Beth looked warily around her, unsure that she had the right address. “Jax is staying here?” she muttered aloud as she turned full-circle, surveying the house and its setting. The setting was beautiful, to be sure, with its vast array of tropical vegetation and its incredible view of the Gulf from every angle, but the house itself was rather pedestrian and nondescript – certainly not a place in which a jet-setting billionaire would be staying!

She was about to get back into the car to double check the address and the directions she’d been given when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. She turned around to see Jax racing down the steps that led from the house.

“Beth!” he called, trying to keep his voice down so as not to disturb Brenda. He hoped to explain everything to Beth and get her settled in before Brenda woke up. He wanted Beth to clearly understand that this was a working vacation for her – and he’d pay her anything she asked – but helping Brenda was to be her priority while she was here. He also had to explain that, despite his sexual inference when he’d invited her, their relationship would remain strictly platonic. Brenda held his heart, now and forever.

But Beth clearly had other ideas. The moment Jax made it down to the car – and before he could say anything at all to her – she let out a screech, then surprised him by launching herself into his arms and locking him into a passionate kiss.

Brenda awoke with a start, bolting upright on the chaise; her heart beating wildly as her dream replayed in her head: “… Fish, moon, stars, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Jacks…”

She’d had that dream again – her favorite dream of all the ones she’d had over the past few weeks – but this time she’d actually seen the face of the man she was with and heard his voice, and it had been Jax!

She was married to Jax…

But how could that be? …

They’d met by accident back on Nassau – hadn’t they?… Of course they had! She’d chosen his car simply because it was the closest to the dumpster where she’d landed when she’d jumped out of that bathroom window. They would never have crossed paths at all if she hadn’t crawled into his car. It was a random choice, not planned. So, how was it that she managed to end up in the car of the very man she was trying so desperately to find? That made no sense!

Yet, other things did make sense now: why he was so kind to her from the beginning, even though she’d taken him hostage at gunpoint and been downright mean to him most of the time… Why he’d insisted on staying with her, rather than letting her go off on her own once they’d landed in Miami… Why he’d been so patient and loving to her as she was going through the worst of the withdrawal… Why his words had touched her so as he’d slid her ring back on her finger that morning… Why she felt so drawn to him, almost from the start…

He was the man she’d been dreaming about…

He was the man she loved and who loved her in return…

He was her husband…

She smiled at that thought, the fingers of her right hand immediately rubbing over her ring again…

Jax was her husband… She had to find him and tell him that she remembered!

Just then she heard a screeching noise unlike anything that the pelicans or the other birds uttered. It sounded like someone was dying! She stood and hobbled quickly around the deck to the front of the house where the noise had originated, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she got to the railing overlooking the drive. There below was Jax, and in his arms was a tall, blonde woman – and they were kissing!

Jax finally pried his lips away from Beth’s, but he couldn’t seem to pry himself from her viselike grip. “Ummm… that was some greeting,” he laughed nervously, as he continued to try to extricate himself from her embrace.

“Well, I wanted you to know how much I’ve missed you,” Beth purred, as she ran her hands through his hair. “It’s been far too long… I was beginning to think that you’d forgotten all about me and Jules!” she pouted sexily. “Oh, and before I forget… this is from Jules,” she grinned, as she pulled Jax back into another intense kiss.

Brenda felt like she’d been kicked in the stomach as she watched Jax and the beautiful, leggy blonde carry on so passionately. What was he doing with that woman? Why was he kissing her?… Jax was hers, not that woman’s…

Wasn’t he?…

He’d been in her dream just now; he had to be the man she’d been dreaming about all along…

Didn’t he?…

…Or…

… Or was she just so attracted to him that her subconscious had inserted him as the man in her dream? …

She had to sort this out before she made a fool of herself. She backed away from the railing so that Jax and the woman couldn’t see her.

Her mind was racing now. What was it the woman had said before she’d pulled Jax in for that second torrid kiss? … Something about someone named Jules… Jules? … What kind of a name was Jules?...

Or …

Or was it Julia?…

Brenda felt sick as she remembered telling Jax that her name was Julia, and he’d responded by saying that he was in love with a woman whose sister was named Julia… This woman Jax was kissing had to be the one he’d referred to so many times in the past few days! This was Julia’s sister… The woman he’d hoped would show up here at the cottage…

And now she had shown up…

This was the woman he loved – not her… Never her… Her dream about him hadn’t been a memory at all… It had simply been a cruel trick that her mind had played at her heart’s expense…

Brenda heard the woman laugh loudly then, and she peered from her hiding place just in time to see Jax and the blonde walking hand-in-hand toward the beach. Suddenly, she felt a wave of nausea rush over her that was far worse than anything she’d experienced the night before. Forgetting completely about her sore ankle, she raced inside to the bathroom, getting there just as the remains of her lunch and the first of her tears both came pouring out.

