Chapter Ten

 

Parker squirmed in her seat trying to get comfortable. She and Riley may have been in the Premier Club, the restaurant for elite travelers with the airline, but their chairs were like fold-up chairs compared to the supple leather of the lounge at the private airport the family used. They had another hour before they were to board the plane for the Ambrosian Islands, and she was going stir crazy. It had been eons since she’d flown commercial; getting a private plane ready for you at will was definitely more appealing.

“What’s up with you?” Riley looked up from his cell phone.

“I am going to say something and sound like a total elitist, but this commercial flying is for the birds. Those coach seats weren’t meant for tall people like us.”

He put his arm around her shoulders. “Technically, the birds wouldn’t need a commercial plane with that God-given ability to fly with their wings.”

“Ha ha.” She put her head on his shoulder.

He glanced at his cell phone again. “Aubrey says hello and she wishes you all the luck in the world and that she’ll text you later.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet of her. How’s she doing with the hiking?”

“She said she’s having fun, but she’d kill for a five-star hotel, room service, and a spa.”

“Good.” She laughed. “We warned her, but I guess you do crazy things when you’re in love.”

“I guess so.”

“I’m proud of you for being supportive of her. I know it took a while, but it was the right thing to do. You gave him the obligatory big brother ‘I’ll kick your ass if you break her heart’ speech. I think he heard you loud and clear.”

“He’d better.”

“And I threw in a little speech of my own.”

“Oh yeah? What did you say?”

“I said if you break Aubrey’s heart, you break Riley’s too, and that would make me very angry.”

“You’re always looking out for me.”

“Yes. I saved you too. You were becoming an overbearing combo of J.J., Seth, Deke, and Solomon all rolled into one protective monster.”

“I’m honored,” he mused.

“You shouldn’t be.”

“Thank you for reeling me in.” He looked over at the complimentary buffet table. “Do you want any orange juice or maybe a scone?”

“No. I pigged out on those waffles. I hope they don’t expect any competing today. I couldn’t jump over a pebble right now.” She rubbed her tummy.

“I told you stress eating doesn’t solve anything.”

“You ate twice as many waffles as I did,” she grumbled. “Curse your high metabolism. I can’t wait to get some sun and frolic on the beach. I want you to get some sun too.”

He raised an eyebrow. “First off, did you just say frolic?”

“I did, and I’m not taking it back.”

“Second, we’re supposed to be in investigative mode.”

“Fine.” She shrugged. “I’ll just have to take a walk on the beach in my new fuchsia bikini all by myself.”

“New bikini? You never play fair.”

Her cell phone pinged, she had a notification. “Melissa and her husband are in the airport looking for us.”

“You want to invite them in here?”

“No. I think we’d better show our faces. I’m sure they’re already talking about us. I think Jax saw us coming in here.” She stood.

By the time they made it to the waiting area, most of the show was there. She looked around at all the faces and wondered which one was the person behind the sabotage. Whoever it was had to make sure they were going to the island. Unfortunately, there were a lot of people going. Contestants, the show’s staff and setup crew, and the professional hangers-on that the show paid for publicity purposes. People were taking selfies and yapping away while they sipped on coffee. Jen and Jeremy were walking around with clipboards talking to the contestants. Everyone looked so jazzed about going, but she knew one of them had malice in their heart.

“There’s Melissa and Todd.” She waved to them.

“Go ahead. I’ll be over in a few minutes.” Riley walked toward the counter.

She headed toward the couple until Jeremy blocked her path.

“Hi, Jeremy.”

“Parker. I just need to check you in. Here’s another media packet. I hope you don’t mind, we revised the itinerary a little bit. We’re going to do another interview segment with you. Jen said she promised no more surprises, so we have a copy for you to review. It’s a last-minute thing. Everyone else will get it tomorrow when we have the morning meeting.”

“Thanks for the heads-up. I hope it’s not some crazy stunt.”

“The showrunners know who the world will be tuning in to see, and they want to capitalize on it, but in a respectful way. So we won’t ask for Riley to join you.”

“Eh.” She shrugged. The experience was coming to an end. She’d done a good job of keeping him out of their evil clutches. After the event, she’d never do something like this again. Perhaps it would be fun to have a sit down together. “If he’s up to it. I’ll ask if he wants to do it.”

“That would be great! I’m sure he’ll say yes. He loves being with you.”

“No full-blown media-whoring.” She held up a finger. “But I’m willing to show a little leg to wrap up the show. This will probably be the last time I’m on camera for a good reason.”

“Never say never. Between you and me, I think you’re a shoo-in to win. The powers that be have even discussed adding a few new perks providing you’re the winner.”

“What kind of perks?”

He moved closer. “The prize money of course. There are advertisers interested in you, and there’s talk of a spokesperson position for the show. We’ve been approached about launching a fitness campaign with the Department of Health and Safety to promote kids getting active again. You and the runner-up would go around giving speeches. Kind of like making the rounds like a pageant winner would do.”

“I don’t know about all of that.”

“Think about it. I hedged my bets on you the moment I saw you. You embody the Ultimate Champion way.” He grinned.

“We’ll cross those bridges if we come to them.”

“Cool. I’ll let Jen and Wes know about the interview with you and Riley.” Jeremy made a beeline for Jen.

Parker kept on to Melissa and Todd.

“Hey, you two. How are you?”

“Nervous.” Melissa smiled.

