Dead or Alive_Part One Read online

  We’re officially on the run.

  I took a deep breath, one I hoped Eden didn’t hear or see. I’ll admit it; I was nervous for all that awaited us. Being at my auntie’s in the mountains, while stressful to an extent, had served as a safe haven. This was a whole different ball game, though. There was no safe haven in the Dominican Republic or anywhere else we ventured, no buffer or shield from the real world. Galivanting around from place to place wasn’t going to be as easy as Eden thought it was. Granted, we didn’t even know if the Scarsis were actually on a search for us, and I knew she was fully aware of how serious our situation was, but suddenly, she just seemed so optimistic about moving around undetected. Was it her family’s silence over the last three weeks? The fact they never showed up to my aunt’s? Or perhaps it was because I’d insisted we not dwell on the negative but rather focus on the positive? I couldn’t understand what had changed much less why she was underestimating her family. They were relentless in all respects. Did she not think they’d rip apart every plane of this earth to find her? To find us?

  “Ready?” she asked suddenly, lacing her fingers through mine.

  I offered her the most confident smile possible and gave her hand a squeeze. “Ready.”

  “This is it,” she added, just as the pilot’s voice filtered through the cabin to begin preflight procedures.

  This is it.

  Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

  Three weeks after fleeing the country…

  Aventura’s voice blared from the nearby beachside bar, melding with the sounds of chatter and laughter, and the waves crashing not fifty feet away. It was a perfect beach day, the sky impossibly blue, not a cloud to be seen for miles. The sun was blazing over us too, ensuring I’d have to rub sunscreen all over Eden after every dip in the warm Caribbean waters, which was often because, even at the end of autumn, it was hot as fuck. Thankfully, the cabana we’d rented for the last two days offered some relief from the incandescent rays, even if the ‘roof’ was a thin white linen draped over the wooden frame, the edges tied to the pillars with thick twine.

  Lifting my head from the crook of my folded arms, where I’d drifted off God knows how long ago, I peeked over my shoulder at Eden, who was lying on her stomach, sipping from her freshly cracked coconut as she read a book. I just about swelled to capacity beneath my swimming trunks at the mere sight of her. She looked damn edible with her hair tossed up in a messy bun, a few wispy strands framing her face, and that teeny white bikini barely covering her pert, bubbly ass. Those delicious little dimples at her lower back were ever-present as well, dragging my gaze up a smooth plane of bare skin…

  Wait…

  I had to do a double-take in my groggy state. “Where’s your top?” I asked, my voice still heavy with sleep.

  Blue eyes shot off the page in surprise at seeing me awake, a smirk flitting across her sun kissed face. “I took it off,” she answered, setting her drink down on the wooden platform of our cabana.

  “I can see that.” I was hardly amused. “Why?”

  “Because I hate tan lines. Relax, will you? No one can see anything.”

  “I can see your tits from here,” I growled, noting their fullness despite the fact she was laying on them.

  “Can you see my nipples,” she countered with an arched brow, lodging her bookmark in place.

  “No.”

  “Then you can’t see my tits. You can see the tops of my tits.”

  “Oh, I can see the tops alright. The tops, the sides, which means everyone else can see them too, and if they can see them, they can imagine what your nipples look like. I don’t particularly care for anyone to entertain that image in their head.”

  “Chill,” she purred, slithering her way on top of me, said globes in question pressing into my back. “No one was entertaining anything, but they sure as hell won’t now.”

  Her lips fell to the shell of my ear, teeth nipping the edge lightly as she worked her way down my neck. I hummed appreciatively and turned my head a fraction to fuse my mouth with hers, her jealousy-spiking infraction instantly dissolving into nothing. The heat between her thighs burned up my spine, filling my head with a dozen inappropriate scenarios I wouldn’t mind fulfilling right here on this makeshift bed.

  “They will if you continue,” I mumbled against her lips. “You’re giving them quite the show right now.”

  “You mean, we’re giving them quite the show. And who cares? Let them watch.”