Jax pulled away from Beth’s second kiss and then pried himself from her arms, though he allowed their hands to remain linked. “How about a walk on the beach?” he asked, as he realized that he needed to set her straight about things then and there, and it would be best to do it away from the house where Brenda might accidentally overhear what they were discussing.

“Oh, I’d love that!” Beth laughed loudly, as she donned her sunglasses and walked happily with Jax toward the beach on the far side of the house. “I hope that we can spend a lot of time walking on the beach together over the next couple of weeks.”

Jax had set a brisk pace, and soon they were far enough away from the house that he thought they could safely talk without Brenda overhearing. “Beth, we need to talk,” he said quietly, as he stopped and glanced back toward the house, then looked back at Beth.

Beth picked up immediately on his tone, which was suddenly very serious. And she could now see that he appeared uncomfortable simply holding hands as they were. She had the sinking feeling that the reason she’d assumed he’d invited her and the reason he’d actually invited her were two very different things… Well, she wasn’t going to make this easy for him! “Go ahead,” she replied, as she took off her sunglasses and gazed coolly into his eyes.

Looking at her, Jax felt a twinge of guilt for having misled her as he had to get her here. He’d hinted at a personal relationship for them when he’d merely wanted her professional help for Brenda. But he’d needed to get her here without anyone knowing why he needed her – and that included Beth. Certainly she’d understand once he laid everything out for her.

“When we talked on the phone the other night you offered your condolences for the loss of my wife,” Jax began, fidgeting slightly as Beth continued to stare coolly at him. She certainly wasn’t making this easy for him!

“Yes, and I am sorry for your loss,” Beth nodded, although inwardly she was glad he was single again – even if he hadn’t invited her here to take advantage of that fact with her.

“Well, your condolences aren’t necessary… I just found out that Brenda is very much alive after all,” Jax grinned, glancing back at the house and hoping that Brenda was still resting on the deck on the other side of the house.

“Alive?” Beth exclaimed, nearly choking the word. “I… I thought she’d drowned,” she sputtered, realizing that this little development really threw a monkey wrench into her plans for Jax.

“We all did,” Jax replied quietly, remembering the pain he’d felt all the while that Brenda had been missing.

Beth continued to struggle for words. “Ummm… ummm… how long have you known… I mean, when did you find out that she’d survived the accident?”

“About a week ago, I picked up a newspaper and saw this picture of a woman who looked exactly like Brenda. I called the paper and they said they’d taken the picture off the wire and that it had been taken in Paris just the day before. So, I immediately headed for Paris,” Jax explained, closing his eyes briefly as he remembered seeing Brenda in the flesh for the first time again as she’d stepped into that limo with Cordoba, then almost losing her again as the car had sped off. If it hadn’t been for the doorman at the hotel and the cab driver, as well as the hostess at the airport’s private lounge, she might have slipped away from him forever. “I finally caught up with her a couple of days and several thousand miles later.”

Beth was astounded. Why on earth had the woman not contacted Jax in all this time? She must be certifiable to deliberately stay away from a man as fine – and as wealthy – as Jasper Jacks! Maybe that was why Jax had asked her here – to get her advice on how to have the woman committed, she mused, trying to put a positive spin on this, although she doubted that was the case at all. “What did she have to say for herself? Why had she let you think she was dead all this time?”

“Brenda has no idea who she is or who I am to her – She doesn’t remember anything prior to waking up in a private clinic in the Bahamas about a year ago,” Jax explained.

“The Bahamas? How did she get to the Bahamas?” Beth wondered aloud. “I thought I’d read that she’d driven off a cliff into one of the Great Lakes.”

“Lake Erie,” Jax nodded. “But someone rescued her, had her treated nearby, then had her transferred to a private clinic in the Bahamas. And when she woke up, he made up a story about who she was and what had happened to her, and she had no reason to doubt him.”

“Who found her?” Beth asked out of curiosity.

“That’s not important at the moment,” Jax replied curtly. “But he’s rich and powerful, and he made her believe the web of lies he told her about herself – and about them…” His voice trailed off then, as talking about this was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. “She also was on Vicodin for a long time, which dulled her thinking and prevented her from remembering. But she said she’d purposely cut back on the pills in recent weeks because she hated the way they made her feel, and that’s when she started having some memory flashes. That’s also when she began to realize that the man she’d been living with – and was supposedly engaged to – had been lying to her all along.”

“So she’s been having memory flashes but not enough to tell her who she is or who you are to her – and she’s addicted to Vicodin…” Beth repeated for clarification, and Jax nodded.

“Well, she’s trying to beat her addiction – She’s going cold turkey, actually,” Jax added.

“That’s not easy…Where is she now? – What hospital?” Beth asked, naturally assuming she was in a hospital detox ward.