“No need to be nervous. You killed it on the courses, and you’ll do the same at the end of the week. You’re getting a free vacation. Enjoy it.” Parker smiled. “Todd, I’m glad you could get the time off from work.”

“The company was so excited about Melissa being on the show. They’ve been treating me like royalty and insisted I go with her. But I will be working a bit.” He tapped the bag slung on his shoulder. “I brought my laptop.”

“The enjoyment part goes for you too. I hope we can all have dinner together at least one night. A real dinner away from the fake it til you make it squad.”

“I’d like that.”

“Attention please,” the ticket operator at the desk said over the intercom system. “Can Melissa and Todd Renner report to the ticketing desk?”

“I wonder what they want?” Melissa bit her lip.

“Let’s go find out.”

As Melissa and Todd walked toward the desk, Riley was coming toward Parker.

“Hey, babe. Is everything OK?”

“Everything is fine.” He kissed her.

“Can I get a pic of the two of you for my social media?” Rita, another contestant, asked.

“Sure.” Riley put his arm around Parker. “Can you use the hashtag Team Bruiser?”

“Absolutely.” Rita flashed Riley a big grin.

They stood still while the cell phone flash went off.

Rita continued. “My husband and I would love to have dinner with you one evening. He’s a huge fan. Sometimes I think he loves you and the Tomcats more than he loves me. He didn’t want to say anything, but he’d love your autograph. He even brought one of your jerseys with him.”

Parker looked at Riley. “I don’t think Riley would mind. Do you babe?”

“It would be my pleasure, Rita. What’s your husband’s name?”

“Steve.”

“I’d love to meet him. Where is he?”

“Great!” Rita’s eyes widened. “Come with me.”

Parker watched as Rita was the envy of the crowd as she took Riley by the arm and led him over to her husband. Rita was a nice person, and she’d chatted with her a few times. Unfortunately she’d fallen in with the clique that included Sunny and there went any kind of connection. She avoided the Sunny-ites like the plague.

Melissa and Todd came back.

“What did they want with you?”

“Uh. We were upgraded to first class.” Melissa had a confused look. “I don’t know why.”

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” Todd said. “We’re flying in style. First class costs a gazillion mileage points and a kidney just to fly from Texas to New Jersey. Maybe this is a good omen.”

“We are now boarding our first class passengers,” the attendant said over the loudspeaker. “First class passengers, please approach for boarding.”

To no one’s surprise Wes, Jen, and Jeremy gathered their things and got in the first class line.

“Enjoy. I’ll be shooting you evil looks from coach.” Parker laughed as they went to the counter.

Riley approached. “Come on, babe.”

“Come on where?”

“We have to board.”

“First class only right now.”

“I know.” He waggled his eyebrows and held up the tickets. “First you had to sit in that awful Premiere Club with their mediocre leather chairs. I’ll be damned if you’d have to sit in a seat not meant for tall people like us.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

The looks she and Riley got were twice as bad as the looks they’d shot at Melissa and Todd. But she didn’t give a damn. She’d put on her noise-canceling headphones and sip on champagne to drown out the hate. As they walked down the corridor to the plane, she decided she had to ask.

“Did you pay to upgrade Todd and Melissa?”

“Yep.”

Parker and Riley took their seats, right behind Todd and Melissa. As the people associated with the show passed them, she was pretty sure if one of them had a BB gun they’d get it right between the eyes. Sunny definitely gave her the ‘if looks could kill’ side-eye when they were standing in the waiting area. It was fun when Sunny passed by trying her best to casually check out Riley, who looked quite sexy today in a fitted shirt and a pair of jeans, as he fastened his seatbelt.

Some may have been stewing about her sitting in first class, but one of them was stewing for a different reason. Someone among them was going to try to derail the final show, and their motivation had probably ramped up since they hadn’t been able to stop production of the show. It would have been awesome if Sunny was the saboteur. But the level of animosity that had been manifesting didn’t fit Sunny’s profile. She was as deep as a mud puddle and twice as vain.

She’d learned a long time ago that things weren’t always as they seemed. But she was determined to catch whoever the perpetrator was just the same.

 

* * *

 

Riley slapped on some cologne and ran a comb through his hair. It had been a busy day from the moment they touched down. There was a welcome meet-and-greet with the sponsors of the show. He had to admit there were some heavy-hitting companies that advertised on the show. Company representatives were flocking to Parker, but she answered them all in the same disinterested way when they mentioned the possibility of being a spokesmodel. Half of them didn’t care if she won; they liked her look and wanted to do business. He was getting the feeling she probably should hire an agent, but he knew Parker wouldn’t go for it. She’d considered this time in her life as a one-off, no matter the hype around her potential to win first place.

The attention drew the ire of some of the contestants who were much more prepared to sell themselves than Parker. It reminded him of the frenzy of the football draft. The energy was electric as careers were being made and image-makers were molding their future meal tickets. After the food and drink, there was a slideshow presentation of the many obstacles that would be constructed for the final event. It was going to be a tough one. The course was designed to test the contestants’ strength, endurance, and mental acuity. He’d also noticed there were a few people trying to be subtle but stood out as security to his eye. The show had hired a security firm, and the agents were doing a bad job of blending in. Knowing there would be security in place was the only way Parker was able to convince Carmichael not to send an army with them.

He knew as soon as they exited the plane and took a whiff of that tropical air that he’d be doing his best to get Parker alone this week. She had responsibilities and she’d be doing interviews, but the rest of the time he wanted her to himself.

