Hurricanes in Paradise (39 page)

“You want me to just sit there and look at it? I told you she was a conniver.”

Winnie and Laine noticed the bottle of pills about the same time. Laine picked them up and turned them over. Winnie knelt behind her and squinted to read the label. She leaned back.

Laine stood and held the bottle in her hand. “Oh, this stuff can be brutal.”

“What is it?” Winnie asked.

“It’s an antianxiety drug. Sometimes used in fighting depression. I researched it heavily for a book two years ago.”

Winnie remembered. “Yeah, the one about the flight attendant having an affair with the pilot and they were on a flight when the plane almost crashed, which gave her terrible anxiety for flying, so the doctor prescribed her this antianxiety medication until she could get over her fear.”

Laine shook her head. “I need to take you on the road.”

Winnie smacked her on the arm. “You need to quit writing about people committing adultery. I just realized that’s a running theme.”

“Can we have our morality discussion later? I did so much research on this drug. Sometimes it can make a person seem inebriated. And they can lose all inhibition if too much is taken. This could have been the ‘headache reliever’ she slipped Riley.”

“Are you serious?”

“I could have been a pharmaceutical rep for this drug after all the research I did for it. I wanted people to know I knew what I was talking about.” She shook the bottle in front of Winnie’s face. “This is all I need.”

“What are you going to do?”

Laine walked around the counter and over to the cream leather sofa against the far wall. “I’m going to sit here and wait for Mia to come back. And then the three of us are going to have a little talk.”

Winnie clapped her hands. “Like a shakedown.”

Laine rolled her eyes. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

* * *

Riley walked down the stairs to make sure the pool nestled between The Cove and The Reef was secure. She came down the long corridor that connected the two buildings and turned to survey the grounds. Her thoughts were on her guests and how grateful she was that most had taken the advice of FEMA and the local rescue officials and left the island two days ago. She wished Laine and Winnie and Tamyra had gotten out. And if they hadn’t been so focused on her, maybe they would have.

“I see you’re alive.” Christian’s voice stopped her thoughts.

She didn’t want to turn and face him. She wanted to hide in a hole and pretend he wasn’t there. But he was. And he deserved an apology. She turned. His face was kind but his eyes were sad. She dug her hands deep into the pockets of her khaki cotton twill dress and walked toward him. “Yes, I’m alive.”

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t rescue her this time.

“From what I hear, I owe you a tremendous apology.”

“That sounds like you don’t remember.” His words held no accusation.

She shook her head. “No, for the life of me, I don’t remember anything. But please, please accept my deepest apologies for anything that happened last night. I am so very, very sorry. I thought . . .” She stopped herself. He didn’t know her story, and after what she had done last night, it was no time to start defending herself. She was a drunk, plain and simple. A drunk who inevitably couldn’t be trusted.

“You thought what?”

She could see in his eyes a sincere hope.
Be honest. Completely honest.
“I just thought that it was all very sad. And I’m very sorry.”

“I accept your apology, Riley. I just don’t want you going backward. I mean, that’s what the other night at the church was all about, wasn’t it? Moving forward?”

His words struck deep. How did he know so much when she had shared so little? “You’re right. It was.” She wanted to say more, but she didn’t. “I really need to go, though. I’ve got to pack up my office and make sure everything else is secure and ready. Sounds like the winds are going to be pretty heavy by early evening and downright evil tonight.” She stopped and looked at him. Really looked at him. His face held no guile. No indictment. Just questions. Questions she could never answer. “It was really good getting to know you, Christian. You are a truly wonderful man. And if I was a better woman, I would hold on to you and not let you go.” She heard the crack in her own voice, gave him a soft smile, and walked past him.

He reached out and took her arm, pulling her toward him. The tears she had been holding back with all her might rushed to the surface and fell rapidly down her face. “You are an amazing woman, Riley Sinclair. Despite your past. Despite what happened last night. There was something in all of that that was crazy and so different from our night before. But when I looked at you last night, it wasn’t you. It was something, but it wasn’t Riley. I don’t know your story. I can tell there’s been a lot of pain, but I know this, the Riley that I saw last night wasn’t you. It wasn’t this Riley. Trust me, I’m not a man looking to rescue a woman with issues. But I am a man looking at an incredible woman who gives herself way too little credit for the woman that she is.”

She shook her head. “You see what you want to see, Christian.”

“And you see what you were.”

She slid her arm from his grasp and turned away. She didn’t stop until she got to the top of the stairs. That was when she leaned against the wall, and the choking sobs came once again.

* * *

Riley dashed through the open doors of The Cove Suites. She pounded on the Up button of the elevator as if that would hasten its arrival. Mia’s panic-stricken voice on the phone had driven Riley back to reality. She kept running the room number through her mind . . . 575 . . . 575—that one was so familiar. When the elevator doors opened, she propelled her body through them and poked the fifth-floor button with a jolt. When her finger jabbed the round button, she realized whose room it was. It was Tamyra’s.

* * *

The door was held open by a frantic housekeeper. “What’s going on?” Riley asked, her own panic rising as she rushed into the room.

The housekeeper was on her heels. “I came in to clean her room, Ms. Sinclair, and he was on top of her. I screamed and it startled him. He jumped up, pushed me out of his way, and ran out the door.”

Riley stopped at the foot of the bed. “Oh, God.” The words slipped from her throat at the sight of the body before her. Mia was pounding frantically on the phone. “Oh, God, please help us.”

Riley climbed gently onto the bed. Tamyra was not moving. Her face was hardly recognizable. Blood was caked everywhere and had created a puddle around her head. “Get me a warm washcloth now.” Riley tried to hide the panic in her intense whisper.

