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Then the bastard had hung up the phone. I’d tried to tell myself that the asshole had simply called the wrong number since no one but my family and Maggie knew my number. Now I wasn’t so certain of anything. The older man at the club for several nights. I’d sensed I’d been followed after leaving the club, then the man had disappeared. Nothing made any sense. Why me? Why now?
Stop doing this to yourself. This has nothing to do with you. It’s all about your father.
My inner voice was correct. I wasn’t the target, not really. Then why were my hands clammy, my heart racing? I glanced at Maddox. Just seeing the anger on his face kept my pulse spinning out of control. What was happening to my family?
“I don’t know why I couldn’t have stayed. My father might have needed me. Why did you take me away?”
“I’m just following orders.”
“Orders? You’re friends with my dad, Maddox. You were the best man at his wedding to Raven, for God’s sake. You went to high school with him.”
“He’s also my boss.”
“Ah, yes. The Kingpin and the Wiseguy. Right?”
I’d sensed I’d angered him all over again. I hated the mafia aspect, always wishing my father had been a doctor, lawyer, or something else less dangerous. But as my father had reminded me more than once, I didn’t get to choose what family I was born into.
“We’re really in danger,” I finally said, barely recognizing my voice.
“Yes, Zoe. We are. Don’t worry. I can and will protect you.”
“I know.”
I took a deep breath, the open roof on the Jeep allowing me to inhale various fragrances from the dazzling flowers and salt spray from the close proximity of the ocean. I’d been lucky enough to grab several sightings of the cerulean blue water, but even that hadn’t taken away the heavy anxiety. I was surprised he hadn’t forced me to lie down in the back. A bitter laugh threatened to rise to the surface. I was starting to lose it.
Maybe the reason I remained in a grumpy mood was the fact I’d been dumped in the middle of paradise with the man of my dreams and he hated me. Or maybe I loathed myself. As he shifted into second, rounding another corner more slowly, I sat up in my seat. Every muscle ached including my heart.
“Are we getting close?” I asked.
“Less than a mile away.” I also hated that there was a coldness in his tone, as if he’d shut down with me completely. I’d sensed his annoyance in playing my babysitter, forced to leave the situation. He was a control freak and always had been, a man who took his need to dominate seriously.
“I didn’t know you owned a property in the islands.”
“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, Zoe. I’m certain I know very little about you.”
That was a true enough statement. “Is your cottage a place where you come to find peace or maybe salvation?”
He acted as if he was choking, throwing me a look as he made a turn. “Do I need salvation?”
“I think you do. You’ve had demons inside of you for all the years I’ve known you. It’s as if you can’t or won’t make peace with who you are. That’s very sad.”
I was certain his deep exhale was the only answer I’d receive. I was wrong.
“Your father has enjoyed coming here alone and with Raven. They honeymooned here.”
“At your cottage?” Granted, from what I’d seen both before and after landing at the French-controlled island, I could tell the place was as magical as it was tropical. However, I never figured my father as a flip-flop wearing beachcomber. Maybe there was a lot I didn’t know about him as well. That’s what being sent away to school had cost me.
“Technically, it’s called a villa.” His grin was laced with mischief, another attribute I was certain I’d never see again. My curiosity as to why was answered only a few seconds later as he pulled the Jeep close to another breathtaking view of paradise. The moment he slipped the gear into park, I rose to my feet, sticking my head out the open roof, staring at the ‘villa’ with my mouth wide open.
“Are you kidding me?”
“I’m not sure what that means,” he said as he cut the engine.
“This is… spectacular. I had no idea you owned something like this.”
“As I told you before, little lamb. There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
There was no adequate way of describing the stunning view of the house or the rolling waves of the ocean slicing againstthe crystalline pearl sand beach, the backdrop of oranges and various shades of purple and pink highlighting a private, pristine setting. In front of me was a wide set of white stone or concrete steps leading to a narrow curving set of steel steps coated in what had to be white epoxy. They led to a two-story expansive home in a style that could only be described as a posh island retreat. The entire setting was lined with palm trees and huge hibiscus in various colors.
