Blooming in the Wild Page 0,61

the blow, he smirked at her.

She stepped back, away from him, shuddering, one hand to her throat. “Oh, how could you do such a thing? And why?”

The trio behind Joel moved back, huddling together, staring at Li as they would a wild animal in their midst. Joel motioned Bella back as Frank swung the pistol up, aiming at Li.

“We’ll ask him,” he promised. “You got some rope in your bag, don’t you, Joel?”

“I do,” Joel answered. “Bella, would you get it?” He moved closer to Li, daring him silently to try something. He checked when the Asian flicked his hand and a shining blade appeared.

“I can plow a bullet in your sorry hide before you can throw dat,” Frank said coldly. “You cut anyone, I’ll make sure you die right here. Self-defense, they’ll call it.”

Li laughed silently, his ropy chest quivering under his snug tank. But then the Asian clicked the knife shut, held out his hand and let go of the knife. It hit the sand, spinning a little before coming to rest.

On her way back from rummaging in Joel’s bag, Bella reached out her foot and kicked it over to Joel. He crouched to pick it up, never taking his eyes off of Li. The Asian’s eyes followed as Joel shoved the knife into his pocket.

He looked at Joel under his brows, and Joel’s skin crawled the way it had when he’d looked into the eyes of a crazed shaman in a tiny village halfway round the world. The villagers had been terrified of the shaman, and even The Zone’s local guides had given the man a wide berth. A stone-cold killer. Bella was right; the Asian did look as if he hated everyone. He also looked as if he’d enjoy doing them harm with the knife Joel now had.

Joel took the neat bundle of synthetic rope from Bella. This was no revered local magician, just a small-time punk. And Joel was going to enjoy hog-tying him.

“Make sure you look for more knives,” Frank ordered as Joel approached Li. “Dat kind always has more dan one.”

A short time later, the Asian sat on the back shelf of the cave, hands and feet bound securely, his face stony. The larger knife that had been strapped to his calf was in Frank’s possession, as was the smaller one that had been in one of the pockets of his baggy pants.

The others were dressed. The trio, as Joel had come to think of them, sat drinking coffee and soda and nibbling muffins while they stared at Li. Bella had shaken her head at the food, but Joel held one of Leilani’s plump fruit-and-nut muffins before her until she took it.

“You have to eat,” he said, settling down with his own plate of leftover cold egg dish and muffins.

“’Ae, kahuna,” she muttered, taking a bite.

Joel grinned at her and took a big bite.

“You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?” she breathed, wrinkling her nose at him.

He shrugged, chewing. They had their perp tied up, and even if he’d been in cahoots with Frank’s missing crew, Eddy and Kobe couldn’t do much if everyone stayed here in the cave until Bella’s cousins showed up.

Frank was armed, and he himself could climb up and retrieve the automatic weapon if they needed it. Joel wasn’t enjoying himself, precisely. He wasn’t that big of a poser, but he and Frank had handled a dangerous situation, and he had a gorgeous wahine by his side, so things could be worse.

“I’m sorry your photo shoot came to such a tough ending,” he told Bella. “And I’m damn sorry about Frank’s boat.” There had been sorrow mixed with the Hawaiian’s rage.

“DelRay’s insurance had better pay for that boat,” she said fiercely. “Or I’ll know the reason why.”

She swallowed a bite of her muffin and looked up at Joel, licking a crumb off her full lower lip. He stopped chewing for a moment, pointing at the spot on his own lip. Damn, he wanted to lean over and catch it himself.

But Frank sat on his other side, eating as well, gun propped on his lap. And Bella’s mind was clearly on other things. She brushed at the crumb absently.

“I don’t get why Li wanted us trapped here,” she said, speaking in a hushed voice so only he and Frank could hear. “If he and Kobe and Eddy are running drugs, why wouldn’t they want us out of here and gone?”

“Good question,” Frank said, his brooding gaze on Li. “And one I’m gonna