Page 97 of Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds

He narrowed his eyes.

“Gino,” Tristan said, “let’s dial back the tone, okay? Ms. Crawford just went through a traumatic experience. This wasn’t her fault.”

Brie said, “Besides, it was all couples on the cruise. Mia and I thought it would be more fun to hang here.”

“Of course, we completely understand. There is no reason to apologize, and we’re blocking off this trail tonight. I’m so glad you weren’t hurt.”

I thought that the reason he might be upset had more to do with liability than my predicament. He’d given me three days free for finding a dead body; what would he give me for falling down an unmarked hole?

I walked stiffly toward the three golf carts that were at the head of the trail. We were much closer to the Sky Bar than I’d realized.

Henry said, “Mr. Dubois, Tim and I will close the trail and put up the netting tonight.”

“Thank you,” Tristan said. “Talk to me before you clock out, please.”

Gino took my arm. “Let me help you, Ms. Crawford,” he said with what I could only describe as a growl.

“I’m fine,” I said, but he didn’t let go as he ushered me quickly to one of the carts.

“Tristan, I’ll take Ms. Crawford to the nurse to get checked out,” Gino said.

“Thank you, Gino,” Tristan said. “Ms. Crawford, please let me know if you need anything at all.”

“I don’t need a nurse,” I said as Gino not-too-gently escorted me into the cart. He climbed into the driver’s side, and I looked back at Brie. Her eyes widened, not quite sure what was going on. I willed her to hurry, but Gino drove off before she could catch up to us.

“Tell me what you were really doing up here,” Gino said.

“I told you.”

He was driving too fast down the mountain. Sure, the road was built for a wider shuttle, but the golf cart was small, no seat belts, and I could just picture us going off the edge. I didn’t think we’d die... but it was definitely steeper than a twelve-foot drop into a muddy pit.

“Today I received a call from my good friend Juan Diego, the St. John police chief. I was shocked to learn that one of the guests from St. Claire had come in asking about Diana Harden’s death. They didn’t take your name—they have more important things to do than appeasing nosy Americans. But every man there noticed the pretty woman with honey-blond hair and big brown eyes. And you were one of only five guests who went to St. John today.”

My stomach twisted like taffy as my life flashed in front of my eyes for the third time in one day. My dad, my Grams, and Jason, who I was supposed to have an island affair with before going back to my normal life. Was I going to die before I had sex with him?

“Stay out of my investigation,” Gino snarled, interrupting my fear-induced fantasy. “This does not concern you, and if I find out that you lied to me about anything, there is nothing—nothing—I won’t do to find out what you’re really up to.”

He pulled up at the resort and stopped the cart.

I didn’t like being scared, but I also didn’t like men who went out of their way to intimidate women. It took all my strengthto look him in the eye when I said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Garmon. I’ll walk to my cottagealone.”

I got out, surprised my knees didn’t completely buckle, and headed straight to my room.

I felt Gino’s eyes on my back for a long, long time.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“One day you will kiss a man you can’t breathe without, and find that breath is of little consequence.”

—Karen Marie Moning,Bloodfever

When I put my nearly dead phone on the charger, I noticed four texts from Brie, each sentence a separate message.

omg are you ok?

seriously what a dick

i can’t come by my dad is NOT happy

---