Chapter 2
Someone tried to poison her. Certainty vibrated throughout her body, but she couldn’t prove it. Storm Richards was in trouble. Running away may have been a bad choice, but she hadn’t known what else to do. Now, she was in Hawaii instead of her hometown of Cobbler Creek.
Of all the places to run away to, Waimea wasn’t the worst. In fact, it’s probably on some top list of places to visit. The weather was perfect here in June. If this were a vacation, she would have plenty of sunshine and warm temps to keep her outside. Sandy beaches would tickle her toes. She could snorkel, eat great food, watch amazing sunsets. When her horrific ordeal was all over—assuming whoever wanted her dead didn’t succeed—she might have to consider coming back for a real vacation. She would need one.
Storm checked out the window of the house she rented from the vacation rental app. Darkness finally swallowed up the day, offering some form of protection from her troubles. Or was she playing a child’s game of if she couldn’t see anyone lurking in the front yard, then they couldn’t see her either?
Funny how the dark could either provide the comfort of ambiguity or the terror of the unknown. She had raced out of town and to the airport without much thought. While hiding in the ladies’ room at the airport until it was time to board, she booked this rental. Getting away had been the only thing that mattered when reality was certain she was alone in this.
Trees with their wide palms swayed beyond the window, beckoning her out there as if they were in on the murder’s plot. She needed to wait, to plan this out, not to rush and make a mistake she couldn’t come back from. She needed proof her food or drink had been tampered with, but she hadn’t stuck around to gather evidence. When she realized what she had done by leaving without the necessary proof, it was too late.
She turned away from the window. The curtain floated back over the glass, hiding her once again, but now the walls closed in on her. The empty house with its open floor plan was too small. She needed and wanted to be by herself because she could trust so few people at the moment, but she didn’t want to be isolated either. She was tired of always being alone day after day even when others were around. She had few meaningful relationships because she had put her career above everything else and it was that career that could have gotten her killed.
The only person she could trust implicitly was her assistant, Robin, and she was the sole person who knew where Storm was at the moment. Except for the house owner she had rented from. He knew her whereabouts, but he lived in Washington State. He wouldn’t show up, knocking on the door, and he wasn’t allowed to tell anyone where she was because of privacy laws.
The name Storm Richards wouldn’t raise any flags for him. She wasn’t famous. No one knew her outside of her small world. She was as regular as a Sunday. But that hadn’t stopped someone from wanting her dead. Her body trembled with the thought. Every hair on her skin stood at attention. Who wanted her dead? She may not know who, but she suspected she knew why.
She needed air and tore open the front door. The mild evening temps tried to soothe her, but the air tasted like dust. She should go back inside, except the scene in front of her stopped her.
Trouble brewed in the distance. The top of the volcano, coloring in the sky with its vastness, resembled a hot, gargantuan branding iron. Lava spewed into the stars, like a bully on a playground, covering its victim with goo. Angry red coagulation slithered down the side of the mountain as if it were the boogeyman in a horror movie, eating everything in its path.
She didn’t know a thing about volcanoes, but even she knew an eruption like this one could present a problem.
Something moved in the shadows between the foliage. She couldn’t be sure what was out there in the dark, but a shiver ran over her spine as if a melting icicle dripped onto her skin. The motion could be nothing more than an owl finding its perch or… someone was out there waiting for her.
Storm slammed the door shut and turned the lock with a snap. She sucked in several deep breaths to slow her violent heart. No one was out there. Her imagination had run on overdrive, and rightfully so. Someone had tried to kill her. The police hadn’t believed her, and that had her hopping a plane from California to Hawaii in a mad rush to save her life.
The only thing she was in danger of in Hawaii was that menacing-looking volcano. Hopefully, that volcanic monster wouldn’t send its long, hot tentacles directly to her and the other homes in this area. Maybe the lava would stop far enough away that it wouldn’t be a problem.
Now that she had isolated herself in a small one-story house in the middle of Kanawao Estates with a full view of an active volcano, she was paralyzed. She had nowhere else to go—for now. She didn’t want to be in a hotel with people everywhere, but maybe that choice had been a mistake too. Maybe she would have been better off hiding in a crowd.
But she didn’t know who to trust. What if her assailant found her at the hotel, an obvious place to look, and tried again? A rental was better. Harder to track without knowing where to begin.
