Until It Was Real (The Raider Brothers #1)

Chapter 1

Dakota – a woman who won’t let a little thing like women dressed as mermaids stop her

Dakota

I ’m driving onto the bridge connecting the mainland to the island of Smuggler’s Hideaway when the car engine makes a weird knocking noise.

“Come on, Matilda. We’re almost there. No giving up now.”

Matilda’s engine continues to make an awful racket as I drive over the bridge. By the time the tires hit solid ground, my hands are clenching the steering wheel, and my heart is racing. Phew. I made it.

To my relief, the car keeps chugging away, and I follow the directions I memorized before beginning this journey – Matilda doesn’t believe in GPS – and arrive at the Mermaid Motel five minutes later. I’m surprised the parking lot is packed. I drive around until I manage to snag a spot in the back of the lot.

I switch Matilda off, but her engine knocks and rattles a few more times before giving up. I hope she’ll start on Monday. I don’t fancy the idea of hiking to Buccaneer’s Whiskey & Distillery in my heels and work clothes. Especially since my one nice pair of shoes needs to last as long as possible.

I climb out of the car and stretch my sore limbs. I’ve been sitting for entirely too long. Matilda didn’t want to start at the last gas station I stopped at and, once I got a kind trucker to jump the car, I didn’t want to chance stopping again.

I grab my purse and shut the door. The hinges scream, but the door stops before it’s shut. I push it again, but it doesn’t budge.

“Matilda,” I mutter as I slam my hip against the door. The door clicks shut, and I rub a hand over my hip. Ouch. Note to self: the car is stronger than my hip.

I make my way through the parking lot toward the reception.

“Hi,” I greet the woman behind the desk. “I’m Dakota. I’m checking—"

“Thank the smugglers!” she shouts as she throws her arms in the air. “I tried to call you to make sure you were still arriving today but when you didn’t answer I panicked. Our night manager ran off with a mermaid, so I’m afraid you need to start working tonight instead of next week. I hope that’s okay.”

I blink. “Your night manager ran off with a mermaid?”

She groans. “It happens every year. I need to stop hiring men. They’re weak.”

Her response did not clear up my confusion one bit. “Did you say mermaid?”

She rolls her eyes. “They overtake the island this time of year.”

I scratch my neck. “Is mermaid code for another word?”

She bursts into laughter. “I forgot you’re not from the island. The look on your face.”

I’m certain my face still appears confused since her laughter is not helping the situation. What have I done? Why am I here?

Freaking Adam. This is all his fault. If my husband wasn’t already dead, I’d wring his neck for putting me in this position. I can’t believe how thoroughly and completely he fooled me.

She holds out her hand. “I’m Sadie. Welcome to Smuggler’s Hideaway.”

“Dakota,” I say as we shake hands.

“A quick rundown. Smugglers are sexy. Mermaids are real. And seals are wild animals. They shouldn’t be touched.”

“O-o-o-kay?”

I must be dreaming. Smugglers, mermaids, seals?

Did I fall asleep driving? Or maybe Matilda is leaking carbon monoxide, and I’m slowly being poisoned. I hope I didn’t throw up in the car. I’ll never get the smell out.

“Shoot a smuggler,” Sadie mutters. “It was too much, too fast, wasn’t it? My sisters are always saying I need to explain myself better. Let me try again.” She straightens her shoulders. “Welcome to the island, Dakota. Mermaids are real.”

She motions to a group of women exiting the elevator. They’re dressed up as mermaids, complete with seashell bras and shimmery skirts shaped like fins.

“Why are they…” I trail off as they pass us, chattering away.

“This is beyond exciting.”

“I can’t believe they dropped the kiss rule.”

“I love it. We can vote for whoever we want as the sexiest man on the island.”

“Vote for whoever you want. I’m winning the auction.”

The door slams behind them and it’s quiet once again in the reception area. I return my attention to Sadie.

“I think I made a mistake.”

She shackles my wrist before I can escape. “No, please, don’t go. I can’t work another twenty-four-hour shift. I need sleep. Sleep is my friend. Sleep is good.”

She has no reason to worry. I might have made a mistake, but I’m not going anywhere. Because I have nowhere to go. And I need money. Lots and lots of money. Thus, a job at the motel and a job at the local whiskey distillery.

But – despite copious amounts of evidence to the contrary – I’m not a pushover. And I can recognize an opportunity when it knocks on my door.

