Page 91 of Deep Tide

Siena shot Leyla a look as they rode up together. “An hour early? What the hell?”

The elevator door slid open, and they stepped into a living room that had a soaring ceiling and a wall of glass facing the beach.

“Wow,” Leyla said, taking in the view.

She had expected something impressive, but nothing quite like this. The windows had to be thirty feet tall.

The interior décor was modern and minimalist, with lots of stone and glass everywhere. As opposed to the bright Caribbean colors that were so common throughout the island, the palette here consisted of muted grays. Tropical plants in the corners gave a few splashes of green.

Leyla reached the kitchen and stopped short.

“Damn.” Siena looked at her, wide-eyed.

A gigantic marble island divided the kitchen from the living area. Top-of-the-line appliances lined the walls, including a Sub-Zero refrigerator and a wine cooler.

Siena set her stack of bins on the counter. “Look,” she said, nodding at the La Marzocco espresso machine that was nicer than the one at the Beanery.

But it was the Viking range that made Leyla ache with envy. It had six burners, a built-in grill, and a copper hood. Best of all, it was gas—a feature prohibited in her tiny apartment because of the fire code.

She deposited her trays on the island and went back to the elevator, taking a curious look around as she did. Off the living area was a hallway and the door to what appeared to be a home office.

“Want me to go check out the deck setup?” Siena asked.

“Yes. Thanks. I’ll be up in a minute.”

Leyla returned to the elevator for the last bin as the front door opened. Wade bent down and lifted the heavy cooler.

“You could have waited for the elevator,” she said.

“I’m fine.” He glanced around. “Where to?”

“This way.” Leyla grabbed a tub filled with utensils and led Wade into the kitchen. She left him to begin unpacking and took the elevator to Gagnon’s rarely seen, much-talked-about rooftop pool.

The door whisked open, and she stepped into what looked like a tropical oasis. Lush vegetation surrounded a Buddha statue overlooking a rectangular swimming pool with a waterfall on one side. At the far end of the deck was a roof-covered living area and bar. Pink oleanders lined the walls and wooden planters brimming with yellow hibiscus flowers filled the corners. Strangely, the view of the ocean was mostly blocked by a high stucco wall that had only one rectangular window. Evidently, Gagnon cared more about his privacy than about being able to see the beach from his pool.

As promised, the area had already been set up for the party. A trio of high-top tables stood near the bar, and soft Hawaiian music played in the background. Alongside the pool were two long dinner tables set with black linens. Leyla counted the chairs to make sure the number hadn’t changed.

Jillian caught her eye from the far end of the deck and strode over.

“I knew it. Our votives won’t stay lit.” She glanced at the bar. “Not even under the covered area.”

“I’ve got some hurricane lamps in my car,” Leyla said.

“Hurricane lamps?”

“Tall glass candle holders. They’re wind resistant.”

“Oh God, you’re a lifesaver. Can we use them?”

“Sure.”

“Need a hand?” Siena asked.

“I’ve got it.”

Leyla rode the elevator down. Nearing the ground level, she heard voices and laughter, and her nerves did a little dance before the door slid open.

Luc Gagnon stood at the base of the grand staircase. He wore a black golf shirt and sun visor with his company logo scripted across it. He had a cell phone pressed to his ear and an arm draped around a slender blond woman in a clingy white microdress. She swayed on her feet as she moved toward the staircase, and Gagnon steered her toward the elevator.

---