The show had spared no expense for the crew, but a room in the main hotel would not do. He’d spoke with the desk clerk and had their reservation upgraded to a three-bedroom bungalow. Parker protested initially, but when she saw the view of the ocean from their deck on the secluded beach, her argument fell apart. Besides, he had another surprise for her later in the week and he’d need the room. It was funny how she wanted to be down to earth, but there was nothing average about their lives. He loved to pamper her because she appreciated it. He’d dated women before who burned through thousands of dollars of his money on an afternoon shopping. Parker was practical, and she resisted frivolous things. But he bought her expense things because he wanted to give her the best of everything.

“Wow,” he said as Parker walked into the bathroom wearing a red floral sarong dress that stopped at the knees and hugged her curves. They’d just been on the island for half a day, and he could see she’d tanned a bit. The deep shade of her brown skin was glistening from the fancy body lotion she used. He’d happily spend an eternity just looking at her long, smooth, toned legs. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you.” She smiled. “You look quite fetching yourself.”

“Hey, if you’re going to be eye candy, you have to go all in.” He grinned.

“You were great today. I appreciate you answering questions and the sound bites for the show.”

“Anything for you.” He walked over to her. “This is a piece of cake compared to Super Bowl week before the game.”

“I was thinking.” She put her arms around his neck. “Tonight we could cut out early and come back to the bungalow.”

“I’d love that.” He kissed her.

Parker’s cell phone rang in the other room. “That might be Carmichael calling us back.”

Riley and Parker padded through the bungalow to the living room to answer the call.

Parker hit the talk button. “Hey, Carmichael. What’s the good word?”

“The security firm the show hired has a pretty good reputation. They mainly work with Hollywood types. I’m friends with one of the executives of the company. He tried to recruit me before I joined Regency.”

“Oh yeah? Why didn’t you work for them?” Riley asked. He looked at Parker and shrugged. He was curious.

“Frankly, Regency has a badass reputation. I couldn’t turn down the best to work for the second best.”

“I hear you,” Riley replied.

“Anyway. I talked to him, and they’re going to be keeping an eye on you. They know Parker is a Regency employee, and they’ll back you up without question. So now it’s a joint effort. I have to say I feel much better knowing you have backup.”

“My gut’s telling me that it’s someone close to the show. Someone who wouldn’t look suspicious being in the off-limits areas.”

“I’ll relay that to them. Nothing popped up when we did background checks on everyone. I know you’re going to investigate whether I ask you to stand down or not. So, stay alert. You have the inside track.”

“Eyes and ears are open,” Parker said.

“That goes for both of us. Thanks, Dean,” Riley replied.

“If you need anything, we can be there at breakneck speed. And Parker, try not to do too much damage on that island.” Carmichael laughed and ended the call.

“It’s good to know that the security team is in the loop.” Riley picked up her shawl from the arm of the couch.

“I guess so.” Parker picked up her purse. “But you heard what Carmichael said. It’s up to us to keep our ears perked up. A little recon is on the dinner menu. I can ask discreet questions, and you be your charming self. People seem to like telling you their life stories.”

“When I’m finished, I’ll know the color underwear of everyone in that room.”

“Here are the rules.” Parker held up a hand. “No charming the ladies. You talk to the guys. Sunny would be on you like white on rice.”

“White on rice?”

“My mother says that,” she grumbled.

“Before we go, I just want to say how much I enjoy being with you. I wouldn’t want to be anyplace else but by your side. I’m rooting for you. I know you can do it. You’re already a winner to me.”

“You are so sweet.” She kissed him, then pulled back. “Wait a minute. Did you just give me the Super Bowl speech I gave you?”

“It was a good speech, and it’s applicable to the situation.” He pulled her close to him again. “When this is done. I want to have a serious talk about our future.”

“OK.” Parker nodded.

Riley grabbed the keys for their rental jeep and his wallet. They were off to have some fun and see if they could get any clues for Regency. And he’d just opened the door to the bright future ahead of them.

 

* * *

 

Parker sipped on her pina colada while listening to Rita and Sunny rattle on about their accommodations. Melissa was there too, but she just listened as if she couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Parker knew it was a ploy to get her to spill the beans about the bungalow Riley had gotten for them, but she wasn’t taking the bait. There was no way she’d be inviting Sunny over. Riley was working the room too. He’d been cornered by Todd and a few of the guys who were diehard football fans. Hector was in the crowd too, but he looked more interested in Riley’s physique than sports talk. She wondered what was up with him and Sunny. They were both good-looking, athletic people, so she could see why the show teased the viewers with the panning shots of them giving each other lustful glances while the rest of them were hanging off ropes and monkey bars trying to win. They’d played the will they, won’t they card every time the cameras rolled, but the two of them had the chemistry of a swiss cheese sandwich.

The crowd was pretty high-energy. There was festive music playing, and the alcohol was flowing, so they were more animated as usual. Jen and Wes were doing an awful job squashing the growing rumors that they were involved. Jeremy was making his rounds with the ladies. And the contestants were mingling with each other when they weren’t posing for more photo ops.

Parker had studied all the players’ profiles on the network’s website. It was clear from the conversation that Rita had her sights set on returning next year whatever the outcome because she enjoyed being part of Sunny’s clique. Rita was nice, but she was a beta female, easily led in any direction in which she’d garner popularity. Parker had perused her social media pages one night with Bridgette and saw tons of pics of Rita helping Sunny do something or other. So far she hadn’t discovered much else.

