Andrew stares at Leilani’s lips and then licks his own. His eyes filled with l.u.s.t, and Leilani feels her stomach churn. She presses her lips together and turns her face away from him.
“You’re really trying to disgust me, huh?” she asks, as she looks out the window.
“Drive faster,” Andrew commands the driver.
Though the car is already going at eighty miles per hour, it shoots forward. The trees on the side of the road blur with the mist and speed. The road turns sharply in many places, and Leilani grits her teeth as the car goes careening around bends. She starts to feel sick, and she can’t tell if it’s Andrew or dangerous driving.
“Do you notice a difference?” Andrew asks, casually. “I’ve had the route to the mansion changed. It’s even harder to find now.”
Leilani looks out the window, but everything looks the same to her. She realizes escape will be even more difficult, and Waylen’s men will have no idea how to find her. She feels tears of frustration well up in her eyes, and she takes a deep breath and forces them to go away. She doesn’t want Andrew to see her cry.
“Turn around and take me home,” she says.
“Oh, have you changed your mind?” Andrew asks.
He uncrosses his legs lazily and orders the driver to turn the car around. The driver slams the brakes, and Leilani falls forward in her seat. The car turns around, and Andrew leans toward her and puckers his lips. Leilani pushes him away.
“I don’t trust you, Andrew,” she says. “I won’t do it until I see the Bamford mansion gates.”
“Do what?” Andrew asks with a teasing smirk.
“I don’t want to say it out loud,” Leilani snaps.
“I won’t make you say it then,” Andrew says. He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, “I’m just going to make you do it.”
Leilani presses her lips together as the car races back down the road. She’s hoping that Waylen’s bodyguards will recognize Andrew’s car and help her get away from him before she actually has to kiss him. She stares at the lush scenery and felt a flood of relief when she recognizes the road that leads to the mansion.
There’s a small traffic jam at the gates of the mansion. Several servants are sitting in pickup trucks outside the gate. The beds of the trucks are loaded with lanterns, flowers, and something that looks strangely like a cupid statue. Andrew clears his throat and grabs Leilani’s arm. Leilani pulls on the door handle and tries to open it, but it’s still locked. She turns to face Andrew, and he winks at her.
“You’re not getting out of this,” he says.
He stares intensely into her face, and she feels herself blush. His eyes are liquid with desire, and he stares at her with uncomfortable intensity. She wants to look away, but she feels like a bird staring into the eyes of a snake. She knows it’s dangerous, but she can’t move.
“Do you want me to make the first move?” Andrew asks.
“No, just close your eyes,” Leilani answers.
“Close my eyes?” Andrew asks. “Why are you acting like a shy teenager? It’s not like this is your first kiss. If you’re nervous, I can start.”
He leans in slightly, and Leilani leans back. His lips are slightly redder than Waylen’s. She looks at them and reaches out for the door handle behind her in desperation. The door is still locked. She swallows hard and tries to convince herself that Andrew’s red lips are part of a realistic-looking statue, but his eyes creep her out.
“Will you please just shut your eyes?” Leilani snaps. “I thought someone as experienced as you would know that it’s weird to kiss with your eyes open.”
Andrew smiles and closes his eyes. Slowly, Leilani leans in until she can feel his hot, sweet breath. At the last minute, she tilts her head to the side to peck him on the cheek. Even though Andrew’s eyes are closed, he seems to know what she’s going to do; he turns his head, and her lips brush his.
Leilani jerks her head away and falls backward. Her back slammed into the locked car door and the car rocks. She gasps for breath and rubs her sore back, wondering if the metal door handle will leave a bruise. She looks nervously at Andrew and sees that his face is wrinkled with concern. He reaches a hand to help her, but she shakes her head.
“Don’t touch me,” she says.
Andrew holds his hand awkwardly in the space between them. There’s a sharp knock on the tinted window, and Andrew pulls his hand away. Leilani rolls the window down, and two of Waylen’s bodyguards look into the car. They seem surprised to see Leilani.
“Would you mind opening the door for me?” Leilani asks the men.
One of the bodyguards runs around the back of the car and pulled the door open. Leilani climbs out of the car, rubbing her aching back. She nodded her thanks to the guard and walks toward the mansion gates. She doesn’t look back to see what the guards say to Andrew.
Waylen’s helicopter flies over a rocky beach. Strong waves smash against the rocks and send seafoam spraying into the air. The helicopter lands with a bump, and Robert swings the doors open before the propellers even stop spinning. Waylen hops out, and the wind wh.i.p.s his hair and his clothing.
“Be careful, sir,” Robert shouts. “I’ve heard reports that Mr. Clifford’s men are around here as well.”
“Andrew’s here?” Waylen asks, feeling his blood pressure rise.
“No, just his men,” Robert answers.
“Where’s the fisherman?” Waylen asks.
“In the village past those palm trees,” Robert says, pointing halfway down the beach.
Waylen looks down the beach and sees a small village of whitewashed houses. They have red roofs and small windows. A thin line of smoke rises from one of the chimneys. Waylen walks toward that house and throws the door open as if he owns it. His bodyguards follow him in. A fisherman with a leathery, wrinkled face jumps back in shock and fear.
“Tell me what you saw,” Waylen says. “Tell me about the man they pulled from the sea.”
“I didn’t see much,” the fisherman says in a raspy voice. “The sea was really rough, and a storm was blowing in, so I had to come back to shore earlier than normal. I saw some men in dark clothes, pulling another man out of the water. The man was stained with blood, but I didn’t get a very good look at him.”
Robert shows the man a photo of Charles and asks, “Did the man look like this?”
The fisherman studies the photo and slowly nods.
“Did you see which direction they went?” Waylen asks.
“No, but I heard them talking about hospitals,” the fisherman says. “They said something about surgery and the name of a hospital. Maybe General Hospital? It was hard to hear, the wind was really blowing, and the sea was loud.”
“Did you notice anything particular about the men in black?” Waylen asks.
The fisherman shakes his head. Then he stops and looks at Waylen’s men. He squints as if he’s trying to remember something, and Waylen feels his temper rising. Does this old man recognize my men? Waylen thinks. Is it possible they betrayed me?
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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