Bad Karma (43 page)

Calvin turned to Javier. “I’ll give you a nine-point-five for that one. You didn’t touch any of the stairs.”

Germaine gave out a hearty laugh. “Naw, Man! I’ll give you a ten. It was all air.”

~*~

“
Mijo!
What happened?”

Oh, great! My mother would have to be working tonight.
Javier gritted his teeth together as he carried Cassie into the Emergency Room. He expelled a lungful of air. “Someone may have spiked her drink. I need a blood and urine sample drawn before the evidence is gone.”

Selena gave him a sceptical look. “You need this?”

“
No, Mama. The sheriff needs this. The guy is in custody. If the police lab can match the drug in her system to what they found on him, it’s jail time.”

Selena clucked her tongue. “
Ay, Mijo!
How could you let someone put something in her drink? You should have taken better care of her.”

Javier’s jaw tightened. “Yes, Mama. I’ll try to do better in the future.”

“
Bring her in here.” Selena led him to a small room and closed the door.

Javier sat on the rolling stool and arranged Cassie in his lap.

Cassie opened her eyes. “Oh, hi, Mrs. Rios. Is there a bathroom here? I really need to go bad.”

“
Just a minute. Let me get set up.” Selena slipped on a pair of latex gloves and stepped into a small room with a toilet, arranging a plastic “hat” under the seat. “Yes,
Mija
, right in here.” She motioned for Javier to bring Cassie to her and then stopped him with her hand on his chest. “I’ll take it from here.”

Javier paced around outside until his mother opened the door with Cassie leaning against her.

She guided Cassie to be seated in an arm chair and directed Javier to watch her while she washed her hands and put on fresh gloves.

Javier squatted down in front of her, his hands on the outside of her thighs. “Hi, baby. How are you feeling? Are you tired?”

She shook her head, moving it all the way from left to right and back again. “I’m not tired. I want to dance.” She leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner. “You know, I didn’t know I could dance, but it’s easy. I should have tried it a long time ago. But nooooo. I went to the library and did research projects in the lab while all the other girls were dancing. I should have danced.” She slumped back in the chair.

He brushed her hair back from her face. “I promise you, we’ll dance. I’ll take you out dancing all the time.”

She gave him a flirtatious smile. “You will?” She slid one of her bare feet onto his thigh and then reached to fondle his crotch with her toes.

“
Mama, what does this stuff do to a girl? I thought she’d be passed out.”

“
No,
Mijo
. It enhances the libido. Removes inhibitions. Eventually, she’ll pass out and have no memory of her actions.”

Javier swallowed hard, thinking what might have happened to Cassie tonight had he not gone to the Bait Camp looking for her.

“
Step back, Javier. Let me draw the blood now.” Selena straightened Cassie’s arm and eased the needle into a vein, drawing a sample from it.

“
Ow!” Cassie protested, opening her eyes wide.

“
All over,” Selena crooned, fastening a sterile cotton ball onto the site with a band-aid. She folded Cassie’s arm and made a label for the blood sample.

“
Call the sheriff’s office to pick up the evidence. Germaine said they had to preserve the chain of custody so you should give it directly to the deputy.”

Selena patted his cheek. “All right,
Mijo
. I can hold Cassie in observation until this drug is out of her system.”

“
No,” Javier said, gruffly. “I’m taking her home.” He pulled Cassie into his arms and turned to the door.

“
That’s good. Let her sleep it off in her own bed.”

“
Goodnight, Mama.” Javier strode out into the windy night with Cassie’s arms around his neck.

I’ll let her sleep it off in my bed.

~*~

Cassie opened her eyes. She tried to focus her blurry vision. A tall-floor-to-ceiling window faced the water and she could see big, grey waves crashing ashore , backed by an even grayer sky.

She was naked.

The warm, hard body wrapped around hers was Javier’s. His muscular arm lay across her torso, his fingers splayed around her wrist, clasping her tightly against his chest.

He was naked.

She couldn’t remember how she’d gotten there. She barely remembered last night. The twins had picked her up and taken her to the Bait Camp, but she couldn’t recall much past that.

Cassie licked her dry lips. Her tongue felt thick.

She didn’t remember meeting up with Javier last night and certainly didn’t have any idea what words they’d said or how they’d made up, but it seemed that he’d forgiven her.

So much for that virginity thing
. Too bad that she couldn’t remember how she’d lost it. At least she’d had the good sense to lose it to Javier, but why couldn’t she remember the act itself.

His breathing was warm and regular, close to her ear.

Yes, I love this. Being held tight against this beautiful man is nirvana.

