Page 63 of Wed to the Devil
“You're hurt,” I whisper.
He slides his arms around me, grabbing my waist and pulling me close. “My brother deserves a lot worse than a punch to the face. He needs to know that if he messes with you, I will come after him with everything I’ve got.”
I smooth my hands down his neck and across his shoulders. “I appreciate you protecting me, but I would rather just move on from the situation.”
Dare’s lips curve upward.
“I knew you would. I’ve been watching you try your hardest not to rock the boat since the first day I laid eyes on you. But this is between my brother and me.”
I sigh and assess his injuries again. “Come on. Let’s get you patched up. We can talk about your brother later.”
ChapterTwenty
TALIA
The next morning, Dare sleeps in quite late. I wake early and spend the morning with a cup of steaming mint tea and a slice of locally made bread with a dab of sweetened butter. I don’t know quite what to do with myself on this vacation. Usually when I am not busy with Dare, I have Hope House to occupy my time. And beyond that, I have Aunt Minnie and Olivia. They both entertain me and keep my hands busy with work.
But now I am at a loss for what to do with myself. I look out the window of the kitchen and try reading the copies of the latest issues of Vogue and Vanity Fair that are laid out near the window. I fidget and sit in a comfortable chair, then move to an expensive leather couch. At half past ten, I decide to check out the beach.
Dare is still asleep so I quickly change into a pale pink bikini and a pair of gray linen pants topped with a loose dark tank top and a chunky knit sweater. Then I put on a pair of tennis shoes and poke my head out into the room where the security guards are stationed. While I’m here, Frick and Frack are on vacation. But I smile at the armed guards, recognizing one of them.
“Can we help you?” The guard that I don’t know asks.
I look at the guards that I recognize. “It’s Bill, right?”
He straightens in his chair and nods. “Yes, ma’am. Can I help you with something?”
“I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind accompanying me out onto the beach. Dare is still asleep, otherwise I would just ask him. I don’t want to have any run-ins with his brother. I don’t know if you know that Dare saw his brother and his brother's fiancé here yesterday… I’m not expecting any trouble, but better safe than sorry.” I trail off.
Bill is already standing up. “Of course, ma’am. Let me grab my sunglasses.”
He takes a second to find his glasses on the nearby table and also holsters his gun onto his belt. Then he jerks his chin towards the door.
“Lead the way,” he says. “I’ll follow at a distance. Just go about your regular day.”
I give him a halfhearted smile then head outside, putting my own sunglasses on when I step into the sun. I walk by the swimming pool and head toward the beach, my eyes traveling down the shore. God, it’s beautiful. I can see villas dotting the landscape here and there, but for the most part this is a very exclusive and secluded area of land.
As soon as I make it down onto the beach in earnest, I trudge through the sand and straight down to the water line. The water rolls in, lapping over the sand within inches of my feet. I glance out at the dark waters, noting that they are calm today. The ocean continues washing in and out like a woman’s sighing. I stretch my arms up overhead and reach out, throwing my head back. The breeze whips all around me, ripping at my clothes. This is the first time in what feels like forever that I have been alone. Well, alone except for the bodyguard trailing behind me. I suck in a breath and decide that I am going to walk down the beach for a while. I push up my sweater sleeves and start walking, the only gauge of distance is the gentle arc of land. I can see a far-off point where the land slips out from the island.
Strolling down the beach at a leisurely pace, I watch the seagulls as they land on the smooth beach before me.
Before I get very far in my walk, an all too familiar voice calls out to me. “Hey! Wait!”
Daisy’s voice is as welcome to me as a bucket of ice water over my head. I grit my teeth and refuse to look around for her. Maybe if I just ignore her, she will simply disappear.
Before I have the chance to decide whether to actually speak to her or not, I hear her squawk. “Hey! Let go of me! Do you have any idea who I am?”
God, she is absolutely insufferable.
I turn around, finding Daisy struggling against Bill. Bill’s looking at her with an intense glare and gripping her arm. “Ma’am, I need you to just step back.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s okay, Bill. You can let her by. She’s not the one that I am worried about.”
Daisy rips her arm from Bill’s grip and glares at him. “I should have you fired,” she threatens.
“Don’t talk to him. He’s doing his job.” I run a hand through my hair and turn, shaking my head as I trudge on. Daisy hurries to catch up to me and then walks beside me. Although it’s no more than eighty five degrees out, she’s wearing a hot pink string bikini and a loose white knit cover-up that is ankle-length and completely unbolted. She wears nothing on her feet and has no sunglasses on. I don’t know if that means that she just saw me on the beach and decided to come talk to me or what.
She walks beside me for a few steps, pursing her lips as she peers at me. I stare straight ahead and try my best to ignore her.