She’d been having a lovely chat with Melissa when the Rita and Sunny decided to horn-in on their pleasant moment.

“Parker?” Rita said.

“Yes?”

“I asked how Riley was enjoying the island. It was very romantic of him to get a bungalow for you two.” Rita beamed.

Sunny sipped her martini. “I bet it set him back quite a bit.”

“I wouldn’t know.” She looked at Sunny. “How are you and Hector doing? I would think this romantic backdrop would give you two time to explore your relationship.”

“Hector and I aren’t on the same page right now.”

“You sure looked cuddly in the airport,” Melissa said.

Yeah, there were cameras flashing everywhere at the time. Now they looked like they barely knew each other. This also wasn’t Sunny’s first showmance. They’d played up a relationship with her and Jax a couple of seasons back.

“I don't know. Things were progressing with me and Hector until he lost in the third round.” Sunny rolled her eyes.

“What did losing have to do with anything?”

“I don’t date losers,” Sunny huffed.

“Careful, Sunny, someone might label you as a casual showmancer,” Melissa said.

“Ba-dum-dum.” Parker waved her index fingers like drumsticks and made the drum noise for effect. Sunny scowled, and Rita looked too scared to laugh, but Parker saw the corners of her mouth turn up. Sunny needed to lighten up.

“What’s the private bungalow like? It must be fun not to have to slum it with the rest of us,” Sunny said.

“We’re not in FEMA tents,” Melissa snapped. “The show came through with nice accommodations. They’re luxury suites, and they’re very nice. White robes, Jacuzzis, baskets of lotions, and the whole bit.”

Parker bit back a smile. Melissa was certainly coming out of her shell. She had chutzpah and didn’t let the long timers push her around. “To answer your question, it’s very nice. Riley is quite the yeller in bed, so we usually get a private space to be considerate of the other hotel guests.” She smirked. That ought to make their heads explode later.

“Don’t we all wish we had your problems?” Sunny drawled in a deadpan voice.

Rita blushed. “Oh my.”

“So how is he in bed?” Sunny said. “Now that you brought it up.”

“He’s the best lover I’ve ever had in my life, bar none.” Parker smiled. “If you ladies will excuse me, I think I’ll go rescue my boyfriend.”

“I think I’ll go enjoy the moonlight with Todd,” Melissa said.

Parker walked away pretty confident she’d pissed Sunny off. Served her right for being obnoxious. Wes had now joined Riley and Hector, and Todd was walking toward Melissa. The band began to play, and some of the people in the room took to the dance floor. She was in the mood to dance.

“Parker,” Wes said. “I was just singing your praises to Riley.”

“Really?” Parker smiled.

“He’s pretty damn lucky to have a woman like you.”

“He knows.”

“If you’ll excuse me,” Hector said and walked away.

“So you’re a private investigator, right?” Wes looked behind him to make sure no one was listening.

“I’m keeping that under wraps. Remember?” Parker looked around to make sure no one was in earshot.

“I was wondering if you two would like to have breakfast with me tomorrow. I wanted to talk to you about some things.” He looked around. “Accident-related things. But I don’t want to do it here. Say breakfast tomorrow in the hotel restaurant?”

“You know who’s behind the sabotage?”

“Not sure. I don’t want to point fingers. But I don’t want to talk about it here. Let’s enjoy the evening.”

Parker looked at Riley. “Sure. We’ll be there.”

“How’s nine?” Riley added.

“Good. I’ll see you then.” Wes nodded then walked away.

The band began playing a new song. This one had a sultrier beat. She recognized the song.

“Mr. Sloane. Would you like to dance with me? It’s something about the calypso version of the song ‘Sway’ that has me in a mood to dance.”

“I’d love to.” Riley took her hand and led her to the dance floor. “You do know this is probably being recorded?”

“Then let’s give them a good show. Maybe it will go viral. You remember your old dance class moves?”

“Think you can keep it down? I have a reputation to maintain.”

“Who would have guessed the number-one quarterback used to take dance lessons? I think it’s sweet.”

“I thought we agreed you’d never mention the dancing lessons again? I told you that in confidence.”

“I told you that I thought it was sexy and was evident in your love-making skills.”

“You did.” Riley grinned. “Let’s rumba.”

Parker followed Riley’s lead as he started slowly at first. She remembered her own dance lessons when she was a kid. She’d hated that class, but suddenly it seemed like it hadn’t been so bad. She thought he might be rusty, but he effortlessly did the underarm turns with ease and grace.

As the slow tempo pulsated, the rest of the room was beginning to melt away. It was just the two of them, and the heat blazed off their bodies. It was that connection they had. She’d been drawn to him from the first day they’d met. It was something about Riley that made her want to be closer to him.

“Show off.” She smiled. “And you said you were so traumatized by the dance lessons with your aunt Pam you couldn’t remember anything.”

“I do try to keep it locked away in my psyche.”

“You’re a graceful man. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the football field or on a dance floor. You still move with purpose and elegance.”

“So, have you learned anything new about the sabotage?” Riley put his hand on her back as they swayed to the music.

“I learned Sunny’s a bitch, but to be fair, I knew that before we got here. But I did get confirmation that she and Hector’s budding relationship is as phony as a three-dollar bill. How about you?”

“I talked to Hector, and he’s informed me that his sexuality is fluid and he places no limits on his pursuit for pleasure.”

Her eyes widened. “How did he manage to work that in? In between the coconut shrimp appetizers?”

