Temptation Island (16 page)

Carm stretched out a quivering hand and yanked the drawer open.  The inside was empty.  Her bras, underwear, her passport. All of it was gone.  Carm stared at the empty drawer and whimpered.  She’d heard that a person shouldn’t travel around his their passport on them so she’d tucked it in her lingerie drawer when she’d arrived.  Now she desperately wished she hadn’t.  Now she was stuck.

Carm started to turn when something caught her eye.  It was a small white piece of paper that had fallen behind the dresser and lay on the floor.  She didn’t remember seeing anything like it in the room before and crouched down to retrieve it.

Full of trepidation Carm unfolded the note.  Her heart slammed into her chest and stomach lurched violently.  Covering her mouth with a hand, Carm gagged on an overwhelming wave of fear.  Convulsions racked her body and Carm dropped the note to cup her stomach. 

The note fell to the floor, open and face up.  Carm scanned the words again, barely believing her eyes.

You are going to die.

No one interferes and lives.

Don’t close your eyes, senorita.

     We’re coming back for you.

Carm raced to the bathroom and pushed the lid up scattering her makeup further and violently threw up.  Dear God, what had she gotten herself into?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Marek listened to the message again as he raced at deadly speeds down the mountain.  His heart hammered in his chest when he heard the panicked sobs coming from his receiver. 

Marek, Marek where are you?  They’re going to kill me.  I don’t know what I did!  What did I do wrong?  Please hurry back, Marek.  I’m at your mother’s house.  I’m scared.  They destroyed everything. 
A long, pause, then a whispered, “
They stole my lingerie, Marek.  Please hurry. I, I need you.”

Flipping the small phone closed Marek squealed around a tight bend in the narrow road and fought for control of the jeep as he felt it start to tilt.  He should have never left her alone.  Guilt slammed in to him full force as he raced past a mural depicting the islands heritage on Ridge Road. 

Damn!  He should have been there with her, should have checked her room before he left her.  What had he been thinking?

Marek had no doubt in his mind that this wasn’t an isolated incident.  After receiving the call from his field manager on St. Kitts and hearing the troubling news he knew the stranger on the mountain and this were connected.  Clem had confirmed his suspicions about someone watching them on the mountain after he’d gone up to look around.  Though most of the tracks had been washed away by the downpour, for an experienced tracker there’d been enough remaining evidence. 

Someone had been watching him and Carm on the mountain.  And now someone was threatening her.

Marek made his way down and around Tortola over to Soper’s Hole to his mother’s home. Whipping into the short steep drive, Marek yanked on the emergency break and jumped out.  Climbing the steps of the two story bungalow three at a time, Marek barely registered that his parents had finished repainting.  Now the attractive home with the lovely verandah overlooking the harbor was painted a soft lime green with magenta shutters and crip white trim. 

Marek took note of it but his mind was focused solely on getting to Carm and making sure she was unharmed.  No doubt his mother would ask him his opinion, so he filed it away in the back of his mind.

Almost ripping the screen door off the hinges, he slammed the door open and stepped into the entryway.  His step-father greeted him, but Marek was in no mood for pleasantries.

“Where is she?  Her message said she was here.  Is she hurt? 
Merde!
  Answer me, Steven.”  Marek commanded, his voice thick with worry.

Steven placed a reasurring hand on his arm and lead Marek into the brightly colored kitchen.  “Calm down son.  She’s downstairs with your mother and your sister picking out something to wear.  She’s fine, Marek, just shaken up.  Now, why don’t we sit down here at the table and have a drink?”

Marek scowled at his step-father but heaved a sigh of relief that Carm was all right.  He wanted to see it for himself, verify it with his own two eyes, but Steven had a solid grip on his arm.  For an unassuming marine biologist, the man had a hell of a grip.

Sinking onto the red-checked cushions of the farm-style table, Marek looked at the man who’d been the only father he’d ever known.  Though Marek had already been grown when they’d married, Steven had never treated him like anything other than his son.

Average height with a lean, wiry build, Steven had a scholarly look about him with his wire framed glasses and salt and pepper beard.  His bright blue eyes had such a kind expression in them and Marek couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever seen them dark with fury.  The man was truly a gentle, calm soul and a perfect counterbalance to his mother’s flamboyant ways.  He was a wonderful husband and a fantastic father to Marek’s eight year old sister Sophia.

Taking the offered glass of iced tea, Marek nodded to Steven and asked, “What is taking them so long?  For the love of . . it’s only clothes.  I’m going down there.”

Steven slid smoothly into the seat across from him and said, “We’ve been making progress down at the institute on our dolphin project.  And we have you to thank for that.”

Marek was sufficiently distracted, “
Oui
?  What do you mean?  Are you referring to the donation?  Forget it, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Steven shook his head and grinned, his bookish face lined handsomely by his years in the sun.  “I thought you’d say that.  Do you remember when I first came to the island with old out-dated equipment and barely enough grant money to buy dinner?”

Yeah, he remembered.  His parents had met then while Steven had been down to Tortola from Wilmington, North Carolina doing a research on the behavioral habits of the native Conch Oyster for the University.  Maria had been selling her pottery at the outdoor craft shops on Waterfront Drive and Steven had fallen like a fool after one look at her.

“I remember.  The first time I saw you, you’re face was flaming red from sunburn, your blond hair was way too long, and you looked like some refugee from Robinson Crusoe.  I knew you were perfect for her.”

Steven grinned into his tea.  “Damn right.  She’s the love of my life, my boy.”

Marek felt an uncomfortable knot form in his chest at those words and turned to look around the kitchen.  The bright white cabinets and cobalt blue tile countertops glistened.  Maria had always been a stickler for cleanliness.  The warm butter yellow walls were loaded down with shelves full of his mother’s pottery and a large china hutch stood in the corner displaying a beautiful collection of handmade glazed dinnerware.

