Page 38 of Fast Fury

“What’s wrong?” he asked, reaching for her hand.

She curled her fingers around his, one side of her mouth tipping upward. “I’ve only had two beers, but I swear I only caught a few words of that whole conversation. It sounded like English, but not.”

It took him a moment to realize what he’d done. “Pidgin,” he said with a wince. “Sorry, I just slipped into it without realizing.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Jonah said. “Old habits die hard, right big guy?” He smacked Kai on the chest.

“It’s okay,” she said with a wave, and leaned close, resting her head on his shoulder. “Just glad I’m not going crazy.”

Kai wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, breathing in the clean scent of her shampoo mixed with the campfire, his soul sighing in contentment. She belonged with him. Did she feel it too?

A chorus of greetings lifted his gaze across the campfire, where the others were gathered around a newcomer. Kai’s abs contracted when they parted and Hani’s face appeared beyond the flickering flames. His cousin’s eyes caught his, flicked from Kai to Abby.

Hani’s big, toothy smile slipped. Froze for a moment before fading away, his expression turning almost hostile as he stared at first her, then Kai. Kai instantly bristled, his protective instincts surging to the surface. What was Hani’s problem with Abby? She’d been nothing but polite and friendly to him, even during that awkward drink they’d shared last night.

Abby sat up, pulling away from him. Kai tightened his hold. “No. You stay right where you are.”

She tugged his hand off her shoulder. “I should go. I’m pretty tired from all that sun and water and food. Think I’ll get ready for bed and turn in.” She gave him a sensual smile that dimmed his annoyance considerably before she walked toward the house.

Reluctantly Kai watched her go, resentment for his cousin growing inside him.

“What’s with Hani?” Jonah asked quietly once Abby was in the house.

“I dunno.” Yeah, he and Hani had their differences, and Kai was sure his cousin was still involved with bad shit here on the island. He’d made it a point to avoid the topic and not look into it out of respect for his cousin andtutu, but if Hani continued to be an asshole and treat Abby in a way that made her uncomfortable, then Kai was going to have words with him.

Hani stayed near the back of the house, talking with the others, pointedly avoiding him. When Abby came out the back door a few minutes later, everyone stopped talking.

She paused, her gaze darting to Hani. Kai pushed to his feet and stalked toward them, ready to put Hani in his place, but Abby smiled, said goodnight and breezed past them, classy to a fault.

Kai took her hand when she reached him. “You don’t need to leave.”

“It’s okay, I’m ready for bed. And it seems like you guys need to talk.” She put on another smile, lifted on tiptoe to kiss him softly. “I’ll wait up for you.”

Kai nodded, jaw tense as he stared at Hani. “I’ll be there soon.” He wanted to follow her right now and do everything he’d been fantasizing about all day—hell, for weeks—but he wasn’t leaving like this. It was high time he and Hani set things straight between them, and the little asshole needed to be reminded of his manners.

The others backed away awkwardly as Kai strode toward Hani, who stood there with a defiant expression on his face. Everyone else retreated to the far side of the fire pit.

Kai stopped a foot away from him, uncaring that they had an audience. “You got a problem, cousin?” he asked in a hard voice.

Something flickered in Hani’s dark eyes, but it was gone before Kai could figure out what it was. “Maybe I do.”

Kai folded his arms across his chest. “Enlighten me.”

Hani’s jaw flexed. He looked away from Kai, his gaze pausing on the others all pretending not to be staring from across the fire pit, then coming back to his. “Not here.”

“Why not?”

“I need to talk to you in private.”

“Front yard private enough for you?”

“No.” He glanced down the path, where Abby had just reached the edge of the sand on her way to their tent. “You leaving here tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“What time?”

“Early.”

---