“She’s not in a hospital – she’s here with me,” Jax answered quietly.

“Jax, do you know how dangerous that is?” Beth scolded, her medical training coming to the forefront now. “She could die going through that drastic a withdrawal without medical supervision!”

“I wanted to take her to a hospital – especially when she was at her worst the other night – but she begged me not to.”

“So you called the one doctor you knew would make a house call – especially if you worded the invitation properly,” Beth surmised, her voice brimming with sarcasm.

“Actually, I called you before I knew anything about her addiction,” Jax clarified. “I was hoping that you could help her recover her memories. But having you here for her detox is an added bonus.” He paused, as he glanced back at the house once again, then looked back at Beth, his voice sober as he added: “Listen, I called you because I know you, and I know I can trust you to be discreet about this… Like I said, the man who kept Brenda his prisoner for the past couple of years is rich and powerful, but he’s also very dangerous and he’d do anything to get her back if he knew where she was – which is why she refused to go to a hospital…”

He paused again, then took Beth’s hands back in his as he continued: “Beth, I apologize for intentionally misleading you to get you here, but I couldn’t tell you the truth and risk anyone learning that Brenda is here with me… My parents don’t even know where we are. They think we’re on my private island near Greece. The fewer people who know the truth, the better it is for Brenda… Beth, please say you’ll stay and help,” he pleaded plaintively.

Beth sighed. She’d been prepared to really let him have it when she’d first realized that he’d brought her here under false pretenses, but it was hard to stay mad at someone who looked as handsome and sincere as he did right now. She still hated that he’d lied to her and that her chances of snaring him now that his wife had risen from her watery grave were nil, but she couldn’t very well refuse to help him now that she was here. She might as well stay on his good side, and she knew that he would certainly pay her well for her time. At least her bank account would benefit from this trip.

She decided the wise thing to do was to smile and accept Jax’s apology, as well as his job offer, then play it by ear from that point on. And, if she played her cards right, she could still come away from this with everything she wanted: Jax and her sharing a joint marital bed, as well as a joint bank account. Because who was to say that even if the recently resurrected wife did recover her memories that she’d still want to be with Jax? People change, especially people who endured extreme circumstances as Brenda Barrett-Jacks evidently had. So, maybe her chances at snaring Jax weren’t so nonexistent after all…

“Okay, Jax, I’ll stay,” Beth smiled, which made him grin happily and pull her into an enthusiastic hug. “But I can’t guarantee that your wife will remember anything – and even if she does recover her memories, that doesn’t mean she’ll still feel the same way she once did about you… Sometimes peoples’ feelings change, even though their memories return,” she warned him.

“That won’t happen in Brenda’s case,” Jax declared, still holding Beth tightly in his arms, which Beth was relishing greatly. “I can already see in her eyes that she loves me. Her feelings for me haven’t changed. She just can’t understand those feelings right now. But you’ll help her understand. You’ll bring her back to me – I know you will!”

Jax was ecstatic at the realization that having Brenda fully back with him was within his grasp. Beth was ecstatic at the realization that she could be held like this forever in Jax’s arms if she was smart and played the situation correctly. But Brenda, who was once again watching unnoticed from the shadows on the balcony above, was heartbroken at the realization that her hope of having the one man she had come to trust and believed that she loved now and in the past was disintegrating before her very eyes.

The short drive from the Nassau police station to the airport had seemed excruciatingly long for Kirby Johnson, and the shorter flight from Nassau airport to Armand Cordoba’s private island had felt even longer. Now he was back at the main house, locked in Cordoba’s office with two of Kirby’s former colleagues, Antonio and Jay, standing guard at the door; their guns loaded and at the ready should he attempt an escape.

Not that Kirby would attempt an escape now. He’d tried that once, only to learn just how far-reaching Armand Cordoba’s power and influence truly was. He knew that escape was impossible and that his death was inevitable; now he just wished that Cordoba would get it over and done with. This waiting was pure torture – as was the silence with which he’d been treated since they’d left the police station.

Cordoba had not said a single word to him since they’d walked out the front door of the Nassau police station, nor had any of the men who worked for Cordoba, including those Kirby had counted as his friends. Even the household staff had turned away in silence as he’d been led through the house and up the stairs to this room. Only Hattie Winston, the cook who’d been there when Veronica Devereaux had disappeared, had looked him squarely in the eyes and nodded, offering a heartfelt – although silent – show of support for him.

