Chapter Two

D erek sure made it sound all life-and-death, like, didn’t he?”

Gina smirked at Jake, the pale skinny guy from New York. He sat under one of the umbrellas at a table, keeping his body shaded from the afternoon sun.

Jake was a chain-smoker, no sooner putting one cigarette out than he lit another. And his hands shook. A nervous kid in his early twenties, his gaze darted around as if he expected the bogeyman to jump out at him any second.

What the hell was this guy doing in a contest where strength, nerves of steel, and prime physical condition were the qualifications? He just seemed out of place.

“Obviously Derek’s taking this reality show a little too seriously, Jake,” Gina answered. “I wouldn’t worry too much about him.” She shifted sideways in the lounge chair, then flipped over onto her belly and reached for the iced tea on the table next to her.

“I’m excited about this.” Shay had been lounging next to her and sat up. “What an adventure. I couldn’t believe they sent me an invitation.”

“Neither could I,” Jake said. “Though it’s not like I’m really going to get the chance to slice anyone in half with a real laser.”

Gina’s eyes widened. “Laser?”

“Yeah. I’m working on handheld laser technology.” Jake wandered away while lighting up another cigarette.

Gina looked to Shay, who shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I figured they’d chosen people who were extreme sports enthusiasts.”

“That’s what I figured, too.” And in Jake’s current physical condition, he didn’t look like he moved away from his computer desk much. “Interesting. Makes me curious what everyone else does. No one else around here looks like a pencil pusher.”

Olivia sat down at the end of Gina’s lounge chair. “Did he say lasers?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s strange. I assume the two of you aren’t into anything quite that…dangerous?”

“Hardly,” Gina said. “Weapons, martial arts, that’s about it. You?”

“I run marathons, and I’m an expert at martial arts and the assorted weaponry that goes with it. Nothing else.”

“I explore caves and collect daggers,” Shay added. “Wonder what everyone else does?”

“I’m up for a little question-and-answer session with the rest of the team if you all are,” Gina suggested.

“I’d say it’s a really good idea,” Shay said.

Gina rose and tossed on her sundress over her swim suit. They wandered toward Trace and Ryder who were playing cards at the bar.

“So, it seems everyone involved in this competition has some kind of specialty,” Shay said. “What’s yours?”

“Specialty?” Ryder asked, surveying them with a steady dark gaze.

“Sports, weapons, that kind of thing,” Gina explained, trying to appear nonchalant. “We’re just curious.”

“Uh-huh. Pistols, rifles, and knives,” Ryder said, then bent his head and stared at his cards.

Such a conversationalist. Too bad. She liked his sexy drawl. “How about you, Trace?”

Trace grinned, showing off even teeth that appeared stark white against his deep tan. He leaned back in his chair and stretched out his long, lean legs, draping one arm over the back of the chair next to him. “You show me yours and I’ll show you mine, gorgeous.”

Gina laughed. “You see my movies?”

“A few.”

“That’s what I do.”

He nodded. “I heard that you like to do your own stunts. Impressive. Me, I like guns and knives. Did some desert survival contests, too.”

“Fascinating.” Fortunately, the guys weren’t in the mood to chitchat, so Gina motioned Shay and Olivia along and they headed toward the bow of the ship. “Okay, so that seems normal.”

“Nothing like Jake and his lasers,” Olivia said.

“No. And Trace and Ryder are clearly in prime shape for an outdoor adventure like this.”

“I’ll say,” Shay said with a wink. “One with dark hair, one with light hair, both sexy as hell. What woman wouldn’t want to be a sandwich between those two?”

Gina laughed. There were several other competitors so they split up to do some investigating. When they met up again, they compared notes. All the others were engaged in extreme sports or had experience in what Gina would consider normal weaponry. Nothing unusual.

Gina straddled her lounge chair and took a sip of her tea, puzzled by Jake’s invitation to the reality show. “If we’re going to be competing in a physical challenge, what the hell is someone like Jake doing here? He’s a heavy smoker, thin as a rail, and totally out of shape, and he uses laser weaponry.”

“Maybe he’s in better form than we think,” Shay suggested.

Gina rolled her eyes. “I find that hard to believe. I’d smoke him in a hundred-yard dash.”