“Let’s talk terms.”

“I’ll raise your salary by 10 percent.” When I don’t respond, she rushes on. “And I’ll give you the honeymoon suite to stay in.”

“The honeymoon suite?”

I don’t want to know what the honeymoon suite looks like on an island where women dress up as mermaids and discuss kissing rules as if they’re normal.

“Okay. Fine. The owner’s suite.”

I tap my chin and feign considering her offer when in reality, my heart is trying to beat its way out of my chest. I had resigned myself to living in a dingy hotel room for the rest of my life. The owner’s suite has got to be better. Plus, a ten percent raise. Eek!

I hold out my hand. “I’ll take it.”

“You had me worried there, Dakota.”

“We’re even since I thought I was having a stroke with all this talk of mermaids.”

She giggles. “You’re going to love Smuggler’s Hideaway.”

She sets a ‘Be Right Back’ sign on the desk. “Come on. Let me show you to your suite.”

I follow her out the door and to the left. The Mermaid Motel is set up in a classic motel style with all of the doors to the rooms facing the parking lot. I’d prefer a hotel with a corridor, but beggars can’t be choosers.

“The owners don’t live in the owner’s apartment?” I ask.

“The owners don’t live on the island. I’ve never met them in person,” Sadie says as she opens the door to the suite. “Ta da!”

I glance around. There’s a small kitchen to my left, and straight ahead is a living room with a sofa and a television. The furniture is a bit dated but otherwise it seems fine. Better than what I expected.

“The microwave works, but I wouldn’t use the oven. The last time I tried heating a pizza in there, I set off the smoke alarm.” Sadie continues the tour. “The television works, but if you want to watch anything besides the local channels, you’ll need to sign up for a streaming service.”

I doubt I’ll have any time for watching television, considering I’ll be working two full-time jobs, but I keep quiet. If she knows I have another job, she might not be so keen on keeping me on as the night manager.

She opens the door to the separate bedroom. “You don’t get housekeeping service, but they’ll wash your linens and towels.”

The bedroom is small. The only furniture is a double bed and a dresser against the opposite wall. The bedspread is an ugly brown but I have my sheets and comforter in the car. Besides some of my clothes, the bedding is one of the few items I was able to save from my old life. No one wants to buy used bedding apparently.

“There’s a closet here, and your bathroom is here.” Sadie points to the bathroom door. “I’d stay away from the bathtub. The last time I used it, it leaked water everywhere.”

Between the bathtub and oven, I’m wondering if the owner’s suite was such a good idea. Maybe I’d be better off with a regular motel room. Although, I haven’t been in one of the motel rooms yet.

“No bathtub. No oven. Got it.”

“Do you want me to help you with your luggage?” she asks when we return to the living room.

“No, thanks. I don’t have much.” I hold my breath as I wait for her response. I don’t want Sadie to see how pathetic my car is.

After my previous car – I loved my little Fiat 500 – was repossessed, I had to scramble to buy another car. I didn’t have much cash, and my credit score is scary bad after all the shenanigans Adam pulled.

Did he think I’d never learn the truth? I nearly snort. He probably thought he’d live forever. A car accident ended those delusions of grandeur.

“Here are your keys.”

I shove them into my pocket and head for the door.

“What?” I ask Sadie when she doesn’t follow.

“Um. I wasn’t kidding about our previous night manager running off with a mermaid. I know you’re not supposed to start until next week, but if you could work tonight, you’d be a life saver.”

I have no desire to stay up all night working after driving for the past three days, but I need the money.

“It’s fine. I can work tonight. Once I’ve brought my things inside, I’ll join you at the desk and you can go through my tasks with me.”

“Woo-hoo!” she shouts. “Thank the singing mermaids!”

“Or you could just thank me.”

She throws an arm over my shoulders. “We’re going to be great friends, Dakota. I can tell.”

I hope so. I could use a friend after the way my friends dumped me once the truth about Adam came out.

Maybe moving to Smuggler’s Hideaway won’t be so bad after all.

We exit the apartment and a woman dressed as a mermaid nearly runs into me. The man chasing her catches up to her and throws her over his shoulder. “You’ve been a bad mermaid. I need to punish you.”

She giggles as he carries her away.

I change my mind. Smuggler’s Hideaway is going to take some getting used to.