Page 41 of Try Me

Early Morning Phone Calls

Declan

Declan dreamedthat he was on a sinking boat. He’d been having the same dream ever since Eddie died. He knew he was dreaming, but that didn’t lessen the terror.

Cold water crashed onto the deck of the boat. Screams filled the air.

They were all going to die, and it was Declan’s fault. He didn’t know what he’d done. He only knew it was his fault.

Sharp ringing pierced the air, ripping Declan from the dream. He bolted upright in the bed, gasping for breath. The phone rang again, and Declan snatched it from the nightstand.

“What?” he snarled.

“Good morning.”

It was McKenna. Declan recognized the deep voice, the cultured accent, the sarcasm.

“Jesus,” muttered Declan, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s 5:00 a.m..” Way too early.

“Get your ass up and get down to the airport. There’s a helicopter waiting for you and Pearl. You’re going to Kauai. Catch a couple of waves, get photographed, then head straight back to Waikiki for an interview. I’ll be there.”

Declan thought about telling McKenna to screw himself. He’d never done that before, but the temptation was so strong he could taste it. It was McKenna who had turned his life into a lie. McKenna who had ruined everything by hiring Pearl.

“Bishop?” McKenna barked. “Are you listening to me?”

“Yeah. I got it,” he said.

Declan hung up and prepared as best he could. He packed a change of clothes and other essentials, making sure he was ready for anything. Years of working with McKenna had taught Declan to be prepared. McKenna was full of surprises. As soon as an opportunity arose, he was the first one to pounce.

Ten minutes later, he was knocking on Pearl’s door.

She didn’t answer. Declan leaned against the door, knocking louder. For a moment, he panicked. What if she wasn’t in her room? He’d purposefully avoided her for the entire evening yesterday. Maybe she’d given up and went back home without telling anyone. Maybe she’d decided he was too much trouble.

The door opened, and Pearl appeared in the crack, blinking into the bright light from the hallway. “Declan?”

“Hey,” he said. Words left him as he looked down at her. She looked tousled and sleepy and so sexy. Her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders, contrasting with the white nightgown she wore.

“McKenna called. We have to go.”

“But, it’s so early.”

“Yeah.”

Declan glanced down the hall and then back at the door. “Let me in, will you?”

Pearl shut the door in Declan’s face again. A moment later, he heard the chain rattle, and she opened it again.

Declan stepped into her room, which was much smaller than his two-room suite and a whole lot messier. Clothes were strewn over the floor, the chair, and across the bed.

“Pack a bag,” he told her. “Bring some clothes, a swimsuit, whatever else you need for a night or two. Just in case.”

“What?” Pearl asked. “Where are we going?”

Declan decided not to tell Pearl they were flying to Kauai. He didn’t want to give her a chance to back out.

“I’ll meet you in the lobby, okay?” He brushed past her. “Ten minutes.”

Fifteen minutes later, Declan was getting ready to go back up to Pearl’s room when she strolled through the lobby. She was wearing short shorts, a T-shirt tied up in a knot at her waist, and bright blue canvas sneakers. She had her hair secured in a high ponytail that swished back and forth as she walked toward him.

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