Shattered (Steel Brothers Saga 7)

“It’s not nothing. Let’s go.” She walked toward the lounge chair where our clothes were still sitting.

We dressed quickly and walked back to the house. As much as I wanted to invite Ruby to shower with me, I held off.

But before this week was over, I’d get further than first base.

Chapter Eleven

Ruby

The luncheon was delicious. Real Jamaican jerk chicken was spicier than I’d imagined, but oh so delicious. Something called a Scotch bonnet pepper was the secret, though the chef, who came out to talk to us, said jalapeños could be substituted. It likely wouldn’t be quite as hot though. Something to try when I got home. I loved to cook, but I rarely did, being single and all.

After the rehearsal, I decided to relax by the pool—the bathing-clothes-required pool, that was. Ryan was dragged off by his brothers to do God knew what. Some kind of bachelor party thing. Tonight we had a bachelorette dinner planned for Melanie and Jade, but my late afternoon was free.

I couldn’t help taking my laptop with me. Why not do some research poolside?

I found a lounge chair, applied sunscreen, and then fired up the computer. A server came by, and I ordered a sparkling water with lime. I still wasn’t ready to drink. I’d no doubt be doing plenty of that tonight, though maybe not. Melanie was pregnant and couldn’t drink.

I checked my e-mails, checked in with work, and then, as I was about to search for my father, my server came back to me. I shook my head at him and then turned to a couple talking loudly next to me.

“She just got back. She got picked up by some tourists on a motorboat.”

“Wow. Unreal.”

“There’s talk about it at check-in. They’re issuing refunds for a

nyone who wants to leave. They’ll make a big resort-wide announcement soon.”

I looked to them. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” I said, “but I couldn’t help overhearing. What are you talking about?”

The man turned to me. “No problem. Most people haven’t heard yet. A young woman jumped off a Jet Ski earlier. She was near drowning by the time a motorboat found her and picked her up. Her two friends are missing.”

“Oh my God. Do you know who it is?”

“I only know she’s a black woman. She looks young. Twenty or so.”

My blood ran cold. Shayna. She hadn’t wanted to go… But I hadn’t been able to talk her out of it in the end.

“Is she all right?”

“Yes. She’s fine. Just scared. My wife and I saw her when she came back. Security took her in to talk to her, and they called in the local law. She’s with them now, and she’s getting medical treatment.”

“I met her this morning. Her name is Shayna. I was there when she and her friends took off with the locals. I tried to stop them.”

The wife shook her head. “Young women can be so foolish. Thank God one of them got away.”

Don’t panic, Ruby. The others might be back by now. Shayna might have just gotten scared and jumped off early.

But in my heart I knew that wasn’t what had happened. I thanked God that Shayna was all right. But Juliet and Lisa? They might never be seen again.

Human trafficking. Young women stolen and sold into slavery.

A lump lodged in my throat. Why hadn’t I tried harder to stop them from going with those men? Something hadn’t been right, and I knew, after being a cop for eleven years, to trust my intuition.

Though I longed to go talk to Shayna, the local law might not allow it. This was way out of my jurisdiction, and I needed to stay out of it.

But those girls would never leave my memory.

More in a long line of people I hadn’t been able to save. Thank God Shayna had saved herself.