Dead or Alive_Part One Read online

  Cutting a glance around the room, in all its avocado green walls and palapa-topped roof glory, I noted the traditional decor gave me that sense of home too. Okay, maybe not home because Daddy’s style wasn’t this casual, but I couldn’t ignore the warmth and comfort these surroundings offered my soul.

  Maybe we should just take residence somewhere around here, I thought to myself as Gabriella, our waitress, sidled up to our table, radiant smile in place.

  “¿Comos le va?” she asked, tucking a dark curl behind her ear.

  I assumed she was asking how our food was, but I let Xander answer, not wanting to make myself look an idiot if I answered incorrectly.

  “Espectacular, gracias,” he replied, wiping his mouth clean.

  That Spanish, lawd Jesus…

  I’d missed the banter between him and his aunt.

  “¿Quieres otra?” She pointed to his now empty bottle of Presidente and he nodded graciously.

  “Si, porfavor.”

  “¿Y pa usted, senorita? Otra mas?” Her bright smile was on me now.

  “If you have another, that’s your last one, Angel,” Xander warned before I could respond, darting my gaze to where he sat.

  “Why? It’s only my second one.”

  “Exactly. Brugal is strong as hell, baby, trust me.”

  Brugal, schmrugal…

  “I’m not a lightweight, babe.” I rolled my eyes and turned to Gabriella, giving her a sure nod of my head and a friendly grin for good measure.

  “You say that now. Wait thirty minutes and you’re gonna be stumbling about in a rum-induced stupor,” he explained, stabbing at the shredded beef on his plate.

  I lifted a hand to my chest and gasped, feigning offense. “You’d let me stumble?”

  “Never, which means I’m carrying you back to our room.”

  “Over the threshold and all? How romantic,” I sang.

  Sly brown eyes met mine, that panty-melting smile coming out to play too. “Oh, I’ll show you romantic alright.”

  Turns out, Xander was right. Brugal was some pretty lethal shit. I hadn’t noticed as we sat there and finished our dinner, lingering at our table long after we’d paid when the restaurant’s infamous live dancing started up, but once we shuffled out the front door and trailed down the streets of Zona Colonial to the beach, everything started blurring together. Not terribly, but I was way past simply tipsy at that point.

  “That was nice,” I said to Xander as we slipped off our shoes and trudged into the white sand, hand in hand.

  “What? The food or the rum,” he quipped, twirling me around at the start of a new song blaring from the casino across the street.

  My head swam a little but almost immediately, I recognized the tune—“Stand by Me.” Daddy played this plenty of times throughout the years. This version was a little different though, clearly remixed with sensual Hispanic notes.

  Tossing my sandals aside, I wrapped an arm around his neck, laughing freely as he swallowed me in his embrace. “Both,” I admitted, relishing every tiny detail of this moment.

  His light and breezy demeanor was more contagious than it’d been during dinner, and that smile, Jesus take the wheel, that smile. I didn’t want it to go away. Ever.

  “Sway twice and step, Angel,” his husky voice murmured in my ear, large hands manipulating my hips over my long, flowy aquamarine dress.

  I followed his lead through the beat, swaying my hips twice, then taking a little step. Wasn’t difficult in the slightest when he had my body pressed flush against his, guiding me effortlessly, as if we’d done this a million times before. At one point, we gravitated so close to the shore, the warm tide washed over our feet. Idly, I thought about how I’d yet to stumble over; that is, of course, until he spun me around again and I lost my footing, tumbling us right into the sand. Xander was dead weight on top of me, the sounds of our laughter somehow carrying above the music around us.

  “I’m not quite equipped for dancing right now,” I stated, trapping him between my legs as he lifted onto his elbows.

  “But you are for something else,” he cooed salaciously, and I whacked his good arm, pulling him closer by the chin to peck his lips.

  “Behave, I don’t have my tits out.”

  “Thank fuck for that, although I don’t think I need to point out they will be later.” His teeth sunk into the soft flesh exposed by the neckline of my dress, eyes rapt on my face.

  “Stooop—don’t be a tease.”