He was trying hard not to be scared. After all, he’d fearlessly faced death many times when he was still a gang member back in Detroit. But this felt different…

He’d been sitting here now for nearly an hour, waiting and wondering how the end would come for him? If he was lucky, it would be swift – possibly a gun to the back of his head… But, knowing Mr. Cordoba’s as he did, Kirby knew that he’d run out of luck the minute that he’d allowed himself to be distracted from his assignment. He’d momentarily disregarded Mr. Cordoba’s primary instructions for him: protect Ms. Veronica at all costs and never let her out of his sight. Mr. Cordoba would no doubt use Kirby’s failure to follow his orders as an object lesson for the rest of those who worked for him. Which meant Kirby’s punishment would be long and drawn out, and his death slow and painful – and that was what scared him.

Perhaps an escape attempt was his best bet, after all.

He glanced up at the door and at the armed twin monoliths flanking it, and he made a decision. He knew he’d never make it out of here alive, but that’s what he was counting on now…

Swift…

Sure…

And over in an instant…

Hattie Winston sat poker-straight at the dining room table, awaiting Mr. Cordoba’s arrival. Sunday was her day off – and Mr. Cordoba normally respected that – but today he’d sent a man to fetch her back here to the island. She’d anticipated that he’d want to question her about the particulars of the Friday before when Ms. Veronica disappeared, but she’d assumed he would wait until Monday when she was normally back here for the week. But she supposed the Sabbath held no special meaning to the man, especially when he was on a mission to find Ms. Veronica.

Now she just wished that Mr. Cordoba would finally get here so that she could get this over with. She’d been sitting here all alone for nearly an hour. No one had said anything to her since the moment they’d ushered her in here and instructed her to wait; not even Macy and Cora, who helped her in the kitchen. They’d all averted their eyes, as if they didn’t want to be associated with her in any way, lest they, too, would be suspected as somehow responsible for Ms. Veronica’s disappearance.

Hattie supposed that this long, silent treatment was meant to put the fear in her, but she didn’t scare easily. Oh, she knew that Mr. Cordoba did not let mistakes go unpunished, and she also knew that Mr. Cordoba was not one who liked to hear the truth when it went against what he wanted or believed. But he could bluster and threaten all he liked, trying to pin this on her and poor Kirby Johnson, but she had the truth on her side, and she wasn’t afraid to speak it, even if it wasn’t what Mr. Cordoba wanted to hear: Ms. Veronica had been determined to leave and leave is what she’d done, and that was the truth. Not even Mr. Cordoba could make Hattie say otherwise, even if he threatened to kill her. Because she didn’t fear death; she was at peace in her soul and was ready to meet her maker. She doubted Mr. Cordoba could say the same.

Besides, despite his reputation, she really didn’t believe that Mr. Cordoba would kill anyone, even if he threatened it – not even Kirby, and especially not her. She looked toward the hallway and the stairs leading to the second floor, feeling relieved at that realization.

But that relief quickly drained away as the distinct sound of gunfire upstairs echoed through the house. In that instant Hattie knew in her heart that Mr. Cordoba was capable of anything – even cold-blooded murder – if it meant getting back Ms. Veronica, and she knew that whatever had happened to Kirby just now was likely her fate as well.

“Lord Jesus!” she cried softly, rocking back and forth in her seat, as she prayed fervently for God’s guidance and peace here for both her and Kirby. “Sweet, sweet Lord Jesus…”

When Brenda heard Jax and the woman climb the steps out front she curled back up on the chaise and pretended to be asleep They were talking in hushed tones and laughing softly, and that level of intimacy between them made Brenda want to retch again.

She wished she could just rewind to that morning when Jax had wanted to spend every moment with her but she’d stupidly pushed him away. She certainly wouldn’t make that mistake again! But now that Julia’s sister was here, he’d probably be spending all of his time with her.

Why did that woman have to show up?

Snap out of it! her head scolded. They have every right to spend every moment together – they’re in love… You’re the interloper here, not her.

That was true, and she’d accepted that in her head, but her heart wouldn’t accept it. In her heart, Jax was the man she’d been dreaming about for weeks now… The man who’d placed this ring on her finger in the first place… The man she loved and who loved her in return… The man who was her destiny…

But logic told her that couldn’t be true… There were too many coincidences that had brought them together… They hadn’t been fated to find one another; blind chance had thrust her into his life – against his will, no less… He was simply a kind and generous man who’d lent a helping hand to a desperate woman in need… He didn’t care anything for her beyond normal human compassion. He certainly didn’t love her… He loved Julia’s sister… And now he was happy because Julia’s sister was finally here with him…

And that’s what hurt… God, how it hurt! … She’d never felt an ache in her heart like this before – at least, not that she could remember… And she never wanted to feel anything like this again!

God, I’d sell my soul for a pill right now! she thought, as she could feel every cell in her body begin to tense. She needed something to numb the pain fast, so she wouldn’t feel like this anymore… So she wouldn’t care about Jax and Julia’s sister and their private little moments of tender touches… and passionate kisses… and pure joy at simply being together again...