“Todd had to go to the restroom.”

“I’m feeling a little jealous. All the lust pulsating around here and none of it is aimed at me.”

“No worries. Who needs lurid looks from strangers?” His hand dropped to her butt. “I’m having dirty thoughts as we speak.”

“I told Sunny you were a screamer in bed just to piss her off.”

“You’re always making friends.”

Parker laughed. “Whatever are you going to do with me?”

“Love you for the rest of my life.” He stared into her eyes.

She focused on the music and the movement of his body. When he pulled her flush against him, she could feel the hardness of his cock. He leaned down for a kiss, and their lips connected.

By the time the music stopped, the crowd was applauding. They broke apart.

“You ready to go back to the bungalow?” he breathed.

“Absolutely.”

They continued their hurried trek to the jeep. Riley zipped around the curved roads like a man on fire. Parker loved the night air whipping through her hair. By the time Riley used the key card to get into the bungalow, Parker had his belt unfastened and his pants unzipped. As soon he closed the door, he swung her around and planted her against the door. Parker gasped as he pulled up her dress and tugged at her underwear until it was around her ankles. She stepped out of them and braced herself while Riley fished into his wallet for a condom, sheathed himself then lifted her up and planted her firmly onto to him. Parker wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his neck. They began to move against each other in a sultry rhythm just as they had on the dance floor, but this time it was more intense. Riley covered her mouth with his as he kept up a strong upward thrust into her.

Her body temperature was through the roof as they both began to sweat. She managed to free him from his shirt while he loosened the tie on the sarong to reveal her breasts. Riley took a nipple into his mouth and sucked as Parker moaned in delight. With each thrust, she began to peak, only to be teased when he pulled back, then plunged into her again. She grabbed his hair and pulled him up for another kiss. She loved the feel of his lips. What seemed like an eternity later she started feeling that old familiar release welling inside her begging to be let out. She slapped Riley’s ass as a signal she was primed and ready to go. They both came together in an explosive growl. Soon their rhythm slowed as they sank against the door.

“I didn’t lie.” She grinned. “You are loud.”

“You bring out the best in me.” He nuzzled her neck.

“Think we could order room service? I didn’t eat anything of substance. I was too busy being bored to death by Sunny.”

Riley gently pulled out of her and took off the condom before pulling up his pants and boxers. “How about the chilled shellfish platter and a bottle of champagne?”

“Sounds lovely. How do you know they have a shellfish platter?”

“I always check out the in-service menu when I get to a hotel.” He scooped her up in his arms and headed for the bedroom. “But first we take a nice hot shower, then we order.”

She giggled. “I packed my fancy loofah.”

 

* * *

 

Parker glanced at the heart-rate tracker on her wrist and kept a steady pace. The sandy terrain took more effort and affected her gait a little, but she was determined to get her body revved up for the busy day ahead. She normally jogged with Riley, but she wanted a chance to talk to Melissa. It seemed every time they tried to have a conversation someone from the show would jump in and interrupt them. There were plenty of people who wanted to be seen with Parker for photo ops because she was the favorite to win, but she didn’t fall for the fake camaraderie. She and Melissa had started the journey together, and she intended to finish it with her.

Jogging with Melissa wasn’t as demanding as with Riley, but her new friend was keeping up pretty well.

The notification beeped. She’d reached three miles. Parker slowed down to a brisk walking pace. “Three miles, Melissa!”

“Why does it feel like thirty?” Melissa panted and put her hands on her knees. “Are you a robot? You may be accustomed to keeping up with a quarterback. But you’re my quarterback.”

“Sorry.” Parker took her ear buds out of her ears.

“Forget it. You’re an inspiration to me.” Melissa smiled. “By the way, there was some staged, reality-show-style drama after you and Riley did your hot dance then ran out of there.”

“What happened?”

“Sunny and Hector tried to dance as sexy as you and Riley; they were booed off the dance floor. Which didn’t sit well with the professional media whores.”

“I was surprised too. I thought Hector said in his video bio that his mom forced him to take dance classes for like ten years.”

“Then they stage a lover’s quarrel strategically right in front of the camera crew to distract everyone from that horrible dancing. How did you two learn to dance like that?”

“We were watching one of those reality dancing shows because one of Riley’s ex-teammates was on it. I said I could dance better than that. Riley challenged me but didn’t mention he took dance classes as a kid. Next thing I know, we’re doing the rumba in the living room.”

“You two sound pretty competitive.”

“We both have this inner drive to be the best.” Parker laughed.

“It must be difficult to keep up with someone so physically active.”

“No. We have the same stamina. Working out with Riley helps me with my job. Keeping in shape is mandatory for my occupation.”

“It must be exciting being a private investigator.”

“It has its moments.”

“Wow, that’s so cool. How’d you get into that?”

“I used to be a cop, but it wasn’t for me. Being a PI still has me connected to that justice gene that runs in my family. I also do occasional work with a security firm.”

“In your genes?”

“All of my siblings are in law enforcement. My dad was a Texas Ranger, and my mom worked in the DA’s office.”

“Wow, that’s some legendary legacy.”

“Tell me about it. My oldest brother is a ranger too. My other brother is a Marshall, and my sister is a VP at a private security firm.”

“You're looking for the show's saboteur!” Melissa snapped her fingers. “You were so quick to rescue Wes from that falling spotlight. Asking Abel those questions at the gym. You’ve been investigating the crazy accidents on the show.”

