Chapter 8
I still didn’t know how the hell I allowed this woman to talk me into yet another thing with her. I wasn’t supposed to spend another night, let alone another day, with her, so I knew I needed to be on high alert and try to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible. But with Skye, I knew that was going to be damn near impossible. Baby girl was a show all by herself.
I twisted the watch on my wrist, a nervous habit VC always called me out on. The inscription on the back caught the light. Stay Alive . Those words had kept me going for years, but now they felt like a warning.
I leaned back against the seats, watching each person who stepped onto the bus. I needed to remember who came on and off this bus. Skye was doing everything in her power to wear me down. I chuckled lightly at the thought of how persistent she was. It was cute, but although she was stunning, there was only so much I could or would say about myself to keep her safe.
“I should stop running my mouth, huh?” she asked.
I looked over in her direction, then lifted my brow. “Is that a trick question?” I asked.
I kept a straight face for as long as I could before smiling down at her. Her shoulders relaxed as she returned my smile with a swing of her purse against my chest.
“You’re a silent comedian now?”
I shrugged my shoulders, returning my attention to watching everyone on the bus.
“Anything is possible, Blue,” I said, then winked.
Her cheeks reddened before turning to look out of the window. We had just pulled up to the docks to board the boat. I knew she wanted to ask me what Blue meant, but I could tell she held the question in as we all filed off the bus.
Once I stepped outside, I glanced around and didn’t notice anything out of place. Skye stepped off the bus after me and lost her footing on the last step. I quickly stepped forward, catching her before she could hit the ground. Her arms wrapped around my neck as I lifted her from the ground.
“It looks like I’m gone have to carry you to make sure you make it on this boat safely, Blue.”
She laid her now warm face into the crook of my neck. I knew she was embarrassed, which was why I made it look like it was just me picking her up and that she didn’t actually trip. The other women on the boat smiled, and the men shook their heads.
I stepped onto the boat with her still in my arms, then placed her on her feet. I stood with her for a moment to make sure she was steady before we walked over to two empty seats near the back of the boat. The captain of the boat let everyone know the policies of riding on the boat and notified us of where life vests or supplies if an emergency arose.
Once he was certain everyone understood, he pulled the boat away from the dock. I looked around the open waters because this was the perfect place to get killed. There truly weren’t any exits other than the water.
“Thank you for doing that. Lately, my feet haven’t wanted to cooperate with me,” she finally spoke up.
“It’s no problem. If I’m here, I got you,” I told her, meaning every word I spoke.
She nodded. “What does Blue mean? I’ve heard you call me that twice. Is it because my name is Skye?”
I chuckled as I decided whether I wanted to disclose the real reason I called her Blue. I released a breath, then looked in her direction, deciding, why not? I could give her part of why I called her that.
“Nah, that’s cliché. Blue means calm to me, and since we met, you’ve yet to really lose your cool outside of our initial meeting. Even then, it wasn’t too bad, especially when you had good reason to be cursing me out,” I told her.
I took another cursory glance around the boat and on it before looking back at her. The moment my eyes locked onto hers, my heart stopped for just a moment. This woman was really something special.
“I like that. I thought I was going to have to toss you into my lame men pile.”
I lifted a brow and smirked. “Pile? How many trash men have you run into?” I asked.
She looked down at her watch. “How long do you have?”
I laughed, then brushed my hand over my waves. This woman had gotten me to smile and laugh more than I ever had in my entire life. Not that I didn’t want to do those things, it was just that nothing in my life had ever been funny or happy. It was refreshing to be around someone whose life seemed to be filled with joy and choices.
“All the time you need.”
“I won’t bore you with nonsense, but know this… the dating pool is not all that. You see I’m out with a man who spilled my own drink on me.”
I held back my grin as I looked down at her briefly, then looked back out at the seas. “Is that so?” I asked.
“Damn right. I’m starting to think my picker is slightly bent, but you aren’t too bad, even with the crazy first meeting. Honestly, it kind of reminds me of a meetup in a romance novel or a movie. You know when the female character is so tired of her current life or always busy, then suddenly the man of her dreams lands in her lap.”
I peered over at her with a smirk. She radiated life—a rare quality I’d learned to spot. But that same vibrant energy meant I needed to be careful with her.
“Wait—” she started, but stopped when I raised an eyebrow. She held back whatever she was about to say, waiting for me to speak.
“You’re always trying to control every moment, aren’t you?” I asked.
She crossed her arms and jutted out her bottom lip slightly. “What makes you think that?”
I shrugged, glancing at the crowd around us before meeting her death glare. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You’re so focused on trying to entertain me that you’re missing everything happening around you.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer to my side. Her attitude didn’t bother me—I wanted her to enjoy the moment without worrying about impressing anyone. I wasn’t the kind of man who needed to be entertained. Just being in her presence was giving me something I’d never experienced before.
“I’m not saying I don’t like to hear your voice. It’s damn near melodic, but you came to Fiji to explore and see what life has outside of where you’ve been. I just want you to breathe and take in the sights. Is that cool?” I asked.
I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings, but I recognized the type—she was the kind of person who put everyone else’s comfort before her own. I was the opposite. I’d learned to focus on myself because that’s all I could count on. After all, we enter and leave this world alone.
Skye released a sigh and released her arms from the tight cross she had them in against her chest, then snuggled closer to me while looking out at the seas. I watched her every moment as her shoulders dropped, her feet crossed at her ankles, and her body settled deeper into mine. I knew this wouldn’t be all it took to show her to choose herself, but it was a start, at least with the few hours we had left with each other. I couldn’t give her another day. Not with the dangers that were out there.