She shoved the heels of her hands into her eyes. Her head hurt with the unknown and the fear wrapped around her like a straitjacket.
She needed to pull herself together. Whoever had tried to poison her wasn’t here in Hawaii. She was going to be okay once she gathered her wits and figured out her next move. Maybe even a decent night’s sleep would help. In the light of day, she would think clearer. A hoarse laugh broke free from her dry lips.
“Like you’d get any sleep,” she said to the empty living space complete with leather sofa and oversized television on a wooden stand tucked into a corner.
At least the place was clean. She would have to figure out the grocery situation too. She was starving. She would take that as a good sign since she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday when she stuck her fingers down her throat and vomited out the food and drink from dinner in her private bathroom at work.
She should have gone straight to the emergency room, but she had run headfirst to the police station. They had passed her off as a hysterical woman. One of the officers did not possess a quiet enough whisper and she had heard him.
She didn’t have a car either. Another big mistake, not renting one. But she hadn’t wanted to leave too much of a paper trail in case her predator came for her. They might. She was in someone’s way. If they could find her, they would show up.
In the morning, she would go over her list of suspects. And when Robin arrived here tomorrow, together they would figure out who had tried to kill Storm. She only had to get to morning.
She grabbed her phone but put it down. She had turned it off before she left for the airport and hadn’t turned it back on yet. She had to borrow a stranger’s phone to call Robin when Storm had landed in Hawaii. Robin had insisted she come out to help Storm. To explain her impulsive departure, Robin would make up a story that her mother was sick and she had to get to the frail woman right away. Storm was glad for the company.
Robin’s absence would leave the president’s office unattended, but it was June at least. One of the VPs would have to step up. For now, everyone would think Storm was missing. Her father would probably put in a missing person report. Robin would lie for her. Storm only hoped that those lies didn’t come back to haunt Robin. She was Storm’s one true friend. The one person she could trust above all else.
Storm went into the kitchen area. The space was cozy and cute with its terracotta tiled floor and palm tree rug by the sink. No big dinner parties with college donors here, but the space had the necessary appliances to cook a full meal. She never had time to cook. Didn’t look like she would on this trip either.
Recessed lighting cast a glow on the laminate countertops. She opened and closed the cabinets and the stainless-steel refrigerator as if food would materialize and she could eat. If only she could do a grocery delivery. Maybe there was somewhere she could walk to tomorrow. Even a farm stand would do. Her stomach grumbled as if to protest her poor planning.
She plopped down on the stool made from trees at the counter and held her head in her hands. She loved the life she had created for herself in Cobbler Creek. That life was over, most likely. How could she go back to being the president of Eminent College after this? But damn it, she wouldn’t go without a fight. No one had the right to take away what was hers, even if others didn’t believe she had earned any of it. Screw them. She had earned every second of it.
A knock on the door made her jump. She bit back a scream and slapped a hand over her mouth to keep that scream in place. Who was here? Had her murderer been outside all along and found her?
“Get it together, girl,” she whispered to herself. No one knew she was gone yet. She didn’t think so, anyway. It was too soon for Robin to arrive. Her plane wasn’t due to take off for hours. A neighbor maybe—hopefully?
The knocking became urgent as if the fist on the other side of the door could splinter the wood at will. She slipped from the stool, looking for a place to hide. But where? Every room had a large window. Few rooms even existed. The house could be swept in seconds. The broom closet?
“Is anyone home? Please open up. It’s the police. It’s an emergency.” An urgent deep male voice with a Hawaiian accent accompanied the pounding on the door.
It could be a lie. Why would the police come here? What kind of an emergency? She needed to take a deep breath. Someone from Hawaii wasn’t trying to kill her. This could be a warning about the volcano.
The knocking continued. Even if this was a warning about the volcano, she didn’t want to speak to anyone. If she stayed still and didn’t make a sound, maybe this officer would go away.
“Hello? Please open the door. My name is Harlan Fender. I’m a retired US Navy officer and I’m here to help the residents evacuate,” a second voice said. A sexy baritone coated this man’s words like honey, but she couldn’t allow herself to be lulled.
Navy?Evacuate? She took a tentative step forward, but she wasn’t going anywhere no matter what they said. Not tonight. Not until she knew who was trying to kill her.
“Ma’am, please. We know you’re inside. I see your shadow through the frosted glass. Open the door. It’s for your safety and the safety of anyone with you,” the harmonious Navy man said. “You must’ve seen the volcano. Please open the door.”
