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Holt was being punished. He knew when Kai, Hani, and Makoa all came down with the flu that he was in for a bad day. But then Amelia also called in sick, and Marcus and Dude were nowhere in sight. Michaela wasn’t answering his calls. Holt was the highest-ranking employee here, and he was having to make do with the second shift after promising them overtime, just to keep the resort running smoothly.
He was tempted to call Joely. Hell, if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to call her all night.
He missed her.
And he couldn’t shake the feeling that he did the wrong thing. But how could following the rules be wrong? Sure, Senator Andrews was a first-class shit, but Joely didn’t need to sink to his level. Their plan had been working.
Did she not have enough faith in him? Holt had promised to keep her safe. Did she not believe him? When he saw her up on that balcony, his life flashed before his eyes. If Timothy pushed her or if she jumped, Holt couldn’t have gotten there in time.
The switchboard buzzed. He had Cami handling the guest’s requests. He was doing concierge and his father and Zarafina were doing the bus boys’ jobs. He had a splitting head ache and an even deeper appreciation of what Amelia did all day.
“Palekaiko Beach Resort,” he said, looking down at phone’s display to see who was calling. It was room 418. Holt froze, feeling an unfamiliar flash of emotion. Hatred. If it wasn’t for this man, everything would have been normal.
Of course, Holt and Joely would have probably gone on not connecting. If anything, he should be grateful for Timothy Andrews for pushing them together.
Holt needed to call Joely. He had been a huge idiot. He’d ask Marcus to consider hiring her back. Holt would take full responsibility for her actions. Then he’d beg her to come back. He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t want anything further to do with him, but he would make this right.
He had just been so angry yesterday, still reeling from his father forcing his way back into his life.
“Hello?” Timothy said, impatiently.
Holt hadn’t heard a damn word he just said. “Uh, sorry. Our phone lines are having technical difficulties.” He rolled his eyes at his own lame excuse. “Can you repeat?”
“I said, I’m expecting a visitor. Please escort him immediately to my room.”
“Sure.” Holt was suspicious. Could Timothy have hired a private investigator? Did he know where Joely was? “What’s your visitor’s name?”
“Tetsuo Hojo.”
“I’m sorry?” Holt almost dropped the phone.
Timothy spelled the name, slowly and loudly. “Did you get that?”
“Yeah, I got it.” Holt hung up.
His father shot him a questioning look.
“You better take care of some of the janitorial duties. Go check the pool’s PH or something.”
“I already did, and the customers are more important.”
“Since when?” Holt said, trying to control his sneer.
“Since I got sober.”
He didn’t have an answer for that.
“Where’s your girl?” Mel crossed his arms and leaned against a pillar in the lobby.
“She’s not my girl.”
“You fucked it up already? Shame. I would have liked to have gotten to know her.”
Gritting his teeth, Holt managed to hold on to his temper.
“How’s your mother?”
“Fine. Look, why don’t you take an early lunch? We’re going to get hit pretty hard this afternoon.”
“Zarafina is on break. I’ll wait until she gets back. Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to get rid of me?”
“Because he is.” Tetsuo glided into the lobby with two of his goons behind him.
“What’s your business with Timothy Andrews?” Holt barked.
“Come with me and see. In the meantime, make yourself useful, Mel. Man the desk until Holt gets back. Do you think you can handle that?”
If his father was intimidated by Tetsuo in his three-piece suit looking slick and confident, while Mel was in a bell boy uniform, he didn’t show it.
“Not a problem,” Mel drawled.
Holt hid a smirk when he saw that answer go right up his uncle’s nose. He fell in step next to his uncle, after giving his two bodyguards the side eyes.
“So, what’s up?”
“Senator Andrews has been asking a lot of questions about you and your friend.”
“Like what?”
“Like offering a bounty on your heads.” Tetsuo’s face was grim.
“He’s offering money for someone to kill Joely?” Rage blinded Holt for a moment and he stopped in his tracks. Would Joely have had warning of this if Holt hadn’t taken away her computer? It was still locked up in his office. He’d bring it back to her and apologize.
“Kidnap rather than kill. Apparently, he wants something from her first. I thought it was only fair to see what the senator was willing to pay five thousand dollars for. And to discourage him from wasting money on trying to kidnap my nephew.”
“And Joely.”
Tetsuo shrugged. “You are no longer together. She is not my concern anymore.”
“She’s my concern.”
“Really? Then where is she?”
Holt didn’t have an answer for him, and probably wouldn’t tell him if he did. Instead, he ignored the question. “What’s going to happen when we get to the room?”
“That depends on how reasonable the senator is willing to be.”
Holt led them up to room 418 and knocked.
The door flung open. “You!” Timothy said, his fists clenching.
Tetsuo flicked a finger in his direction and his two goons pushed Timothy back into the room. Tetsuo followed at a more reasonable pace. Holt locked the door behind them.
“What is the meaning of this?” Timothy blustered.
“We’re here for the bounty. I’ve brought you the man you’ve been inquiring about. Where’s my money?”
