“That was the plan.”
At Tolly’s go-ahead, the Ronalds face me and stand at the ready.
I whistle as I stand in their shadows, craning my head to look into their eyes. “I’m glad y’all are on our side.”
Ronald Red Beard sends me a wink.
Shaking my head, I turn to the kids and translate what’s happening. While I’m assuming they’ll be traumatized and silent, their eyes sparkle and several hold their hands over their mouths as if to stop themselves from laughing.
“What? Did I leave some makeup behind?”
“Sus coletas,” one girl ventures.
Your pigtails.
I send a scathing glare to Tolly and the Ronalds, who all have the grace to look sheepish. Grumbling under my breath, I undo the pigtails, shaking out my shaggy hairstyle.
“Oh, how very fashionable,” Tolly says, grinning along with the kids.
“Shut up. I’ll be right back with the house staff.”
Stifling laughter, the Ronalds accompany me to the top of the path, where we meet Maura along with three other ladies in maid uniforms, two little boys, and one barefoot guy in some sort of island bellhop get-up.
The man hastily removes his little hat, tossing it to the ground along with the uncomfortable-looking jacket, leaving him in a white T-shirt and tan Bermuda shorts.
The relief I feel seeing those two little boys cannot be measured, and I’m also thrilled to see the women. The man, however, is another thing entirely.
“Is he safe around the kids?” I whisper to Maura as we quickly make our way back across the dock.
She nods, her expression serious. “José will protect them with his life.”
The Ronalds and I escort them onto the boat, where the children surround us. They run up and throw their arms around the staff, including José. Rather than looking pleased, José stitches his brows together. After a quick headcount of the kids, he starts shaking his head.
“Where are the triplets?” he asks, grabbing my arm. “Tres niñas japonesas.”
Three little Japanese girls.
Fuck these awful fucks and their awful, predictable predilections.
“I don’t know, but that sounds like the three we’re missing. We’ll look for them and won’t leave until we find them.”
One of the women wearing a maid uniform, young and timid, steps forward. “They were sent to villa number three.”
José’s eyes widen with panic. “That man is horrible. Please don’t leave them behind,” he pleads, tightening his grip on my arm. “He does these…tea parties…with the little girls.”
God, I wish Anders were here. But since he’s not, it’s up to me. I come up with an idea that I immediately hate.
“How does he feel about little boys in dresses?” I ask, my stomach churning.
“Yes.” José nods, thinning his lips. “Sometimes he requests that too.”
Before I even ask, Ronald Black Beard hands me the gingham dress.
“Keep your boots on,” he rumbles in a deep English accent. “In case you need to run.”
I nod in agreement, pulling the dress over my head. Reaching under the dress into my shorts pocket, I grab the rubber bands and quickly put my hair back into the pigtails. The little girl who found them so funny before looks up at me with wide eyes, like she understands exactly what I’m doing.
I turn to Tolly. “If there’s trouble, take off. Erik and I can fit anyone we need to take with us on the plane. Keep these kids safe.”
