Chapter Five

The First Warning

Katherine had spent the entire day basking in the sunlight by the pool. The beach was on the other side of the bungalow, the crystal clear waters and perfectly blue island sky was a sight to die for. Katherine couldn't be bothered by all that sand, though. "It's just one step above dirt," she told Richard when he asked her if she wanted to join her on shore. "You want to go lay in the dirt, that's fine. But not me."

She had agreed to join him on his boat later in the evening, though, even though she absolutely despised boats. According to Richard, some of his most expensive purchases were housed on his vessel, Rich Dollars, and she needed to see what those items would be worth to her. or to the people she would sell them to.

Earlier in the day, when the sun hadn't been so high, the breeze off the ocean had been enough to keep her comfortable as she lounged. Now, though, sweat was starting to bead on her upper lip. The very idea was enough to make her uncomfortable.

Katherine swept her legs out, wrapping her towel around her waist as she stood up. At forty-five, Katherine still had what Richard's generation called a "rocking" body. Her stomach was flat, and her breasts were defying both the laws of aging and gravity. She smiled, catching her reflection in the pool's still water. She was tan, her skin a light chestnut color that seemed to mask the age on her face. A little Botox in her forehead was all she ever really needed, and that was only once. She had no wrinkles, to ungodly crows feet. Her hair was the same shade of deep redish-brown it had been since she was a teenager – no signs of grey in sight.

She was built like a goddess, and it was certainly enough to keep twenty-something-or-other men like Richard Dawson interested in her.

Katherine tucked the towel securely around her waist, her right hand absently running up her stomach towards her belly button. You couldn't ever guess she had had a child. Then again, Katherine had given birth at such a young age that she hardly ever took that into consideration when concerning the possible future deterioration of her "rocking body".

"Taylor!" Katherine yelled, twisting her curly red locks up into a bun on the back of her head and pinning it in place. She waited, watching the young, mousy blonde running out from behind the tiki bar on the patio over the rim on her D&G sunglasses. When Richard had to pick his hired help for his stay, Katherine had wanted Taylor as her attendant from the moment she spotted her. The girl was cute – not too bad to look at – but was no competition for a woman like Katherine.

Taylor skipped over with a bottle of Evian. "Your water, ma'am," she offered, twisting off the cap and handing it to her. Katherine accepted it, holding the slightly damp bottle with only her thumb and pointer finger.

"Stop calling me ma'am. You're making me feel old," Katherine replied, sipping gingerly so not to smudge her lipstick.

"Yes, Ms. Montenegro," Taylor obeyed. "Oh, and you received a phone call, Ms. Montenegro."

Katherine started towards the bungalow, holding her water out for Taylor to carry it. "Who was it?"

"I'm not sure, Ms. Montenegro," Taylor answered honestly, reserved about Katherine's response as she took the bottle. "It was on your personal cell phone, and I didn't find it appropriate to answer."

Expecting that it was Richard, Katherine made her way past the tiki bar, through the sliding glass doors, and found her phone on the island counter of the kitchen. Taylor was right, she had missed a call. But not from Richard.

Katherine hit the redial button and pressed the phone to her ear, eager. She listened as the numbers dialed, then as the phone rang twice. Someone answered on the other end, but remained silent.

Katherine waved Taylor out of the room, concentrating on the silence on the other end. Once Taylor was out of sight, Katherine leaned back against the counter and slyly smiled into the receiver of the cell. "Danny, it's good to…"

"It's not Danny," a female voice interrupted.

Katherine found her smile waning. "Oh no?" she replied, trying to be coy instead of conveying the confusion and slight disappointment in her voice. "Then who might this be?"

"Lily."

"Lily? I'm not sure I know a Lily."

There was silence again on the other end, and Katherine rook the time to look around the kitchen to make sure no one was listening.

"Well, you wouldn't. But I know you."

Katherine's interest was piqued, but also for more reasons than one. She and Danny had been very discreet in their conversations in the past, but that didn't mean that the information they passed back and forth was entirely secure. "How do you know me? And how did you get Danny's phone?"

"I stole it from him," Lily answered, ignoring Katherine's first question because she saw no relevance in answering it directly. "Although I'm not sure if it's really stealing since I'm his daughter."

Katherine's brows raised over the rims of her sunglasses in amusement. "Of course! Lily, honey, is your father there? Can I speak to him?"

Lily cringed on the other end, she hard she was almost sure Katherine could hear it. "Not exactly. I'm just calling to let you know that we're going ahead with the job, and we're moving the trip up. Expect us in two days."

Katherine removed her sunglasses, pushing them up to the top of her head. "That's excellent news, Lily."

"Again, not exactly. This is your first warning, Katherine. Don't fuck with me."

The tone of the call being disconnected sounded in her ear, and Katherine closed her phone. "Taylor!" she summoned. Taylor came running again. "Taylor, call ahead to your boss and reserve the rest of the bungalows on this strip of beach. I have some friends that are going to be joining me in a few days, and I want to keep them close by."

"But, Ms. Montenegro, the rest of the bungalows on his strip are already in use."

Katherine lost her smile all together, a furrow would have formed between her brows if the muscles were able to. "So then kick them out. I'm willing to pay whatever it is for those bungalows, Taylor. Money is no object. Isn't the motto of this little operation?"

Taylor complied, bowing out of the room to make the phone call.