Page 84 of What Doesn't Kill You…

"Good," Rodrigo said as he entered the bungalow. "You haven't killed him."

"I'm thinking about it," Violet said as Abasi followed Rodrigo into the room.

"I don't know what to say," Abasi said as he pulled out a chair at the table. He was still wearing his waiter uniform. "Usually, you'd offer congratulations, but I got a feeling commiserations are in order."

"Don't say anything," Violet ordered as she resumed stalking the length of the room. "Whatever you say will make it worse."

She'd made it through a long wedding lunch, in one of the island's poshest restaurants, with everyone happy and excited about the ceremony. She'd spent hours forcing a fake smile, to the point her face hurt. She'd eaten food she couldn't taste because shock had killed her taste buds. Endured speeches she couldn't remember because all she could hear was the officiant saying, “Please sign here and we'll be ready to file your wedding certificate.”

She glared at Max. "I am very disappointed in you," she said.

"I feel that's fair," he replied, his eyes on the laptop screen.

She caught Rodrigo and Abasi sharing a worried look and pounced on it.

"What?" she demanded. "What was that? Do I have kids I don't know about too?"

"You might want to sit down," Rodrigo said as he remained standing at the head of the table. "And Max, close down your laptop for a minute."

Crap. This was serious.

"Who's dead?" she asked. Her team were fine and accounted for. Her heart missed a beat. "Is my family?—"

"They're fine." Rodrigo smiled apologetically. "Katrina is keeping an eye on them."

"Then spit out whatever brought you here because the tension is making me want to hurt someone." She looked at Max. "Mainly you."

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I can keep saying it, but it won't change anything."

"Stop talking," Violet said.

"Abasi," Rodrigo said. "You want to bring us up to speed."

"Only if she promises not to hurt me," Abasi said seriously. "She's looking a little violent there. Maybe we should handcuff her to a chair before we get started."

"Maybe you should stop talking about me instead of to me," Violet said darkly.

"See?" Abasi pointed at her.

As Violet growled, Rodrigo sighed. "Just get on with it," he said.

"Fine." Abasi huffed out a breath and relaxed back into his chair, looking far from threatened. "This morning, we overheard a call between Damien and his partner." That made Max sit up straight. "They don't think the island is a safe place to meet, so they've changed the location of the meeting for this evening. It's happening on a boat moored off the other side of St. Patrice."

The air rushed out of Max in a loud whoosh before he shot to his feet, both hands buried in his hair. "It's not happening here? Is this serious? It can't be. The meeting has to happen here. Otherwise…"

"We got married for nothing." Violet clenched her fists tight. "Why weren't we told about this before the wedding?"

Abasi rubbed a hand over the top of his shaven head. "Rochelle wanted time to try to have the meeting changed back to Wedding Island. She tried all of her contacts, in the hope of getting the authorities in the water and making it harder for Damien and his partner to meet in secret." He shook his head with regret. "She couldn't make it happen."

Violet felt a tornado formed of rage build within her. "So, we've missed our opportunity to catch Damien with his partner?"

"Looks like," Abasi said with sympathy.

Max jerked back as though he'd been shot, then he strode to the wall of windows at the back of the bungalow, flung open the door and stepped outside. He stood, hands on hips, his head hanging down as the wind picked up around him and the sky darkened overhead.

Everything he'd worked for, every penny he'd spent, had evaporated with one phone call. All he had to show for his efforts was an empty bank account and a wife he hardly knew.

Even as angry as she felt, her heart still ached for him.