Just when he couldn’t take it anymore and was about to march downstairs and demand to see Carm he heard a commotion in the hallway.  Standing up so fast he rattled the table, Marek strode into the living room and stopped.

Carm stood between his mother and his sister in a deep, bright blue sarong with her hair loose about her shoulders.  The knot in his chest twisted tighter and Marek suddenly found it quite hard to breath.  He opened his mouth to say something and closed it with a snap when nothing came out.

She left him speechless.

His mother had given Carm some of her handmade jewelry and she wore a large, beaded necklace of brilliant shades of blues and pinks around her throat and a jangle of painted wood bracelets at her wrists.  The sarong tied at one shoulder leaving the other exposed, revealing her creamy satin skin and trailed down to flirt with her bare ankles.

She was a goddess.

Carm stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Marek.  Folding her into his embrace, Marek held tight and buried his head in her hair.  Inhaling the sweet scent he murmured to her in French and kissed the top of her head.

He closed his eyes and rested his head on top of hers.  He felt her tremors as he held her close and felt rage like he’d never known pour into him.  He’d kill the bastards that dared to frighten his
cheri.

Pulling back reluctantly Marek placed his large palms on each side of her face and looked deep in her beautiful blue eyes.  Carmen was a trooper.  He knew by her shaking that she’d been terrified, but her eyes remained clear and bright, not a tear in sight. 
That’s my girl
.

“Are you all right?”  When she nodded he demanded, “I want you to tell me everything, Carmen.  Do not skip any details, do you understand?”

Carm slipped her hands up his arms and placed her slender palms on top of his.  “Yes, Marek.  I’ll tell you everything.  I doubt very much that it’s something I’ll soon forget anyway.”

His mother cleared her throat and Marek lifted his eyes from Carm’s face.  A look of thoughtful introspection graced Maria’s stunning face, but she only gestured toward the couches and suggested, “Why don’t you sit down?”

Marek agreed and lead Carm across the cabbage rose rug to the cream high backed couch.  Settling her, Marek turned when he heard an impatient huff.  His sister Sophia stood behind him bouncing from one foot to the other.

“Hiya squirt.  Miss me?”

At that invitation his tornado of a sister launched into his arms in a swirl of lavender sundress and golden brown curls.  He spun her around then laughed when she placed a big, smacking kiss on his lips.

Staring at him with large, round eyes the same shade as his own Sophia stated, “Mama and me got to pick out some clothes for Carmen at da store while she stayed here with Papa.  Isn’t dat a pretty dress?  It’s blue.”  She nodded matter-of-fact.  “Your favorite color.  She lost all her clothes, you know.  Da bad men ripped them all to pieces.”

Marek set his petite sister gently on the ground.  He could picture Carm’s clothing torn and littered all over her room and it made him see red.  Not wanting to frighten his precious baby sister, Marek flashed her a manufactured grin and ruffled her hair, “You did great, my
petit singe
.  Now, I need to talk to Carmen.  Why don’t you go help Mama in the kitchen?”

Sophia nodded and sent her curls bouncing.  Peeking around Marek, she smiled and waved to Carm then spun around on her bare feet and ran to the kitchen.  “Mama!  Marek says I get to help you.  I want to pour the lemonade!”

Marek watched her go with a soft smile.  That little spitfire had been such an unexpected blessing to their family.

Turning back to Carm, Marek sat down across from her and leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees.  With complete seriousness he ordered, “Start at the beginning,
cheri
.  My mother will keep Sophia busy so she won’t hear anything.”

He watched Carm closely and saw her intake of breath.  Obviously bracing herself, Carm proceeded to tell him the facts in precise order and detail.  He admired the way she stayed collected during the recap, her voice strong and unwavering.  As she finished she added, “I want to apologize for calling you when I was so upset.  I should have waited until I’d calmed down some instead of causing you undue worry.  I’m fine now and I’m convinced that whoever did this is just playing a malicious prank on me.”

Marek knew better but kept that knowledge to himself.  Now was not the time to frighten her more, not when she’d barely made it through such an ordeal.  Letting that rest for now, he focused instead on the bit about the note and asked, “Do you still have the paper, Carmen?”

Steven spoke up for the first time since Carm had started talking.  “She gave it to me for safekeeping.  Here it is.”  Leaning forward in the rattan chair he passed the small piece of paper to Marek.

Marek made quick work of reading the note, his anger rising to a dangerous level.  Oh yes, the bastards would pay.

Placing the note in his pocket, Marek kept his eyes devoid of emotion and said calmly to Carm, “You said they took your passport, correct?  And your underwear?”

Carm grimaced, “They did, the sick perverts stole all my lingerie.  It was my one extravagance on my salary, my one big splurge and they took it.  Assholes.  And just how am I supposed to get home without my passport?  I didn’t bring any other proof of citizenship.”

Marek raked a hand through his hair and leveled a stare on her.  “You’re not going home, sugar.  You’re moving in with me.”

Carm shook her head and muttered, “Can you repeat that?  I don’t think I heard you right.  I thought I just heard you say I’m moving in with you, but that can’t be.”  She finished on a shaky laugh.

Marek gave her a tight smile and stood up.  “You heard right the first time, Carmen.  You’re going home with me.  Now.”

Leaping to her feet Carm took a step toward Marek and poked him solidly in the chest.  “Excuse me, I appreciate your help and all, but I have to go home, Marek.  My sister could go into labor any day and needs me to be there.  Can’t you pull some strings or something down at the embassy so that I can catch a flight out of here?  I’m sure that what happened today was a random act of violence, really.”