  “A little bit of an exhibitionist, are you?”

  I felt her smile. “Maybe, but I just don’t give a flying fuck if they look or not. It’s not like we’re doing anything obscene. I’m simply kissing my fine ass man.”

  “Mmm, you sure that’s all you’re doing?”

  “For now, yeah.” She said it like I should’ve known all along.

  “Wait till I get you back to our room,” I threatened, hooding those blue pools of hers right before my eyes.

  “And what exactly awaits me in our room.” She asked expectantly, and I offered her nothing more than a hook of my shoulder.

  “You’ll just have to wait and see now, won’t you?”

  “Such a tease,” she chided.

  “Says the woman who has her bare tits flush against my back.”

  “You know you like it.”

  “Perhaps, but I’d prefer them in my hands or really, in my mouth,” I corrected, rolling her onto her back, my large frame shielding her naked torso, hands instinctively cupping those soft globes.

  “Xander!” she cried out, slapping me across the shoulder as I ducked down to take a peak between my teeth.

  It was cute and I straight up grinned. “Don’t try the prim and proper act now, Angel.” Suck. “No one’s looking, remember?”

  “X, please…” She mewled beneath me, trying to wriggle away.

  “Please what,” I countered.

  “Stop, please stop. Don’t do this to me here.”

  “Then put your top on.” My grin widened victoriously. I shoved the minuscule white triangles at her and eased back, spreading my legs to accommodate her.

  “You’re a dick,” she muttered with a cheesy smile.

  “Now, you know that’s not true. I’m just territorial and you’re a sore loser.”

  “I am not,” she muttered again, holding the string back to me.

  I took hold of them and tied them together. “Oh, but you are. I feel that little flame spark inside you whenever I have the upper hand. You hate it.”

  “I don’t hate it,” Eden said from over her shoulder. “I just…”

  “You just what?”

  “I don’t know but it’s irrelevant, because the way I see it, I'm winning.”

  “And why is that?” I questioned, pulling her into my lap, her arms instinctively falling around my neck.

  “Look around you, baby. We’re in paradise.” Blue eyes sparkled as did her smile, and it was such a genuine expression of happiness, I wanted to bottle the shit out of it and keep it for all the inevitable road blocks ahead.

  “I thought you said you were winning,” I pointed out, raking those wayward strands of hair off her face.

  Eden nodded. “I did, and I am…I’m here with you, right?”

  “You are.” I nodded.

  “See? Winning,” she cooed, swooping in to press our lips together.

  Oh, Angel. If only…

  The sentiment was bittersweet. She thought we were winning, and I should’ve been fucking happy about that. She was present, in the moment one-hundred percent, focusing on us like I wanted. Yet I couldn’t, for the life of me, seem to do the same. That gnawing sense of imminent doom was always chipping away at my subconscious, messing with my head at the most random and inopportune times. Watching our backs on a constant basis was stressful enough, but since arriving in the D.R., certain things we’d shoved—okay, I’d shoved—to the back burner when we left, were now making their way back into the light. A reminder that although there wer
e plenty of blissful, vacation-like moments throughout our days, this was all anything but. I had responsibilities I needed to take care of, responsibilities I’d carelessly abandoned, and unfortunately for me, I had not a clue how the hell I was going to manage that from all the way over here.

  Holding Eden in place with a hand at the nape of her neck, I poured everything I had into that kiss. Deep down, I knew I should be telling her how I felt, sharing my worries and troubles, asking for her opinion on it all. That’s what we’d promised each other after all. We were in this together. But I didn’t want to dampen the little good we had when she had no more control over this shit show than I did.

  Later. Later I’ll tell her.

  That’s I kept telling myself, kept holding myself accountable to, and I hoped like hell I would actually follow through.

  “Get in the water with me one more time?” she queried, after another quick peck to my lips.

  “Get my hands on you in the water one more time, what?” I tossed back, and a smile slowly spread her lips.

  “Yeah, a little of that too.”

