Chapter 1
“This land is not for sale,” said the angry man holding the cutlass.
“Then why was Kalani showing it to us? He must have had permission from the owner.” Angelique said surprising even herself with her defiance; the men standing in front of her were intimidating for sure.
“He did not have permission from the owner,” the man said, his eyes bulging and a vein throbbing in his neck. “Because I am the owner.”
Theo had his hands in his pockets, looking calm and collected.
“I’m a lawyer,” he shrugged. “Maybe I could take a look at the land papers and sort this all out.”
“No!” the man said. “All you can do is get the hell out of here.”
Theo shrugged and took Angelique’s hand.
“I think that’s our cue, babe,” he said leading her away slowly.
“Yep.”
She was glad Theo didn’t make a big scene and start a fight on one hand, but she was disappointed that they gave in so easily. This would have been the perfect place for the hotel.
But, the man was holding a cutlass…
She smiled at Theo, though she felt like crying, as they tramped back through the tropical bush to their rental Jeep.
“If you come back, I’ll kill you,” the man hollered from behind them. He sounded like he meant it.
“Yeah!” another shouted. “Don’t you ever come back here, little boy!”
She felt Theo’s hand tighten around hers, but he stared straight ahead, his eyes alive with an energy he was trying to hold back.
“Pathetic little boy,” the man said, then laughed raucously, his laugh scratchy and heavy, like he’d just smoked an entire pack of cigarettes.
Theo paused and turned to them.
“We are going peacefully,” he said. “There’s no need to insult me.”
“What the hell did he say?” the man said. “What the hell did that boy say to me?”
“He was telling you what to do,” another shouted.
Angelique glanced back as they continued walking. She saw the man swaggering up behind them, his cutlass held in front of him.
“Theo!” she said.
Theo turned around to see the man gaining on them.
“Come on!” he hollered, pulling on Angelique’s hand. They dashed through the thick bush, slapping vines out of the way and tripping over their flip flops.
“Aaargh!” Theo shouted.
Angelique turned to look and screamed.
Immediately, she saw a fresh gash on his bicep weeping blood down his arms. The man’s cutlass tip dripped Theo’s blood.
“How dare you! What is wrong with you?” Angelique shouted before she could stop herself.
“I would watch your mouth, little lady,” the man said. “I’d hate to have to hurt such a pretty little thing.”
Angelique helped Theo up and they sprinted to the Jeep at lightning speed.
“I’ll drive,” she said, grabbing the keys from his hand and looking back.
The man stood a little way back, his cutlass raised. “And never come back!”
Angelique’s hands shook so much that it was a struggle to put the key in the ignition, but eventually she managed it.
She was so angry; this was not how this was supposed to happen! She couldn’t believe that they had just been attacked by some crazy man. This stuff doesn’t happen in real life!
More than anything, though, Angelique was sad. She felt her dreams for the spa, for the future were slipping away.
“I’m driving you to the emergency room,” she told Theo. “We should probably call the police, too.”
“No way, babe. I’m fine and there is no need to get the police involved. I’d rather not have to see that crazy bastard again.”
She flipped the car into gear and took off, speeding over the bumpy terrain.
Theo tended to his wound with a spare T-shirt he found in the back seat. He winced as he pressed it against the raw flesh.
She glanced at him and scrunched up her face. “This is all my fault. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be silly,” he said.
“No, it is ,” she stressed. “I was the one
“This land is not for sale,” said the angry man holding the cutlass.
“Then why was Kalani showing it to us? He must have had permission from the owner.” Angelique said surprising even herself with her defiance; the men standing in front of her were intimidating for sure.
“He did not have permission from the owner,” the man said, his eyes bulging and a vein throbbing in his neck. “Because I am the owner.”
Theo had his hands in his pockets, looking calm and collected.
“I’m a lawyer,” he shrugged. “Maybe I could take a look at the land papers and sort this all out.”
“No!” the man said. “All you can do is get the hell out of here.”
Theo shrugged and took Angelique’s hand.
“I think that’s our cue, babe,” he said leading her away slowly.
“Yep.”
She was glad Theo didn’t make a big scene and start a fight on one hand, but she was disappointed that they gave in so easily. This would have been the perfect place for the hotel.
But, the man was holding a cutlass…
She smiled at Theo, though she felt like crying, as they tramped back through the tropical bush to their rental Jeep.
“If you come back, I’ll kill you,” the man hollered from behind them. He sounded like he meant it.
“Yeah!” another shouted. “Don’t you ever come back here, little boy!”
She felt Theo’s hand tighten around hers, but he stared straight ahead, his eyes alive with an energy he was trying to hold back.
“Pathetic little boy,” the man said, then laughed raucously, his laugh scratchy and heavy, like he’d just smoked an entire pack of cigarettes.
Theo paused and turned to them.
“We are going peacefully,” he said. “There’s no need to insult me.”
“What the hell did he say?” the man said. “What the hell did that boy say to me?”
“He was telling you what to do,” another shouted.
Angelique glanced back as they continued walking. She saw the man swaggering up behind them, his cutlass held in front of him.
“Theo!” she said.
Theo turned around to see the man gaining on them.
“Come on!” he hollered, pulling on Angelique’s hand. They dashed through the thick bush, slapping vines out of the way and tripping over their flip flops.
“Aaargh!” Theo shouted.
Angelique turned to look and screamed.
Immediately, she saw a fresh gash on his bicep weeping blood down his arms. The man’s cutlass tip dripped Theo’s blood.
“How dare you! What is wrong with you?” Angelique shouted before she could stop herself.
“I would watch your mouth, little lady,” the man said. “I’d hate to have to hurt such a pretty little thing.”
Angelique helped Theo up and they sprinted to the Jeep at lightning speed.
“I’ll drive,” she said, grabbing the keys from his hand and looking back.
The man stood a little way back, his cutlass raised. “And never come back!”
Angelique’s hands shook so much that it was a struggle to put the key in the ignition, but eventually she managed it.
She was so angry; this was not how this was supposed to happen! She couldn’t believe that they had just been attacked by some crazy man. This stuff doesn’t happen in real life!
More than anything, though, Angelique was sad. She felt her dreams for the spa, for the future were slipping away.
“I’m driving you to the emergency room,” she told Theo. “We should probably call the police, too.”
“No way, babe. I’m fine and there is no need to get the police involved. I’d rather not have to see that crazy bastard again.”
She flipped the car into gear and took off, speeding over the bumpy terrain.
Theo tended to his wound with a spare T-shirt he found in the back seat. He winced as he pressed it against the raw flesh.
She glanced at him and scrunched up her face. “This is all my fault. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be silly,” he said.
“No, it is ,” she stressed. “I was the one
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