Page 37 of Crime Lord's Paradise

“A run won’t kill you.”

She glared at him for a moment before she let out a disgusted sound. No, a run wouldn’t kill her, and the view would be amazing, so if a run would shut him up, fine. She was sitting on the bed putting on her shoes when Gavin spoke.

“What time is it?”

She gave him a quick kiss. “It’s still early. Blade and I are going for a run. Nora’s still asleep. Watch her for me, will you?”

He grunted and dragged her down for a deeper kiss before he released her.

“What are you smiling for?” Blade asked when she joined him.

“Gavin’s sleeping.”

“So?”

“He needs it.” His baffled expression told her he genuinely didn’t understand what she was saying. “Never mind. Let’s go.”

He had changed into shoes and nixed the guns. Wise, since he wasn’t supposed to have them anyway. They strolled quietly beneath the palm trees before they reached the main path, which was some distance from their villa. They started off at an easy jog, a slow enough pace for her to take in the resort. The path wove through a lush wonderland of scents, color, and stunning scenery. Once they reached the beach, her stamina tanked. She had never jogged in sand, so within a half mile, she was gasping for air. Sand churned beneath her shoes, which made her work three times harder than if she were on a firm, flat surface.

“Okay, I’m done,” she panted and slowed to a walk.

Blade stopped and turned to her. His shirt was damp with perspiration, but his breathing was still even despite the exertion.

“How are you okay with this?” she asked and kicked the fine white powder.

“I train constantly.”

She trained too, but apparently, not as much as him. No matter how hard she worked, she would never get close to keeping up with Blade or Gavin. She mumbled under her breath as they continued along the beach. As she got her breath back, she began to appreciate her surroundings once more. The mint green waters beckoned to her. Gavin hid the one-piece bathing suit she brought and insisted she buy another one. Even though they had a private beach, she wasn’t about to parade around in a bikini, but he wouldn’t budge. She’d given in to his autocratic demand because the water was every shade of blue imaginable, and she couldn’t resist. Inspired by their surroundings, she chose two swimsuits—a cobalt and white bikini. She wasn’t happy about her body, but here, she didn’t feel as self-conscious. When she wore the bikini yesterday, Blade hadn’t batted an eye. She was exasperated that Gavin wouldn’t allow her to wear the cover-up or matching sarong. He was such a damn bully. On the other hand, Gavin was embracing their time here, so because of that, she didn’t bitch too much.

As they circled back to the villa, she paused at the tip of the island. Even though he’d been a few paces ahead, Blade stopped immediately, attuned to her every move. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as the breeze tugged on her wayward strands of hair. The urge to toss her arms wide like Rose from theTitanicmade her smile, but she didn’t want to freak Blade out so early in the morning. She rested her hand over her heart and listened to the rhythmic thumping in her ears. She was still here.

“Never imagined I’d see a place like this.”

She glanced at Blade who had his shirt draped over one shoulder. He scanned his surroundings before he shook his head.

“I can’t take this place in.”

She beamed. “Isn’t it great?”

“It’s something, that’s for sure.”

His grudging admiration made her smile. Manny had been right. They all needed this—a break from their lives and the violence, deception, and uncertainty that came with it.

As she looked at Blade, her gaze dropped to what looked like old burns on his side. She recognized knife wounds and others scars she couldn’t identify. She took a step back and examined five small circles peppered over his shoulder blades. Without thinking, she reached out and touched. He stiffened but didn’t pull away. Five shots.

“Is this where …?”

“Cowards ambushed us and got me in the back.”

His back was more scarred than his front. In all the years she’d known him, she’d never seen him without his shirt. He had been concealing his past, just as she was. His body was well sculpted but had been maimed more than Gavin’s. She counted fifteen bullet wounds scattered over his body. She traced a deep scar at the top of his spine. A shiver ran down her spine, knowing that a knife had made that cut. She walked around him, examining the layers of scars until she was face to face with him. Her eyes lingered on the tiny slash through his left eyebrow and a recently healed cut, which created a groove in his cheek. Hair thin lines crisscrossed over his chest.

“Why do you do it?” she asked.

Unreadable black eyes held hers for a long minute before he said, “I didn’t have a choice. I was born into it.”

“Do … do you want to do something else?”

“No.”

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