Page 30 of Rough Ride

“I don’t think you remember me.”

“We haven’t met.”

Confusion came and went so fast in his eyes she barely saw it. “Sorry, that usually works.”

“How sad for the women you run across.”

He threw his head back and laughed. It took a moment or so before he got himself under control.

“Is there something you wanted?”

“Yes. We’re family in a way. I’m Sean Kaheaku.”

It took all of her control not to take a step back.

He apparently didn’t need her to explain. “Ah, I see you met my stepfather, Sam.”

“Stepfather?” Now that she thought about it, he did look a little different from Sam and Sam Jr. He was taller and there was something different about him. She couldn’t put her finger on it.

He nodded. “My mother married him years ago.”

“I’m so sorry.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I was too. I just wanted to welcome you to the island.”

“Now that you have, maybe you should get your ass out of here,” Eli said from behind her. He hadn’t raised his voice, but the threat was there. He stepped up beside her but didn’t even glance in her direction.

“St. John. I heard my stepfather was out there a few weeks ago.”

Eli said nothing for a moment. “And?”

“Anything he does or says has nothing to do with me.” Sean looked at her. “I just want that clear. And I wanted to meet my cousin up close.”

“You didn’t come to Joe’s funeral.” Eli made the statement, drawing Sean’s attention away from her.

Sam’s smile faded. “I was in Tokyo at the time. I didn’t hear about it until it was too late to get back. I was really sorry to hear about it.”

Eli nodded. “We have to get back.”

Sean ignored him and looked at Crysta. “If you ever need anything, here’s my number.”

He handed her a card. She took it even though she could sense it pissed Eli off. Man had to learn that he didn’t tell her what to do with her life and there was nothing wrong with taking a card.

“Remember, the family isn’t all a bunch of racist idiots.”

Sean turned and walked away. Women watched him as he walked by, and there was more than one woman she was certain sighed as he walked past. In fact, there was something about him that reminded her of Eli. Maybe it was the way he drew the attention of women, or maybe it was the way he walked. All power and control. If she didn’t know better, she would say he was a Dom.

“You need to steer clear of that man.”

She glanced at Eli and found him watching Sean too. “He’s harmless.”

He shook his head. “Hardly. I don’t know where he gets his money, but he always has a lot of it. There are rumors that the man has connections to the Triads.”

“Wow,” she said as she watched him tease a little white haired woman. A tiny cackle drifted back toward them. “Yeah, he looks like a gang lord. They always take the time to flirt with the little old ladies.”

“Understand this, you will stay away from him and the rest of that family. They’re dangerous. Very dangerous. And they will never accept that I own the ranch.”

“We.”

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