Chapter 5
Valencia
“We should always have a hot minotaur with us on our outings,” Blythe says dreamily, stealing a glance at Kaidon, who is sitting on the other side of the restaurant’s patio.
“Minus needing one because of a psycho ex,” Monya adds, waving her slice of bacon at the birthday girl.
“Yes, of course.”
Ever takes a sip of her latte, peering at me over the mug’s rim. Placing it down on the table, she gives me a shit-eating grin.
“What?”
“You like him.”
“Who?”
“Who is the only him with us?” She asks, adding in a whisper, “Kaidon.”
“I don’t even really know him.”
Monya pokes her slice of bacon toward me, saying, “But you’d like to get to know him. In all the ways.”
My friends cackle as I glance over at the minotaur. He seems oblivious to our discussion, focusing on something across the street from where we are eating brunch. I watch his eyebrow’s furrow. He then suddenly jumps up, leaping over the patio fencing, and takes off across the street.
“Whoa, did you see that?” Blythe says, her eyes wide.
“Yeah,” is all I can muster.
“Do you think he saw Topher?” Ever asks, craning her neck to try to see what’s going on.
“How on earth would he know I was on Martha’s Vineyard? Doesn’t that just seem way too far-fetched?”
Blythe turns to look at me with an annoyed expression on her face.
“Val, I don’t get you. Your instinct was to hire this guy, right? Because Topher made you feel like you were in danger, correct?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, if stupid fuck-face was confident enough to show up at your place of work, then who knows what else he’s been getting in to. I’m glad Kaidon insisted on coming on this trip with you.”
Properly scolded, I sit back in my chair and take a few more bites of my omelet, but the worried knot forming in my stomach causes me to lose my appetite. What if he did see Topher? How fucked up would that be?
Ever stands up and walks over to the patio’s fencing.
“He’s heading back here.” She calls over to us.
This time, Kaidon doesn’t jump the fence but heads in through the front of the restaurant. When he comes outside to the patio, my friends pepper him with questions.
“What did you see?”
“Was it Topher?”
“You leaped that fence so damn fast.”
“Ladies, hold up.” The minotaur says, turning to me, “I never got a good look at the guy’s face, but someone was lurking about across the street. Hair color and build matched the description of your ex.”
“Fuck,” I breathe out as Monya puts a supportive arm around my shoulders.
“Well, at least we are leaving on the ferry in an hour,” Ever says.
“Not so fast.”
The four of us look up at the broad-shoulder minotaur.
“I can’t stay, Kaidon. I have work and stuff.”
“No, I mean not so fast with the ferry. On the way back here, I grabbed you and me tickets for a private boat back to the Cape.”
“Shit, that must have cost a fortune,” Blythe says.
“Wasn’t cheap.”
“Kaidon, are you sure that’s necessary?”
As soon as the words come out of my mouth, my three friends glare daggers at me.
“Woman! What did Lady Merla tell you?” Ever says, audibly pissed.
“To go with my instincts.”
“Well, here we are with the dude you hired because of your instincts. So fricken listen to him and stop hemming and hawing.”
Feeling my cheeks burn from the scolding, plus the guilt I feel for being a pain, I look up at the bullman and give him a small nod.
“Lady Merla?”
Laughing at his confused expression, I say, “I’ll tell you later.”
After we pay the bill, we head back to the rental to grab our suitcases and order a rideshare.
As we drive to the marina, I stare out the window at the gorgeous beauty that is Martha’s Vineyard.
If that was Topher, how did he know I would be here?
It seems impossible. Especially since we didn’t even end up going on Blythe’s actual birthday weekend.
Hugging my girlfriends goodbye at the marina, they head to the ferry while I follow Kaidon down to a different dock. While we walk over, Kaidon fills me in on the details.
“This is actually a small private cruise to the Cape. Normally 4 hours long.”
“Four hours? Are we seriously getting on a boat for that long?”
“Hopefully not. I booked it as private, so just for the two of us. I’m hoping they’ll be happy with the money and not care about just getting us back as quickly as possible.”
While Kaidon speaks to the ferry staff, I scroll my social media for a few minutes until a text comes through that stops me dead in my tracks.
TOPHER IS ON OUR FERRY!!!
WTF Are you fucking with me??
No! As soon as the boat left the dock, Ever saw him step out of the bathroom by our seats!!!
Please don’t talk to him. I don’t trust him!
We already went to the deck and are hiding under our windbreakers. Make sure to tell Kaiden.
“Hey,” the minotaur’s baritone voice startles me.
“He’s on the ferry.”
“What? Topher?”
“Yes. Ever saw him.”
“Fuck. Okay, one second.”
I watch the massive bullman walk back to the staff and talk with them. When he returns to me, his handsome face is set with determination.
“I hope you’re looking forward to a four hour private tour before arriving back to the Cape, because there’s no way I am having us race to get there now.” He says, then adds after clearing his throat, “You're with me 24/7 until we stop this guy."
Kaidon offers his hand to help me stand. Trembling, I take it and my entire body fills with an electric warmth. A safe-feeling warmth.
The kind of warmth that reminds me of home.