“Yup.”
“You let her out in that?”
“She didn’t give me much of a choice. Tough little thing.” I smile to myself.
“That she is.”
The bartender serves us our drinks. Finally. Paradise service takes forever. It’s annoying.
“You read that text this morning?” I ask Jett as I take a sip of my drink. Looks like we were both wrong. No pink umbrellas, just red hibiscus garnishing our Mai Tais. Much more manly.
“Yup.”
“Were you able to get any more information?”
“Yeah. I figured you’d be busy, so I checked in.”
“And?”
“It was confirmed the Jackal landed in Honolulu this morning via private jet.”
“Do we know what he wants?” I ask softly, standing as casually as possible, watching Ellie dip her toes in the water.
“Negative. Could be nothing. Could be one of Javier’s most dangerous American allies’ just wants to listen to some authentic Hawaiian music and dine on kalua pig.”
“Right, with me doing the hula in a grass skirt,” I retort cynically, tracking Ellie’s every move.
“You have the abs for it.”
“Yeah, well, the only way he’s going to get close enough to see my abs is if I have him in a headlock.”
“No need for violence if it isn’t necessary.”
“Violence is always necessary,” I contest.
Jett snickers. We have always butted heads on this subject. He believes in avoiding a mess. I always take the bloody way out. I believe it leaves more of an impression.
“Juice has eyes on him. We’ll know soon enough if he’s up to something.”
“Good.” My pulse beats double time in my neck. “The last thing I want to do is upset Ellie with reminders of Javier.”
“Amen, brother.” Jett taps his cup against mine. “Um, Kayne, speaking of reminders, did you happen to tell Ellie about Sugar?”
“You haven’t called her that since Mansion.”
“I know, but it’s the only name Ellie knows her by,” Jett says as Sugar approaches Ellie on the beach. All we can do is watch the train wreck happen as we walk quickly down to the girls.
They speak briefly, like for a split second, before Ellie starts walking backward, then bumps into a lounge chair, and ends up falling flat on her ass.
“Ooo,” Jett and I both collectively respond.
“Oh! Are you okay?” we hear Sugar ask, reaching for her.
Ellie just nods stunned. She looks embarrassed, uneasy, and disoriented all at the same time.
“Ellie.” Jett slips his arms around Sugar’s—or I should say London’s—waist. That’s her real name. “I see you two are getting reacquainted.”
She glances silently between Jett, London, and me.