The boat was now pulling up to the dock of the island Viti Levu. The moment we stepped off the boat, a van was awaiting us, luxury of the resort. Once everyone was on, the drive into town wasn’t bad. It wasn’t long before rows of single story homes with tin or thatched roofs came into play.
Skye had been silent since the bus ride and was now staring intently out of the window at the many children running around and playing. The smiles on their little faces were ones I wished phased me, but with the things I had seen in life, I couldn’t look at them the same. Not without remembering.
I looked away and continued to watch what the new driver was doing. I had studied up on the direction they would take these tours the night before. I was not going to allow anything out of the ordinary to happen. The bus finally came to a stop at the town’s center.
It was a large patch of green grass with tons of people awaiting us. I looked over at Skye, and her eyes had gone wide with excitement. She couldn’t wait to be out in the open with everyone. I nudged her and gave her a smile.
“You ready to spend some money?” I asked.
She lifted a brow in my direction. “Let me find out you’re about to be like T.I. and start rapping you can have it all?” she questioned with a smile.
I laughed because I didn’t listen to music as much as I would like, but I did recognize the reference to that one.
“If you want it, then it’s on me. I just want to show you that you can have a selfish moment. I got you, even if it’s just for today,” I told her.
She did a little dance in her seat before standing up, since they were now allowing us to get off the bus. Music played, and the people were in their traditional garments dancing and singing. It was amazing. I had been around the world, but just like Skye, I had never taken a moment to smell the roses.
I helped her down the steps, this time making sure she didn’t trip. I pulled a pair of shades from my cargos and slipped them on. I knew there wasn’t too much I could do at this moment not to stand out, but I was at least going to try.
“Look at all of this!” Skye exclaimed.
I nodded with a smirk. I looked around at all the different crafts and displays happening here in this town. The roads were all unpaved.
It seemed as if the moment we got here, everyone came out of their homes. I stood beside Skye as I looked around at the different people approaching other travelers with coconuts filled with Kava. They offered us coconuts as well. I wanted to decline, but I knew that would be considered rude, but at this point I didn’t give a damn.
I took it but poured it out little by little. I made sure no one was watching me or Skye. She took a sip, then handed hers to me. I was sure she wanted to start shopping and experiencing what the town offered.
Our town guide took us to see weaving demonstrations, so Skye could get a few mats for her family and friends. I made sure to grab a few different fruits from the local farmers. They had Pomelo, which was kind of like grapefruit but sweeter, pineapples, and Vi Apple, which was also known as Tahitian apple.
By the time we finished, the sun was going down, and the music was going again, so everyone was dancing along with the villages people. Skye left me seated at one of the seats available and began dancing along with the other women. The natural sway of her hips left me hypnotized, almost making me forget that I needed to be alert.
Her smile and happiness were everything. She jogged over to me with her hand out to pull me out with her. I was not a dancer. Far from it.
“I don’t dance, Blue,” I told her.
“For me?” She pouted.
I dragged a hand down my face as I did a little two step that made me look even more stupid. I was sure of it, but I was willing to do anything for this woman, which was beginning to scare the fuck out of me. She wrapped her arms around me to give me a hug and laughed.
I knew that was her nice way of saying she believed me and I was off the hook.
“If you’re heading back to the resort, we’re heading out,” the attendant announced.
Skye placed her hand in mine, and then I led the way back to the van. Once we made our way back to our original seat. I watched as each person who was in the van earlier got back on. Except a man who seemed to slip on behind a woman and slide into the seat beside her.
My body went rigid as I watched his movements. I waited for just a moment for him to look back in my direction, but he never did. I looked down at his shoes and noticed a blade attached to his calf. I knew without needing to be told. He was there for me. How I hadn’t noticed him in the town was crazy to me. I knew it was because of my lack of attention, because of being wrapped up in Blue.
She laid her head against my shoulder, then closed her eyes briefly during the ride back to the boat. I had to come up with something and quick because this man could not make it on that boat. Not with these people and damn sure not with Blue.
The van slowed down when we made it to the dock. I watched as everyone, including our new friend, got off the van. I kept my eyes on him as he walked around the bus, surveying his surroundings before stepping into the nearby greenery. Rookie mistake. I leaned down for a minute and slightly tucked Skye’s bags beneath the seat. I stood and held my hand out to lead her out.
I helped Skye out of the van again, then walked toward the dock with her before conveniently stopping. She looked at me with a confused expression.
“Save me a seat in the same place we sat last time. I forgot your bags. I’ll just go back real quick to get them,” I told her, urging her toward the rest of the people walking.
She smiled and walked ahead, following everyone else. Once everyone was out of sight, I walked along the side of the bus where I had seen the man duck off into the greenery. Adrenaline surged through my veins, taking me from the unknown into a familiar place. Sweat beaded at my temple, the Fijian heat finally settling in.
Each step I took was pillow soft as I made sure not to snap any branches. I didn’t want to alert him of my presence. He was lying flat on his stomach with a gun focused on the dock. I guess he thought I hadn’t noticed his ass.
I leaned down, then tapped my ankle for the blade tucked safely, until I looked over to the right and noticed his jacket. I grabbed the leather jacket, then made quick work of wrapping it around his face and neck to muffle his shouts. His arms swung wildly, but there was no way out.
I tightened my grip until his arms went slack at his sides. Once I was certain ole’ boy was no longer with us, I tossed his ass into the bush, then grabbed the bags I placed to the side. There was a trash can with a fire going, so I dropped the leather jacket inside and kept it moving.
The attendants were still waving passengers on, so I slipped into line and made my way to the back of the boat. My time here was definitely coming to a close. I was found.