Page 9 of The Last Bachelor Dragon

***MAX***

Max set his breakfast down on the edge of his desk, then sank into his chair with an exhausted sigh, wishing he could just go back to his cabin and sleep the day away. Closing his eyes for a second, he tried to relax, but Nora’s face kept popping into his mind just like it had done all night long, and just like that he found himself thinking about her again.

She’d let her guard down just a little bit for the first time since she came to the island last night, but as usual he’d messed the whole thing up and pissed her off. He never met anyone as stubborn as she was and he wasn’t completely convinced that she wasn’t in some kind of trouble. No one needed to disappear without a good reason, and Nora had made it very clear that vanishing had been the only option to save herself, which just made him feel even more protective of her. If she would just let him in, give him a chance to prove to her that he could be trusted, everything would be so much easier for both of them.

Feeling the usual frustration building up inside him, he pushed Nora out of his mind. He couldn’t control her, hecould only go forward with his plan to make her miserable enough to open up to him. He’d long ago stopped enjoying it, but he wasn’t about to give up. He needed to get her off the island before he did something stupid and messed up his future with the woman he was destined to meet and fall in love with.

It was a relief when his phone began to buzz and he pulled it out of his pocket, glad for the distraction. “Archie, it’s about time you called me back,” he said. “Where are you and Felicity this week?”

“We’re actually back home for a few days, that’s why I didn’t call you back right away,” Archie said. “Should I be making room in our schedule for a wedding? That was awfully quick, but the island doesn’t mess around, I guess.”

“That’s not why I called,” he barked. “I’m not getting married; that’s the last thing on my mind.”

There was a short silence on the other end. “Okay, sorry I said anything. I can see that you’re still a little sensitive about the topic,” Archie said, his voice full of amusement. “Just wait until you meet her, that will change your mind, you’ll see.”

“The last thing I need now is another woman driving me crazy,” he said. “I’ve got enough trouble on my hands, which is why I called, I need your help.”

“Wait, what do you mean, another woman?” Archie asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

“Just pretend I didn’t say that, I don’t want to talk about Nora right now,” he said. “Can we get back to me needing your help?”

“In just a second, I want to hear more about this Nora,” Archie said. “Who is she, and why is she driving you crazy?”

“She’s just a woman we pulled off that boat when we rescued Juliet,” he said. “She won’t tell me who she is or where she came from. She seems to think that it’s a good ideafor me to dump her in Bermuda with no money and no passport.”

“Sounds like she’s running from someone,” Archie said. “That’s interesting.”

“It is not, it’s driving me crazy, but I’m dealing with her,” he said. “Now, can we get back to why I called? I’ve got a drug dealer trying to take over the island, my problems with Nora are nothing.”

That got Archie’s attention. “Okay, I’m listening now,” he said. “Who is he? Why isn’t the government doing anything to help you?”

“Carlos Adaloni, everyone around here is scared of him, including the government,” he explained. “They basically told Mateo that we’re on our own, they’re not going to lift a finger to help us.”

“Sounds to me like someone is bribing them,” Archie said, his voice thoughtful. “You’re going to need help defending the island. We’ll be on the first flight we can get. When is everyone else getting there?”

“In the next couple of days,” he said. “I already talked to them all; you were the last one to call me back.”

“It will be good to have everyone together,” Archie said. “I just wish it was under different circumstances.”

“Yeah, me too,” he said. “Let me know when you book your flights so I can have someone meet you.”

When he hung up the phone, he let out a long sigh. It had been years since all eight of them had been together, and now with the wives, it would be a huge group banding together to save the island. He was suddenly very glad that his friends had all fallen for strong women. They would be nothing but an asset in the coming battle, even if they had to stay in the background to protect the next generation they were all carrying. More than aware how lucky he was to havethem all in his life, he began to feel more confident that Carlos Adaloni would never get his hands on the island.

His breakfast suddenly much more appealing, he opened it and started eating and making plans in his head as the food slowly disappeared. Harrison and Juliet would be back from their honeymoon the next day, then the planning could really start, but first he had to find room for all his friends. It briefly occurred to him that he could kick Nora out of the cabin with the excuse that one of the couples needed it, but then thought about how angry she would be and changed his mind. He’d just have to find another way to get to her.

When his breakfast was gone, he got to his feet, deciding it was time to check on her. He was looking forward to seeing her hot and sweaty in the dish pit of the kitchen. If he was lucky by the end of the day she’d be begging him to listen to her, and he could finally be rid of her once and for all.

***Nora***

“This is my last table,” Nora called, punching in the order. “I think everyone else is done too.”

“Another perfect service,” Carla said, a satisfied smile on her face as she shoved plates across the pass through. “Brandi is tied up with that table of eight. Can you take these to table six?”

“You bet,” she said, grabbing the hot plates carefully and loading them onto a tray. “I’ll be back for my order in a few minutes.”

After dropping off the food, she made a quick round of the dining room with a full pot of coffee, then headed back to the kitchen, surprised to discover she was having fun. The restaurant was nothing like the diner; there were no junkies, prostitutes or drunks hanging around. The customers werepleasant and fun to talk to, and she enjoyed hearing their stories, loved getting a glimpse into other people's lives. Working there until she saved enough to convince Max to take her to Bermuda wouldn’t be that hard, and she still had her time with Marie to look forward to. If she was lucky, by the time she left she’d have some valuable skills to help her land a job.

Slipping back into the kitchen, she went back over to the pass through and waited as Carla plated her last order. “You’ve done a great job today,” Carla said. “You’ve got a place on the team if you want it.”

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