“Some monsters are too powerful to kill.”
“He can be taken down. He’s human.”
“I don’t think he is ….” Sobbing into his shoulder, she cried for the gentle islanders who had been so kind to her when Manny had taken her there to play. They hadn’t had much, but they always shared what they had with her. She’d fallen asleep on the same mats next to their children; they taught her to climb the coconut trees without breaking her neck, how to swim …. The few memories she had from her childhood involved them taking her under their wings and making her one of their own. In the end, it was that kindness that had destroyed them.
Ginny cried harder, feeling as if her soul was being ripped apart. “I hate him so badly.”
“I know you do.” Rubbing her back, Gavin let her cry until there were only small hiccups coming from her.
“I wanted to go to the island tomorrow to see them, and they won’t even be there.”
“You don’t think it will help you to remember?”
“No.”
“Then we won’t go.”
“We have to. I won’t let him win. It’ll buy us another day from me having to take the polygraph test.”
“Which you’ve already practically agreed to take.”
“He wanted our answer in the morning. I bought us another day.”
“One day isn’t going to make a difference.”
“I have to convince him that I don’t remember anything about that day. If I do, maybe he’ll leave me alone to go on with my life.”
“If that’s what you’re trying to do, it isn’t going to work.”
“Why not?”
“A man like Allerton doesn’t take chances. I bet he’s never gambled a day in his life. That’s why he killed the islanders. He wasn’t going to take the chance they found what you took.”
“Or that I told them I saw him kill Manny’s father, Gyi, and I assumed he killed Manny as well. I never saw him again.”
“You actually saw him kill Gyi?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’re fucked.”
“Not if I convince him I didn’t,” she reasoned, “and that I don’t remember taking the artifact. He might let us leave, and both of us can go on our merry way.”
“There’s no way you’ll pass a polygraph if he slips any questions about them into the test. The thing I don’t get is your mother being friends with the son of bitch. How did you feel about seeing her again?”
“Like finding out Santa Claus doesn’t exist.”
Gavin’s swear word was barely discernable under his breath. “I expected her to shed a tear or two at seeing you again. She was as cool as a cucumber.”
“I kinda did, too.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right.” Ginny began to slide out of the bed.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to brush my teeth.”
Gavin didn’t release the cover to let her slide out. “About that ….”
Ginny groaned. “What?” She could tell he was wavering about telling her something. “Just tell me.”
“When I was at the buffet, I talked to Desmond.”
Ginny frown. “I know. I saw you. So?”
“We might have had a laugh about the goat cheese.”
“He knew I ate one before and hated it?”
“Yes ….”
This day just went from bad to worse.
“Is there an Easter Bunny?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Up at the crack of dawn, then after showering, Ginny went to sit down on the side of the bed next to Gavin. She never grew tired of watching him. While he slept, she could see the man he must have been. If she hadn’t cried out all her tears the night before, she would have started crying again now.
Sprawled naked on the bed with the covers twisted off, she was given access to his masculine beauty, unfettered by his normal garb of jeans and a T-shirt. Last night, seeing him dressed in the expensive suit, she wanted to stoke him like a big cat … until he opened his mouth.
Gavin had a jealous streak a mile long. Had he been jealous with Taylor?
Debating if there was anyone she could ask without making her come across as being the jealous one, she ran her fingertips teasingly over his chest and smiled when he reached out to swat her away.
“Time to get up, lazybones.” Pressing a sweet kiss on the corner of his mouth, she started to raise up, only to find his hand in her hair, holding her still.
“Don’t wake me with that little girl kiss,” he said groggily.
“What type of kiss do you want?”
“Like this.” He caught her mouth in a passionate kiss that parted her lips and had him thrusting his tongue inside in a soul-melting embrace. Wrapping his arms around her, he used his body to twist her over his until she was laying on the bed beneath him. Lifting his mouth, he then stared down at her before he unknotted the bath towel she had wrapped around herself.
“I don’t need to relax.” Raising her hand, she drew his hair back behind his ear so she could see his face.