She could hear faint footsteps on the deck then and quiet voices coming ever closer. Suddenly, her heart began fluttering in her chest, and she felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She sat upright on the side of the chaise, trying to catch her breath. That’s when the shaking started…

Please, God – no – not now – Please! she fervently prayed. Jax and Julia’s sister couldn’t see her like this. This was definitely not the way she wanted to meet the woman Jax loved!

But Jax did see and was at her side in an instant. “It’s okay – You’re going to be okay…” he soothed, settling beside her on the chaise and wrapping his arms around her to comfort her.

To Brenda, the shaking seemed to last forever, but in reality it was over rather quickly as compared to the bouts she’d had previously. In less than a minute the tremors were gone, and her breathing and heart rate had returned to normal. Despite the fact that she loved the feel of his arms around her, Brenda immediately pulled out of Jax’s embrace. “Sorry about that,” she apologized quietly, embarrassed that Julia’s sister had been witness to that ugly incident. “Just when you thought it was safe to bring company around…” she added with a derisive laugh, nodding toward Beth, who had stepped forward to make her presence known once Brenda’s tremors had stopped.

Jax just shook his head and gave a small laugh, amazed that Brenda still had a sense of humor when he knew how horrible she had to feel. He tipped her face up toward him and smiled, tapping her softly on the end of her nose. “Don’t ever apologize for something you can’t control,” he admonished her. “Besides, Beth is a doctor, so she’s seen just about everything, isn’t that right, Beth?”

Beth had been watching Jax and Brenda keenly for the past few minutes, and she realized that everything she’d read and heard about Brenda being the love of Jax’s life had not been an exaggeration in the least. And it also appeared to her that Brenda was naturally drawn to Jax, despite the fact that she didn’t consciously know that they were lovers and married in the past. This wasn’t going to be as easy as she’d hoped, but she wasn’t giving up yet on her plan to snare Jax. She’d just have to observe closely, glean every bit of information from Brenda and Jax that she could, analyze it all carefully, then do what she did best – manipulate the situation to her own advantage.

Pasting on a pleasant smile, Beth stepped forward. “Yes, I’ve seen just about everything in my practice,” she nodded. Then, thrusting her right hand out to Brenda, she added in a sugary tone: “I’m Dr. Elizabeth Weston. It’s nice to meet you. Jax has told me all about you.”

Brenda hesitated slightly as she took Beth’s hand and shook it, trying hard to smile at meeting the woman she assumed Jax loved. Well, all I know about you is that you’re Julia’s sister, she thought, and that he’s very much in love with you – which is already more than I want to know. But aloud she said: “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Weston. I’m… um… I’m not really sure who I am, but you can call me Veronica, for now – Veronica Devereaux.”

“Ah, yes…” Beth nodded, “Jax told me about the amnesia.”

“And the drug addiction, too – at least I’m assuming that because… well, you are a doctor, after all, ” Brenda added, a slight edge to her tone.

“Actually, Beth’s a psychiatrist who specializes in memory recovery,” Jax inserted, noting the frostiness in Brenda’s tone and hoping that she would understand that had been his main impetus for inviting Beth here. Although he was also thankful Beth could help Brenda handle both the physical and emotional aspects of the withdrawal, as well.

“A psychiatrist…” Brenda nodded, averting her eyes so that Jax couldn’t see the instant jealousy reflected there. This is just perfect, she thought grimly. She’s beautiful, well educated – a psychiatrist, no less – probably very successful, and I’m a junkie amnesiac with no name, a missing past, a troubled present, and an uncertain future…. I might as well pack up and leave now because I don’t have a ghost of a chance with him against her!

Why do you even care? her head queried. He’s just a stranger you stumbled upon in that parking lot. Sure, he’s handsome and kind and generous and caring, but he’s not really the man in your dreams or in your past, and you know that. You have to let go of this idea that you’re in love with him!

Logically, she knew that, but for some reason her heart had other ideas and seemed to have had them almost from the beginning. How else could she explain why she’d felt so instantly drawn to him? She’d trusted him from the start, when she hadn’t trusted anyone at all since she’d come out of the coma. Why was that?

It’s a moot point, her head pointed out. He’s happily involved, and you have to concentrate on remembering your past so that you can get on with your life and Jax can get on with his...

His life without me, she thought morosely.

Brenda suddenly realized that Beth had been chattering away while she’d been carrying on her inner debate when Beth looked at her and said: “… How does that sound to you?”

“Ummm… I’m sorry… I guess I spaced out there for a minute… What were you saying?” Brenda asked, embarrassed that she’d been thinking about Jax when she should have been paying attention to the conversation.

