Flash Burned (Burned 2)

Amano seemed reluctant to say. It took him a few moments to answer, in fact. Eventually he told me, “Mow it all down and sell the land.”

“But there are still buildings intact,” I pointed out. “The aquatic center and its two restaurants, the conference center and ballrooms, the spa and fitness center. What about the five golf courses and all the private casitas?”

“Ari,” he told me, “if there’s no Lux for Dane, then none of this will exist for anyone else. Do you understand that?”

“Yes, I suppose so.” I shook my head. “No. Not really.”

Kyle repeated, “Why’d you want to come here?”

“I don’t know,” I confessed. “I just wanted to see it again. I mean … haven’t you been curious?”

He shrugged. “Sure, a little.”

I returned to the SUV, again reaching for the handle. I still didn’t open the door. Glancing over my shoulder at the now-faded grandeur that had once held me spellbound, in complete awe, I said to no one in particular, “This wasn’t just some arbitrary place where we came to work. It was Dane’s vision and it became our vision. It was beyond comprehension in so many ways. He created something that inspired all of us. He built a legacy.”

“Yes,” Amano agreed. “But clearly, this wasn’t a dream or a legacy that was meant to last. There were forces working against him. Now it’s all over.”

Finally, I yanked open the door and climbed into the passenger’s seat. I felt sickened by what was left of so much hard work. And my husband’s dream. The rubble that lingered in the wake of our extravagant plans for pre-launch and grand opening activities.

More than that, I hated that everything Dane had sweated over and bled for when it came to the Lux was now reduced to debris. The palace I’d considered more stunning than any other.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what had urged me to come here. There was nothing to gain from it, nothing to glean. Literally, it was what it was. A dream lost. One stolen, really, but devastated all the same.

We drove back to the fortress and I changed into yoga pants and a tank top. I couldn’t sleep, though. I was restless and agitated. Maybe because Dane was gone again. And because I had no idea when I’d see him. If I’d see him.

I hated the variables. But they remained constants in my life. Nothing I could change.

With a heavy heart, I wandered into the living room, the reflection from the pool flickering over the inner walls of the archway-lined patio. It was quiet and peaceful. Tranquil. I liked the serenity because it reminded me of the retreat.

I tried to not feel so lonely, since Amano and Kyle were there with me, though they were engrossed in whatever secret-service stuff Amano now allowed my best friend to participate in.

I didn’t see the point of self-pity—I had a bit too much on my plate to wallow in lonesomeness.

Still … There was a peculiar emptiness that crept in on me because Dane wasn’t there. And because of what I’d encountered earlier at the Lux. A gnawing pang I couldn’t shake.

Gazing up at all that nothingness that had once been something spectacular served as an agonizing and ominous reminder of how fleeting life and its significant pieces were.

I made a mug of tea and opened the patio doors to let in the cool evening breeze. I inhaled the scent of jasmine Kyle had planted, a soothing complement to my tea.

In the back of my mind, I told myself I only had days, maybe weeks, to endure the separation from Dane. Then we’d be together. All of this would be behind us. Life would go on.

I smiled, forcing out menacing thoughts.

We were so close, I convinced myself. So very close.

I crossed to the pool to turn off the waterfall for the evening. The sound of the sprinkler in the quiet night air made me draw up short. My gaze flashed to the edge of the pool. A second rattle went off.

I stared at the diamondbacks, coiled and hissing. Warning me of their deadly presence with the rapid-fire rattle of their tails.

My heart leapt into my throat.

One snake was random danger. But two?

Another nightmare come to life.

The mug slipped from my hand and I jumped back several feet. Then I whirled around and raced across the patio to the doors. I slammed them shut. And screamed at the top of my lungs.