Royal Pains (Watchdogs, Inc. Book 2) Read online

  She giggled. Funny how she could be so annoyed and aroused at the same time. By appearance alone, the man oozed intimidation. Tall, strong, and solid, the former Navy SEAL personified confidence and determination, two traits she both admired and shared with him. No wonder they locked horns almost daily.

  Thanks to her best-friend-since-forever, Grace Portland, Bailey had become accustomed to Ice’s overbearing presence. When Grace, a professional organizer, had been hired to reform Ice’s teammate, Harvard, sparks flew between the couple and in turn, forced the four of them to spend quite a bit of time together. She paused at that thought. The four of them were usually together. She and Ice would be alone on Sea Gull Island. Maybe she hadn’t thought things through.

  She groaned and pulled her cell phone from her purse just as it began to sing in her grasp. She glanced at the screen and then connected the call.

  “Tell me I’m out of mind.”

  “You’re out of your mind.” Grace giggled. “But tell me why.”

  She quickly gave her friend the rundown of the night’s events.

  “You’re not out of your mind, Bailes, you’re a genius.”

  “Huh?”

  “Luring a Greek-God-of-a-man to a secluded island with the excuse of investigating a murder is a pretty good plan.”

  She rolled her eyes at her best friend’s gentle tease. “Yeah, well genius or not, it’s not a ploy. I really want to know what’s going on and I’m pretty sure you and I would never be able to get past Harvard, Ice, or Diesel to go alone.”

  “We tried that once and it didn’t work out so well,” Grace agreed. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  “I’m sure I’ll find a way to tolerate him,” she drawled.

  Grace laughed. “No doubt in my mind, but I meant that it may not be safe there.”

  “I’ll be careful, I promise. Once I get the specifics, we’ll take the first flight home.”

  “The ferry would be faster.”

  “So I’ve heard,” she mumbled, “but I prefer to fly. Are you sure you don’t want to pull a Thelma and Louise?”

  “Oh, I’d love to but you and I both know that’s not going to happen. And really, I prefer not to make a fool of myself on camera again.”

  She totally agreed. Ice still teased her about the late-night adventure she and Grace orchestrated to find the jewelry Grace had mistakenly been accused of stealing. Watchdogs, Inc. had cleared things up but the whole ordeal had been caught on camera. Not one of her best moments. Case in point, sneaking past any of those men wasn’t an option.

  “So, it looks like Ice and I are sharing the suite.”

  “Pure genius.”

  “If you say so.”

  Grace’s voice gentled. “You like him, Bailey. A lot.”

  “Maybe.”

  “No maybe about it, from my observation.”

  “Okay, I do but we argue. In your words, a lot.”

  “Well, then I would think spending time together would help you guys get to know each other better.”

  She paused to consider Grace’s purely logical conclusion. Time alone on a secluded island might do them some good. There were just two problems, the first, obvious: water surrounded the island. The second, well, disheartening.

  “You’re assuming he likes me.”

  Grace’s laughter reached through the phone line and strangled her. “Are you kidding me right now? The man nearly trips over his tongue every time he sees you.”

  “Thank you, Gracie.” Although she wasn’t entirely convinced, she decided to give the whole get-to-know-each-other thing a go. “Keep your phone close in case I need back-up.”

  “Of course.”

  “Oh!” She smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. “I forgot to tell you that Trista agreed to house sit for me while I’m gone.”

  “That’s great, but she actually had time in her schedule?”

  “Pure coincidence. She called me about coming for a visit and when I explained you and I were going to Seal Gull Island, she agreed to watch the house.”

  “She didn’t want to come along?”

  “No. I asked but she said she’d enjoy the peace and quiet of Hummingbird Bay.”

  “The rat race probably gets noisy.”

  “For sure.” She sighed. “And now that the circumstances have changed, I’m glad you’re both here.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Absolutely,” she answered with severe confidence. “Wish me luck.”

  “You don’t need luck, Bailey. You have Ice.”

  Ice entered the Watchdog, Inc’s conference room where his two other teammates already sat at the long, rectangular table. Captain Cason “Diesel” Clark sat in his usual chair at the head of the table, fully dressed and groomed with his hands folded behind his head, the epitome of silent but deadly. Lt. Commander Paxton “Harvard” Gray sat with a computer keyboard in front of him, his shirt halfway buttoned and his hair mussed. Just as he suspected, Harvard was the only one who rolled out of bed.

  Ice smirked at the other man as he sat. “Good morning, Sunshine.”

  “Bite me,” Harvard mumbled.

  He glanced at Diesel. “Obviously, we have a situation.”

  “You didn’t answer.”

  “My phone was on silent.”

  Diesel ignored his explanation. “Jane Decker found a corpse in her closet at the Sea Gull Regency at approximately 12:30 a.m.”

  “Bailey told me that much. Who is she?”

  Harvard pressed keys and then spoke. “Jane Decker, age 65, married to retired stockbroker Harrison Decker. Confirmed guests at the resort on Sea Gull Island in Suite 1134, courtesy of Royal Travel. Both have clean criminal backgrounds.”

  Ice frowned. “Bailey didn’t mention the victim’s identity.”