Riley took Tamyra’s dainty wrist in her hand and felt for a pulse. “God, please. Please let there be a pulse.” Nothing. She moved her fingers again, her body pleading. “Oh, please, God, please.” The faintest thump came beneath her fingers. She exhaled the breath she hadn’t even known she held.

“Yes, we need an ambulance at the Atlantis resort now! Room 575,” Mia said, her voice high-pitched with fear.

The young housekeeper’s hand trembled as it extended a warm, wet washcloth to Riley. She took it and began to wipe as gently as she could across Tamyra’s forehead. “Hey, Tamyra, honey. It’s Riley. We’ve got an ambulance on the way. They’re coming for you, okay? Now you just hold on and we’re going to take really good care of you. You’re safe now. You’re completely safe.”

Riley raised her head to Mia. Mia stood there, her face contorted with fear, the receiver still in her hand. “Mia.” She didn’t respond. She just stared through Riley. “Mia, come on now. I need you to focus. Get back on the phone. Call security. Have them contact the police immediately. This guy can’t get off the island without us finding him. Now come on.”

Mia turned toward the receiver and began dialing the number for security.

Riley continued to wipe as gently as she could. Tamyra’s face was already swollen to the point that Riley didn’t know how she could even breathe. Tamyra gurgled. “It’s okay, honey. I’m right here. Riley is right here. I’ve got you taken care of and the ambulance should be here any minute.” Her words came out as soothing as any mother’s would be to her own child. “Mia, go on down to the lobby and wait for the ambulance so you can bring them right up.”

Mia stood there. Unmoving.

“Mia, go on now. I need you to make this as smooth as possible. Tamyra doesn’t need any delays.”

Mia put the phone back on the receiver and headed out the door, doing just as Riley told her.

Tamyra moaned.

Riley kept wiping and kept praying. The only two things she was capable of doing.

* * *

Laine saw Mia as she rounded the corner. “Okay, Winnie, we’re on.” Laine leaned back on the sofa, waiting for Mia to walk through the door. Both she and Winnie watched as Mia ran right past the office and stood at the main entrance.

“Looks like we’re on hold.”

Laine stood. “Oh no she doesn’t. She’s not going to avoid this any longer,” she said as she burst out the door.

She heard Winnie’s fresh and dry denim pants swish together as she followed her. She was certain if her rhinestones rubbed together too hard, they’d have a fire on top of the hurricane.

“Mia!” Laine called out, her voice sounding almost hollow against the wind.

Mia turned. “Hey, oh, my goodness. You’ve got to get up to your friend Tamyra’s room right now!”

Winnie covered up a snicker. But she quickly tried to regain her composure.

Laine shook her head. “Well, she can wait a minute. Right now we need to talk.”

The sound of sirens began to filter through the wind and rain. Mia’s voice was loud and strained. “I can’t. I’m waiting on the ambulance.”

“Who’s the ambulance for?” Laine felt as if she were yelling.

“It’s for your friend Tamyra!” Mia was getting irritable. “I told you. You need to get up there now!”

Laine looked at Winnie. “Looks like our friend went a little over the top.”

“I’d say. Sounds more like a lie I would tell.”

Laine turned back to Mia. “Listen, I’m sure Tamyra will be fine. There is really no need for an ambulance. Honestly. You know beauty queens. They can be a little overemotional.”

Mia turned, her look one of horror. “I’m sorry. But if someone’s face has been pummeled until they are unrecognizable, I’d say they need an ambulance.”

Laine’s expression changed, and she stepped forward. “What are you talking about?”

“Your friend. A man attacked her in her room. He has nearly killed her. So I’d say our conversation can take place another time. Right now, I need to get the paramedics to her room.”

The screaming siren blared now as an ambulance pulled up in front of them. Laine and Winnie stood there stunned, watching as the passenger door flew open and a young paramedic exited.

“Oh, Lord, have mercy!” Winnie said.

“Come on, Winnie! Come on!” Laine didn’t wait for Winnie to follow. She took off down the hall.

* * *

“Oh, Jesus, help her! Help her, Jesus!” Winnie knelt by the bed. Her hands lay gently on Tamyra’s shoulder.

“They’ll be right here, Tamyra. You just hold on, okay?” Laine said, trying to keep from throwing up. She hadn’t seen a face so injured in her life. She fought back the thought that she had sent Tamyra up here. If she had just let her stay with them, if she had thought of something else, then maybe Tamyra wouldn’t have come up here.

As if she could read her expression, Winnie called out to her. “He would have been here no matter when she came to her room, Laine. Jason’s been looking for her. This is not your fault.”

Riley still wiped her face gently.

The paramedics came through the door, and the women all stepped back. The paramedics worked swiftly but gently with Tamyra’s pummeled body. She moaned a couple times, but Laine knew she was barely conscious. The women followed the stretcher downstairs and through the open corridors.

“You ride with her, Winnie. We’ll meet you at the hospital,” Riley said, patting Winnie on her shoulder as they followed the stretcher.

Wet streaks lined Winnie’s cheeks. “Okay. We need to call her mother. And the police. Tell the police to look for her ex-boyfriend—Jason something.”

“I will. I’ll take care of that. But her mother can’t get here until this storm has passed, and that won’t be until sometime tomorrow evening. I don’t even know when they’ll start letting flights take off again.”

The paramedics lifted the stretcher into the back of the ambulance, trying to keep Tamyra covered from the pulsating rain. Winnie climbed in with one of them. The other closed the doors tightly and disappeared around to the front of the vehicle. Riley and Laine stood underneath the building’s entrance, shock sweeping through them with each gust of wind that blew. The ambulance’s sirens came back to life as it sped from the resort.

“I can’t believe this,” Riley said, finally able to let her guard down. Her body began to tremble.

“What happened?” Laine asked.