Before Beth could reply, Jax jumped in with a suggestion. “Beth, this may be too much too soon… Give her some time to rest – maybe start work in the morning. And you probably want to relax a bit, too, before diving into work. Even traveling by private jet from LA can be tiring. Why don’t you take this evening to relax and look around? Get a chance to get your bearings before dive into work.” He supposed it was his guilt talking with that last part. Beth had come here expecting to relax in paradise with him, when he’d invited her to work for him instead. Besides, he really was afraid Brenda wasn’t strong enough for a session tonight. Brenda would be much stronger after a good night’s sleep tonight.

Brenda mistook Jax’s concern for her health for a desire on his part to get her out of the way so that he could be alone with Beth, and she felt that ache go a little deeper into her heart. “Umm… yeah… that’s… probably a good idea… I was actually… umm… thinking about… going inside to soak in a hot bath anyway,” she stammered, unable to think of another reason for disappearing so that Jax and Beth could be alone together, as he obviously wanted.

“That’s actually an excellent idea,” Beth smiled, thrilled that Brenda was going to make herself scarce. That meant Beth would have Jax all to herself – for a little while, at least. “A good soak in a hot tub is just what the doctor ordered to relax those tense, achy muscles… And maybe you could give me a guided tour of this place while Veronica’s relaxing?” she suggested, smiling hopefully at Jax.

Brenda knew it had actually been her own suggestion to leave, but she hated the gleeful gleam in Beth’s eyes at the prospect of getting her out of the way so that she could be alone with Jax…

She has every right to be alone with him, her head pointed out. She was invited; you simply dropped into his life unexpectedly. They’re involved; you’re a stranger to him. Get out of his way so that he can get on with his life.

No one but her…

Even though she knew in her head that it was impossible for Jax and her to have even known one another before, let alone been married, her heart still felt he was hers. She’d felt this fierce possessiveness when it came to Jax, and she’d felt it from the first moment he’d mentioned his one great love, Julia’s sister, now known to her as Dr. Elizabeth Weston, psychiatrist extraordinaire. And now that she’d met the woman, she felt it even more strongly.

Maybe the fact that the woman was drop-dead gorgeous was feeding her jealousy now. Beth Weston had white-blonde, long, flowing hair that perfectly framed her exquisite face: with its white porcelain skin; full, red lips; perfect patrician nose; and enormous catlike, green eyes. And that gorgeous face and head sat atop an equally gorgeous body, with curves in all the right places; long, slender arms; and legs that seemed to go on forever. Beth Weston had beauty, brains, talent, and style, all wrapped up in a body that would feed any man’s fantasies for hours on end and satisfy his carnal needs forever. And that included Jax…

…Especially Jax…

And it was that thought that really upset her. She didn’t want to leave Jax and Beth alone together at all, let alone long enough to soak in the tub as she’d said she planned to do, but how could she back out of it now?

“You know, I really think it might be a good idea if we did start working right away,” Brenda offered cautiously, casting a furtive glance at Jax to see his reaction. If he appeared disappointed that he and Beth wouldn’t be alone after all, then she she’d know that her heart was wrong. But if he didn’t… Well, it didn’t necessarily mean that her heart was right, but it did at least mean that he enjoyed her company as much as the doctor’s!

It was Beth who reacted immediately to that. “No, Jax was right – you really should relax now,” she spit out quickly, hoping to get Brenda away so that she and Jax could be alone. “Tomorrow is soon enough to work on trying to recover your memories… And as a doctor I really do recommend a long, hot soak in that tub for now,” she added, hoping that her voice didn’t sound as strident to them as it did to her own ears.

Brenda immediately picked up on the shrillness in Beth’s tone, but Jax didn’t. He was more interested in what Beth had said than how she had said it: hot soak in that tub. “How about a soak in the hot tub out here instead of the bathtub inside?” he blurted out hopefully. He wasn’t ready to be separated from Brenda again, after having spent most of the day away from her at her insistence. He just hoped that Brenda would agree to this – and maybe even allow him to stay out here with her. “The whirlpool jets would be perfect for soothing your sore muscles – and maybe it will relax you enough that you’ll begin to remember some things from before your accident,” he added, hoping that would sway her.

Brenda tried to suppress her smile. Jax’s suggestion was perfect. And now she also knew that he wasn’t trying to get rid of her. But before she could say anything, Beth jumped in again.

“Don’t push the poor girl, Jax,” Beth scolded, trying to sound professionally worried about Brenda’s health without appearing possessive of Jax’s attention. “She probably needs to be inside where it’s peaceful and quiet. All the racket those gulls are making is probably adding to her tension. Every sensation is magnified when going through withdrawal, but sounds can seem especially intense.”

“Actually, I hadn’t even noticed the noise,” Brenda answered truthfully, although even if the sound of the birds had been bothering her she wouldn’t have admitted it. This way she could keep an eye on Jax and the good Dr. Weston. “And I think Jax is right: the whirlpool jets would feel very good on my achy muscles right about now.”