  “I told you I was gonna be romantic, right? We’re on the beach, late at night, that’s pretty damn romantic if you ask me.”

  “Romantic, yes,” I agreed. “But why tease me?”

  “Because I love it. Hearing those meek little whimpers that bubble in your throat, how your arms lock around my neck and your legs tremble around my waist. The part is imagining how wet you’re gonna be when I finally sink into you. Riling you up is the ultimate high, Angel,” he growled, gripping the underside of my thigh.

  “Would you fuck me right here if I let you?” I asked breathily, suddenly aroused at his admission, at his proximity. I’m blaming that on the rum…

  Warm lips danced up my neck. “Why is that even a question?”

  “Because sex on the beach is on my bucket list.”

  “We might be able to make that happen, depending on how you answer my next question…”

  “Which would be?”

  “Where do you wanna go next?”

  Where do I wanna go next?

  “Tonight?” I queried in confusion.

  “No, next, as in once we leave D.R.,” he clarified.

  But I don’t want to leave…

  We hadn’t even been here a full week yet and he was already wanting to move onto the next place.

  “Can’t we stay just a little longer? I really want to go to Punta Cana,” I admitted, jutting out my bottom lip.

  Xander’s brow quirked curiously. “What’s in Punta Cana?”

  “Hoyo Azul,” I conceded. “I think that’s how you say it anyway. It’s this gorgeous, natural turquoise pool at the mouth of a sixty-five-foot cliff.”

  “And you know about this place, how?” he hedged.

  “Late-night research after you passed out on me the other night. I couldn’t sleep, kept tossing and turning, so I typed ‘must-visit places in the Caribbean,’ into Google, and Hoyo Azul was pretty high up on the list.”

  “How long do you want to stay?” His question came laced with amusement and I hitched a shoulder.

  “I don’t know. A few days, maybe?”

  “And from there, where do you wanna go after?” he pressed.

  “I was thinking the Bahamas.”

  Xander visibly mulled it over for several seconds, the wheels in his head nearly bursting through his skull. I couldn’t stop myself from giggling and in turn, he chuckled softly right along with me, dropping his forehead to mine.

  “I think that’s a great itinerary. I’ve got one more question for you, and then we’re gonna take care of that bucket list of yours.”

  “Hmmm?”

  “When do you wanna leave for Punta Cana?”

  “This weekend?” I asked, bunching my dress in anticipation.

  “This weekend it is then, I guess,” he murmured, lips teasing mine, tongue flicking out along the seam.

  “You’re an easy travel buddy,” I mumbled after a beat.

  “That’s ’cause I’ll go anywhere… As long as it’s with you.”

  Location: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

  If there were one word in the dictionary that best described Hoyo Azul, extraordinary would have to be it. Enchanting, spellbinding, and marvelous are a few more. As beautiful as that waterfall was back in Ponce, this topped it in tenfold. Hands down. The images and videos I saw online didn’t do it justice, at all. Took a while to make our way up to the cenote but the trek through the jungle was captivating. There was exotic wildlife, lush greenery and botanicals, even a bridge, hundreds upon hundreds of
feet from the ground with a stunning panoramic view. The tour guide even elaborated on the flora, fauna, and endemic species of the island as we followed the pathway to our destination. We were literally one with nature and it felt so…liberating. Exhilarating.

  And then we caught our first glimpse of that water. So vividly blue, it appeared to glow beneath the borderline oppressive rays of the sun. I say borderline oppressive but really, the temperatures were quite pleasant once we reached the foot of the pit. Tour guide dude said it was due to the fact that we were going from a macro-climate to a micro-climate or something like that, but I’d kinda tuned him out at that point, too amazed by the natural wonder in front of me to pay him and his rehearsed information any mind.

  “Is it cold?” I asked Xander, who was already waist-deep in the freshwater pool, along with the other tourists in our group.

  “A little, but it’s mostly warm. Get your ass in here already.” He beamed a smile and splashed a wave of water my way.

