Cozumel Escape (Destination Billionaire Romance) Page 4

  The clothes in the tourist shops were actually reasonably priced, and the shopkeepers gave locals a discount, so Camila, Rosmerta, and Sydnee always supported them rather than ordering online. Sydnee walked past the shop where she’d first met Brooks and smiled wistfully. She couldn’t resist going inside.

  Perusing some beautiful scarves, she suddenly felt his presence. Warm, spicy sandalwood scent and the arrival of all man. She smiled and kept looking forward, hoping beyond hope that he would flirt with her.

  “Did you come to this store again just aching to see me, love?”

  Sydnee bit at her lip to keep from cheering. “Maybe.” She glanced over at him and caught a breath. He was more handsome than he’d been two weeks ago. She was sure of it. His hair had been trimmed, but he had a couple days’ growth on his strong jaw. Instead of hiding his beautifully formed lips, the dark hair accented them. His deep brown eyes sparkled mischievously at her.

  “Maybe I should make something of this opportunity then,” he murmured.

  “I’m actually working, shopping for clothes for some of the girls.” She tried to keep her head clear and focus on why she was here, but it was difficult with him looking at her like that.

  “You work too much.” Brooks brushed a lock of hair over her shoulder, his fingers tiptoeing over her bare skin. “Last time I checked, I paid your salary.” He grinned. “That means you work for me, and as your boss, I recommend you should take some time off.”

  Sydnee turned to face him more fully. She’d been dying to see him, but she didn’t know if she liked the idea that she worked for him. What if he tried to manipulate the situation? “What do you want me to do with my time?” she asked much too breathlessly.

  His lips turned up in the most irresistible grin. Were his teeth always that white? A man that took such good care of his pearly whites would probably taste really, really good. Dang. Her imagination was running wild.

  “Spend it making this big guy happy.”

  Sydnee caught a breath. “I don’t even know what would make you happy.”

  He rested a hand on the wall behind her and leaned in. His breath was tinged with cinnamon. Yes, those lips would taste as good as they looked. “I think being with you would do the trick.”

  “Then why haven’t you called or stopped by? It’s been two weeks.” Oh, crap, she’d put that out there.

  His eyes widened, and then a slow grin appeared. Sydnee had to hold on to the display rack for support. What was he doing to her? She’d been fine the past two weeks. She hadn’t needed to see him, but now it all came back. His charm and grin were completely irresistible. There was no way to claim that she was something special when she knew he was the type of guy that flirted with anything in a skirt. Why was she succumbing so easily?

  “I had to fly home to Fresno and settle some business.”

  “The entire two weeks?” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. So Fresno’s your home? Did you get to see your family?” She was a hot mess, more worried about him not seeing her than she was about how he was doing. She needed to get out of here, buy the girls’ clothes, and rush to the safety of the orphanage.

  “I did.” His eyes clouded. “I don’t really have family, but I visited with the women who raised me. Our housekeeper, Lou-Lou, and my business partner, Evelyn. Evelyn was actually married to my father, Mr. Hoffman. Well, my adopted father …” His voice trailed off, and he stared over her head.

  “Is your father … gone?”

  “Yes. Ten years ago.”

  Sydnee loved that he’d confided that to her. “I am very sorry for your loss, now and in the past.”

  Brooks focused in on her again. “Thank you. I don’t usually share that kind of thing.”

  “With women?” Her back stiffened. She knew she was just another fling to him, but it still hurt to have him spell it out.

  “With anyone.” He cleared his throat. “To answer your first question, I wasn’t gone the entire two weeks. I didn’t feel it was fair to contact you again.”

  “Fair?” Why did he get to decide if it was fair or not?

  He exhaled slowly. “You’re not my usual type, Sydnee.”

  She bristled again, placing a hand on her hip and tossing her long hair. “You mean I’m not a floozy who kisses you the first time you stare into her eyes.”

  He pursed his lips and then nodded. “That’s fair and kind of true. Most women want me, and they let me know that. You were feisty and prickly and unapproachable.”