“I’ve been doing some discreet digging. The accidents from previous seasons could have been written off, but there are only a certain amount of things that can be chalked up to bad luck. I don’t think whoever’s doing it is above killing someone.”

Melissa’s eyes widened. “Are we in danger?”

“I wish I could say no. The show brought on extra security as a precaution.”

“Thank you for telling me the truth. Do you have any idea who it could be?”

“I’m working on it. But be extra hyper-vigilant about your surroundings. If something doesn’t look right, go get hotel security or someone from the show.” Parker glanced at her watch. “We should be getting back. We have another mixer with the sponsors in a few hours.”

“I hate those things.” Melissa groaned. “Jen told me to make sure I always have the Power Punch sports drink bottle in my bag and how it would be great if I could pull it out whenever I’m being photographed.”

“Money makes the world go round, and the dangled carrot of an endorsement makes everyone pay attention.” Parker began walking toward the path. “Never mind that it tastes inferior to its competitor. Have you and Todd been having a good time? You mentioned this would be like a second honeymoon for you.”

“We are. I have to tell you, being part of Ultimate Champion has given us a chance to grow closer, and it’s taken my mind off the unemployment.”

“Speaking of unemployment. You said you were a graphic designer, right?”

“Yes. Among other things. I’ve also tinkered with some application software development stuff.”

“Have you heard of NuWave Gaming?”

“Are you kidding? Who hasn’t heard of the badass twin sisters Autumn and Summer Waverly who are breaking up the technological boys club? Not to mention they have awesome games and graphics.”

“Well, I’m related to them. In fact, I live down the hall from them.”

“Of course you do.” Melissa laughed.

“I told them about you, and they’d love to sit down with you and discuss opportunities within their company.”

“Are you sure? I heard it’s a six-month waiting list just to get one of them to return a phone call.”

“Well, I have the inside track and I babysit their boys every Thursday night.” Parker giggled. “I told them about you. They want to meet you.”

“I can’t tell you how amazing that would be. Thank you, Parker.” Melissa lunged at her and gave her a hug. “It’s so nice of you to go out on a limb like that for me. I mean, you hardly know me.”

“I’m a private detective; reading people is one of my specialties. I know it’s been hard finding work since you moved. And sometimes we need an inside track when we’re looking for a great job.”

“This is just—awesome.” Melissa put her hands on her face.

“You and Todd are good people. I hope we can stay in touch after the show is over.”

“I’d like that. You’ve been so hospitable. I don’t feel so lost anymore. I feel like I’m laying down roots. I thought Southern hospitality was a myth because, to be frank, I haven’t seen much of it.”

“Well, that’s how you know you’re talking to a real live Texan. People who’ve lived in the South all their lives still exhibit courtesy, respect, and looking out for a neighbor or friend. It’s just our way, and nobody’s going to change it.”

Melissa laughed. “Now I know what to look out for.”

They ran back to the path and hopped on the golf cart. Parker would drive Melissa back to the hotel, then zip back to the bungalow to get ready to meet Wes. He’d seemed kind of skittish last night, but she wanted to get to the bottom of this. Sooner rather than later.

 

* * *

 

Riley and Parker entered the ballroom and took a seat at their assigned table. It was day two of the event and there was going to be more schmoozing before they were able to do a dry-run on the obstacles courses. Breakfast with Wes had been a bust. They’d tried his cell and went to his bungalow, but there was no answer. After looking around, Parker decided to go to the next scheduled function. He’d probably be there, Riley thought.

Jen approached them. “Parker, you and Melissa are speaking next.”

“I remember it on the revised itinerary,” Parker said. “You switched our spot with Wes’s and we’re going to be the closing speakers.”

“I should have left it the way it was.” Jen rolled her eyes. “Wes didn’t show up for the opening remarks, and Jeremy had to fill in for him.”

The hair on the back of Riley’s neck stood up. “Really?”

“Wes can be that way sometimes.” Jen’s jaw ticked. “He probably found some woman.”

“He asked if he could meet with us this morning for breakfast. He didn’t show,” Parker said. “When was the last time you saw him?”

“After the mixer, he went over to the course construction area. We’ve been doubling our safety efforts. The network insisted Wes sign off on the safety inspection personally each day until the lunatic who’s been sabotaging us is caught.” Jen whispered the last sentence.

“Did anyone else know there was a new protocol?”

“No. Just security. We’ve kept it under wraps since we don’t know who’s doing this.”

“What did they have to say?”

“They’re doing a search of the hotel. But so far, nothing.”

“Where else could Wes be besides his bungalow?”

Jen thought about it for a moment. “There’s the yacht he rented. It’s down at the marina. I totally forgot about it.”

“Why did he need a yacht?”

“He heard a rumor some network VIPs were coming down to talk about new opportunities. He wanted to be ready to impress. But the kicker is Wes gets seasick. I mean, bad. I didn’t mention it to the security team, but I assumed they already knew.”

Riley noticed Parker scanning the room. It was jam-packed. She was looking for the people who weren’t there. He swept the room quickly. Sunny and Jax were missing.

“No worries,” Parker said. “Move Melissa and me to the afternoon panel. We’ll check out the yacht real quick and be back before you know it. What’s the name of the boat?”

“The Big Kahuna.”

“Of course.” Parker shook her head.

Riley and Parker left the ballroom and began a quick pace to the jeep.

“I know what you were doing,” Riley said. “I counted Sunny and that aluminum-pants-wearing Jax as being absent.”