“That’s great!” Jax piped in gleefully. “And this way you can enjoy the sunset,” he smiled, remembering how much she always loved to watch the sun set each evening. “The past two nights’ were spectacular, but you were so sick you missed them… I’d hate for you to miss tonight’s sunset, too.” He patted Brenda’s hand affectionately.

Brenda’s heart nearly melted at that. She loved watching the sun set now; she imagined she had also loved that in her previous life, as well – and Jax knew that because they were married.

Or he simply said that because most people find sunsets beautiful and serene, her head countered; it’s certainly not proof that he’s the man in your past.

But her heart stubbornly held fast to the notion that Jax was indeed the man in her past and that he’d be the man in her future, as well. They were destined to be together; her heart was sure of that. She just had to make sure that Beth Weston didn’t sink her claws any deeper into Jax than she already had.

“Ummm… are you going to join us, then?” Brenda asked Jax, hoping he’d stick around for the “session.” After all, if he really was her husband, he knew everything about her anyway, so what would be the harm?

“Actually, it might be counterproductive to have Jax there,” Beth interjected, hoping to sound professional and not merely territorial, which she definitely felt now. “Patient confidentiality and all…”

“Why?” Brenda asked pointedly. “It’s my session; if I’m comfortable having Jax there, why can’t I?”

The truth was, as long as Brenda wanted Jax there, Beth had no reason to logically keep him away, so she gave in – to a point: “Okay, Jax can be there, too, but if I feel that his presence is hindering you in any way, I reserve the right to ask him to leave.”

“Fair enough,” Brenda nodded, but she knew in her heart that any memories she might have tonight would be of him anyway, so she figured his presence could only help her to remember.

“I’m glad you want to share this with me,” Jax smiled, his heart beating wildly; certain this meant that Brenda was beginning to remember the love that they shared, even if she hadn’t begun to remember him yet.

Beth watched miserably as Jax and Brenda gazed happily at one another. No doubt about it: Jax was head-over-heels in love with Brenda. And it appeared that Brenda felt something for Jax, as well. Whether it was love remembered or simply lust reborn, Beth couldn’t tell, but either way it didn’t bode well for her snaring Jax any time soon.

But Beth had never been one to give up easily on anything, and especially not something that she wanted as much as she wanted Jasper Jacks and the social boost being his wife would give her, not to mention the dramatic boost his fortune would give her rapidly dwindling bank account. So she certainly wasn’t giving up hope yet. Despite how things appeared at the moment, she still could turn things around to her advantage – and she would. But until then she needed to play the part of solicitous friend to Jax and caring psychiatrist to Brenda, so neither of them would know what hit them when she finally did begin to turn things around to her advantage.

And in the meantime, she planned to use every opportunity to separate Jax and Brenda while she was here, and that included tonight during Brenda’s first therapy session. Brenda may have won this round by having Jax with her in the hot tub, but Beth planned to win everything in the end.

Just as Kirby had anticipated, the shot rang out before he’d even cleared his seat. Unfortunately, it was not the fatal shot he’d hoped for; instead, grazing his left arm, making him extremely uncomfortable but not incapacitating him and definitely not putting him out of his misery. And he knew from the look in Antonio’s eyes that the guard hadn’t simply been a poor shot. He’d done exactly as he’d been instructed by Mr. Cordoba: shoot to wound, not to kill. Kirby realized that Mr. Cordoba was not going to let him off so easily with a quick bullet to the brain. No, Mr. Cordoba wanted him alive and relatively in one piece – at least for the moment.

Armand Cordoba burst into his study seconds later to find a bleeding Kirby on the floor with both Antonio and Jay standing over him, their guns aimed at Kirby’s kneecaps now. “Were you planning on going somewhere, Kirby?” Cordoba asked coolly, as he motioned for Antonio and Jay to pick Kirby up off the floor and put him back in the chair.

Kirby winced aloud as the guards jerked him up and shoved him back into the chair.

“Looks like you had a little accident here,” Cordoba continued, as he bent forward slightly to look at wound on Kirby’s left upper arm. “Not too much blood. Looks like you’ll live,” Cordoba murmured. “For now –” he added coldly.

He straightened up and moved a few steps away from Kirby before turning back to look at him; his eyes and voice equally chilling as he continued: “Kirby, we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way, but I should probably warn you that I know at least a hundred ways to torture a man, yet still keep him conscious and barely alive.”

“I had nothing to do with Ms. Veronica’s disappearance, Mr. Cordoba – I swear it!” Kirby cried, inwardly cringing as he imagined the many ways that Cordoba could indeed torture him.

