Page 81 of Hot for the Jerk

Clint snorted.“So much for your date, hmm?”

“Still gonna have it.We’re just adapting.”

“What can we do?”my brother asked.“Just say the word.You know that.”

“I do,” I replied.“Mind bringing me my toothbrush and some pajama pants and stuff?”

“On it.We should put out a BOLO on the island too.That fucker’s gotta be staying somewhere.And when we find out where, we can pay him a little visit.Escort him off the island in the morning.”

“I’m not leaving Raina and Marco.”I reached the vineyard again, but stopped in the carport.

“Didn’t ask you to.There are more than enough of us here.We’ll call Burke, give Hawke and Wolfe a shout too.He might even be staying at Hawke’s hostel.Just let Raina know the island has her back.”

“I will.Thanks,” I said, the hair on the back of my neck prickling when I felt the presence of someone nearby.“Gotta go.”

“See you shortly.”

“Hello?”I said out into the darkness after ending the call with my brother.

A slight figure appeared from the shadows.I didn’t think it was Soloman.I expected it to be one of Raina’s cousins, or nieces, or nephews.During the harvesting and tourist months, they had seasonal staff that stayed in a bunkhouse on the property, but as far as I knew, there wasn’t any staff staying there right now.Gabrielle appeared, her face mostly hidden in the shadows.

“You going for a dramatic effect?”I asked her, rubbing my hands together to stay warm.

“Raina said she told you what happened.How Josiah died.”

I nodded as Gabrielle, the matriarch of the Vino Vixens, came into view.“She did.”

“And?”

“And what?Josiah should have died long before that heart attack took him out.She could have told me she gutted him taint to tongue like a fish one night while he slept and I would have offered her a high five.The man is rotting in hell, and his brother should join him.”

A hint of a smile lifted one corner of Gabrielle’s mouth.“Good.”

“Clint’s bringing me some stuff.I’m gonna crash on the couch, or Raina mentioned a futon.I don’t like the idea of that motherfucker being on the island and nobody being here to barricade the door, or toss his ass into the gutter.”

She nodded.“We appreciate that, Jagger.We do.”Glancing away for a moment, she took a deep inhale through her nose before meeting my gaze again.“We’re not proud of where we came from.We’re ashamed.Ashamed that none of us ran from that life sooner.Before we had children.Before we let our fathers marry us off to men that we didn’t love.To men who treated us like maids and baby machines.It’s why we’ve all kept that part of ourselves a secret from the island.We came here to start over.Aunt Dolores offered us a clean break, a fresh start, and we all took it.”

I shrugged, my breath noticeable in the air with each exhale.“It’s nobody else’s business.But for the record, I don’t think any islander would see you women as anything but incredibly brave and strong.The life you’ve built here for your children, it’s incredible.The four of you should be nothing but proud of all that you’ve achieved.”

It was tough to see her eyes in the dim light of the carport, but her smile was a bit bigger this time.“I still think we’d prefer if this stayed between our family and yours, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course.”I nodded.“However, I did just speak with Clint, and he thinks we should put a BOLO out on the island for Soloman.He and my brothers, along with Logan and Burke, are going to see if Hawke and Wolfe will come too, and they’re going to go searching for him.Soloman will still be on the island, and it’d be nice to know where he’s staying so he can have a formal escort to the mainland in the morning.”I lifted one shoulder and cocked a half smile.“You know, just show him some of that island hospitality and all.”

Gabrielle smirked.“Okay.”She turned to go, but I still had one more question.

“Can I ask …”

She faced me again.

“If Raina really wanted to be free of that family, why didn’t she change her name?Or at least her last name?”

Gabrielle’s head bobbed.“Josiah didn’t have a will, but as his two surviving beneficiaries, Raina and Marco are entitled to his estate, pension, and life insurance.His pension pays out monthly, and she kept her name so it would be easier to collect since Soloman petitioned the courts to take that inheritance away from her, and put it into a trust for Marco.He didn’t think Raina should be able to touch it.I’m sure that’s how he found her.”

“That makes sense.”

All she did was nod some more.

I had several more burning questions, but they could wait for another time.Another day.Right now, I just wanted to get back into the house with Raina and Marco, and check on Raina’s eye and cheek.

---