  “Unknown.” Diesel unbuckled his hands. “I didn’t want to raise suspicion by interfering at this point.”

  Harvard tilted his head to one side. “Do we think that’s an issue?”

  “Maybe.” Ice braced his elbows on the table. “If I know Bailey – and I do – she’s determined to get to the bottom of this. Hell, she’s already conned me into going to the resort with her.”

  Harvard snickered. “I’m sure you put up a fight.”

  “What makes you think I didn’t?”

  Ice knew he’d never convince his teammate any differently but he wasn’t going down without attempting – even if his denial was fake.

  “Because you didn’t.” Diesel answered in his typical no-nonsense tone.

  “Okay, so I didn’t. But only because she’ll go alone if I don’t go.”

  “Uh-huh,” Harvard mumbled.

  Ice raised an eyebrow. “Do you realize that Grace and Bailey already had a reservation to spend the weekend?”

  His admission wiped the cocky smirk right off of Harvard’s face. “No.”

  “Well, they did. And you know for a fact that if I don’t go with Bailey, Grace will take my place, regardless of your approval.”

  “It’s the right move.” Diesel nodded. “If you can’t change her mind.”

  He fought the urge to grin; the captain spoke the impossible. “I can’t. She’s convinced this will interfere with her business.”

  “Then it looks like you’re headed to Sea Gull Island.”

  He nodded. “At seventeen-thirty tomorrow. We’ll take the Frogman.” He glanced at Harvard. “Can you give me a summary of the layout of the island?”

  “It’s fairly simple. Resort, marina, and air strip.”

  “What do they do in the event of emergencies?”

  “Outside assistance, medical, fire, and law enforcement arrives by boat from Hummingbird Bay. The resort has a registered nurse on staff and security personnel to provide immediate support, and the staff is trained in emergency procedure.”

  “So, the perp relies on the water as well.”

  “Unless he owns a plane, yeah.”

  “What’s out there?�
�

  “Open water. First stop, Mexico. Beyond that, Panama, Costa Rica, and Columbia.” Harvard tapped keys again. “I’ll email you a schematic of the resort. While you get specifics of the event, I’ll hack the security surveillance.”

  “There’s something else we need to take care of.”

  Harvard stopped typing. “I’m out.”

  “You don’t even know what it is.”

  “No explanation necessary.” His teammate shook his head so emphatically that it was clear he had inside information. “Nope.”

  He glanced at Diesel. “Well then, Captain, I guess it’s up to you.”

  The moment of silence that passed told him that Diesel mentally prepared for battle in the event he rejected the assignment. The other man kept his gaze trained on him, the dangerous look in the depth daring him to say something unpleasant. Oh, hell.

  He swallowed hard and broke the news. “Trista Anderson is coming to stay at Bailey’s house while we’re on the island.”

  “Why?” Diesel asked the question, his expression devoid of emotion.

  “To get away.”

  “From what?”

  Harvard cleared his throat. “Captain, do you know who she is?”

  “Yes.” Diesel mowed right over Harvard’s question. “What is she getting away from?”

  “New York, I guess. Bailey didn’t give another explanation.”

  “Send me the itinerary. I’ll take care of it.”

  “I’ll let Bailey know.” Ice released a breath of relief as he stood. “I’ll contact you as soon as we’re on the island.”

  ***

  His hands shook and his knees threatened to buckle as he lowered himself into a chair and attempted to calm his nerves. The incident happened so fast and panic had caused him to make a rash decision. He drew a deep breath and then exhaled slowly several times, relieved when calm gradually seeped into his body.

  The target had only been doing his job but when he became too nosey for his own good, there had been no choice but to quiet him. He shook his head. He felt a strong remorse for his action; it was necessary, his life was on the line as well.

  Convinced he could now speak coherently, he pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and pressed keys. When the call connected, he relayed information.

  “I alleviated the problem. There won’t be any further obstacles.”

  He swallowed hard and hoped his associate wouldn’t ask for details.

  “Excellent. The shipment is due this evening. My buyer will meet the boat as usual. I’m assuming you have made arrangements to clear the area.”

  “Yes, Sir. I will personally assure there are no interruptions.”

  “Once the transaction is complete, I will wire your cut.”

  His nerves began to shake again. Although the other man would pay handsomely for his involvement, the operation would have to be successful first. Until now, that had not been an issue.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  He disconnected and returned the phone to his pocket as he stood, squared his shoulders and pushed concern to the side. A problem had presented itself and he had solved it; he did it at least ten times a day. And as long as no one else attempted to interfere, business would proceed as usual.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The next evening, Bailey swallowed hard as she glanced at the vessel floating on the water, tied to the dock with several pieces of rope. She could do this. She inhaled a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Although she really wanted to abandon her bags at the dock and run for the parking lot, that option just wasn’t possible. Ice had the keys to the truck and her choice of footwear wouldn’t get her very far very fast. No, she could do this.

  Ice loaded her baggage and then stepped onboard the Frogman first while she stood on jelly legs and envied his six feet, two-inch stature as he negotiated the distance with long legs and little effort. Her own five feet, one-inch height wouldn’t get her far without his help.

