Page 34 of Wild Idol (Tyson Wild Thriller #82)

The delicious blonde snuggled beside me. She peeled open her sleepy eyes. “Good morning.”

“Good morning. What the hell was that?” I asked, already knowing.

She yawned, unconcerned. “Tremor. We get them all the time.”

“The volcano?”

She nodded and teased, “Unless you make the gods angry, we’re fine.”

“And what makes the gods angry?” I asked, playing along.

“Not satisfying my every desire,” she said with smoldering eyes .

“Well, I don’t want to make the gods angry.” I smiled and kissed her to appease the volcanic spirits.

Needless to say, Sunshine was good at inspiring morning aerobics. We went at it, hot and heavy, rumbling the bungalow all on our own. By the end of it, I was pretty sure the spirits had been appeased, and that volcano would never erupt.

We showered, dressed, and made our way to the pavilion for breakfast.

Everything ran on a pretty tight schedule around here.

JD and Whisper joined us.

We feasted like kings on avocado toast on wood-fired bread.

We ate fresh papaya, mango, and passionfruit.

We drank chilled mango and pineapple juice with a splash of vanilla bean and a twist of fresh lime.

We ate fried plantains and fluffy omelettes with goat cheese, caramelized onions, and grilled chorizo, served with a side of black beans.

We had jerk shrimp and crispy pork bellies with sweet potato hash.

We guzzled down dark roast coffee, grown on the island in the thick, volcanic soil, served with a cinnamon-infused cream. We filled our bellies under the thatched roof of the pavilion while the birds sang and the distant sound of the waves crashed against the shore.

If I didn’t know better, I was beginning to think this was paradise.

“What are your plans for the day?“ I asked the girls.

They frowned .

Whisper said, “We have to attend to our duties. But we’ll be available this evening,” she said with a hopeful smile, doting on Jack.

“You should go see the volcano,” Sunshine said. “It’s a nice hike. On a clear day, you can see the entire island and the vast ocean. It will make you realize just how isolated we are.” Then she added, “Just don’t fall in.”

I laughed. “Trust me, I won’t.”

“But don’t venture to the other side of the volcano without a guide. We have an understanding with the tribal natives,” Whisper said. “We respect their territory, and they respect ours.”

Solomon approached our table with a cheery smile. “Good morning, gentlemen. I trust you had a good night’s sleep?”

“Indeed,” Jack said.

I certainly felt rested, but there wasn’t a whole lot of sleep happening last night.

“If you’d like, I can have Star guide you across the island to show you some of the humanitarian work we are doing here.”

“I think that would be delightful,” Jack said.

Sunshine forced a smile, but there was a hint of jealousy in her eyes. “I can take them.”

“Star has business with the tribe. It’s best if she leads them.”

“Of course,” Sunshine said, putting on a good face.

We finished breakfast, bussed our plates, then the girls bid us farewell .

“Until this evening,” Sunshine said in a sultry tone. She kissed my cheek and sauntered away with Whisper, giggling.

We watched their hips sway, still mesmerized by the sight.

“Are you starting to see the virtues of our way of life?” Solomon asked.

“It certainly has its merits,” I said.

“Everyone has a function here. A purpose,” Solomon said.

“We have fishermen that wake before sunrise to catch snapper, mahi-mahi, and lobster. We have forgers that pick wild fruits. They harvest mangoes, papayas, coconuts, plantains, and roots for medicinal herbs. We have farmers and butchers, carpenters, and cooks. Everyone here has a defined role and does their share.”

“Don’t forget armed security guards.”

“A necessary fact of life. I don’t need to tell you of the dangers that exist out there. We’d like to keep our little sanctuary just that, a sanctuary.” A grim frown tugged his face. “I fear that one day evil doers will find our fair paradise and take pleasures that do not belong to them.”

It was a valid concern.

Star joined us.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Good morning,” she replied without a hint of awkwardness, as though last night had never happened.

“Gentlemen, I will leave you in Star’s capable hands. I think you’ll be impressed with what you see. It may change your whole perspective.”

“Are you ready for a hike?” she asked.

“I can’t think of a better way to start the day.” It was already off to a pretty good start.

“We can climb up the mountain, and I can show you Tzacayotl, or we can go around. Whichever you prefer.”

“It’s clearly an active volcano, right?”

Ivy smiled. “Don’t worry. There hasn’t been a major eruption in over 300 years.”

“Define major,” Jack said.

She chuckled. “Don’t be so scared.”

Jack frowned at her playfully. “I ain’t scared.”

“Think you can handle the hike?” she taunted.

“I can handle it.”

Star led us away from the village, down a narrow trail that ran deep into the jungle.

The twisting path weaved like a serpent through the underbrush, growing ever more treacherous.

Uneven and dense, thick with roots and vines, this was the road less traveled.

It wasn’t groomed and manicured like the retreat.

It was the kind of terrain where you had to be careful not to turn an ankle.

JD’s had been giving him trouble for years now, especially after our last jungle adventure.

Sweat misted my skin, and my heart thumped as the terrain grew steep. My quads protested, longing for the comfort of my bed and Sunshine’s soft embrace .

I followed Star up the mountain, getting a glute workout in.

She had nice glutes, and a regular journey like this would keep them in impeccable condition.

She moved with grace and ease, surefooted like a mountain goat.

She was born for this trek, her toned legs slick with sweat, her muscles flexing.

I looked back at Jack to see how he was doing. He huffed and puffed a little but gave me the thumbs up.

Monkeys swung from branches, and birds chirped. The dappled rays of sunshine filtered through the thick canopy of leaves. The air was dense, like a sauna, as the sun climbed ever higher.

Every breeze that rustled the leaves was a welcomed relief.

The ground transitioned from rusty dirt to cracked obsidian. The heat grew more and more intense, wisps of steam rising up through fissures in the volcanic rock. The mountain was alive and perhaps aware of our presence. Trespassers on sacred soil.

Had my morning ritual been enough? Would the angry fire god need a sacrifice to be appeased?