“Good observation skills. You may make a decent detective yet.”

He opened the door for her. When she got in, he shut it but didn’t move.

“What’s wrong?” Parker asked.

“We’re going to play this smart. OK?”

“OK.” She held up her hands. “If we get a good clue, we’ll call the security team.”

Riley hopped in the vehicle and backed out of the parking spot. He was hoping Parker would keep her promise. They followed the markers for the marina on the island. Ten minutes later, they were there.

“There it is. The Big Kahuna.” Parker peeked from behind the marina sign. “Is that what passes for a yacht down here? There isn’t even a helipad on it.”

“Elitist.” Riley laughed. “You’ve been spending too much time on the Bad Ass Princess.”

“It’s not my fault my sister got a luxury yacht with a helipad one Christmas.” Parker strained to get another look. “Paydirt. I see Sunny on the deck in a bikini. She’s arguing with someone.”

Riley took a peek too. Sunny was going ballistic. She backed away as the person she was with came out the door. It was Jax. They were bickering, but it was hard to hear anything useful.

“Well. Well. What do you know?” Riley whistled. “What do you think the chances are they’re reigniting their showmance?”

“I don’t think Hector would give a damn. And it would be touching if it wasn’t Wes’s boat.”

“I knew it! I never liked that guy. No respectable man goes around with his dingleberries hanging out for all the world to see.”

Jax went to the front of the boat with Sunny squawking away behind him.

“OK. It’s not a smoking gun, but they’re up to something. Let’s call for back up.”

“Right.” Parker nodded. “But I want to take a look on that boat first.”

“Parker. What did we just agree on?”

“We have to get on that boat and see if Wes is there. If they go out to sea, they could dump him over and all we’ll have is a suspicion they did something.”

He hated when she made sense. He’d seen his share of true crime investigation shows to know boat crimes were almost impossible to solve.

“We’ll call security from the boat. Let’s go.”

Riley and Parker eased onto the boat.

“Let’s check the cabins,” she said in a low voice and carefully opened the door.

There were several doors. So they started with the first one, but there was nothing. Second was the same. Third was paydirt. Wes was lying on the bed tied up.

“Wes!” She went over to the showrunner who was tied up and motionless on the bed. Parker took his pulse. “I got a pulse. They must have given him something.”

“We have to get out of here,” Riley said as soon as Wes was freed. “I can carry Wes out. We have to get to the cops.”

Just then they heard the rumbling sound of the engine and the boat began to move. Parker grabbed onto Riley for support. Riley took Parker’s hand and headed for the door. It looked like they were going for a ride whether they wanted to or not. A thousand things could go wrong. Jax and Sunny could be armed. But she was right, the further out they got the more harrowing it could get.

“OK. Bruiser, let’s go commandeer this boat,” Riley said as they eased out of the cabin door.

Sunny spotted them. “What the hell are you two doing here?” Sunny looked surprised. “Jax! We’ve got company!”

The yacht began to speed up.

“We’re here to give Wes a ride back to the marina. And to kick your ass.” Parker looked at Riley.

“You know it was nothing but dumb luck that you got this far on the Ultimate Champion.”

“You’re just mad because you can’t make it past the second round. You hack.”

“Too bad, Riley. We could have had some fun together.” Sunny picked up a goblet on the table and smashed it on the side of the table to form a makeshift shiv.

“You’re not his type.” Parker grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her arm. She looked at Riley. “You go ahead and get that wingnut Jax. I’ve got this.”

“You sure?”

Parker nodded. “Yeah. This won’t take long.”

Riley didn’t want to leave Parker alone with the glass-wielding Sunny, but he knew the farther out to sea they got, the harder it would be for someone to spot them. He gripped the railing and continued to the bow of the boat. Jax was frantically searching for something in an open trunk.

“Give it up, Jax,” Riley yelled.

“Well, if it isn’t the pretty boy quarterback.” Jax turned around with a spear gun in his hands. “I hate to tell you, friend, but this isn’t going to end well for you.”

“It’s over.” Riley glanced back. The shore was getting farther and farther away. “Turn this boat around while you still have a chance.”

“It’s too late for that. My sabotage didn’t work. That lying rat bastard Wes is still making money, his show is a success. He broke a promise, and now he has to pay.”

“All of this for what?” Riley moved a little closer. “Glory? Money?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand. You have those things. What would you know about wanting those things? People like you lead a charmed life. I tried football and baseball in high school, but I never made the cut. Finally one day I decided I was going to stop being a wimp and started hitting the gym and doing extreme sports. I got noticed then. Then I found the show, and Wes promised to make me a star. If I hadn’t hurt my ankle during my winning season, I would have made it up that damn flagpole. Wes screwed me.”

“You accomplished a lot.” He hedged a little further. “You turned it around. You can stop this downward spiral. You don’t want your legacy to end with a bad bout of lunacy.”

“It’s too late. Wes has to go and unfortunately for you and Parker, you do too.”

The commotion from behind made them both look in the direction of the back of the boat. Parker and Sunny were fighting. Parker had just clocked Sunny and pushed her against the railing. Sunny couldn’t keep her balance and fell overboard.

“Sunny!” Jax yelled and aimed the spear gun at Parker.

“No!” Riley lunged at Jax, who turned the spear gun at him and fired. Riley felt a sharp sting as the spear sliced right through the skin of his forearm. He grabbed at the gun and was able to push it away. Jax punched him in the side and tried to straddle him, but Riley was too strong for him. He pushed him off him, which gave him time to stand up and recover. Jax charged at him, but Riley caught him with a right hook to the face. Jax fell out cold onto the deck.

