Page 93 of Pleasure Island

Liam eyed me narrowly as I approached the door and I leaned up onto my toes, pressing my lips to his mouth. “But I’ve got you here with me now, don’t I?”

It was easier to play my worry down – and easier for me to feel better – if I kept a tight grip on the fear that wanted to well up in me.

We’d get this figured out.

* * *

I foundMillie in her office.

Her assistant waved me in. “She told me that if you showed up to go straight on in.”

I did, keeping Liam with me.

I came up short at the sight of her sitting on the couch beneath the window with a man in a suit.

She came off the couch in a rush of skirts and Chanel No. 5, her hands outstretched toward me. “Sweetheart. Liam told you?”

I nodded at her but said nothing out loud.

“It’s okay to talk about it,” Millie said, gesturing to the man on the couch. “This is my lawyer. I’m not sure if you’ve met before.”

I approached the man as he rose from the couch, offering my hand. “No, I don’t believe we have.”

“Charles Gamble,” he said, giving me a polite smile. “Mila, I presume?”

“Yes.” We shook hands, and I looked over at Millie. “Should I come back?”

“No, no.” She waved toward the two armchairs that flanked the couch. “Charles and I had an appointment to start looking into the transfer of ownership of the island and resort, but then I got the call from the security team about your place…” Millie passed a hand over her eyes. “Now I can’t think straight.”

Charles laid a hand on hers, a gesture that seems very familiar. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”

She patted his hand but kept her focus on me. “Do you have any idea who might have done this? Should we call your father?”

“No!” The word flew out before I could stop it or temper my response. With a grimace, I said it again, more softly this time. “No. I don’t think it has anything to do with whatever was going on with my dad.”

“Why not?” Millie asked, looking confused.

“Becausenothinghappened for over a month. I’ve been without a bodyguard for three weeks now, and nothing has happened. It doesn’t make sense that so much time would pass and then here, on the island, something happens. It’s not like newcomers aren’t noticed.”

“All we have on the island most of the time is newcomers…it’s a vacation spot,” Millie reminded me.

“Whoever my dad pissed off is probably not sophisticated enough to put some scheme together where some bad guy lies in wait, posing as a guest at a resort like Pleasure Island.” I shook my head at the thought of it. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

Millie worried the pearls at her neck, silent for a moment before looking at Liam. “What do you think, Liam?”

I glanced again at the lawyer before focusing my eyes on the man beside me. My gut wrenched at the expression that had settled on his face – grim and turbulent.

“I think we should talk to Michelle and Jake about canceling the wedding – or at least postponing it.”

“No!” I gaped at him, appalled at the very idea. “Why would we do that?”

“Because somebody just tore the hell out of your place,” he returned, his jaw set. “You’re in danger.”

“We don’t know that.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “For all I know, I pissed somebody off when I came here, and this is just retaliation. I willnotask your cousin and his fiancée to postpone their wedding because of me.”

Liam opened his mouth like he wanted to argue.

“No,” Millie said from the couch. “I agree with Mila. This has nothing to do with your cousin. I won’t inconvenience my guests over a family matter.”

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