  “Wow. Don’t make me sound so desirable.”

  “You are definitely that too. All that Southern charm.” He squeezed her hand gently. “I don’t usually date any women for longer than one or two dates, a week at the most.”

  “Why?” He’d just admitted what a huge player he was. She should walk away, but she was too intrigued by him. He was opening up to her, and it sounded like that wasn’t his usual mode of operation. She wanted to hear his story and his adoptive parents’ story, and she really wanted to keep looking into his dark eyes and have his fingers touch her shoulder again.

  Brooks studied her for half a minute. “Can I buy you a raspas?”

  “Well, since you are my boss, you make it kind of hard for a girl to say no.”

  “That’s what I like to hear.” He rewarded her with a smile, placed a hand on her lower back, and directed her toward the open market. They got their ices from a vendor and found a bench to sit on. Sydnee leaned back and soaked in the sun, watching the tourists barter with shopkeepers.

  She loved every minute of her life with the children, but sometimes it was nice to be outside and sit on a bench with nobody needing her. She glanced askance at Brooks. Well, except for the big guy next to her. He definitely seemed to need someone. He hadn’t even called his father figure by anything but Mr. Hoffman. He apparently had an interesting past and family situation, but his staff seemed to be like relatives to him.

  She licked the cool ice, savoring the fresh mango flavor. They sat in silence for a few minutes watching the people, enjoying the cold treat, and Sydnee really liked his shoulder brushing against hers. The too-confident man she’d met weeks ago had morphed into an intriguing and overly handsome puzzle.

  “You were going to tell me why you only date women for a week?” And why I’m special? Please say I’m special to you.

  “Do you want to go with me to my friend’s island for a Thanksgiving party?” he blurted out. “Zack’s island is like heaven … very romantic.” He grinned broadly at her.

  “Excuse me?” A singles party? What a way to ruin Thanksgiving. She hated loud, dark, and yucky singles parties. Definitely not her version of romance.

  He looked chagrined for the first time since she’d met him. “Bad idea? Can I talk you into thinking it’s a good idea? You don’t have to share a room with me.”

  Share a room? “No way! You just need to wait a Sam Hill minute.”

  “Sam Hill?”

  “You said you were a Christian.” She turned and poked a finger into his chest. “You lied to me so you could get me away to some island frat party?” She stood and stomped her foot. “How dare you? I’ve told ya once, I’ll tell ya a thousand times: I’m not for sale and I’m not a floozy!”

  Brooks’s eyes were round. He didn’t move from the bench. She whirled from him and stomped through the crowds to the truck. The anger started to dissipate, and she wondered if she’d overreacted. Why had she been so quick to accuse him? Should she rush back and give him a chance to explain? No! He had no right to try to take her to some island kegger and think she was going to be gung ho about it. What a liar. Why did he wear a cross and claim he was a Christian? What a stinking liar. Her stomach churned with frustration, and she had to brush a tear off her cheek.

  Her steps slowed. She was taking this much too hard. Her reaction must be so strong because she hadn’t dated much on the island and she was working long hours to take care of the kiddos, so she didn’t take any time for herself. That had to be it. Br
ooks wasn’t that special, and he definitely didn’t think she was anything special.

  It wasn’t until she pulled into the orphanage with the tears on her cheeks that she remembered the clothes she was supposed to buy.

  7

  Brooks slammed a thirty-six-inch box onto the padded floor and leapt onto and off of it. He didn’t have a clue why he’d opened himself up to Sydnee just so she could slam him to the curb. Ridiculous. There were dozens—no, there were hundreds of women wanting a piece of him. He didn’t need her or her prickly misinterpretations of everything he said. He should fire her. That would serve her right. He paused to catch his breath.

  No, he should pull his funding from the orphanage. His gut twisted with hunger pangs like he used to have as a boy. He’d never admitted to anyone that he lived in Cozumel to distance himself from his past, to never be cold or hungry again, and because hey, who didn’t want to be king of their own island?