The boat was beginning to slow down. He looked up at the window and saw Parker at the controls. He looked at Jax, who hadn’t moved.

“Stay there, Jax. I’ll be right back,” he panted and walked toward the door. By the time he got to the entrance, Parker popped out.

“Riley!” She flung her arms around his neck.

“Hey, babe.” He squeezed her tight. “I see you decided to make Sunny swim back to shore.”

“She had it coming. The bitch tried to stab me.” Parker pulled back and looked at his arm. “You’re bleeding!”

“I’m fine. It’s just a flesh wound.” He caressed her face. “I’m just so happy you’re OK. I don’t think I could take it if I lost you.”

She smiled. “I told you before. It will take a lot more than some crazy twit and a guy dressed like a generic supervillain to take us down.”

“I love you.” He kissed her.

“I love you too.” She looked at his arm again. “I need to get something on that to stop the bleeding. There’s got to be a first aid kit on board.”

“First, let’s tie up Jax. You know the supervillain always makes another go at the heroes before he’s ultimately taken down.”

“Good thinking.” She looked around. “We need rope.”

Riley went over to the chest Jax was rummaging through. “Got some. I’ll tie up Jax. Think you can navigate this thing back to shore?”

“I’m pretty certain.” She shrugged. “I’ll radio in for help too.”

“Don’t forget to tell them Sunny’s floating around somewhere.”

“Do I have to?”

“I don’t know how great a swimmer she is, but it’s a tough swim back to shore.”

“She’ll be all right. I threw a life preserver overboard while you and Jax were fighting.”

“Good job, Bruiser.” He kissed her again, then went to tie Jax up.

 

* * *

 

An hour later, they were back at the marina. The coast guard had picked up Sunny, and the police placed her and Jax in custody. Wes was coming out of his groggy state, thanks to the emergency services crew that had arrived. He was coherent and looked less lethargic than when they’d first found him. They’d also patched up Riley’s arm. Jen had been called, and they were waiting for a ride back to the resort.

“See?” Riley said as he walked toward her. “Just a flesh wound.”

“Good. I’d feel awful if it put you out of commission. You’ll be in training soon.” She put her arm around his waist. “Let’s check on, Wes.”

They walked over to the other ambulance where Wes was being treated. The showrunner was showing signs of being himself. She could hear him asking where the camera crew was.

“Wes. You’re looking much better,” Parker said.

“Thank heavens you were there. Those psychos nabbed me last night,” Wes said.

“I know Jax was furious with you. Why?”

“When Jax didn’t win, the backers he’d had lined up for some fitness products he developed pulled out of the deal. Not to mention the endorsement deal that fell through.”

“Isn’t that a bit extreme?” Riley said.

“Not if you’re a cracked nut who thinks he deserved to win,” Wes lamented.

“What about Sunny?” Parker said.

“That opportunistic bitch is mad because she slept with me and I didn’t help her career.” Wes gave them a guilty look. “Sorry about the B-word.”

Parker shrugged. “Actually. It’s kind of fitting, since she kidnapped you and all.”

“Sunny and I have history.”

Parker and Riley gave him a look as a cue for him to elaborate.

“We have a previous association from back when I produced not-so-family-oriented sexually stimulating movies.”

“You mean porn,” Riley said.

“I prefer the term interactive erotica,” Wes replied.

“You can dress it up all you like, but you were a flesh peddler, Wes,” Parker said. “Wait. I did a background check on you. Why didn’t that show up?”

“OK. OK. It’s one of the reasons I went legit. I had the money, but the stigma is hard to escape. People turn away from you at parties when they find out what you do, like the guy who shows up at the prom in a powder-blue tux. I deserved the recognition to go along with the success. So I sold the company, changed my last name to my mother’s maiden name, and started seeking out projects that were more family friendly.”

“And even more lucrative.” Parker smirked.

“Can you cut me some slack?” Wes rubbed the back of his head. “I’ve had a really rough couple of days.”

The sound of cars pulling up made them all look to the left. It was Jen and the camera crew.

“The cavalry is here.” Riley scratched at his five o’clock shadow. “And our ride. You ready, babe?”

“I thought Jen and the crew could do a little interview. You know as a bonus clip on the website.”

“No.” Parker shook her head.

“I like you, Parker. No one can push you around.” Wes smiled. “You’re a lucky man, Riley.”

“I know.” Riley kissed Parker on top of her head.

“Thanks again.” Wes stood. “If there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know.”

“You can make sure all the obstacles are taken down and reassembled to ensure no one’s going to get hurt in the finale tomorrow.”

“I would really hate it if Parker got hurt because you overlooked Jax and Sunny’s last F-U to the Ultimate Champion show.”

Wes looked at Parker. “You’re still competing?”

“Hell yeah,” Parker said. “I made it this far. I just want my fair chance to compete.”

“And that is why you have a huge following, Parker Carson.”

“We gotta go.” Riley took Parker’s hand and headed toward the parking lot.

“Get plenty of sleep! After tomorrow, you’re going to be a star!” Wes called after them.

“I already am!” Parker yelled back, then looked at Riley. “I’m your star.”

“And my sun and my moon,” he said.

Parker winced. “I think I’d prefer not to hear the words sun or sunny for the foreseeable future.”

“I agree.”

They both erupted in laughter.