“I could, too,” Olivia added. “Everyone else seems to fit just fine. Maybe he’s a fluke, misrepresented himself or something. Or he’s fooling all of us.”

Gina shrugged. “Could be.”

“I’m just going to look on him as one less competitor to worry about,” Olivia said.

Or maybe Jake was the one to really watch.

After a nap, a shower, and a change of clothes, Gina went up on deck in search of Shay and Olivia. Something just didn’t feel right about this whole reality show. While there were a handful of them like herself who seemed like fish out of water, anxious and excited and completely clueless about what was to come, the others seemed to keep to themselves and within a group on their own, almost as if they had banded together in secret. And those were the people who seemed to be spending a lot of time talking to Derek. Did they have some kind of “in” with him?

She didn’t like alliances. The last thing she wanted was to start this game at a disadvantage. Maybe she’d hunt down Shay, Olivia, Trace, Jake, and Ryder and see if they noticed the same thing she had about the others.

But when she went upstairs, no one was topside. The sun was sinking fast into the water, and she took a moment to enjoy the few minutes alone and watch the glowing sunset.

The quiet was unnerving. Despite the gentle hum of the ship’s motor and the waves crashing against the hull, she still felt alone with her thoughts.

And time to reflect was never a good thing.

Another adventure, another chance to escape. One movie after another, never a moment to go home and face herself in the mirror.

Who would she face if she did? Who was Gina Bliss? Wasn’t even her real name. And where was home, anyway? It certainly wasn’t the glass house on the beach in Malibu. The last real home she had was the one she and her mother had shared. The one she’d been wrenched from when she was eight years old. The ten years she’d spent in foster care after her mother disappeared had never been home.

She didn’t have a home.

“Why are you all alone?”

Startled, she whirled around to find Derek standing behind her. Placing her hand over her heart to calm the skittering beat, she said, “You scared me.”

“You need to develop nerves of steel and better sensing capabilities if you’re going to survive this game. You never know who’ll be sneaking up behind you.”

Smart-ass. Was this some kind of test? “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”

“Everyone’s downstairs and gathered for dinner.”

“You aren’t.”

“Not hungry right now.” He lifted his hands and lit one of the fat stogies, the smell of cherry and smoke filling the air.

“I see.” She turned away and resumed watching the last quarter of the sun sink below the horizon. Derek stepped beside her.

“With all those starving men, you’d better hurry or you’ll miss dinner.”

“I’m not too worried about it.” If he insisted on staying out here with her, this would be a good time to quiz him about Jake, about the competition.

“You need your strength for the competition.”

She grinned. “I’ll eat. You worried about me?”

He shrugged. “Just a friendly warning.”

“So what do I have to look forward to?”

“You trying for some advance recon, Bliss?” He leaned his forearms against the railing and turned his head to look at her. The wind blew locks of dark hair against his forehead. Thick, dark hair. The kind a woman wanted to slide her fingers in. She curled her nails into her palms and bent forward against the railing, focusing her attention on the waves.

“I would never try to get you to divulge secrets, Derek. Besides, I already have an idea what’s going to happen.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

She really had no clue, but he’d given her an opening and this was her chance to see if he’d reveal anything. “We’re going to arrive on the island, then we’re going to race around with paint-ball guns and chase after guys in demon makeup and shoot them and score points that way. Or maybe it’ll be like flag football. First one to grab the flag from the demon wins.”

He arched a brow. “Think so?”

Casting him a sideways glance, she asked, “Am I wrong?”

He took a long, slow puff of his cigar and blew it out, then grinned. “I think you’d better go eat your dinner. You’re gonna need it.” He slipped a hand in his pocket and strolled away.

Dammit! She’d gotten nothing from him. Nothing! Not even a hint. So much for charm and persuasion.

She might as well eat dinner, then huddle up with the others for a talk. Though she didn’t have what she’d exactly call a psychic kind of sixth sense, Gina had keen powers of observation and the ability to read people. One wasn’t successful in Hollywood for as long as she’d been without being able to cut through the bullshit.

And there was some definite bullshit going on with this competition.

She meant to find out what it was.

 

“Gina’s suspicious,” Derek said to Lou.

Lou raised a brow. “How do you know?”

“She was fishing for clues about the game earlier tonight. And some of our people said she and Shay and Olivia were asking about their specialties.”

