Lust on the Rocks (4 page)

“No thanks.”

“You sure?”  Selena gave herself an exaggerated fanning with one hand, long red nails flapping back and forth.  “It sure is hot out here.”

He smiled at her obvious play. Though sweet, she wasn’t his type.  He preferred strong women.  Tough women. Women who could take him one on one. “It’s definitely hot, but swim for me, I’m sure.”

Her smile dimmed, but remained solidly in place.  “Suit yourself.”

He watched her trot off toward the water and shook his head with a grunt.  If Selena was interested in a man’s attention, she’d have no trouble finding it between here and the shore.  Vic watched her slow to a stroll, employing a practiced hip-sway, and instantly wondered what Sam looked like in a bikini.

The woman stood damn near six foot in heels, and though usually covered by business suits, he could tell her body was that of an athlete.  Desire fired through him.  Just the way he liked.  Strong, lean and mean.  Treated to her bare arms on the occasion she strode through the office wearing only a tank top and skirt, he liked what he saw.  Not only her figure, but from head to toe.  From the wild mess of auburn curls to the confident way she moved, Sam Rawlings was his kind of woman.

Did she play sports
? he wondered.  Exercise to keep in shape?  It occurred to him he knew little of what she did in her spare time.  No suntan, he figured it had to be something indoors that kept her busy.

Work, most likely.  Vic chuckled.  Unlike Selena.  Her focus at the moment was on attracting the opposite sex, a young stud who undoubtedly spent most of his time in the gym.

The gym
.

Vic’s humor shriveled.  Rivulets of sweat dripped from his brow and stung his eyes, but he ignored it.  Scaliano had to pay.  The only way that was going to happen was if
he
got involved.

And he would.  One way or another, he would get on the Perry case.  Or at the very least, be privy to every detail so he could steer Sam and Diego toward the correct outcome.

Jail time wasn’t unheard of in wrongful death cases, especially once the facts of Scaliano’s past were revealed.  But to do that he needed access, without sending up any red flags.

“Selena couldn’t talk you into a swim?”

“Huh?”

He jerked his head around.

Diego towered over him and laughed, wrapping a small towel around his neck, sporting shades in the latest high tech style.  He tossed his chin in Selena’s direction.  “I think she has a crush on you.”

“Oh.”  Vic drew in his knees and settled his forearms atop them.  He sideswiped his friend with a glance before his gaze was drawn back to Selena, sauntering into the breaking waves.  “Isn’t she a little young?”

Diego reached a hand down and fell onto the oversized beach towel beside him.  “Hell yeah, but that never stops her!”

Vic felt a stab of melancholy as he watched her ignore the catcall from a nearby male and make her way into the water.  “Doesn’t make your job easy, does it?”

“Not even close.  But she doesn’t care how many fights big bro gets into, as long as
she
doesn’t run out of dates.”

“Be thankful you have the chance to fight for her.”

The comment stopped Diego short.  “I guess,” he replied, his tone dropping.

At the plunge in mood, Vic forced the memories back into their corner.  He wasn’t here to bring his buddy down.  He was here for information.  “How’s the game going?”

“Crap.” Diego rolled back into sport mode.  “One of our players is missing so we’re playing with a new guy.”  He wiped the back of his hand across his brow, a fresh sheen of sweat breaking through.  “He’s not very good.”

“That sucks.”

“Tell me about it.”  Hope rushed into his expression.  “Hey—you don’t play, do you?”

“Me?”  Vic laughed.  “No I don’t play.  Hell, I don’t even know how you can play without collapsing of heat stroke!  Damn sun feels like it’s burning the top layer of skin off my body.”

“You get used to it.”

“You get used to twenty below, too, but that doesn’t mean I want to.”

Diego chuckled and grabbed a bottle of spring water.  He twisted the cap off and inhaled half the contents as he surveyed the beach.  “That’s right.”  He glanced over at Vic.  “You snow ski, don’t you?”

“Every chance I get.”

“Never tried it, myself.”

“I’ll have to take you some time.  Beats the hell out volleyball any day of the week!”

“Doubt it.”

And though Vic enjoyed talking about his hobbies, he wasn’t interested in small talk. He wanted meat.  “So how’s Perry going?  You guys making any headway?”

