Free Misconduct (Hot Ice series Book 6) by Lily Harlem Page B

on the beach
or even in the locker room. This was a functional check for mangled limbs and
bleeding arteries.
    “No, no I don’t think so.” A tear broke free and I swiped at
it with my shoulder as I huddled over, hoping he wouldn’t notice. “I’m fine. I
just want to go back to the villa.” As I’d said villa my voice broke on a sob.
    “Ah shit, don’t cry,” he said, “You’re all right and I got
your wallet back.”
    “I know, and I’m grateful, really I am, it’s just…”
    “What?”
    “I’ve been coming here since I could only just walk and
nothing like that has ever happened. It’s always so lovely.”
    He shook his head, squeezed my hands. “There will always be
bad people in the world, so we just have to make the most of the good ones.” He
frowned. “I saw him follow you from the purse stall. I had a gut feeling then
he was thinking of doing something he shouldn’t. I’d have been quicker if I’d
followed him then rather than waiting.”
    “How could you have known?”
    He blew out his cheeks, sighed and shook his head. He seemed
really quite cross with himself despite having saved the day.
    “Mister, mister, you dropped your sweets.” A small boy stood
in front of us holding a torn paper bag containing dusty yellow candy. He wore
no shoes and his t-shirt was ripped on the lower seam. “I picked them up for
you. All of them.”
    Dustin’s face softened. “That was really kind of you.” He
took the sweets, studied them. “But I don’t think you can eat these now,
they’re all dirty, they’ll give you belly ache.” He plucked out his wallet.
“Here, go and buy a new bag, but you have to promise me one thing.”
    The little boy nodded, his dark eyes so wide I could see all
the whites.
    “You have to share them,” he said, “with all of the other
children at the market. Can you do that?”
    “Yes, mister, I can do that. I promise.” He nodded
earnestly.
    Dustin smiled. “Good, here you go then. Now you’re in
charge. I’m trusting you, share nicely.” He handed over several ten dollar
bills.
    “But brush your teeth afterward,” I said, sniffing.
    “I will, miss, I will, and I’m sorry about your knee.”
    I smiled and dabbed the cloth on the broken skin. “It will
be better by tomorrow, no harm done.”
    The boy dashed off and a policeman came over to make sure I
was okay and take my details. He told me I could press charges but they would
be holding their prisoner in custody for some time as he was a known
troublemaker on the island and wanted for several other crimes.
    “Can you walk back or should we get a cab?” Dustin asked
after the policeman had bade us goodbye.
    “Cabs are in short supply around here,” I said, standing. Keeping
one hand on the wall, I tested the weight through my leg. It was okay, it would
no doubt ache tomorrow, but I could walk back to the villa.
    Dustin hovered next to me, hands out as though I might
topple over.
    “It’s fine,” I said. “Really, not a problem. And it’s not
bleeding anymore.” I turned, gathered up my purses, my sunglasses and my wallet
and shoved them away safe in my new bag. “Come on, I could do with a drink.”
    “I’ll make you a deal,” he said. “We’ll have a drink here
first, before you walk back.”
    “And what if I don’t agree?” Though actually it did sound
like a good idea.
    “I’ll carry you.” He tugged on his bottom lip, elongating
that slim scar as if holding in a grin.
    “You are joking.”
    “Nope, not joking.” He pointed to a harborside bar that was
lined with azalea plants in full flower. “A drink there, any drink, your
choice. Otherwise you go over my shoulder for the whole way back.”
    “That sounds like possibly the most uncomfortable way to
travel ever. So yes, I’ll agree to the drink.”
    “Wise choice.” His eyes kind of glinted, but only for a
second because then he covered them with his black shades and hid them from my
view.
    There was no doubt in my mind