them into grown-ups. Of course, he had no idea yet if he’d done a decent job.
Dakota glanced around at the decorated pool area. “San Diego would have been a lot warmer. It’s eighty there. I could have lain by the pool, ordered little drinks with umbrellas.” She sighed.
“I thought you loved Fool’s Gold,” he teased.
“I do, but I love it more when it’s warmer. It’s spring. There should be plenty of heat.” She shivered in her coat. “I had to dig out warmer clothes.”
“It seems fine to me.”
“You’re from Alaska. Your opinion doesn’t count.”
He chuckled. “Come on. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”
“At Starbucks? A mocha latte would really help me feel better.”
He took the hand that wasn’t holding the clipboard. “You can even have whipped cream on it, if you want.”
She leaned against him. “My hero.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
A SHARP, INSISTENT RINGING called Dakota out of a dream that involved a panda, a raft and ice cream. She rolled over in the bed and picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Dakota? It’s Karen.”
Dakota glanced toward the clock, wondering why the production assistant was calling her. “It’s one in the morning.”
“I know.” Karen’s voice was muffled, as if she were trying to be quiet. “I’m out by the pool at the lodge. There’s a Tahitian dancing team here. Or maybe it’s not a team. I don’t know what they’re called.”
Dakota flopped back on the bed and closed her eyes. “I appreciate the news flash, but I’m really tired. I can catch the dancers tomorrow.” Which was technically later today, she thought.
“I don’t want you to see them. Sasha is here and so is Lani. I think she knows some of the dancers. Geoff’s filming the whole thing.”
“Then I can see it on the show broadcast. I’m sure Sasha and Lani are great dancers. Thanks for telling me, Karen.”
“Don’t hang up. I called to talk to Finn.”
That got Dakota’s attention. She sat straight up and clutched the phone tighter. “Why would you think he was with me?”
“Oh, please. Do you know how small Fool’s Gold is? Everybody knows you’re sleeping with him. Which isn’t the point. I need to talk with him. I’m afraid this is gonna get out of hand. Sasha is dancing with Fire Poi.”
Dakota wanted to go back to the “everybody knows you’re sleeping with him” remark, but the words “Fire Poi” got her attention.
“Fire, as in flames?”
“They’re lighting them right now. Geoff thinks it will be great for the show. I’m scared Sasha will get hurt.”
Dakota was already getting out of bed. “Finn’s at his hotel. Do you have his cell number?”
“No.”
Dakota gave it to her. “Tell him I’ll meet him at the hotel.”
“I will. Hurry,” Karen said.
There might have been more, but Dakota didn’t bother to listen. She shoved the phone back on the base and turned on the light. Seconds later, she’d pulled on jeans and shoved her feet into athletic shoes. After grabbing her car keys and her cell phone, she was out the door and heading for her car.
DAKOTA DROVE AS FAST as she could up the mountain and pulled into the parking lot. A car jerked to a stop next to her, and Finn got out of his rental. He was already swearing.
“I’m going to kill him,” he growled, taking off toward the back of the hotel, where the pool was located.
Dakota raced after him. “They’re filming. Just so you know.”
Finn scowled as he grabbed her hand. “Meaning Sasha will resist any attempts to help him.” He swore under his breath. “I want to blame Geoff for this, but my brother is the real idiot.” He looked at her. “They don’t call it Fire Poi because it only looks like fire, do they?”
“Karen said there were actual flames.”
Finn picked up the pace. By the time they got to the pool, he was almost at a dead run. She had no way to keep up with him and arrived a few seconds later, barely able to breathe.
Note to self, she thought as she gasped for air. In the morning, she was really going to have to consider some kind of exercise program.
Any other thoughts on the exercise issue disappeared the second she stepped onto the patio area by the pool. About a half dozen Tahitian dancers stood by the water. Two of the guys were spinning balls of fire at dizzying speed. Sasha held a single ball of fire, connected to a chain. As she watched in horror, he raised his arm level with his shoulder and began to turn the fire.
What should have been darkness was illuminated by the lights from the two cameras. All that was missing was an insistent jungle drumbeat. That, and someone who knew what he was doing.
Urged on by the other dancers and Lani, Sasha spun the chain faster and faster. The fire created eerie circles of light. Dakota thought of Geoff lurking by the bushes. If Finn got a hold of him, there would be hell to pay. Normally she didn’t condone any kind of violence, but Geoff made it clear that all he cared about was the show. The fact that Sasha could be seriously hurt was of no interest to him.
Finn stalked toward the dancers. Dakota followed, not sure if she was going to interfere or not. While she strongly believed Finn should let his brothers live their own lives, this was different.
“What the hell are you doing?” Finn asked as he approached. “Do you want to get killed? Put that down.”
Sasha turned toward his brother. It seemed as if, just for a moment, he forgot he was holding a chain with a ball of fire on the end. He stopped turning the chain and the ball swung toward the ground. The arc of movement swept perilously close to Sasha’s side.
She wasn’t the only one who noticed. Even as Finn dove toward his brother, Lani screamed and one of the dancers yelled out a warning.
But it was too late. Sasha’s T-shirt caught fire. He instantly dropped the chain and yelled. In the time it took Dakota to register the horror, Finn barreled into his brother, and they both tumbled into the pool.
“I’M GOING TO KILL HIM,” Finn said as he paced the length of Dakota’s living room. He’d showered and dried off, but hadn’t cooled down.
“I don’t care about the consequences. I’ll plead guilty. I’ll face the judge. Do you think there is any judge in this country who wouldn’t understand why I have to kill my brother? And Geoff. What the hell. If I’m going to jail for murder, what difference does the second one make? Doesn’t
