Page 65 of Storm Warning
“It's weird. Whoever this is, what they’re doing are such small things in the grand scheme of your business. What do they hope to accomplish?” Frustration seeped into her tone, bitter on her tongue. It doesn’t make sense!
David pushed his glasses up with one finger. “Who knows? The broken blocks could have been huge, but in the scheme of our business, losing a few thousand—or even tens of thousands—isn’t significant. It wouldn’t shut us down or force us to close the resort. All these incidents appear to be aimed at our professional reputation, making us look bad.”
He paused, his brow creasing with concentration. “But with the Jessica incident, I’m starting to think this isn’t business. It’s personal.”
Zach’s gaze snapped to him. “Explain.”
David blew out a breath. “Like Kate said, most of these problems have been nuisances. The block might have cost us some money and dinged our reputation a little, but nothing critical. Same with the guest incident—a minor embarrassment. Even the dinner reception fiasco was small change in the big picture. But Jessica? That was different. That was targeted—to Nick. Maybe she was supposed to distract him from something else, but so far, there’s been no sign of what that might be. So… distract him from what?”
The words rang through Kate’s mind like a bell.Wait, the note!Heat crept up her neck. “And then there’s the note I got.” She shifted, the swing’s chains jingling. She should have mentioned it sooner.
“What note?” Zach’s eyes snapped to hers, sharp as a blade.
Kate flinched. “Oh, um. Monday morning,a bellman brought me a nasty note. It said to go back where I belong.” She shrugged and looked away, warmth flooding her cheeks.
“Do you still have it?”
“No, I was a bit upset at the time, so it pissed me off and I threw it out.” She stared down at her hands, twisting them in her lap. The skin around her knuckles turned white. Now her cheeks burned, a furnace of embarrassment. She’d screwed up. She should have kept it for Zach, who was now frowning at her. How could she have been so stupid?
“That’s all it said? Go back where you belong?”
Kate closed her eyes, picturing the note in her mind—the plain white paper, the block letters. “Um, it said, ‘Go back where you belong. This is your only warning.’ There was nothing on the envelope but my name.”
“And you said a bellman delivered it? Did you recognize him?”
“No, but the only one I would recognize is Mario.” She struggled to remember the man’s face but gave up as pressure built behind her eyes. She massaged her pounding temples, the ache spreading. “I didn’t pay attention.” Why hadn’t she paid more attention?
Oh, right. She’d just dumped Nick.
“Okay, I’ll check into that. I don’t like the warning, but you should be safe here at the mansion. An extensive security system covers the house and grounds. I’ll make sure everyone knows to keep it activated until we figure this out.”
Zach's frown grew, deep lines cutting across his forehead, and anxiety fluttered in Kate’s chest like a trapped bird. “I don’t like this. Someone sent Jessica here. Someone warns you away. But no one should know Nick is here. How does this make sense?”
Kate rubbed her temple, the headache intensifying. Why didn't she take the note more seriously? The early evening airseemed cooler now, raising goosebumps on her arms. “Maybe they do know Nick is here. I mean, you put on a show of leaving, but you haven’t been visible somewhere else in the last week either.”
“We often drop out of sight for a week or more, especially when we’re working on a major project like Ivory Island. It shouldn’t cause questions.” Zach sighed, raking his hand through his short hair. “But it is possible. Or, someone could have seen one of us from a boat. We only considered hiding from the resort staff, not from someone actively watching for us. I’ll look into that. Kate...”
Zach paused and waited until she met his eyes. The intensity burning there made her breath catch. “Stay safe. Don’t wander around after dark outside the mansion grounds. Be aware of your surroundings. It would kill Nick if something happened to you because of us.”
Kate's stomach started doing backflips as Zach’s words reinforced Nick cared. Her heart hammered against her ribs.
“Give me your phone.”
Kate responded to his order automatically, her hand already moving before her brain caught up, only questioning her action after she’d handed it off to him. Why did she instinctively trust him?
He fiddled with it for a minute, his large fingers deft on the screen, before handing it back to her. “I put in both my number and the direct line of hotel security. Ifanythingfeels off to you, you call me.”
Kate nodded as relief spread through her like warm honey. Talking about the note had rattled her, shaken something loose inside, and his presence was comforting—solid, dependable.
“And that brings us to the other reason we are here.”
Zach’s tone cut into her reflections like a knife, and her eyes flew back to his, her stomach knottingagain.
“Nick. He’s moping. We’ve never seen him like this over a woman. Over anything, for that matter. Nick cares about only two things: his company and his family. And he only cares about the company because it’s a means to an end—a way to take care of his family. He’s never given a damn about any of the Barbie dolls he’s dated, but he’s tied up in knots over you.”
Zach’s steady gaze burned into her, pinning her in place. “I’m not saying this to pressure you. God knows I know jack shit about relationships, so I’m sure as hell not going to tell you what to think or do. I just thought you should know.”
Kate read the concern in Zach’s eyes—real, deep concern—but was it for Nick or her? She nodded, acknowledging his words, but not willing to respond. Her throat was too tight. She had to talk to Nick first. Both men got up and left, their footsteps heavy on the wooden decking, striding back to their side of the mansion.