Page 4 of Justified Fear
All the men were dressed in what she thought of as Hawaiian dinner party attire.Nice slacks and Hawaiian shirts that didn’t come off the rack.Mrs.Kelly wore an exquisite Hawaiian print dress.
“Keely, I wanted to thank you for such a wonderful meal,” Mrs.Kelly said.The small Asian woman reminded her of her Tutu, who lived in Texas with her parents now.
She nodded.“I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, but make sure to leave some room for the strawberry cake.”
Mr.Kelly’s eyes danced.“The Japanese strawberry cake?”
“Yes.Mrs.Kelly said it was your favorite, and I felt it would go well with the meal.”
“It goes with any meal, in my opinion.”
She chuckled.“Yazmin will bring it out as soon as you are ready.”
After a few more comments and praise, she thanked the couple and headed back to the kitchen.When she stepped into the massive room, she found Ray, the bartender.He had been the worst part of this.Not only was he bad at his job, but he had come on to her at least three times.
He was probably a year or two older than she was, with black hair with threads of golden highlights added.It was a familiar look in Hawai’i, mostly with Asian people.Ray wasn’t Asian.Oh, she got that he was trying to come off as that—or Hawaiian at least.But she knew he wasn’t.After living in South Texas for much of her life, she recognized someone with Hispanic heritage in their blood.
Perhaps he thought that pretending to be Hawaiian would attract more bookings.She didn’t know, and she didn’t care.Actually, she hoped to never have to deal with him again after this dinner party.He gave her creep vibes.
“They will need their champagne with the cake.”
“Sure, then you and I can have a little drink together.”
From the bright smile, he must have thought she really wanted to spend time with him.The guy really didn’t take subtle hints.
“I don’t drink while on the job, and you shouldn’t either.”
His smile dimmed, then he stomped out of the kitchen.God save her from guys who thought they were a gift to women.
“Aw, you hurt his feelings,” Yasmin said, tossing a smile over her shoulder.She was already platting up the cake.She was the regular housekeeper for the Kellys and was good at her job.
“It’s not really him.No, sorry, it’s mainly him.Part of it is that I’m focusing on building my business here in Hawai’i.I don’t have time for a man.”
“Bad breakup?”The older woman asked.
“Yeah.”
“Been there.Why don’t you go out back and get some air?I know it’s hot in here, especially for the person in front of the stove.”
“Is there a reason they keep their doors and windows shut?”
She shook her head.“No, that’s new.Not sure why, but Mr.Kelly insisted.Now go before Ray comes back.”
“Thanks, Yasmin.”
Keely slipped out the back door and leaned against the house.The fragrant night air slipped over her skin, cooling her off.Looking around the back yard, she once again thought it odd that they didn’t dine out here.There was an area set up, but apparently, Mr.Kelly had insisted on indoor seating.
The lights from the massive pool danced, and there were even tiki torches lit out here.Talk about waste.The estate backed up to the Round Top Forest Reserve, so there was no one behind them or even near the house.It was quite peaceful in this area.
Pushing away from the house, she walked around the lanai and pool area.Another building looked like a guest house.Knowing that no one else was on the estate, she decided to walk around the area, unbuttoning her chef jacket as she went.Oy, there was a good chance she smelled like skunk after all the sweating she’d done.
It had been six months since she’d moved to Oahu.It had been tough leaving her family in Texas again, but the new start had brought the joy of cooking back.Of course, she had always loved cooking.Both of her grandmothers had taught her how to bake and cook, and her grandfathers had taught her how to handle a grill.She was a mix of Texan and Hawaiian, and it showed in her cooking.
She knew the Kellys had some security, but she thought it odd that no one was out back.Thanks to her father’s previous career, she and her brothers had security at times.It seemed that the Kellys thought they were safe inside with the doors and windows shut and locked.
Keely had reached the guest house when she heard the shouting back in the house.Frowning, she turned towards the other building and was about to take a step when she heard the first gunfire.She’d spent the majority of her life in Texas, so she knew gunfire when she heard it.
Moving on instinct, Keely slammed to the ground, then crawled to the guest house.When she tried the door, she found it locked.Dammit.These people would have probably been better off hiring more security rather than just locking their doors.Moving as fast as she could on her hands and knees, she crawled to the side of the guest house that faced the forest, which provided her some cover.With shaking hands, she dialed 911 as more shouting ensued behind her.Oh, God, she hoped no one was hurt.
