Page 93 of What Doesn't Kill You…

Mud sucked at Violet's running shoes, while rain and wind whipped the forest into a frenzy. Branches cracked and plummeted to the ground like bombs from above, as leaves and twigs turned into out-of-control missiles. They were in a war zone. Mother Nature was raging against them.

The cold, knotted fury in Violet's belly silently roared with frustration. Max had thought this was the best way in? Her hand trembled as she shoved a branch out of her way, and she realized it wasn't only fury she felt. Underneath it all was a growing sense of dread. What if she was too late? What if Max was already dead? What if his desperation and stupidity had taken him from her?

She glanced down at the wedding ring she'd forgotten to remove and curled her fist tight around it.

No, she thought.

Just no.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

"What's going on?" Lian asked as she sidled up to Katrina.

Katrina forced a smile and hoped she looked relaxed. This was a fun night out and she had to play the part. All the while, she kept checking her phone to see if there was a message from Rodrigo. And each time she did it, she worried the one tiny bar at the top of her screen would disappear and there would be no way for him to tell her if Max and Violet were okay.

"Katrina," Lian said as she took a seat beside her. "I asked what's going on?"

"I don't know what you mean." She gave Violet’s grandmother, what she hoped was, a reassuring smile.

"Let me see if I can help you with that," Lian said sweetly. "Until about fifteen minutes ago, when Rodrigo left the bar, Harris had been flirting with every girl in the room. Now he's sitting with us, and he keeps checking the exits, as though he expects trouble to walk through one of them at any second."

Katrina inwardly grimaced. "Probably just keeping an eye out for his brothers," she said lamely as her eye drifted to her phone—still a signal, still no message.

She swallowed hard and hoped Lian didn't notice she was on edge.

"Meanwhile," Lian said, "we've had the same waiter at every meal, and you, Rodrigo, and my granddaughter seem quite familiar with him. In fact, I do believe Rodrigo left with him a few minutes ago."

"Coincidence," Katrina lied and suspected Lian saw straight through it. "And, as for being familiar with the waiter, well, it always pays to recognize good service."

Still no message from Rodrigo. She gripped the phone tight and willed him to text while it was still possible for him to do so.

Lian cocked an eyebrow in a superior manner that made Katrina feel about two inches tall. "On top of all of that, my granddaughter confessed before the wedding, telling me you were all here to work and the wedding was merely pretense."

Katrina narrowed her eyes at the woman. "You could have started with that part," she said.

"Where would the fun in that be?" Lian said before turning serious. "Now, I'll ask again—what's going on?"

Out on the dance floor, Violet's nieces were trying to start a conga. It wasn't going well.

"Katrina, I'm waiting," Lian pressed.

Just as Katrina's phone buzzed. She read the message quickly. It didn't help.

Got a problem over here. Looks like Max locked Violet in the toilet then went after Damien, Rodrigo wrote. She managed to get out and we think she followed him. We're heading to the estate to see if we can find them. They still think the meet is happening off island. They're walking into an army. Will be in touch.

Her eyes shot to Harris, and he solemnly held up his phone. Obviously, he'd received the same message.

A delicate hand curved over her own and Katrina found Lian looking at her with great concern. "Speak to me, child," she said gently. "I can help."

There was no avoiding the soft demand, nor the knowing gaze. "Violet and Max weren't answering their phones so Rodrigo, Abasi—the waiter, and Logan went to check on them." The text from Rodrigo swam in front of her eyes. "It seems Max has run off to deal with the resort owner on his own, and he locked Violet in the bathroom so she wouldn't follow."

"But she escaped," Lian said with certainty. "She must be worried sick about the man. What a foolish thing to do."

"And desperate," Katrina said. "Damien killed one of his friends when they were in college, and he's been getting away with murder ever since. He's involved in all sorts of criminal activity that's hurt a lot of people. He has to be stopped."

"But not this way," Lian said.

"No. It would seem emotion, rather than logic, is running the show now."