  I barely missed it, squealing as a sprinkle of cool droplets rained over me. Laughter resounded around us and I knew all eyes were on me. He was so gonna get it...

  Sliding out of my clothes in double-time, I tossed them on top of Xander’s and jumped off one of the wooden steps, cannonballing into the water right in front of him with a monstrous splash. When I shot up to the surface and wiped the water from my eyes, he was doing the very same, grinning at my childlike antics.

  “There’s other people trying to enjoy the water, ya know,” he chastised.

  “You splashed me first, remember,” I reminded him, purposely splashing him thereafter for added effect.

  Xander turned away from my onslaught and scrunched his eyes closed, catching my wrists between two fingers. He pulled me toward him with ease. “Now you’re just begging for war.”

  “I doubt that, seeing as there’s people trying to enjoy the water, ya know,” I quipped mockingly, and he locked me in his arms, growling playfully in my ear.

  “And now you’re just being a smartass.”

  “You asked for it,” I retorted.

  “I did no such thing.”

  “Yeah, you kinda did, but I’d say it’s irrelevant now.”

  “And why is that?” he questioned, hands wandering the curves of my body as always.

  “’Cause you got me right where you wanted me,” I murmured, fiddling with the hairs falling over the nape of his neck.

  “Can’t argue with that when you’re one-hundred percent correct.”

  “I should point out, Mr. Royce, although I’m sure you already noticed...there are children here.”

  “And not one of them are worried about we’re doing,” he countered with a smirk, prompting me to tilt my head to the side.

  “You mean, what you’re doing.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

  “Well, let me fill you in then,” I whispered close to his lips, watching the small group of people behind us. “Your hands are quite full of my ass.”

  “Not my fault, they like your pert little ass,” he said, squeezing said ass in such a tight grip, I almost yelped.

  I could’ve sworn at least five heads turned toward us at his response, rising the color in the cheeks all the more than the sun had already managed to do.

  “Shhh, could you be any louder,” I whisper-hissed and he grinned, boyishly so.

  “Definitely.”

  Subduing an equally cheesy grin was no easy feat but I managed to quell it enough, a playful scoff shooting out from my mouth instead. “And here I thought you had scruples.”

  “I do, but not when this tempting little body of yours is wet and on display.”

  “We’re swimming, X. What do you expect me to wear? A full bodysuit?” Obviously, I was kidding but still Xander nodded, as though that were the greatest idea I’d had to date.

  “It would be way less distracting,” he agreed.

  This man…

  “You’re impossible, you know that?”

  Nod. “Yup.”

  “Do you have an answer for everything?”

  Another nod. “Yup.”

  “I’m gonna kick your ass,” I added, and he barked out a laugh that once again had several heads turning our way.

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Oh, but I am,” I stressed.

  “You’re not, and you wanna know how I know?” he hedged.

  Genuinely intrigued as to what he could possibly say, I hummed, bracing myself for some mind-blowing revelation.

  Xander grinned at my intrigue. “’Cause you gotta catch me first.”

  Then I found myself plunging underwater from the lack of his hold. He’d let me go! The slick bastard let me go and shot off to the other end of the shaded cenote, where most of our group was congregating to shield themselves from the sun. Several kids were splashing about with their families. Various groups of friends took endless photos, having a good splash every now and then too. I was just about go after him when—to his advantage—a loud round of squealing and laughter quickly captured my attention; two couples, who were quite obviously friends, were playing a round of Chicken. Both men were giants, as wide as they were tall. One was tattooed in entirety with icy blues while the other had what seemed to be the silkiest ebony skin I’d ever seen. Their SO’s were simply gorgeous too; one with wild blonde locks, the other a sleek brunette. They were having the time of their lives. So young, wild, and carefree.

  Something you’ll never be, whispered that voice, her voice.

  I gasped inaudibly. My heart revved into overdrive, her words shaking me to my core. I knew she wouldn’t be silent for long…

  Leave me alone, I mentally replied, watching Xander’s playful expression fall away before he started back for me.

  Never.

  A hiss.

  A fact.

  A promise.

  The depraved truth.

  And this was only the beginning.