Still unsure if this was a ploy to drag her into the night and end her or not, Storm turned the doorknob with care, the metal cold against her skin and opened the door a centimeter at a time in case she needed to slam it shut again.
Two men stood on the porch. One wore a police officer’s blues. He tucked his hat under his arm. He was average height and thin, his long nose hooked at the end.
The second stood several inches taller with broad, straight shoulders. His hair was cut close to his head, military style. His face was dusted with a beard and chiseled with a sternness. His lips pressed into a thin line, but something soft played in his hazel eyes.
“How can I help you?” Her voice shook, but she hoped they didn’t notice. She clung to the doorknob as if it were some kind of lifeline, the only thing keeping her grounded between the danger out there and the safety inside.
“Sorry to bother you,” said the police officer. “I’m Officer Kalani. This is Harlan Fender. We’re asking everyone in a three-mile area of Madame Pele to evacuate. Her lava is coming straight for these homes. Grab a few things. You’ll have to leave right now.”
“I can’t leave.”
“You must. The air quality is poor. The lava is coming. You can’t stay.” Officer Kalani’s lip curled and a darkness passed over his hooded eyes. He fidgeted where he stood as if the ground beneath his feet had electric shocks in it.
The man named Harlan put a hand on the officer’s shoulder and tipped his chin in her direction. Officer Kalani seemed to understand what this gesture meant and stepped back into the shadows beyond the porch light.
“What type of transportation do you have?” Harlan stood with his legs apart and his hands clasped together in front of him. His voice held a hint of an accent, maybe the northeast. Boston. New York, but it was subtle like a good seasoning.
He was dressed formally for an evacuation. His blue dress shirt was opened at the neck and pulled tightly across his muscular chest. The sleeves were rolled above thick forearms. His suit pants fell straight from thin hips with a crisp crease down the front. His clothes screamed night out, not run for your life.
“I don’t have a car here. I took a ride service from the airport. I’m on vacation for the first time in years. I’m not leaving now.” She had said too much already. If she didn’t pull it together, these men would suspect something and she couldn’t allow that to happen until she had a better handle on the situation. They wouldn’t believe her any more than the officers back home had.
“I understand being without a car could be a problem, but Officer Kalani and I can take you to a shelter.” Harlan’s face remained impassive with a smile so small she wasn’t sure if his lips had moved.
“I’m not going to a shelter. I’ll take my chances with the volcano. Thank you for your concern.”
Officer Kalani leered at her and pointed a finger. “No one wins against Madame Pele. If she wants this house, she’ll take it and you with it.”
“Who do you keep referring to?”
“She’s the goddess of the volcanoes. The Hawaiian’s call volcanoes by that name out of respect,” Harlan said.
“How did you know that?” Officer Kalani stared wide-eyed at Harlan.
“I read.” He turned to her. “It may not seem like the lava is a problem now, but it is in your best interest to come with us. You won’t be safe here for much longer.”
She didn’t know if that was true or not, but the volcano in the distance didn’t seem to be in any hurry to go to sleep.
“My friend is arriving here tomorrow. She won’t know how to find me.” Not a total lie. The first sentence was the truth, anyway.
“Your friend won’t be allowed into the development.” Officer Kalani stepped around Harlan and leaned close to her. His eyes were bloodshot and his nostrils flared. “What is with you tourists. You come here and act as if you own the island and don’t have to be respectful to our way of life. Like we must be stupid and backward because we’re not attached to the mainland.”
She backed up. His breath was wretched.
“Kalani, why don’t you go back to the cruiser? I’ll help…” Harlan turned to her. “What did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t.”
“I told you my name. What’s yours?” His white smile split his face open as if clouds had set the sun free and brightened his eyes.
The air left her lungs. Women everywhere must drop at his feet with that smile. Well, he might be the most handsome man she had ever seen with thick biceps and a very flat stomach, but she wouldn’t fall for it.
Even though her thoughts fought to keep her identity to herself, her mouth opened of its own will and poured out what he wanted to know. “Storm Richards.” She would blame her traitorous mouth on her lack of a love life.
Harlan’s smile expanded, then he turned back to Officer Kalani and became all business again. “There’s one house left. They need you to check on them and make sure they leave too. I’ll help Ms. Richards gather a few things, okay?”
