Page 28 of Fast Fury

The tiny amount of self-control she still possessed held firm. She put on a smile for him, nodded. “Yeah. See you tomorrow?”

His dark eyes heated to molten pools in the torchlight. “Shortcake, that’s a promise.” And with that he climbed back into the Mustang and drove away.

Abby stared after him, her body aching with unfulfilled need. The deflated, overwhelming sense of disappointment as his taillights faded away in the distance sealed the deal for her.

She wanted Kai. She trusted him. What was the point in denying herself any longer? She’d been alone for long enough and had her head on straight, was going into this with clear eyes.

So, no. Her mind was made up. New Abby was woman enough to take what she wanted.

Next time she had the chance, she was climbing that sexy mountain of muscle like a goddamn tree.

Chapter Eight

Hani wiped the shoulder of his T-shirt across his upper lip, watching the alley he’d just come out of. His pulse tripped, his eyes burning from lack of sleep. Even the uppers he’d taken to help combat the fatigue weren’t working anymore.

Juan was here on the island. He’d heard it from some of his contacts on the street. The meeting—or summons—would happen soon.

He was strung out, twitchy as hell. Someone must have talked. It was the only reason why someone like Juan would want to come and check up on him personally.

Fear curdled in his gut. How much did his new handler know about him and what he’d been up to? How much did the cartel know about him and the crew he ran? Were they watching him right now?

TheVenenoshad eyes and ears everywhere on this island. Throughout the islands, and back on the mainland too.

A shadowy figure appeared out of the twilit alley where Hani had just delivered some product to one of his best dealers. A man, wearing a hoodie, the hood pulled up to conceal his face.

Hani tensed behind the wheel of his truck, ready to peel out of there, but relaxed slightly when the man stepped into a dying ray of sunset filtering through the trees next to the rundown building in Happy Valley. Another guy from the crew Hani ran.

The man approached the truck, stopped and waited while Hani undid the window a few inches. “Howzit,brah?” Hani asked, speaking in Pidgin.

“Ho,brah. Dere’s ahaole wahiniaskin’ ‘bout you. Not from ‘roun here.”

Hani frowned. A non-local white woman was asking about him? “Asking what?”

“Wants to know who runs da black tar.”

Lots of people sold black tar heroin here on the island. “How d’you know she means me?”

“Been showin’ a picture of ‘nothahaolegirl. Wants to know who sold her da black tar. Then she ask who solddemda black tar.”

“Fo’ real?” Ballsy of her, walking into a place like Happy Valley and asking those kinds of questions. Questions that could get you killed here.

A nod.

That was a helluva lot of detective work for ahaolewoman to be asking on these streets. Maybe she was a reporter looking for a story. “People talkin’ to her?” He had a hard time believing they would. The addicts and street people here wanted to stay anonymous. They didn’t talk to cops, reporters or outsiders.

The man shrugged. “Dunno. Just heard ‘bout it. She offering money. Thought you’d wanna know.”

Hani didn’t like it, especially the money part. People here were desperate. Was she connected to this Juan guy or the cartel somehow? They were sneaky, ruthless. He wouldn’t put it past them to use a woman to try to get the intel they wanted. “Thanks,brah.” He needed to find out who thishaolewoman was and put a stop to her meddling.

“K’den.” He walked away and melted back into the shadows.

Hani’s phone rang. He glanced at the display, dread squeezing his throat when he saw the number. Juan. “Yeah,” he answered, steeling himself.

“I’m in town and been doing some research. Heard some white lady’s looking to find out who’s selling my product in your area.”

Hani clenched his jaw. Juan had probably paid the woman off to do it. “I heard. I’ll take care of it.”

“Also heard your cousin’s in town.”

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