  He could never do anything to harm those children. The reason he donated so much was to ensure any child on this island who had a need would be provided for and loved. The past couple of years he’d even funded college educations for three of the children who had graduated high school and wanted to go to the mainland for schooling. Several others now worked for him.

  He thought of Sydnee again. She definitely loved those children. Why couldn’t she love him?

  Bah! He didn’t need love. Especially from a vindictive, bitter woman.

  He turned around and used the box as a platform to do a set of triceps dips. Sweat dripped into his eyes, and he blinked it away.

  An idea came, and he couldn’t help but grin. She believed he wanted to take advantage of her and force her into the equivalent of a drunken college kegger? Well, he’d make her believe it, giving her a good scare in the process.

  She would regret being so rash and rude to him. He stood and stretched his arms behind his back, admiring the way his triceps bulged. Sydnee obviously wasn’t interested in him, and he kept telling himself he didn’t care, but he had the power to toy with her, then make her realize how wrong she’d been and how she shouldn’t have insulted him with her assumptions. He rubbed his hands together and dialed Camila’s number.

  “Mr. Hoffman?” The woman never wasted any time.

  “I have a favor to ask.”

  “Of course, sir, anything.”

  Brooks smiled. Sydnee was going on the trip to see Zack and Maddie with him, whether she liked it or not. He didn’t know if he was going to focus on teaching her a lesson or convincing her to like him, but either way he was going to have fun.

  8

  Sydnee rose from her knees, exhausted. All she could think about was stretching out in her twin bed. The aches from Daniel accidentally tackling her in their impromptu soccer game might ease then. With any luck, she’d be asleep within minutes and none of the babies would awaken tonight. It was her night with the baby monitor.

  She heard shouting in the back yard and leapt to her feet, rushing from her room in a tank top and shorts, not taking time to throw shoes on. Two steps down the hallway, Alejandro appeared in the back door frame. “Mees Sydnee, Mees Sydnee!” Alejandro tore toward her.

  What on the Lord’s green earth was going on? The boys had been asleep for an hour, she thought.

  He started spewing out words in Spanish and English. Her Spanish wasn’t good enough to understand everything, but she caught, “Men … Daniel … taken.”

  Sydnee grabbed his arms. “Calm down. I can’t understand. Someone took Daniel?”

  “Sí!”

  “Show me where.” She tugged on his hand, and that was all the encouragement he needed to sprint for the back door.

  Camila came out of her room, looking ticked at the noise after bedtime. “What—”

  “Daniel’s been taken,” Sydnee shot at her as they ran past. “Call the police.”

  “The police won’t help,” Camila said.

  Sydnee’s breath caught. Camila was probably right. If this was a group of traffickers, the police would probably look the other way, especially if it was a child without family support. Her experience with the police was that they followed the laws of the land, unless extreme amounts of money were involved. Trafficking was huge money. Why did they take Daniel and leave Alejandro? Maybe because Daniel was bigger, and they could sell him as a worker?

  She and Alejandro tore into the night and out into the trees behind the property. She could hear signs of a struggle up ahead. There was a road to the north. They must’ve parked their vehicle and cut through to the back of the property. How in the world was she going to take on traffickers with no weapon and in a tank top, shorts, and no shoes?

  There was a decent moon, so she could see where she was going. The terrain quickly changed from the soft grass of their backyard to jungle. Trees thicker than Momma’s gravy batted at her as if they were determined to keep her from protecting one of her boys. Sydnee’s feet were poked and slit by broken branches and rocks, but she didn’t slow down. As they got closer to the sounds of several people banging through the undergrowth, she turned to Alejandro. “Go back! I’ll help Daniel.”

  “No! Daniel fight so I can escape. I fight for him.”

  Sydnee knew this ten-year-old boy wouldn’t be able to fight against full-grown men. It was a miracle Daniel was giving them the resistance it sounded like he was, and they hadn’t already loaded him into a truck and disappeared.

