Alexis (The Love Family Series Book 6) (6 page)

Chapter 9

Alexis woke to the sunlight peeking through the curtains. She stretched her arms out to the side and realized the spot was empty.

“Great…he’s a morning person,” she mumbled and slid out of the bed. Grabbing clothes and toiletries, she moved into the bathroom and didn’t emerge for a full twenty minutes. She took her time in the shower, letting the hot water soak her sore muscles. She took a minute to appreciate the fact they were sore, not that she’d tell Cole that.

Leaving the room behind, she walked slowly down the stairs to the sound of voices in the kitchen. She recognized her brother’s, but not the others. When she rounded the entry way, she spotted Gabe sitting on a stool at the kitchen island, a pastry bag in front of him.

“You still brought me my donuts.” She grinned and squeezed his arm as she reached his side.

“Of course.”

She reached for the bag and opened it, sniffing the deliciousness that awaited her.

“I figured it might keep you from killing Cole. Your morning sugar fix is as important as the sun to you.”

She smiled, reached inside, grabbed a donut and took a big bite while ignoring the other men watching her.

Cole handed her a cup of coffee, and she moved to the table and sat down, eyeing the other people. “You must be the reinforcements.”

The two other military-looking men watched her. The shortest of the two had a playful smile; the other guy had a face hard as steel.

“And you must be the reason we’re here,” Smiley said.

She lifted her donut in the air. “I think you have me confused with the knife-wielding pyro.”

Smiley turned to Cole. “I like her.”

Stone Face didn’t say a word, and it was at that moment that she made it her mission to get the man to lighten up.

Cole moved to stand behind her and placed his palm on her shoulder. Was this the military way of marking your territory? “Alexis, this is Peters.” Cole pointed to Smiley. “And this is Stone.” He pointed to Stone Face.

“Smiley and Stone Face.” She pointed between the two. “I bet those were your nicknames growing up. Right?” she asked with a conspiratorial wink.

Smiley let out a full belly laugh, and Stone just stared at her as if she was talking gibberish.

“Well, at least someone thinks I’m funny.” She got up from the table, walked to Stone, and held out her donut bag. “I think you need this more than I do.”

“I don’t eat sugar.” Stone uttered his first words since she’d walked in.

Alexis plastered the bag to his chest and released it, making him either catch it or let it drop to the floor. He caught it. “Maybe it’s time you do.”

She moved back to her seat and took a sip of her coffee. “Sugar makes me happy. I bet it will work for you too.”

Smiley took the bag from Stone, pulled out the other donut, and took a bite. “Oh my God.”

“I know, right?” She lifted her brows in quick succession. “I swear the baker puts something in these,” she said, glancing at the remaining part of her donut. “It’s like sex for your mouth.”

“And on that note, I think it’s time for me to go.” Gabe slid off the chair.

Alexis rose from her seat. “I need you to do me a favor.”

“Name it.” Gabe smiled at her.

“I need you to take the disc of Crompton and give it to Reed. Tell him I need him to do his thing and give me a location on this pryo.”

Cole’s brows dipped as he listened to the exchange. “Peters and Stone will find him.”

Alexis patted his chest. “Not as quickly as Reed.” She lifted on her toes and kissed his cheek before walking out of the room to get the disc.

She returned moments later and handed the disc to her brother. “I need all the intel. Ping his phone’s GPS. I want locations in real time. Check his bank accounts and credit cards. I want to know every person he’s ever slept with. I want to know every sordid detail about his life, including his family dynamic and where he’s been for the last five years. Everything he can dig up. I need his whole life history.
Capiche
? I want it all, and I need it no later than tomorrow, because I have a baby shower to go to, and if this guy is the reason I can’t see my family, then I’ll kill him myself…twice.”

Stone’s mouth parted, and Smiley laughed again.

“Honey, I know your family is great and all, but most of that information is classified.”

“Baby.” She patted Cole’s chest. “You underestimate how scary I can be.”

“What are you going to do, burn him with your curling iron?” Stone Face asked.

She glanced over her shoulder and grinned. “I was thinking that I’d offer him a donut.” She rolled her eyes and turned back to Cole. “He needs to lighten up, and I’m going outside to put out some feelers.” She glanced at her brother. “Tell Reed I’ll bet him a hundred bucks that I find him first.” She winked and walked out of the room.

“Where did you find her, and does she have a sister?” Smiley asked as Alexis left the room.

Cole caught up with her before she made it to the door. “You can’t leave without one of us. How are you going to find him?”

“Every person leaves a carbon footprint. I’m good at following the footprints, and I don’t even need to leave the yard to do it. Don’t worry. I’ll stay in sight.”

Cole watched her walk out the door as Gabe left the kitchen and moved to the window.