Kalani looked between Harlan and her as if he didn’t know what had happened. “Sure. Okay. I’ll meet you at the car, but hurry.” Kalani scurried off.
“How long do you think it will take you to pack?” Harlan remained on the porch.
The decision to invite him in tore at her. She wanted him to go, but for some reason she wanted him to stay too. Must be those thick arms. He looked as if he could snap someone in half.
“I can’t leave.”
“You have to. No one can stay behind. If the lava comes all the way to the front door, you’ll die. No one dies on my watch.”
“That’s very kind, but you don’t know me. I have to risk it.”
“Ms. Richards?—”
“Storm, please.” In this moment, she should want formalities as a way to protect herself, to keep some control, but something inside her warmed to the idea of this man, standing on the porch, wanting to protect her. It had been decades since anyone wanted to save her.
“Storm. I’m here as a member of the rescue team. I’m highly trained in trauma and crisis management. Should you remain behind, and the lava prevents anyone from getting to you, you could not survive. You can’t walk across red-hot lava flow. You can walk on the crust once it’s cooled, but not in those sandals.” He pointed to her open-toed gold sandals she had worn to work with a pant suit yesterday. His jaw was set and the warmth that was in his eyes earlier had turned to a steely gray. This man meant business and seemed to know a bit about volcanoes, of which she knew nothing.
Persuading him to leave her alone might prove difficult, but she could see his point. She didn’t want the volcano to get her any more than she wanted her accoster to find her. But she could not go with him and the officer to a place where a lot of people might be.
“Where would we go?” She needed time to figure out her move here.
“I believe shelters have already been set up. We can take you to one of those for now. Why stay here? This isn’t your home, is it?”
“Like I said, I’m on vacation.” The idea of being placed into a large crowd stole her breath. With lots of people around, how would she know if she were in trouble? She might have an idea of who was after her, but that didn’t mean the person who wanted her dead hadn’t hired someone who would not go away until the job was done.
“I understand what’s happening can be overwhelming. You have no emotional ties to this house, though. If you come with me, I can get you to safety and you’ll be able to enjoy the rest of your vacation. The other side of the island isn’t affected the same way. I’m sure one of the resorts has occupancy. Once the areas have been evacuated and the roads clear up, I’m sure you’ll be able to find an available hotel room before you have to return home.”
He didn’t understand, and he wouldn’t. She didn’t have the time or the inclination to explain to him that she had chosen this side of the island because it was secluded. She wanted to hide.
“Okay. I’ll leave. I promise. I just need to make a few calls, and then I’ll go.” If she agreed, he would be more likely to leave her. She would try and wait out the lava. If it truly did come closer, then she’d have to leave, but maybe Robin would be here by then. At least in the state and they could make arrangements to meet somewhere.
He arched a brow. “How will you get to where you’re going? You said you didn’t have transportation.”
She hadn’t thought of that. “I’ll hire a service.”
“The authorities won’t allow anyone back into this area until the volcano is done erupting lava and the volcanic steam. You can forget about a car service. I’ll wait until you’re done making your calls, and then we’ll leave together.” He shifted from one foot to the other, clasped his hands behind his back again, and offered her a devilish smile, as if he had won a debate.
She could tell him to take a hike. It was her life, after all. If she wanted to trap herself, wasn’t that her business? But she didn’t want to do that.
“You’re used to getting your way, aren’t you?” She shouldn’t because she didn’t know him, but she instantly liked him. Maybe it was the confidence rolling off him like a good cologne. Confidence she wasn’t feeling at the moment. She was scared and alone and short on options.
“I’ve heard I can be convincing at times.” His smile pulled on the distrust around her heart.
Or she was just pathetic enough to fall for his tricks.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Make your calls.”
“My calls can wait.” Because there wasn’t anyone she had planned to call. She had used that excuse as a tactic. Her life wasn’t made up of lists of friends. She had been too busy with work to nurture the right relationships.
“Great. Grab your things. The police cruiser is across the street. I’ll meet you there unless you need help.”
“I don’t need help. But there is something I do need.” This plan formed in her head the way so many of her plans often did. The ideas fell into place like a jigsaw puzzle. She could see the whole picture and knew in her gut what the answers were. That was how she had climbed the academia ladder quicker than most people her age.
“Anything. What can we do for you?” He offered her that contagious smile.
“I don’t want to go to a shelter. I want to stay with you.”