Diego pulled a knee up and slung his arm over it while checking out a curvaceous blonde passing nearby.  “I think so.  It looks like they may have some history which can only help our case.”

That was the understatement of the year.  “Like what?”

“Couple of deaths, both in California.”

“That’s where they’re headquartered, isn’t it?” Vic played along.

Diego turned to him in surprise. “Yeah, how’d ya know?”

He shrugged it off.  “I think I read it somewhere, paper or something.”

“Both lawsuits were settled out of court.”

“Are you and Sam sticking strictly to civil charges?”

“You mean, as opposed to criminal?” he asked, the question marked in his eyes.

“Yeah.”  Conscious of the need to keep his interest level tame, he added, “If a company has a habit of killing people, I’d look into some harsher punishment, wouldn’t you?”

“State attorney didn’t bring any criminal action.”

“Maybe they should.”

“Has to be warranted.”

Vic’s body tensed.  “How many people have to die before they decide it’s warranted?”

Diego appeared on the verge of reply, but then seemed to think better of it and downed the remainder of his bottle instead.

Let me answer for you, Diego.  It takes one.  Only one
.

“Either way,” Diego continued, “we’ve got a strong case.  Sam is going full-bore with this one.”

“Because it means partner for her?”

“That, and it’s how she does everything.  Woman goes straight for the jugular.”

The admiration radiating from him was so close to awe, Vic instantly wondered at their relationship. 
Was it personal
? 
Lovers
?  A streak of jealousy cut through him.  “You two work together a long time?”

“A few years.”

“Is there more to it?”  The question was out before he could stop himself.

Diego’s response was more gape than anything.  “
You kidding
?  With Sam?  The woman’s a barracuda!”

“What’s wrong with that?”

He shook his head and chuckled.  “You must be a braver man than me,
amigo
.  Or stupid.  I like getting close to women
without
being torn to pieces in the process.”

Challenge, Vic mused.  That’s how he’d describe Sam.  And he never met a challenge he didn’t enjoy—or couldn’t win.  But his satisfaction was brief as he spied Selena swimming out into the open water, the sun reflecting off her sleek wet arms.  He pointed.  “Isn’t your sister getting a little deep?”

Diego followed the line of his direction and shook his head.  “Nah, she’s all right.”

“Those are some pretty big waves.”  While the sea breeze was the only thing saving him from the heat, it also raked across the ocean’s surface, making for some serious whitecaps.

“She’s a strong swimmer.  She can handle it.”

“What about rip currents?”  He gawked at Diego.  “I didn’t think anyone could fight those.”

“She’ll be okay.  She knows what to do.  Anyway, there are lifeguards on duty.”  He gave a tight smile.  “Probably glued to her every move.”

Unsettled, Vic returned his attention to Selena.  “If you say so...”  But he wasn’t so sure.  Off by herself, her nearest aid in case of emergency was a couple embraced on a bright orange raft.

Absolutely worthless if the girl got into trouble
.

“Hey,” Diego said as he popped to his feet.  “I’ve got to get back.”

“No problem.”  Vic rose with him, bothered his pal wasn’t more worried about his sister’s safety.

“Going in?”

“Yeah, I could use a cool-off.”

“How about you tell Selena to come in and cheer her bro on in his last game, then maybe we can go grab a celebration brew.”

“I thought you weren’t doing well,” Vic said as Diego jogged off.

“Positive thinking, man,” he called back over his shoulder, then gave him a thumbs up.  “Positive thinking!”

Yeah, maybe that plus a couple of ringers!

Have fun, he mused and chucked his sunglasses down to the ground, landing them on his folded white T-shirt, then headed toward the water.  Coarse sand littered with dark brown sprigs of seaweed ran hot through his toes as he walked.  An eye on Selena, he noticed she had moved further offshore.  His concern grew.

Positive thinking isn’t going to save your sister if she gets caught in a life-threatening undertow, Diego.  Vic may not know much about beach tides, but it looked to him like she was out of her element.  He glanced to the lifeguard.  Perched on top of a small one-man stand, dressed in red shorts and silver shades, the guy was more interested in carrying on with the brunette lounging at the base than watching for swimmers in trouble.