  Location: Nassau, Bahamas

  Nearly 6 weeks since fleeing the country…

  “Do we need this much space?” I asked Eden, pretty much flabbergasted, as we walked into our suite at the famous Atlantis Hotel. Our Penthouse Suite, I should add, because you know, a regular room was a no-go given the hotel we were staying at. My girl’s words, not mine.

  “We don’t, but why not thoroughly enjoy the three days we’re staying here,” she quipped, tossing a wink my way from over her shoulder as she pranced off happily to go explore our temporary palace.

  I set our dufflebags—yes, we had two now—by the mahogany door and flipped the lock in place, my gaze fixated on the gorgeous view of blue waters and the other side of the magnificent coral tower, courtesy of the floor to ceiling windows. From there, my eyes wandered pretty much anywhere and everywhere, taking in all the fine details. All I could see were dollar signs. Everything was upgraded, luxurious, pristine. Very white too, the only pops of color—mostly oranges, blues, and golds—tied in with decorative pillows or the abstract paintings on the walls. I didn’t even want to walk on the clean, glossy floors with my fairly-new shoes; that’s how sparkling this place was.

  Slipping them off out of both courtesy and habit, I left them by the door and padded further into the suite, passing a hallway and a powder room along the way. When I turned into the massive, and I mean massive main room, Eden was on her way out of what I presumed was the Master of three bedrooms.

  “We could’ve enjoyed ourselves in a smaller, less extortionately priced room, Angel,” I said, in reference to what she’d thrown out before disappearing.

  “It’s not extortionately priced, baby. I got us a hell of a deal, don’t worry,” she purred, slithering up to me, her arms slinking around my neck, blue eyes twinkling.

  I gripped her at the waist and eased my head back, regarding her curiously. “And just how did you manage that?”

  “I have my ways, Mr. Royce,” she murmured, her voice velvety and smooth.

  “Oh, I know yo
u do, which is why I wanna know what stops you had to pull to knock down the price on a gig like this.”

  “A little bit of this, a little of that.” She shrugged, tapping my nose. “Nothing too difficult.”

  “Not with those flirty baby blues and that salacious little smile of yours, I’m sure.”

  “You mean like this?” She flashed me the very smile I’d mentioned, batting her long lashes and all. I almost went pea-fucking-green with jealousy at the thought of her smiling like that at another man to snag a deal, but I forced myself to inhale a deep breath, humming by way of response instead.

  Eden smirked knowingly and rolled her eyes, inching up on her toes to claim my lips. “I’ll show you more of those flirty eyes later but for now, how about we head down to the pool for a little while, catch a few rays, have some drinks.”

  “If you promise to leave your top on this time, yes,” I agreed.

  “One time. I take it off one time, and you completely lose it.” She laughed, shoving me back into the couch. “You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?”

  “No, probably not,” I admitted, falling in a heap on the soft cushion.

  Crawling onto my lap, she raked a hand through her hair as I draped my arms over the back, appreciating the view directly in front of me, along with the one spread out behind her. We were so high above everything, it almost felt like we were floating on a cloud over the ocean. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d get to experience anything like this. Surrounded by the opulence of this ostentatious suite, I should’ve felt wrongly out place. But for a moment—for a brief, fleeting moment—I allowed myself to imagine this was our life, that we were actually Samuel and Jean Alfonso vacationing in the Caribbean. A normal couple with everyday problems that came and went easily…

  “Get out of your head, X,” Eden said suddenly, darting my focus back on her. “We’re safe, we can afford it. Take a breath.”

  I actually did take a breath, a deep one that puffed up my chest. Was my unease that utterly palpable? Based on the look she was giving me, yes, it was, and it was only getting worse. The simplest thing could flip the switch within me, the one that controlled happiness and fear. I was constantly teetering on the edge, barely walking a straight line. Sights, sounds, smells; anything and everything was a possible trigger. How much it affected me depended on how much I dwelled. I’d been so determined to keep Eden in a positive mindset—something I was apparently doing quite well—yet still I couldn’t seem to do the same for myself.