Timothy went to the safe in the room and pulled out a wad of hundreds. Holt watched his uncle count fifty bills before pocketing it.
“Ask your questions.”
“Get out,” Timothy said.
“No.” Tetsuo settled into the desk chair, his body guards taking position behind him.
Timothy opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it. He whirled to Holt. “Where’s my wife?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re a fool for protecting her,” Timothy said. “She’s not Miss Sweet and Innocent. She comes from a family of grifters and murderers.”
“Then why are you stalking your ex-wife.” Holt put a big emphasis on the word ex. “I would imagine you’d be glad to get rid of her.”
“Because she’s been bleeding me dry for five years and it has to end.”
Holt flicked a glance to his uncle, but his face was unreadable. “What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t know?” Timothy peered into Holt’s eyes. Holt didn’t like him. He had a rat’s face and beady eyes. “Oh, that’s rich. She’s probably conning you too. How much money have you given her?”
“What do you mean bleeding you dry?” Tetsuo asked, while Holt frowned in confusion.
Timothy whirled back to him. “She’s been blackmailing me. Five thousand a month for the last five years.”
“Why didn’t you go to the police?” Holt asked.
Tetsuo rolled his eyes.
“Because if it was something I wanted the police to be involved in, there would be no need to blackmail me,” Timothy snarled.
“Was it the fact that you beat the shit out of her and put her in the hospital?”
“No.”
Tetsuo frowned. Holt knew that for all of his uncle’s reputation, he didn’t like violence against women.
“What are you planning to do if you find Joely?”
“Who?”
Holt grimaced. “Annie. Your ex-wife.”
“That little bitch is a hacker.”
“Watch your mouth,” Holt warned him.
“All I want is her fucking computer with the data she has against me and all the copies. If I get that, I’ll be happy to never see her again. If she holds out on me and starts the blackmailing shit up again.” Timothy shrugged. “I’ll never stop hunting her.”
Looking up at the ceiling, Holt debated what to do. “Let me get this straight. You get the computer, all copies of the data, and you’ll go back to Minnesota and never try to contact her again. You won’t try to kidnap her or hurt her.”
“She means less than nothing to me. She’s trash. Her family is trash. I’d love it if she drowned or met another unfortunate accident.”
Holt stepped forward, with his fists clenched. Tetsuo’s goons moved to block him.
“Really?” he said to his uncle.
Tetsuo rose from his chair. “Senator Andrews, if you get the information you are seeking, will you never return to Maui again?”
“Sure.”
“And you won’t seek retribution against Joely, err I mean Annie,” Holt added, shrugging off the goons.
Timothy sighed. “Fine. Whatever.” Everyone in the room stared at him expectantly. “Yes. I won’t care if the bitch lives or dies.”
Tetsuo cocked his head at Holt.
“I can get you the laptop. It’s in my office. And I can probably convince her to give me the copies.”
“All the copies,” Timothy said.
Holt nodded.
“Then I think we have an agreement.”
“I’ll be right back.” Holt left Tetsuo and Timothy in the room together and hurried down to his office.
On the way, he texted Joely.
I need to see you.
He wasn’t surprised that there wasn’t any answer.
Timothy put a bounty on our heads. Tetsuo and I just talked to him. He said if you give him all the copies, he’ll go back to MN and this all ends.
Holt unlocked his file cabinet and took out the laptop. His phone buzzed and he looked down.
I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Joely, please, he texted back. You can end this by just stopping what you’re doing and giving up on your revenge.
You’re a crackpot. Stay away from me. And stay away from Timothy.
“Stubborn,” he muttered, and took his frustration out on the stairs going up to the fourth floor.
Not bothering to knock, Holt pushed his way into the room and handed the computer over to Timothy.
“What’s this?” Timothy said, turning it over and over.
“Her computer.”
“What are you trying to pull? Is this where she keeps the copies? Because I need her laptop. It’s got this stupid fucking picture of an alien’s head on it.” Timothy smashed the computer on the ground and jumped on it. “You’ve got twenty-four hours before I resume my search. Mr. Hojo has explained to me that you’re not involved, so my beef isn’t with you. But if I don’t have the data I need by Sunday morning, I’m going to have her killed.”
Holt reacted. The goons were too slow. He kicked out, popping Timothy’s knee out of joint. As Timothy screamed on the way down, Holt whirled in a round house kick that whipped Timothy’s head to the side. He was unconscious on the ground before anyone moved.
Tetsuo slow clapped. “It’s about time, boy. Go get your girl. I can use someone with her skills. We’ll clean up in here.”
“No,” Holt said, his breathing ragged. “Get out. Leave him to me.”
“You can’t let him live. He’ll press assault charges.”
Holt shook his head. “No, he won’t. He’d be too worried about what I would say to the police.”
“You’ve made an enemy of him.” Tetsuo stepped over the body. “It’s not wise to let people like that live.”
“I’m not a murderer.”
“Which is why I said I would take care of it.”
“I don’t need your help.”
Now, it was Tetsuo’s turn to shake his head. “Then you better find your girl before he does.”