Page 26 of The Entire Team

“Great, I’m looking forward to it,” Amari replied. She reached out to shake hands with the group assembled her first introduction to just the ladies of the team. She went in to order after dropping her jacket over a chair.

Kailani parked her truck.She looked at the assembled women outside Ryder’s, such a weird mix in her opinion but they seemed all so confident. As she passed by the table, the green-eyed lady took a second look at her.

“I’m sorry,” Sylvie stopped Kailani. “You’re doing work at Tyler’s place, right?”

“What?” Kailani responded.

“Uh, Laulima St. Duplex at the end. Nani’s neighbor.”

“How do you know that?”

“We,” Sylvie motioned to the group of women, “look out for the guys when they’re traveling.”

“I’ve been over there. His place is kind of a mess right now. And I recognize your company’s name.” Sylvie pointed at her work truck.

“Yeah, he wanted more natural gas options.” The group smiled knowingly. “What?”

“He wanted to see you more.”

“That can’t be right,” Kailani wanted to dismiss the thought. “I’m gonna go get my lunch,” she pointed toward the restaurant door.

“Come back and sit with us,” Amari responded.

Kailani disappeared inside.

“We planned to be here. Interesting that the cosmos brought her here too,” Bethany posited. “Did the guys know we were meeting?” Bethany suggested.

The group looked at each other and shook their heads, “No way,” they responded in unison then laughed as Kailani came back out.

Ashe scootto give Kailani space at the table. “This is the first time we’ve gotten together as a group without the guys. Weird that you picked here today to eat, don’t you think?”

“I guess. It’s got really good poke, and I was in the area for work though. So, coincidence, maybe. And I’m not seeing Tyler.”

“Okay,” Amari broke in. “I’m seeing Harry, or maybe Tech. Bethany is married to Teddy. Sylvie’s engaged to Noah. Ashe is with the Irish giant, Sean. So that leaves Thomas’ story.”

Bethany smiled in Amari’s direction. “Kailani, I’m a stay-at-home mom. Teddy and I have five kids, we’ve been together since before I graduated high school. Sylvie is in the Army, she’s a medic stationed here. Ashe is an EMT and works on island with local EMS. Amari is an interpreter; she gets out and about quite a bit; seems pretty glamorous.”

“Great,” Kailani muttered into her bowl. “Kind of an intimidating group.”

Ashe looked at her, “Not any more than you. Sylvie and I work blue collar like you.” Changing direction, “Are you from Oahu originally?”

36

CARLOS

He had come through the door right behind her, knocking her to the ground. Kicking her multiple times, he pulled cord from his back pocket and reached down; looping the cord around her throat and then her wrists, effectively making it impossible to use her hands without choking herself. He grabbed her left arm, yanking her up and tossing her toward the island in the room.

Ashe’s arms and back hit the short end of the island, she watched him mirror her movement. He backhanded her as she straightened, knocking her off balance again. He unbuttoned her jeans and tossed her on top of the island, leaving her in her shirt and underwear. She strained to reach into a drawer near her left hand, searching for a weapon. She had to pause when her vision tunneled.

He crawled on top of the island, and they struggled as he tried to push between her legs. Ashe’s vision cleared enough she gambled and fighting her bindings, she focused on the drawer contents again, her fingers finding the edges of the knife she knew was in there. Carlos reared up and punched down on the ribs he’d originally kicked when he entered. She exhaled sharply trying to breathe, guard her ribs, losing traction on the knife.“Your man fucked me and now I’m gonna fuck you,” he sneered as he wedged one knee between her legs and opening his own pants.

It was now or never, and she knew she risked choking herself out. As he leaned down over her, his hand on his dick ready to rape her, she grabbed the filleting knife and drove it up into the man. Both froze momentarily; Carlos out of shock and Ashe attempting to breathe without letting go of the knife. Carlos straightened, Ashe kept hold of the knife and they watched blood pouring out from under his right ribs. He grabbed his stomach with his right hand, no longer concerned with his dick, blood flowing between his fingers onto Ashe and the island.

Ashe drew up her right knee, her foot hooking his inner thigh. She rotated her hips and shoulders left, twisting him off the island to finish bleeding to death on the floor. The knife fell back into the drawer. She slipped on the blood, falling off the island onto the soon to be corpse in her kitchen. She pushed clear of the body, smeared blood across the floor; passing out on the far end of the island, wrapped around the short end.

37

BAKER

---