One Drop of Golden Sun

Ch. 10 All in the Timing

*Ray

Ray's heart beat a million miles a minute, but it was going to be fine. She was saved. Yeah, normally Lokela's scowl could damper a sunny afternoon on Waikiki beach itself, but not today. Not in that alley. He lit up the place like a lighthouse beacon showing her the way through the rocks.

These guys, the same ones who had been so nice in Geology 101 for about thirty seconds, narrowed their eyes at him, sizing him up after her threat.

He was all Hawaiian muscle. Topped with a permanently pissed-off chip on his shoulder and his disdain for other people's feelings, he made quite an impression. Any normal college guy would be nervous to go up against him.

Except Lokela wasn't rising to the challenge. He backed a step away. "

Was there a problem? Sure, two to one wasn't exactly a fair fight, but this was the roommate who ate an entire can of spam for breakfast. Nothing scared him.

"What were you saying about kicking our butts?" asked the ringleader. She was pretty sure his name was Scott, and without him, the other guy would already be running.

"Technically, I didn't say anything about and I suggest we keep this civilized. I'll take my assistant and myself inside and you get yourselve off the business premises. No harm, no foul," Lokela said.

Technically, he growled it a little. Ray's heart skipped a happy beat. He wouldn't let her down.

"No harm, no foul? Is that supposed to be cute?"

"No."

Scott advanced slowly on him. "You are telling me I can't have a conversation when I want to and that's no harm, no foul?"

"Yes?" Lokela seemed genuinely confused.

Ray rolled her eyes behind their backs. The guy was an idiot. "He's telling you to get your sparkling white derrières the heck out of here, or you might be sent home crying to your mamas."

Lokela's eyes snapped to hers in alarm. He jerked his head, a nanoshake of panicked no.

"Is that what you said?" Scott asked. His stance was getting hostile. His wingman pounded his fist in his palm, standing right behind Scott's shoulder.

Lokela held up his hands to pacify them.

Oops.

"Er," Ray stammered, "no, that's not what he's saying at all. In fact, he wasn't referring in the least to the maggoty color of your behinds, despite the fact that you were pretty offensive with that Aloha ass comment, which I did not appreciate in the least, but that's a totally different matter."

Lokela took two more steps back. He smiled. Was he getting nervous? "Why don't we discuss things just between us guys? Ray, could you check for phone calls or emails or something inside?" He stressed the word inside.

She could take a hint.

"Do you want me to tell Miller and your two other brothers that you are busy out here?" She stressed the words busy out here and lifted her eyebrows. Of course, none of Lokela's brothers or half a million cousins and extended family members were at work today. It was just her.

But scumbags Flotsam and Jetsam didn't know that.

"Yeah, that's would great. Have all his brothers come on out," Scott said.

The look Lokela shot her would have boiled lobsters in a pot—an absolutely atrocious act if ever there was one. A nervous flush rushed up her neck and face. So much for her bluff to save the day.