“Can she really do that?” Cole asked.

“Yeah and more. My sister might be a handful with a heart of gold, but the minute someone screws with her or someone she cares about, it’s like watching Mother Nature on PMS. You think our occasional hurricanes and downpours are bad?” Gabe chuckled. “That’s just Alexis having a bad day. Every Love on the Island knows what her mood is just by lifting our sight to the sky and watching the weather and conditions around them. If this guy pisses her off…well, you’ve seen what happens when she has a little temper tantrum. Imagine someone really ticking her off. I should tell the others to prepare for anything and everything. Time to batten down the hatches, Cole. When she finds this guy, all hell will cut loose, and I suggest you take cover.”

Chapter 10

Alexis kept her eyes closed while going through the footprints of everyone on the island, discarding the ones she knew and working her way through the others. The bright afternoon sun had dipped, and judging by the grumbling in her stomach, she’d missed lunch, but she was on a mission.

Footsteps were coming toward her from the direction of the house. She quickly dismissed Cole and Smiley. It was Stone Face who was approaching from behind. He was quiet as he approached. Probably thought he was good at it, but not to her. She’d zeroed in on the occupants of the house first in her attempt to find the unknowns. Thank God it wasn’t tourist season.

“Did you come to make another smart-ass comment, Stone?”

The footsteps behind her stopped, and he remained quiet, even though she knew he hadn’t moved. “How did you know it was me?”

“I don’t smell any sugar.” She smiled and opened her eyes, glancing back over her shoulder.

“Cole and Peters went to pick up dinner. I’m on babysitting duty so I thought I’d come see if you were about finished picking daisies.”

Alexis rose from her spot on the ground and turned to face the commando. “Does Cole know that three of you came? The other is currently in town.”

Stone’s mouth clamped closed, and he didn’t respond.

“Flying via helicopter to the private airport is kind of cliché. I thought all you badasses were good at being stealthy?”

The sky above her, covered in gray clouds, matched her mood.

“Can I borrow your phone?” she asked and gave him a sugar-sweet smile.

He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to her. She dialed the local pizzeria and waited for an answer. “Hey, Joe, this is Alexis. Can you do me a favor?”

“What’s that, doll?”

“Send a salad with Cole’s order and send a steak from next door. I don’t think his other guest eats pizza.” She covered the phone. “I bet you eat your steak rare, don’t you?”

“Medium,” Stone answered.

“Well, that’s a surprise.” She grinned and uncovered the phone.

“Have them cook it medium for me.”

“Not eat pizza? That’s un-American.” Joe gasped.

“I know, right?” Alexis grinned. “And could you tell him to bring back the tourist with the short hair sitting at the counter. If I had to guess, he’s probably in a Hawaiian shirt trying hard to blend in. He hasn’t come out to say hello yet, and I’d love to meet him.”

“Sure thing, Alexis.”

“Thanks, Joe.” She hung up and smacked the phone against Stone Face’s chest. “I figured you were more of a steak and salad kind of guy.”

“I never told you where they went.”

“You didn’t have to. My curling iron told me.” She winked before heading back toward the house.

“Who are you?” he asked as she reached the door.

“No one special. Just the local do-gooder, a donut-eating beautician who was brought up with manners when it comes to entertaining guests.” She went to shut the door and then stopped. “Oh, and I won’t tell them about the greenhouse that you have back home. Your secret is safe with me, and you can keep up this macho thing you’ve got going on.” She winked and shut the door.

Cole came back with the extra operative that he’d stationed in town. He shouldn’t have been surprised with the order of steak or how it was possible Alexis knew about the plant he’d put in place. What he was surprised with was the way Stone met their car and held him back from entering the house.

“What is she? Like a psychic or some shit?”

It was clear the operative was rattled, even if he never, not once, changed his facial expression.

“Uh…I…”

“She is, isn’t she?”

“We were gone twenty minutes. What happened?” Cole glanced up at the darkened clouds, his first clue that something had transpired.

The door to the house flew open, and Alexis came running outside in full stride. “He’s at my house.”

Cole wrapped his arm around her, spinning from her momentum and pulling her off her feet.

“How do you know?”

“The telescope. Someone is inside my house.”

Cole put the drinks down on the hood of the SUV and passed Alexis off to Stone to hold. “Take her inside.”

“Like hell.” Alexis shoved against Stone’s arms when Cole started out in a full sprint along the bank of the lake. “Let me go.”

“You heard him, sugar. You’re staying with me.”

“Stone Face. Let. Me. Go,” she demanded.

Had she been strictly left with Stone Face, she might have used the elements to keep him busy, but with the others watching, that was out of the question. She lifted her arms, showing she wasn’t going to resist, and the moment he loosened his hold, she slipped free in a full-out run, following the same path that Cole had taken.

