The Bossy Prince - Rugged and Royal

I nod. “Sounds good.”

It does sound good.

Some time away from him is exactly what I need right now.

Still, when I emerge from the bathroom twenty minutes later in a pale blue sundress and sandals, my damp hair swept up in a bun, and find Nick already gone, the room doesn’t seem as spectacular as it did before. Nick has a way of making his surroundings shine a little brighter. He brings life, energy, electricity with him wherever he goes, and despite my best intentions, I’m starting to enjoy his company far too much.

Pushing the flash of disappointment away, I grab a key and head out. I cruise past a gazebo where a pair of older women in maid uniforms are chatting softly, the restaurant and bar, and a sandy volleyball court where a handful of teenagers are flirting as they knock the ball back and forth. A few minutes later, I push through the door of the main hut at the center of the property.

Though “hut” doesn’t really do justice to the massive structure with its soaring ceiling and thickly thatched roof.

Inside, a large common room is filled with tasteful but clearly expensive furniture, centered around an empty firepit. To the right is a door that leads to a breakfast buffet area, and on the left are signs pointing to the gym and co-ed sauna. Straight ahead is the entrance to the spa, surrounded by decorative stonework that makes it feel like I’m stepping through a magic portal as I move toward the front desk.

A soft-spoken woman with a lovely smile greets me in a reverent whisper when I approach. “Welcome to Oasis, how can I help?”

“I was wondering if you have an appointment open for a facial tomorrow?” I ask in an equally hushed voice, already feeling more relaxed after a few minutes in the dimly lit, eucalyptus-scented room.

“Absolutely,” the woman says. “The thirty-minute? Or the deluxe, hour-long facial with a mini massage? With the deluxe, you’ll have access to the ladies-only spa after. We serve a light lunch or tea after your service, and you can enjoy the hot tub, plunge pool, and steam room for as long as you’d like.”

“That sounds perfect. The deluxe, please.” I assure myself that the longer facial is a necessity. I need to check out the private lounge, after all. I can’t leave a single corner of the resort or any possible avenue of escape unexplored.

I complete my wander of the main common areas by poking my head into the gym—boring and empty, proving vacationing drug lords prefer to party rather than pump iron—and a wide patio behind the building. Then I set off on a roundabout route back to our room.

I circle the entire perimeter of the property, discovering several garden spaces and a cozy grotto bar beside a manmade waterfall, but there doesn’t seem to be another obvious path off the property aside from the main entrance or along the beach. There is a small gate not far from the mysterious green buildings, but it’s locked with a key-card entry system and topped with barbed wire.

We’re definitely not getting through that without attracting attention.

The lack of alternate escape options isn’t good news, but I’ve been in tighter situations.

Still, I’m not looking forward to sharing my findings with Nick. We’ve only been working together a short time, but I can tell he likes to have a backup plan for the backup plan’s backup plan whenever possible. It’s an unexpected trait in a seemingly easygoing guy, but one I appreciate in a leader. When it comes to the spy business, a little paranoia isn’t a bad thing. But hopefully, I’ll be able to put his mind at ease.

I don’t want him too paranoid.

I’m lost in my thoughts, so busy composing the best way to break the news to Nick that I don’t immediately recognize the significance of the distinctively wavy red hair bobbing down the pathway about to converge with mine.

By the time I hear a familiar laugh, I only have a few seconds to prepare. A few seconds to whip up a cover story for the last person I expected to see at a drug lord’s island resort.

Apparently, the feeling is mutual.

“What on earth?” My cousin’s jaw drops as she stops dead in front of me, her big brown eyes going wide and her freckled nose wrinkling. “Zan? What are you doing here?”

Chapter Eleven

Nickolas

It only takes a few minutes to ascertain that the dock is still standing and boat traffic flows freely. Most of the cruises that depart from this side of Bali are scuba diving expeditions or sunset booze cruises. But there are a few larger boats bound for tours of nearby islands or transport to the main airport.

Our boat, when it arrives, shouldn’t stand out from the rest.

I consider trekking along the beach, a kilometer or so past the property, to see what lies on the other side, just in case our boat isn’t here when we need extraction. But fleeing the bad guys across open sand is risky at best, deadly at worst. We’d be better off heading through the hotel grounds and out whatever back door Zan’s found—more places to take cover and plenty of jungle to get lost in on the other side.