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A feeling of dread had settled in my stomach, so sharp it was like a physical pain. Alcohol would numb it, and I was tempted. Fuck, how I was tempted. But I wouldn’t do that to Hayley. Wouldn’t do it to myself. Every muscle in my body had turned rigid, and I walked stiffly with my arm around her while we walked down the pier to the waiting boats.
The salty wind whipping the hair back from our faces, we set off across the ocean toward the larger touristy island which boasted a regional airfield. Our Riva speedboat left a massive white wake in the blue water behind us. Hayley nestled into my side as we sat at the stern with Joe, Jake, Rhys, and Zach. The rest of our party were in the second boat, speeding alongside.
I tried to reason with myself. Told myself all would be well. I said as much to Hayley. I didn’t want her to be scared. The ride took well over an hour, but SUVs were already waiting at the busy harbor to take us to the airport—Jake’s organization skills were second to none—and soon we were pulling up in the designated drop off spot.
Joe jumped out and did a risk assessment. We got out of our vehicle and grabbed our luggage, then made our way toward the entrance of the terminal building.
Oh, fuck. Word had clearly spread.
A crowd of tourists had gathered by the taxi rank. Someone shouted, “It’s them!” Like they were one person, the mass ran toward us, surrounded us, and started shouting excitedly. I made out some of the demands. “Sign my t-shirt!” “Let me get a picture with you!” “I love you, Pierce. I’m your biggest fan.”
The group pushed and shoved, separating Hayley and me from the others. I saw Mike hustle them into the departure area, but Joe must still have been caught up in the ruckus.
Without warning, the hair on the back of my neck prickled.
I heard Ramos before I even saw him. I’d recognize his voice anywhere. “Pierce Fox. You’re gonna pay for what you did…”
A flash of silver glinted off the raised knife.
I maneuvered Hayley behind me and grabbed his arm.
The crowd of people fell back, suddenly silent.
Pure hatred shone on Danilo’s face. Spit flew out of the corner of his mouth, and the whites of his eyes blazed.
I struggled with him as he tried to stab me, and I swallowed down the bile that had risen from my gut.
“Stop!” Hayley’s voice shrilled.
She came out from behind me and pushed her way between us. “Leave him alone, you bastard,” she spat.
The knife twisted in Ramos’ hands.
My pulse thudded painfully.
It was like history was repeating itself. Hayley crumpled to the ground, and I threw myself on top of her, covering her body with mine.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ramos raise the knife again to bring it down on me. My skin turned clammy. There was nothing I could do but wait for the blade to fall. If I moved away from Hayley, he would kill her as well.
“Oh no you don’t!” I heard Joe shout. Finally, he’d managed to get to us.
I swiveled my gaze toward him. He grabbed the knife from Danilo, but the fucker tried to wrestle it off him.
Holy fucking shit!
A gasp came from the crowd, followed by the sound of pounding feet.
Mike had appeared on the scene.
A shot rang out and Ramos toppled over. A gurgling noise came from him, and he turned to face me before the light faded from his eyes.
I lifted myself off Hayley, smoothed the loose tresses back from her face. She blinked and tried to sit up.
I touched my hand to the side of her heart-shaped face. “Are you okay, sweetheart? I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”
She stared at me, like she had no clue who I was. In shock, probably.
A wail of sirens came from the distance, and I heard the thud of feet running as the airport police belted toward us.
Too little, too late.
Jake ran up and stepped in front of us to deal with the fallout. My bandmates appeared and formed a circle around Hayley and me.
“I’m afraid our departure has to be delayed a little,” Jake said through gritted teeth. He touched a hand to his pocket. “Just need to grease a few palms and then we can be on our way.”
Out of the blue, I felt Hayley shaking. I lifted her chin and made strong eye contact. “Don’t be scared, honey. It’s over. Ramos will never bother us again.”
Her face had turned white and her teeth were chattering. “I’ve just remembered what happened to me when I was a kid.” She bent over. “I think I’m gonna be sick…”
In a beat, I’d picked her up. I ran with her into the terminal building, sweat trickling down the back of my neck, shouting at people in my path to get out of my fucking way.
