest investment so far.”
Dare nodded. “Over two hundred and fifty million.”
Roger pursed his lips. “I hate to say this, Dare, but it may also be your worst.”
The statement was almost a physical blow to Dare. He shoved his chair back and got up. He began to pace the room. Then he stopped and looked over at Roger who was still staring at him, his face morose.
“I don’t understand,” Dare said with a shake of his head. “Bart told me this was the best deal yet. He’s never been wrong before.”
“Even so, you should have sent in the experts to check out the property.”
“We did. Bart and I discussed it and he made all the arrangements.”
“Did he?” Roger’s voice was quiet but the look he gave Dare was pointed.
For a moment Dare stared back at him in silence then he raked his fingers through his hair. “I think he did,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I hope to God he did.”
Roger shook his head. “Couldn’t have. Any of the experts could have told you the structures are faulty and irreparable. Any of them could have prevented this. That’s what they’re there for-”
“Alright, I get the point.” Dare shoved his hands into his pockets. “I screwed up.”
Roger said nothing. He dropped his eyes to peer at the figures on the paper in his hand. Then he looked up. “Did you even see the place?”
“Of course I did. I wouldn’t have bought it sight unseen.”
“And you didn’t see anything to indicate the place was a wreck?”
Dare shrugged. “It looked fine to me. Nothing that some paint wouldn’t have put right. Of course, I was relying on professional feedback and that is what I thought I got with those reports.”
Roger sighed. “When were you planning on opening this resort?”
“Seeing that all the buildings were in place I was aiming for a Christmas launch. The agency has already started working on the advertising campaign.”
“Call it off,” Roger said bluntly. “Unless some kind of miracle happens there’s no way you’ll be ready for a Christmas launch. That’s just six months away and the way things look you’re going to have to knock down half of those villas and rebuild. A strong gust of wind would knock the damn things off their foundation.”
Dare nodded slowly but his mind was miles away. He was thinking about the one man he’d thought he could trust with his life. He’d known Bart Reynolds since college when they’d been roommates and they’d both pursued degrees in engineering. Even while still studying they’d dreamed big dreams and immediately upon graduation they had executed all they’d discussed throughout their junior and senior years. Together they’d found phenomenal success and made a place for themselves among the wealthiest people in the world.
Bart had been there with him every step of the way. So what the hell happened?
Dare raised his head and looked Roger in the eyes. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this and when I do somebody is going to pay.”
***
Dare didn’t get home till about ten o’clock that night. Even though she was dying to slide into her bed Erin stayed up until she heard the low purr of his car coming up the driveway.
As she heard the front door open she got up from the sofa and pulled the robe tightly around her then tied the sash. She was not cold. She’d deliberately dressed in long pajamas so she was covered from neck to ankles. Feet, if you counted the fuzzy slippers she was wearing. She was making it absolutely clear that she was making no advances.
The door slammed and she heard Dare’s footsteps as he began to walk across the foyer and toward his suite. She hurried to catch him before he disappeared.
“Dare,” she said, her voice echoing in the dimly lit hallway. He froze then slowly turned to look at her. He’d slipped his jacket off his shoulders and was holding it loosely in one hand. He was in white shirt-sleeves rolled back from his wrists and his tie hung loose around his neck. His face was hidden in shadows so there was no way to determine his expression.
Still, she assumed he was tired so she spoke in a gentle, unassuming voice. “May I talk to you for a minute?”
She was totally unprepared for his response.
“What now?” He snarled then stepped into the light.
And that was when she saw his face - dark and frowning and strained. He’d obviously had a rough day.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “It looks like this is a bad time.”
He looked annoyed. “You already stopped me so go ahead.”
“No, it’s fine,” she insisted. “It can wait until tomorrow.”
“Spill it, Erin. I don’t have time for games. You wanted to talk, so talk.”
She took a small step back, shocked at his vehemence. What had she done to deserve his anger? And what right did he have to speak to her like that?
“No,” she said, her tone firm. “I will not have any discussion with you if that’s the attitude you’re going to take. We will have this talk tomorrow.” Did he feel he was the only one who could have an attitude? He would learn soon enough that she could be just as stubborn as he.