  Greetings from Paradise—with forbidden love…

  Later that evening, hours after dinner and a shower, I slipped out onto the balcony of our quaint hotel room on the ground floor and pulled out the fourth generation iPhone we’d bought on our first day here. It was used, and a bit dinged up, but we needed one now that my auntie’s was no longer an option. She was the only person we’d called on it too, purely to let her know we’d arrived safely, as she’d requested.

  Sinking into the one of the cheap patio chairs, I set my feet on the seat opposite me and stared at the dial screen, debating whether or not I really wanted to do this right now. Eden’s vote was a yes. I’d ended up caving and divulging every bit of what warred in my head during dinner. I wasn’t going to, not today anyway, but she continued pressing me on my silence and I simply couldn’t take it anymore, couldn’t hold it in. I wanted to make good on my promise.

  And in her eyes, I had.

  She thanked me for being honest, despite keeping it all to myself for several days, and listened intently without interruption until I had nothing left to share. Then she went on to elaborate on what she believed I should do. She hadn’t even finished spouting off half of it and I already knew she was right. It had to be done. As uncomfortable as it may be, it needed to be done. Not only for me but for all parties involved.

  Before I could convince myself this could wait another day or two, I dialed one of the few numbers I knew by memory and set the phone to my ear. It rang and rang, and for a moment, I thought I’d been spared the grief, until his familiar voice rang out on the other line, music and laughter ringing out behind him.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Zak. It’s uh, it’s—”

  “Mr. Royce?” Zak asked, incredulously, stupefied.

  “Yeah, it’s me. How’s it going?” I was aiming for nonchalance which really was quite ridiculous, seeing as the last time he heard from me, Eden and I were still barreling down the East Coast for LeRoux. That was what, almost two months ago?

  Fuck, that’s bad…

  “It’s going, I guess,” he answered, and I could tell by the continuous outpour of noise in the background he wasn’t at home. “Are you all right? Where have you been? I’ve been calling your phone for almost three weeks, but it’s saying the number is no longer in service.”

  “I’m as good as I can be, given the circumstances,” I admitted, scrubbing a hand down my face. “I’m so sorry I didn’t call sooner, Zak. It’s just been a hectic few weeks and I knew the shop was safe with you so I…”

  “So you didn’t call,” he interjected, though it was more an accusation. I didn’t answer, couldn’t really, prompting him to continue. “Listen, Mr. Royce, I’m flattered and equally honored you trust me so much, but I can’t begin to express how stressed out I’ve been. Running the shop with my buddy hasn’t been so bad, until bills started coming in and I realized I was going to have to pay them to keep the shop open. I wasn’t sure of what you’d want me to do. I didn’t know whether to shut everything down or…”

  “I know, Zak, I know, I’m so sorry.” Now it was me who cut him off, pinching the bridge of my nose. My apology probably meant shit to him but what the fuck was I supposed to tell the kid? I was so embarrassed, so disappointed in myself for not only abandoning him, but also at how easy it was for me to forget about Royce’s in the heat of a fight-or-flight moment. My father was probably looking down on me in shame, shaking his head at my lack of responsibility.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? Where are you?” he went onto ask, the noise level behind him diminishing significantly.

  “A long ways from home and unfortunately, it’s probably going to be that way for the next several months. I wish I could elaborate, Zak, but it’s best I don’t. If you’re unable or unwilling to continue working, I completely understand, I really do. I’ll refer you anywhere and everywhere if you have something else lined up. I’ll just need your help getting everything shut down.”

  “I can work, Mr. Royce. In fact, I’m more than happy to, I just need some help.”

  “Help?” I questioned, truly taken aback at the fact he was still willing to keep the shop running.

  “Yeah, another mechanic, maybe two,” he clarified.

  “Can we even afford that?”

  “At a mechanic’s minimum, for sure.”

  This was news to me, obviously. Yes, things had picked up, thanks to Eden prior to us going on a wild goose chase for the Frenchman, but even then we weren’t bringing enough for me to afford three guys on payroll, on top of all the regular shop bills.