Honing in on Selena, Vic decided to take Diego’s advice and round up his sister for departure.  Besides, he’d had enough sand and surf for one day.  Dodging a Frisbee as it whizzed by, he forged into the crashing waves, struck by the powerful pull at his.  With a glance back to their towels, he gauged Selena was drifting.  Intentional?

Continuing until he was waist deep, Vic dove into the arc of the next wave.  The warm ocean temperature was cool compared to his body, but hardly refreshing.  Surfacing, he stood submerged to his shoulders and gave a brisk shake of his head.  Wiping salty water from his eyes, he searched for Selena.

Apprehension mounted.  She was at least five yards further than before.
Not okay
. Vic launched into a freestyle swim.  Keeping his head above water, he maintained focus on her as stroke after stroke he worked to close the distance between them.

With each swell his body rose, giving him a glimpse of her.  But with every up came a down and he quickly lost sight.  Undaunted, he kept his pace.

Seconds later, the crest of an incoming wave smacked him in the face.  He spit out water and blinked hard against the sting.  Immersed in water, a slew of mixed emotions coursed through him.  Selena was still within sight, but too far to make out her face clearly.

It was clear she was moving too fast and too far offshore to be safe.  Adrenaline pumped through his veins.  She was in trouble.  Kicking hard, his arms sliced through the water as he swam, his mind battling old memories…another girl…another day…

A better outcome.  Stopping, he searched for sight of her, but between the water in his eyes and the glare of sunlight glinting off the ocean’s surface, he lost sight.  He whipped his head side to side.  But she couldn’t have moved that quickly.  He treaded water and scanned the surface.  But he saw nothing.  A burst of wind kicked up sea spray.

He ground his jaw.  No, he wouldn’t lose her.  Not again.

Wait—

—there!  Twenty yards out.  No longer swimming, she struggled to stay afloat.  Instinct forced his muscles to task—
move
! Water filled his ears.  His mouth, his nose, but he ignored it.  Vic’s heart thumped in his chest.  Fear fired like raw electricity.

But he ignored it.  He ignored everything but getting to her.  Before it was too late.

When he felt a sudden ease, Vic knew he’d hit the current. 
Perfect
.  It meant he’d get there faster.  With renewed vigor he fought the chop of water.  Each stroke grew harder and harder but he remained determined, his focus coiled tightly around Selena.

“Help!” she cried.

“Hold on!”

She whirled around.  “
Vic
!”

The frantic shriek-call of his name cut deep.  Brown eyes gripped by terror, they mirrored the call of another.  In a silent plea from his past, she beckoned...
help me
.

Vic could see the fear in her eyes, the long strands of black hair snaked around her body.  Need willed him ahead, faster.

He could do it.  He was almost there.

Selena went under.

No
!

Grief ripped through him and he pushed harder.  He couldn’t fail her.  He pummeled wave after wave.  Wouldn’t fail.

Vic spotted the bob of black hair only yards away.  Relief swept through him.  “
Hold on!”
he roared.  “Selena, hold on!”

She turned to him, panic scoring her dark eyes.  “Help me...  I can’t—”  Selena choked on a mouthful of water.

And then she was gone.

Dread wound deep into his core.  “Selena!”

His body responded first and he dove under.  Determined sweeps from his arms and powerful kicks from his legs propelled him through churning ocean water.  It bit into his eyes.  It sapped his strength.  But personal vindication drove him harder.  He was not going to let her die.  Selena would not drown.

Through the murky water, he saw her.  A blurred vision, she gently thrashed about.  Long waves of hair undulated around her.  Oxygen bubbled from her in a slow pursuit to the surface.  No longer a billowy eruption, but in a steady foregone conclusion.

Need clamped down hard.

No.  She would not drown.

But as he swam closer to the limp figure, a horrible realization settled into his chest.  His stomach clenched.  It wasn’t Selena.

He twisted around, weightless in the gentle rise and fall of warm water.  There was nothing.  No one.

Panic swelled.  Confusion mixed time and place.  No—it couldn’t be.  He saw
Selena
.

Shaking his head, he cleared his mind.  He wasn’t imagining things.  He’d seen her.  It was
Selena
.  Ten feet to his left, he caught sight of her again.  Through the limited visibility, he could see her shadowy form.

His ears plugged with water.  The ocean felt dense yet eerily hollow, as though he were suspended in time.  Once again her body lost its fight, began its slow descent.