Page 63 of Unbound

“Guess not at the moment,” Zack grumbled.

“We need to talk about Romero when we’re all back home. You told my brother you’d go the extra mile to help him find his sister-in-law.”

“And I did find her,” Zack said. “He won’t give her up and he’s untouchable.”

“We’ll see about that. Meantime, you need to make sure that things go well for my brother and his wife, Zack. We don’t want her to have to get on the stand and re-live her nightmare and we sure as fuck don’t wanna change names.”

“I’m doin’ what I can here, Tommy, but–”

“Do more. Including thinking on how to help my brother out with his sister-in-law problem.”

He was quiet.

“Gimme a really fuckin’ good reason to put you on a list of strategic relationships that I won’t feel the need to end, Zack.”

A beat of silence and then, “Right.”

I ended the call.

9

Dare and I were walking on the beach. I wasn’t wired, so we had a minute alone. My other bathing suits were bugged, but I was wearing my one non-bugged bikini for this walk, per Dare’s directions on which one he wanted me to wear.

I was still pushing away my emotions about being here, of course, but it felt good, it was kind of fortifying, to take a minute out of being at Kruna to come back to the only part of the place that only had associations of Dare.

When we met, he brought me here, swam with me in his arms, on his back, built a sandcastle to occupy us and keep us away from the resort.

I felt almost euphoric walking down the beach with him today and I gave him a beaming smile to show it. I think he read my mind because he smiled back, then pulled me into his arms and kissed me passionately.

When his lips broke away, he undid my sarong and dropped it on the beach. I looked down at it, and then was scooped off my feet. He lifted me by my thighs and wrapped my legs around his waist, walking into the water with me in his arms, a look of pure lust on his face.

I knew he’d taken me to the beach on purpose. I’d told him back at home how great our walks on the beach here were for me.

Home.

Ihad a home. I had a home and family and a life. I had a husband who listened and gave me everything he could give me. More than I could ever dream of. I had friends. I met a girl named Shauna at my art classes that I’d gone for coffee with a few times. I’d gotten friendly with some of our neighbors in our building. I’d become close with my new sister-in-law, Tia. We had a lot in common and we hung out regularly. I liked Dare’s sisters, too. And Lisa. She didn’t trigger me. She bolstered my strength since she’d come back from her retreat. It was as if she was less broken.

I wanted to get back there, get back to our life, our loved ones. We’d be home for Christmas. We would find a tree for the apartment.

I wanted a real one. I also wanted to give that to Holly. Home, family, friends, me. I wanted her to know I was okay. Holly’s birthday was the day after Christmas. Was it possible that she would have a happy birthday, wherever she was?

I made my thought process halt and redirected it away from Holly. I couldn’t think about Holly while I was at Kruna.

We weren’t all that far from the resort, the people sitting on the patio could likely see us as they had a good view of the stretch of beach inside the gated property.

“I love you,” he said into my ear.

I wrapped my arms tighter around him and then we were submerged to his chest.

“I love you, too.”

“Good to see a smile. Haven’t seen one in days.”

“This beach makes me smile. It’s our spot.”

He went a few more paces so that I was covered by the water and then his mouth moved to my breast. He sucked on the flesh through my black bathing suit top.

“Dare,” I breathed.

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