Cursing followed her, as did footsteps. She ran faster, digging her heels in the packed dirt and sprinting over anything in her path. She was fast, much faster than the muscles chasing her. Her blood boiled, heating beneath her skin. She got closer and noticed the smoke billowing from the roof, making her lose her stride. Her heart shattered into a million pieces. She fell to her knees and closed her eyes, calling on the sky to open up and for rain to pour from the skies.

A strong hand held her shoulder as they all watched in horror while the water worked to contain the damage.

“My house.” Her words were a whisper. Sirens from fire trucks were heard in the distance.

Anger licked her veins. Her hair plastered against her head, dripping into her eyes. She didn’t care. She turned to Stone Face and placed her palms on his muscled arms. “Please, go check on Cole. Make sure Crompton didn’t hurt him.”

Stone Face raised his gaze from her to her house.

“Please.”

“You’ll go back to the house with the others?”

She nodded and moved to Smiley’s side before Stone Face started out in a sprint to where the fire met the rain.

Fingers wrapped around her arm as she was pulled back toward Cole’s home. She glanced over her shoulder one last time. Smoke billowed above her log cabin. The fire engines were on site. She lessened the intensity of the downpour so they could work and save what was left of the ruins.

They walked up into the house, and paused. Her cousins, Landon, Reed, and Avery were standing in the living room.

“Do you always leave the house unlocked?” Landon asked as Smiley and the tourist drew their weapons and pointed them at her cousins. Landon and Avery had theirs out in a split second while Reed held his laptop against his chest.

Alexis had stepped toward her cousins before she was yanked back.

“Lower your weapons. They’re family.”

“Family, huh?” the new tourist guy asked.

“Yes, my cousins. Now lower your weapons.”

“If you have two security operatives already in your family, then why are we here?”

“Because no one will listen to me,” Alexis yelled and then ran into Avery’s arms. Tears streamed down her face as Avery clutched her with the gun still pointed at Tourist and Smiley.

Alexis pushed the barrel of Avery’s gun down to the floor. Landon held his position until the others lowered their weapons.

“Honey, what happened? Why is it pouring?”

“My house,” she said while trying to catch her breath between bawling. “He burned my house.”

“Come on, let’s get you dry. Reed, make her some coffee. Landon, call Gabe for an emergency donut run.”

“Donuts?” Tourist asked.

“Donuts.” Smiley nodded and shrugged.

Avery led Alexis to the stairs, and Alexis stopped to meet Landon’s gaze. “Pyro set fire to my house.”

“You’ll rebuild.” He offered a sure nod.

“You need to warn the others to get off the island. Have Declan declare a state of emergency and get the tourists gone. I’m not sure what will be standing when I find him.”

“Declan’s already been called, Alexis. He’s en-route.”

She gave a small nod.

“State of emergency?” Tourist asked. “Sunny skies the next ten days in the forecast.”

“Not anymore,” Reed answered. “I’ll go start the coffee.”

“Landon, Reed, Avery, that’s Smiley and Tourist. Stone Face is checking on Cole.”

“Tourist?” the new guy asked. “And who’s Stone Face?”

“Just go with it.” Smiley nudged him. “She’s given us pet names.” 

Alexis was sitting by the fireplace in the living room, her fingers spread wide over the warm coffee cup in her hands. The others were in the kitchen, eating and talking as if her life hadn’t just fallen apart. Cole had called to report that the fire had been contained to the kitchen and that Crompton was nowhere to be found. Stone Face and Cole were on their way back to join the others to go over Reed’s information and make a plan. Declan had been apprised of the situation and showed up, not pleased that this was the first he’d heard about their problems. Her brothers had shown up with donuts and held her tightly, relief showing in their eyes upon arriving.

Gabe offered her a donut, and she just shook her head. “That bad?”

She nodded, and a fresh set of tears pooled down her face. “I just want to be alone.”

He’d nodded and ushered the others into the kitchen, and that was where they’d stayed.

Skylar, Olivia, Mia, and Alice had all called to check on her and see what they could do to help. There was nothing they could do. There wasn’t anything anyone could do but Alexis. This guy wanted revenge against Cole, and Alexis was the pawn he was going to use.

Cole and Stone Face walked in the door, and Cole was ushered directly into the kitchen with a strong grip by Declan. Stone Face headed for her and sat on the edge of the fireplace hearth.

“You’re fast, sugar.”

Conversation. She just nodded staring out the window, her body and her mind numb. “My name isn’t sugar.”

“Sure it is.” Stone Face rested his forearms on his knees. “If you’re going to call me Stone Face, I get to call you sugar. It’s either that or donut.”

Alexis turned to look at the man who’d given chase. “Was it Crompton?”