  He turned and pointed at her feet. “Take off your shoes and hand them to me.”

  She frowned. “Why?”

  “There’s no way in hell you’re getting up here with those spikes on your feet.”

  “We could still fly.”

  “Shoes, Short Stuff.”

  “Fine,” she mumbled as she slid off her sandals and handed them to him.

  “Thank you.” He extended a hand. “Now brace one foot on the edge and give me your hand.”

  Her stomach churned as she glanced at the water. “What if I fall in?”

  “I won’t let you. Besides, it’s only knee deep.”

  “Your knees or mine?” she mumbled under her breath.

  Still tempted to flee, she hesitantly placed her hand in his and hoped he spoke the truth. With a slight tug and little effort on his part, she soon stood beside him. Greatly relieved, she put as much distance as possible between her and the water and quickly chose to sit in the middle of the boat on a grey sofa decorated with soft blue accent pillows.

  “I thought you said we were taking a boat.”

  He frowned, obviously confused. “This is a boat.”

  “No, this is a yacht.”

  She estimated the length of the boat, to be at least fifty feet – open space that both soothed her and shook her nerves. Beside her, a square table and four chairs shaded by a large, bright blue umbrella occupied the area. Two built-in loungers covered with grey cushions hugged each side of the vessel. For anyone else, the vessel was comfortable and inviting.

  “I get the impression you’ve never ridden in a boat.”

  “Does a cruise ship count?”

  “No.”

  She swallowed hard. “Once.”

  “Can you swim?”

  “Not much.”

  “How much is not much?”

  “None. But I can keep my head above water.”

  He lifted the top of the nearest lounger and then handed her a blue lifejacket. She accepted the offering without argument, hoping he didn’t expect further explanation.

  “It won’t take more than fifteen or twenty minutes to make the trip.” He pointed at a glass-enclosed area not far from her. “I’ll drive from inside there. You can either stay out here or there’s another sofa inside.”

  She wasted no time in standing and heading toward the area to which he pointed. If they went down, she wouldn’t go down alone. “I’ll go with you.”

  Ice followed Bailey the short distance to the cockpit and then down the three stairs, suspicious of her reaction to his boat. Not that it really mattered to him, but the thing was usually a chick magnet; the size and comfortable furnishings attracted sunbathers of all shapes and sizes. The speed, though, that was the best thing about the Frogman. The size and thrust of the engine damn near made him hard every time he kicked it in gear and turned it loose on the open water. Bailey didn’t seem to appreciate either the size or the furnishings. In fact, she quickly parked her delectable ass on the sofa and he caught a slight tremble of her hands as she grasped the edges of the cushion.

  He pointed to an empty leather seat next to the one behind the wheel. “Would you rather sit next to me?”

  “No, I’m fine here.”

  He noticed her fingers tightened and caused her knuckles to whiten. “Are you sure? You might see dolphins from there.”

  “I’m sure.” The smile she gave him was obviously forced.

  “Do you get seasick?”

  “No.”

  “Good.” He reached around the captain’s chair and turned the key to start the engine.

  “It’s quieter than I expected.”

  “Purrs like a satisfied woman.” He smirked. “Do you mind if I lose my shirt?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Has that ever stopped you before?”

  “Dunno.” He shrugged as he lifted the shirt over his head and then tossed it beside her on the sofa. “Have you ever minded?”

  Whether she knew it or not, he noticed her gaze mov
e to his chest. And when her tongue left her mouth to sweep her bottom lip, his cock gave it a standing ovation.

  “No,” she mumbled. “We should probably get our story straight.”

  He gestured with his thumb at the empty seat. “Conversation is better from there.”

  She grinned while she stood and moved to sit beside him. “It thought you said the view was better.”

  “It is.”

  He steered the boat out of the slip and into open water, careful to keep the speed steady and smooth. Bailey’s fingers gripped the edge of her seat just as tightly as the sofa, but at least she appeared a little more comfortable. Maybe conversation would distract her.

  “What did you tell the hotel when you changed the reservation?”

  “I removed Grace’s name and added yours.”

  “What name did you use?”

  She frowned. “Yours. Tyson Arnett.”

  “Are you planning to stick me with the bill?”

  “Of course not! Why?”

  “You used my actual name. No one uses it besides my mother and someone who really wants to kick my ass.”

  “Well, Ice is somewhat unique. I didn’t want to draw undue attention.” She tilted her head to one side. “Your family calls you Ice?”

  He nodded. “Except my mother. She refuses.”

  “I don’t know much about your family.”

  “You haven’t Googled me?”

  “Yes.” Her honesty impressed him. “But you’re a ghost.”

  “I am. Harvard buried us deep in cyberspace.”

  “Yet, I’m sure you know everything about me.”

  “Not everything.” He spoke the truth. He knew the basics and could recite them by heart - her name, age, date of birth, occupation. She was an only child of two living parents and she was extremely intelligent and successful. There were things he didn’t know, though, like her favorite color, her preferred flavor of ice cream, or why she insisted on taunting him with those do-me heels; things that mattered if he planned to know her intimately. That thought caused his already-heated skin to burn.