Page 5 of Fighting With Light

“Aelia, this is Bali. This is a go with the flow until the flow changes kind of place. The only detail is I’ll pick you up at seven tonight.”

“What should I wear?” she asks.

“I don’t know. Whatever you want to wear on a tropical island? If suits are your thing, then wear a suit.”

She giggles and I wink. “Got it. Wear somethingtropical.”

I shrug and grin. “If that’s your thing.”

She shakes her head and smiles.

“I’ll see you at seven. Oh, I’m at the resort down the beach,” she says, pointing a little further down, which just happens to be the same resort where I’m living at the moment.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.” She does a cute wave and walks away.

After I finish putting everything away, Trick and I lock up. We say our goodbyes and I go to my villa to get my board while keeping a close eye out for Aelia.

***

The moment the warm water hits my skin, I sigh and paddle my board out past the break, duck diving under the wave breaking over me. I love this part. It’s like entering into another world as the ocean swells around you.

My board breaks through the water and I look behind me, watching the wave slam against the water below it as it pushes towards the shore. A swell comes towards me and instead of sitting there, I get to it and paddle hard. I place both hands on either side of my board and hop to my feet right as the wave crests, and I drop into the ten-foot swell. Spray splashes against me and my face splits into a smile as I squat further down, keeping my balance as my board increases in speed. The bigger the wave, the faster you can go. My hair whips back behind me and I dip my weight, coasting to the end of the wave.

The board sinks and I flip it around to go back out. Some waves are bigger than others as I practice a few things I know I missed in my last competition. I’m convinced I lost a few points because of it. Technique is everything in professional surfing.

Exhaustion and blessed calm finally fills me, and the sun is beginning to set as I swim back to shore.

It’s time for me to get ready for my date with the enemy.

4

Liam

Aelia’s villa is onthe other side of the resort and I was a little surprised she gave me her villa number. Apparently, I look that trustworthy. I wanted to use the hacking software I’m developing to get data off of phones. It’s similar to cloning, but it’s not finished yet and would probably crash the phone. I’ve developed it so all I would have to do is open the app, and it could grab her information. The problem is the phone has to be unlocked and I haven’t found a way around that. It’s tricky to get people to leave their phones open. So I’ll have to get information the old fashion way, talking to her. Good thing I excel at that, too.

It cooled down a little, but it’s still in the eighties. Closer to the ocean, the humidity is a lot easier to handle compared to the jungle. So, it’s turning out to be a pleasant night. My plan is to get her to trust me enough to tell me why she’s here and if there are any ulterior motives regarding my family. I still haven’t called my brothers to tell them she’s here. Last time, I followed her to Hawaii and they got mad at me for spying on the mob boss’s daughter, so I will make sure this is an actual issue before alerting them.

There is a small part of me that feels…bad for doing this, but my family comes first and they always will. If I have to play nice to ask some questions, or maybe force a few of them, I will.

Walking around to her back door that faces the ocean, I knock on the glass. A moment later, I see the outline of her tiny figure, and she peeks around the curtain. Her eyes widen in surprise at me and I smile at her. She was probably expecting me at the front door, but this date will start on the beach.

Aelia flips the lock and slides it open. “That’s one way to make an entrance,” she says with one arm behind her back in her silky robe tied at her waist.

I shrug and lean against the door frame. “Well, I figured we might as well save you a few steps since we’re going to be walking down the beach.”

The corner of her mouth tips up and she takes a step back. “Just give me a minute. I’m almost ready,” she says.

I nod, glimpsing the glint of a knife while she struts back to the bathroom, leaving the door wide open.

Keeping my position at the door, I peek around the room for anything that would answer my questions. I doubt I’ll see anything; it’s not like the movies where she has a file on me and it’s laying out on the bed or the desk.

She’s still in the bathroom with the door ajar and I can see her reflection in the mirror. With her back to it, she drops the silk robe from her shoulders. Her bare, toned back, tan skin, and slender shoulders draw my eye over every curve and it’s hard to look away.

She steps out of the reflection of the mirror, out of sight, and I blink a few times before continuing to scan the room. She could be hiding something somewhere. If she was here for me, she would likely have a weapon, which I confirmed she had, but that’s it. Everything else is normal. It screams money, luxury, and mafia princess.

Heels click on the floor and I look up to find Aelia in a silky, lavender dress that kisses her figure. The length hits her mid-calf and a slit runs up the side, exposing her thigh. She has her dark brown hair twisted up, showing off her slender neck and chest with a small gold necklace that dips between her breasts.

“What do you think?” she asks me, as if she already knows the answer. I’m sure she does.