  “Go back!” she commanded, then sprinted toward the fight. There was no need to cover her approach; they were loud enough.

  Branches whipped at her face as she reached a clearing next to the road. Three men had Daniel by the arms and legs, but they couldn’t completely restrain him. He used whatever limb he was able to free from their grasp to hit or kick them. His long, thin body writhed and bucked like a wild bronco. The men had their hands full trying to get him to the truck that was parked on the road. None of them saw Sydnee coming.

  She launched herself onto the nearest man’s back, wrapped her arms securely around his throat, and threw her body weight backward. He released Daniel and they slammed to the ground. The man didn’t appear much bigger than her, but his weight on top of her was suffocating. Sydnee held on for all she was worth. Her older brother was a Marine and had taught her if she could lock her arms and hold on long enough, she could make a full-grown man pass out.

  The man thrashed on top of her and she thought she was going to pass out herself from his raunchy, sweaty smell and the pressure of his body grinding her back into the uneven, rocky ground. She screamed and kept her elbow locked tight around his throat even as his fingers clawed at her. His movements became slower, then suddenly he was dead weight on top of her.

  Sydnee groaned and pushed out from under him. Daniel scratched and clawed at the man holding him. The other man had Alejandro under one arm and a knife to the boy’s throat. They were all shouting in Spanish, and Sydnee had no clue what they were saying or how to save the little boy. She should’ve known Alejandro would follow her. Why hadn’t she forced the boy to turn back earlier or made Camila grab him? Dumb! What if this man cut him open?

  She climbed to her feet with her hands splayed. “Please. Let them go. You can take me.”

  Daniel stopped fighting and screamed, “No!”

  “Yes.” Sydnee made eye contact with Daniel, then gestured toward poor Alejandro. The little boy was quivering in fear. The man holding him had an evil look in his black eyes. From his scarred cheek to his deeply slanting brows, he simply had the hardened appearance of a criminal. He pushed the knife harder. Alejandro let out the most heartrending scream of pain and blood trickled down his throat.

  “No!” Sydnee screamed, launching herself across the small clearing.

  “Back,” the man commanded.

  Sydnee stopped a few feet away, realizing that Alejandro had a small cut but wasn’t dead. Her heart thudded against her chest, and she couldn’t draw a full breath. Her boys! She had to save them. She want
ed to talk fast to convince the traffickers to take her and leave the boys, but didn’t know how much English they understood and she knew Daniel wouldn’t translate. He was alternating between glaring at their captors defiantly and his eyes filling with terror as he looked at his friend.

  “Take me.” Sydnee pointed to herself. “More money for me.”

  “We aren’t stupid,” the man holding Alejandro said, his eyes sweeping over her body.

  Sydnee was relieved he could understand, but the coldness of his voice shot tremors through her body. She would be sacrificing herself in every manner for her boys.

  “Good,” she said. “Then you’ll recognize that you’d get a lot more money selling me than these boys.” A huge portion of human trafficking was the porn and sex industry. Sydnee’s stomach convulsed at the thought. She forced future fears away. Maybe she could fight her way free after Daniel and Alejandro were safe. Maybe.

  The man restraining Daniel watched them questioningly. He didn’t seem to understand what they were saying, and the man holding Alejandro was obviously the leader. Sydnee heard a groan behind her. The guy she’d knocked out was reviving. She had to act fast.

  She took a large step closer. “Take me,” she demanded.

  The man’s eyes gleamed. He moved the knife from Alejandro’s throat and threw the boy to the ground. Grabbing Sydnee’s arm, he flung her against his chest and placed the knife against her skin. He pushed his nose close to her neck and inhaled. Her stomach convulsed at his touch and the reek of his foul breath.

  “Umm,” he moaned. “Much better trade.”

  Sydnee swallowed back bile, goose bumps rising on her flesh. The cold steel against her neck and this hardened man’s arms around her was a terror she’d never experienced. Alejandro stood slowly and backed away.

  “Run,” she mouthed to him.