She’d rolled almost onto her stomach with one leg drawn up. Javier’s thigh lay across hers, cupping her butt with his crotch. It seemed a large portion of Javi was resting on her inner thigh.
Oh, Mama!

“
Are you awake, baby?”

She nodded, her hair making a scrunching sound against the pillow.

“
How do you feel?”

Feel? How was she supposed to feel? Deflowered? Womanly? She cleared her throat. “I’m okay.” Her voice came out thick and rough.

He kissed her ear. “Do you need anything?”

“
Just hold me,” she said.

He laughed, a single syllable, deep in his chest. “Baby, I’ll be holding you when you’re ninety.”

She giggled. “But, you’ll be almost a hundred.”

“
And I’ll still be in love with you.”

~*~

Zach screwed the sheets of plywood over the windows of the house. He’d removed all the furniture from the deck, storing it in his parent’s garage. He would have shoved it in the extra bedroom, but that was Cassie’s room now.

Javier had called late last night to say that Cassie was staying with him. No explanation. Just, “Cassie’s with me.”

Guess they made up after all.
It had been hard to see her moping around. Harder still, because she was pretending that it didn’t matter; pretending that she was okay.

Zach was having a little trouble with Sky’s decision to work the emergency room instead of evacuating with his family.

Hurricane Fiona was gathering strength and headed for the southern coast of Texas. The most recent predictions had her making landfall anywhere between Corpus Christi and Brownsville.

Zach picked up the next sheet of plywood, lifting it onto the brackets he’d installed when he’d first bought the house. Zzzzip Zzzzip. The electric drill made short work of mounting it into place. That was the last one. He would cover the sliding glass door when they had to leave.

His parent’s house was boarded up and the senior Baileys were on their way to Tom’s brother’s ranch out of Edinburg. All of the grandchildren accompanied them. Caravanning in two vehicles, the Bailey patriarchs made sure all the youngest members of the family were safe and secure, allowing the parents to protect property and follow along when they could. Trish, Calvin’s wife, drove their SUV containing their three sons and Andrew’s wife Jill, with their new infant daughter. The other two grandkids, Darla’s twin sons, rode in Tom and Millie’s big Suburban.

Darla was on duty as a sheriff’s deputy. She would be directing traffic off the island, and insuring that looting did not take place if the storm hit.

Calvin would close up the bar and meet his family as soon as he’d secured it with Uley’s help. The Bailey’s always stuck together...except for this time.

Zach would be sticking with Sky.

~*~

He’d brought her breakfast in bed. It wasn’t too much, only scrambled eggs and toast with juice, but it was somehow, just right.

Javier threw himself across the bed, stretching out on his stomach to watch her eat.

He was still naked.

“
You have the whitest butt,” she said, grinning.

“
No, baby. You have the whitest butt.”

Cassie giggled. “Do I want to know how I got here?”

His dark eyes held hers. He seemed to consider her question. “No, baby, you don’t”

She bit into the toast and chewed it thoughtfully. “But you did forgive me for not telling you about my education and my upcoming job?” She tilted her head to one side, her stomach clenching up in the silence that followed.

He pulled the sheet back, uncovering her foot and held it between his palms. “I wasn’t angry with you for being brilliant and educated. I was hurt that you thought it would matter to me. That a common man like me couldn’t love the beautiful whiz kid.”

“
Oh, Javi. There’s nothing common about you. You’re exceptional in every way.”

He kissed the sole of her foot, his tongue tickling the sensitive arch. “I just have to keep you believing that.”

“
But you forgive me?” she persisted.

He let out a short sigh. “There’s nothing to forgive. I was an idiot to get upset. Just promise me that you’ll never keep secrets from me again.”

His gaze reached into her chest, clutched at her heart, stole her breath. “I promise,” she whispered.

“
Okay, then. Finish your breakfast. As my mama says, you need the protein.”

Cassie glanced down at the inside of her arm. “I seem to have had a blood draw. Any idea how that happened?” She stretched her inner arm toward him with the band aid still in place.

“
I know,” he said. “But I’m not telling.”

“
Just answer one question.” She sighed. “Did we get married?”

He grinned, displaying the deep dimples by his mouth. “Would that be such a bad thing?”

“
No, but I’d like to know what to call myself.” She scooped a bite of eggs into her mouth.

He rolled onto his back, exhibiting all of his considerable equipment for her viewing pleasure. He stretched his arms overhead, flexing each and every one of his muscles at once.

Cassie stopped chewing to stare.

“
Cassidy Rios,” he said. “Cassie Rios...Mrs. Javier Rios.” He turned back over on his stomach. “Which do you prefer?”

“
Tell me!”

His gaze scorched her. “No, we didn’t get married, but we will, just as soon as this storm has passed.”