  “Seriously? We’re bringing in that much?” I scooted to the edge of my seat.

  “We are, which is why it would really benefit us to have two guys in the garage while two of us man the registers.”

  “Do it, no questions asked. Set up interviews and pick the most qualified guys you can find. But I want you and your buddy behind the counter, and only you handle payroll.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” Zak agreed, without further question.

  Once again, I couldn’t understand why in the hell Zak stood around, but in any case, I’d never been more grateful for his unwavering loyalty until now. I’d walked into this conversation expecting him to tell me to eat shit and yet here he was, selflessly willing to help me once more, and at a time when I probably didn’t deserve it, after leaving him high and dry for an absurd amount of time.

  “As soon as I get back, we’re talking about a serious promotion, all right?” I stated, snapping my head toward the sound of the sliding glass door running open.

  Eden smiled and joined me out in the mild humidity of the night, taking a seat on my lap. I held a finger to my lips and she nodded in understanding, tunneling her fingers through my hair.

  “Just get home in one piece, Mr. Royce,” Zak countered, wandering back toward all that noise.

  “I’m working on that,” I assured him, rubbing small circles with my thumb at the dip in Eden’s back. “Oh, and Zak?”

  “Yeah?”

  “If anyone asks for me, you haven’t heard a single word.”

  I was in love with the Dominican Republic; the historic places, the beautiful beaches, the charismatic people, the music, everything. I almost didn’t want to leave, but we all know that wasn’t an option. Despite Xander’s sudden worry—it’s seriously like we’d traded places—we were actually making the best of our time here.

  After a few days of doing nothing except shamelessly relaxing on the beach, we took one afternoon to roam the streets of Zona Colonial. Most people know it as the main tourist “attraction” of Santo Domingo, but it’s also the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas. The colonial streets, with their stones buildings and quintessential arch ways, definitely showcased their age. It was like hopping in a time machine and taking a few steps back in history. Some portions seemed more regal with castle-like struc
tures, gorgeous views, and decades-old statues, while others held more of a French Quarter vibe, all bright colors and two-story buildings lined with elegant balconies. Let’s not forget the casinos, shoppes, or quaint restaurants that beckoned you to their front door with music and the delicious scent of comfort food. There was something different to see at every turn, and by the time we made it back to the hotel, we were undeniably spent.

  The days following were surprisingly similar. A new adventure awaited us with every rise of the sun, and before we knew it, Thanksgiving was upon us. Just creeped up out of nowhere, the mere thought of the bountiful holiday now utterly cringeworthy after that nightmare. She had made herself scarce since her unexpected and undesirable visit in Ponce, but I knew she’d come back. I could feel it in my bones. That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to fight back, though. She might’ve been strong, but I had to believe Xander, I had to believe I was stronger. I mean, I’d always been strong, but I’d never had to fight my dark passenger before. Not until I met Xander anyway. I’d always lived my days normally, without any disturbance, only connecting with The Silent Reaper when I needed to cross someone off my list. So why was she so adamant now? Hadn’t she realized I didn’t need her anymore?

  “It must be good,” Xander said, across from me at our table in El Conuco.

  I could hear his chuckle before I even peeked up at him mid-forkful of mofongo, only realizing then I’d been off in another daze. “Huh?”

  “Those little moans you’re making”—he scraped more rice and beans onto his fork—“tells me it must be good.”

  “Mmm, it is actually,” I agreed, savoring the green plantain goodness.

  “Who woulda thought—Dominican cuisine for Thanksgiving.”

  “Not me, but I have to admit, I’m liking the change. Pairs well with our Caribbean holiday theme, don’t you think?”

  Xander hummed with a little nod and shot me a killer wink as he shoveled more food into his mouth. That wink struck me semi-stupid. A content smile creeped across my face and all I could do was sit there and watch him. We may not have been in Puerto Rico, but he just seemed so...at home here. I loved it. I loved catching him at ease, happy.