“Could be just sizing up the competition. Doesn’t sound suspicious to me.”

Derek stood at the wide window in Lou’s office, watching the waves undulate under the cut of the ship’s bow. “It was more than just trying to figure out what the game was about. Call it a gut feeling.”

“You always have gut feelings.”

“I’m usually right.”

“Give it a rest, Derek, and quit worrying about these people. Even if Gina is suspicious about something, it won’t do her any good. There’s nothing to discover right now. All she’ll find is the game and other competitors.”

Derek paced the length of the all-too-small room. Tight places—he hated them. He couldn’t wait to get off this ship and onto the island, stretch his muscles and get into some action.

Training. Who had time for this shit? Bringing on new people was going to take up valuable time they didn’t have.

Necessary? Maybe. Time-consuming? Definitely. And every day they spent playing this moronic game meant days he wasn’t out there doing what he really should be doing.

“I know you hate this,” Lou said, “but you know the reason for it. We need these people. And if we’re lucky, they’ll all pass the test and we can bring them onboard. We’ll arrive at the island tomorrow and get started right away.”

Couldn’t happen soon enough for him. He felt like a caged animal lately. Something didn’t feel right. Some thing inside him. He couldn’t pinpoint what the difference was, but he felt a change—a churning, unsettling feeling.

Lou was the one with visions and premonitions, not him. He blew it off as cabin fever, of having to halt his normal routine for this test Lou had arranged for the new comers.

What else could it be? He was just a normal guy, not special like Lou.

He just needed to get off this freakin’ ship.

 

Disgruntled, Gina had gotten nowhere with the others last night. Neither Ryder nor Trace was suspicious about the competition, though they were more interested in playing cards than paying attention. But even Shay and Olivia felt they had been barking up the wrong tree, and maybe they’d been worried for nothing. They felt Jake was just an anomaly and nothing more.

Well, fine. But Gina still thought something was off.

At least they’d arrived at the island this morning. Maybe she was just annoyed at being cooped up—the reason she never took cruises. Ships were too limiting. There was a reason they called it cabin fever. And she was burning up with it right now.

Excited, she packed up her things and stood at the railing, watching the ship’s approach. The sun was up and it was steamy warm already, hardly a breeze blowing. She wished she had a spare second to drink in the tropical feel to this place, to absorb the sounds and scents, but there was no time. They anchored off a tiny strip of island and took powerboats ashore. The island looked like nothing more than a sandbar with aqua waves lapping each side. How could they hide anything on this tiny patch of land, let alone big hulking demons?

Gina followed one of the silent crewmen to her cabana. She’d expected something barely more than a tent, but was surprised at the amenities inside the little log building. Of course, she reminded herself, this was reality TV. She seriously doubted the viewing public would ever catch a glimpse of where they slept at night. The focus would be on beating the competition. There was little she needed to do other than change clothes to be ready.

Adrenaline pumping, Gina donned green camo pants, boots, and a tank top. She was ready to rock and roll.

She arrived on the beach and met up with the others, all dressed in similar fashion. Some of these people looked tough, worldly, and experienced. Like they’d been through hell and back and had the scars to show for it. Mean-looking group, the ones who had a tendency to hang in their own little clique, unlike Gina and the others.

Derek was there, too, once again wearing all black. Her body reacted in that weird awareness way again when he glanced in her direction. Great time for her libido to spark up and take notice of a man. She so was not going to allow that to happen. Paying attention to him meant losing her focus on the game.

“So what do you think we’re going to do first?” Olivia asked, rolling her shoulders and stretching her arms over her head.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Gina replied, deciding to ignore Derek and begin stretching, too. She bent from the waist and felt the sweet pull in her hamstrings.

“I’ve seen your movies.” Olivia stared straight ahead. “You do all your own stunts.”

“Yeah.”

“I’d love to go one-on-one with you if we get a chance for some practice.”

Gina stood and extended, glancing over at Olivia. “That sounds fun.”

Olivia smiled, casting Gina a look of demure innocence as she bowed her head. Gina returned the bow, not fooled for a second. Olivia would be a formidable opponent. She looked forward to sparring with her. It would be a great exercise routine and keep her in shape during the competition.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Louis said, stepping onto the beach as if he’d just appeared out of nowhere. “Gather around please.”

