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Chapter Two
Zach stretched out the six-foot-long snakeskin he’d found in the brush on the island.
Impressive.
Seeing that should send the reality show crew packing. If not, he had other weapons in his arsenal. He didn’t get off on scaring people, but that ditz needed a wake-up call. Who showed up in high heels and a miniskirt to a campsite?
Unreal.
His phone rang with Levi’s ringtone. His younger brother ran the marina.
“What’s up?” Zach asked.
“Brody said Crystal was coming today. Have you seen her?”
He puffed out a breath and shook his head. His older brother, Brody, oversaw the island operations and managed the finances. He and Levi had outvoted Zach on the decision to let the producers consider the campgrounds to filmCelebrity Trials. Hell, Levi had drooled at the prospect, saying it would bring in business.
“I’ve seen her all right.”
“Is she as hot in person as she looks in the media?”
An image of Crystal popped into his head. She’d been tinier than he’d expected, but with curves in all the right places. He hadn’t missed her toned arms and legs on full display. His blood warmed. Even her perky nose and the cute way the end turned up had caught his attention. Not to mention her shiny blond hair, gleaming in the sun.
“Zach, you there?”
“Yeah.” What was wrong with him? He didn’t like or want Crystal around.
“Yeah, as in she’s hot?”
“Don’t you have work to do?” He swatted a mosquito.
“You know what they say, all work and no play—”
“This isn’t funny, Levi. I never should have agreed to majority rules when it comes to the business.” Zach stepped over a log and stomped toward the lake. “What do you and Brody care if some spoiled socialite turns my campsite into a carnival? I have no idea why she’d even want to be in a show that’s going to make her look like a fool. You want this washed-up celebrity here so badly, have her learn to fish or something and stay the hell out of my territory.”
“Hey, I’d go for that. Lighten up, bro. You take things too seriously. She’s—”
“I don’t have time for this. Gotta go.” He hung up, his blood pulsing in his veins. Levi’s infatuation with Crystal ate at him, which pissed him off even more.
Not that he followed any celebrities, but he didn’t live under a rock and had seen Crystal’s face splashed across the tabloids. She lived the high life, surrounded by materialistic people. No thanks. He knew the type and had nothing in common with them. Crystal and her posse could stay in Hollywood where they belonged.
He stopped and glanced around the calm woods. His solace. His place of respite. His controlled, safe, and secure space.
Brody and Levi had no idea what Zach had experienced overseas. He kept that buried deep inside. They wouldn’t understand his trauma and might question his ability to run the camp. That’s the last thing he needed, especially with his mother banking on them to keep the family business alive.
The oak leaves rustled in the breeze. High in the sky, an osprey floated in the wind, dipping one wing then the other as it glided in lazy circles. A squirrel scampered across the grass, picked up a nut, and nibbled the top. Zach took in a deep breath, and his shoulders loosened.
He walked to the lake’s edge. After tossing off his shoes, he waded in, scooped a handful of the fresh water, and splashed his face. The cool liquid washed away some of the angst from his perpetual memories.
A fishing boat coasted to the shoreline. In the quiet cove, the repetitive whip of a cast and reel spinning echoed across the smooth water.
Click.
Whirr.
Plunk.
Zach dug his feet into the soft, sandy lake bottom and breathed in the pine-scented air. No way he’d let some production company light up his camp, scare the wildlife, and overrun his bunker. All the activity might trigger him, and he couldn’t risk an episode in front of everyone. He knew firsthand how people reacted to his incidents. This was his safe haven, and he’d keep it that way.