They assembled in front of him, the sun already beating down on the hot sandy beach. The humidity clung to her body, any breeze felt on the ship long gone. Sweat pooled between Gina’s breasts and she blew out a breath, wishing for a cold bottled water to quench her thirst.

“Before the game begins, we’re going to place you into teams for pre-event training, a bit of physical conditioning to determine your level of fitness.”

“What pre-event training? When do the games begin?” Trace asked.

“Soon. Just a little conditioning first.”

“I didn’t sign on for freakin’ boot camp,” Jake mumbled.

Gina turned to the quiet man, feeling sympathetic when she saw him pale. Not that he could really whiten any more than he already was.

“No, you didn’t, Jake, but there’s much more to this competition than just knowledge in your specialty,” Louis explained. “You will have to hide out, you might have to engage in hand-to-hand combat.”

“The contract states we would compete against each other in battling demons,” Jake said, nervously biting his thumbnail. “Nothing about any preconditioning.”

“Your contract also states that if you are not able to handle the physical aspects of the game you’ll be dismissed.”

Once again, Gina wondered about Jake. It was hot out here. Grueling hot. And Gina would bet they’d be hiking, running, putting up with punishing elements. If you weren’t in shape you weren’t going to make it. If the humidity didn’t kill you, then hand-to-hand would. This was reality, not a video game.

“If you have any reservations, Jake, now is the time,” Louis stated, making stern eye contact with the thin young man. Louis waited a few moments, but Jake finally shook his head.

“All right, then. Let’s get started. Derek will be in charge of the exercises. He will see to it that you know how to adequately defend yourself.”

“Defend ourselves from what?” Shay asked.

“We can’t tell you that,” Louis stated with a slight up ward curve to his lips. “That would be violating the rules of the game and we’re not ready to reveal those just yet.”

“Bet you’re disappointed, aren’t you, darlin’?” Derek whispered behind her.

She felt the warmth of his breath against the nape of her neck, his deep voice like a caress to her skin. Despite the heat, she shivered, but she refused to turn around, forcing herself to shake off his hypnotic effect on her. “I can wait a little longer,” she replied, but he was right. She was getting damned curious.

“Okay,” Louis said, “I’m going to turn this over to Derek, who will assemble you into teams and get the ball rolling on a few simple skirmishes. Derek, try not to kill them on the first day?”

Oh, this should be fun.

Derek moved to the front of the group and took the clipboard from Louis, surveying them like a gym teacher facing the scrawny freshman class.

“I don’t care what you think your talents are. Consider yourselves underprepared, inept, and not even close to being ready for what you’re about to face. As soon as you realize that, you might just survive this.”

Oh, please. He was taking this way too seriously. It was just a game. How hard could it be?

“We’ll start with a skirmish in teams of two. You’ll be running the length of the island, and we’ll do it in sets. Team One will consist of Gina, Trace, Ryder, Jake, Olivia, and Shay. Dalton, Linc, Mandy, Rafe, Punk, Rico, you’ll be Team Two, so you can take a seat. We’ll run you later.”

Of course. Why didn’t it surprise her that the group who hung with him wasn’t running with them?

He then split them up into smaller groups, Gina paired with Trace.

“I’ll be waiting here at the finish line, but there will be others running with you to check your progress throughout.”

“Wait a minute,” Gina said. “You’re not running?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not participating in the games. You are.”

“But you’re supposed to be coaching us, drilling us. I’d think you’d run with us.”

He rolled his eyes and stepped up to her. “I’d outrun you.”

“Wanna bet?” She didn’t know why she challenged him. Maybe to see what he had? For some reason she was disappointed he wasn’t going to be joining them.

He stared her down for a few minutes, then said, “Olivia will race with Trace and Shay. Jake and Ryder on another team.”

Oh, yeah. Now he was talking.

“Can you handle it?” he asked, challenge lacing his voice with sarcasm.

Her adrenaline levels shot up and she was primed and ready for a fight. Her nipples hardened, her panties moistened, and despite what her body thought it wanted, it was going to get something entirely different. A libido-crushing, ball-busting skirmish in the sand.

“I can handle anything you’ve got. Let’s get it on.”

---