Cordoba looked up at the guards who stood on either side of Kirby, their weapons still drawn and at the ready. “Wait outside,” he barked, and Antonio and Jay nodded and immediately exited the room. Cordoba waited until the door was securely closed before turning his attention back to Kirby. “Your incompetence notwithstanding, I know that you had nothing to do with Veronica’s disappearance,” Cordoba replied, his voice quiet, his eyes narrowed ominously. “But you can and you will help me get her back…”

“But I can’t help you ‘cause I don’t know where she is!” Kirby protested, confused as to how Cordoba expected him to get her back if he truly believed that Kirby hadn’t been party to her disappearance.

“I have a pretty good idea who has her,” Cordoba replied, as he placed an open manila folder on the desk in front of Kirby. “And if I’m right, I’ll know where she is soon enough,” he added, spreading an array of several photos of different men out for Kirby to look at. “Now, all I need is for you to confirm my hunch…”

It had been nearly an hour since the shot upstairs had echoed through the house and sent shock waves through the staff, but the house had been eerily silent since then. The only sound anywhere on the main floor of the house now came from the dining room, where Hattie Winston sat rocking slowly back on forth in her seat, softly muttering “Sweet, Jesus! Sweet, sweet Lord Jesus!”

Hattie was shaken to the core. She had not believed her employer capable of such violence, despite his reputation for being a cruel and viscious man. But she had witnessed his cold manner when handling minor offenses by the staff or Ms. Veronica; she supposed she should have anticipated he’d be even more ruthless when it came to something as important as Ms. Veronica’s disappearance. He viewed her as his property, and no one touched anything of his – let alone took it or let it be taken – without his permission.

She heard a low murmuring coming from the foyer and looked up to see several of the maids who’d been congregated there scatter and busy themselves at the sound of a door opening and closing upstairs. A few seconds later Armand Cordoba descended the stairs and walked directly into the dining room; his face cold and hard, his eyes flashing with determination. He sat down directly across the table from Hattie, slowly sliding a manila folder in front of her.

“Hello, Hattie,” he greeted her coolly; a smile on his face so sinister that it made Hattie involuntarily shiver. “I hope that you have good powers of observation as well as a good memory because what you remember now determines what happens next for both you and Kirby…”

Beth frowned as she unpacked her things in the bedroom Jax had given her. It was certainly not the accommodations she had anticipated when Jax had invited her on this trip. The room was small – barely 12’ x 12’ – and sparsely decorated: white walls – like every other room in the place – with nothing more than a queen-size bamboo bed, matching night stand, small cypress dresser, and a sisal rug covering the hardwood floor. There wasn’t even a mirror in the room, and the only pictures on the walls were tacky colored prints of tropical birds and plants. The closet space was abysmal, and there was only one bathroom for the entire house. How was she supposed to survive a day in a space as cramped and primitive as this, let alone a week or two?

She had hoped that Jax would have given her the far larger master bedroom, with its king-size bed and walk-in closet, but he had insisted that Brenda stay there. Of course, she had also hoped that she and Jax would be sharing that bedroom and that king-size bed, but at least Brenda wasn’t sharing it with him either. Jax had opted to spend his nights on the couch – for the time being, he’d explained to Beth; he was hoping to be spending his nights with Brenda very soon.

But Beth was planning to do her best to prevent that from happening.

Not that it was going to be easy. Despite the fact that she was an extremely sexy and alluring woman, she knew that it would take more than sex appeal and animal magnetism to lure Jax away from his newly resurrected wife. Besides, Brenda Barrett-Jacks was still a very beautiful woman in her own right, even without make-up and in the midst of a serious drug withdrawal.

No, if she was going to successfully separate Jax from Brenda and land him for herself, Beth would have to use her brains, not her body, to do so. And, despite Brenda’s amnesia, it was still very apparent that Jax and Brenda were still very “connected” to one another, and Beth knew Jax well enough to know that she would never be able to sway him from that connection.

But Brenda was another story…

She could see that Brenda felt very possessive of Jax, even though Beth doubted that Brenda understood why she felt that way. She suspected that Brenda was having memory flashes that involved Jax, but she also suspected that she was doubting those memories almost as much as she was hoping for them to be real – and Beth could use that doubt to her advantage.

She also sensed that Brenda assumed that Jax and Beth were together as a couple, and she planned to use that misconception to her advantage, as well. A casual touch here, an innocent kiss on the cheek there; nothing that wasn’t normal between friends, but gestures that could easily be misconstrued by someone as casual intimacy between lovers – especially if that someone already assumed intimacy there in the first place. And she sensed that Brenda would back off acting on any feelings she might be having for Jax if she were convinced that Jax and Beth were involved now.

Of course, the fact that Jax would be sleeping on the couch and not with Beth might raise questions for Brenda, but Beth hoped to be able explain that away privately to Brenda before Jax caught onto Brenda’s misconception about their relationship. If Jax let Brenda know that Beth was here merely because she was a psychiatrist and not because she was his lover, it would definitely put a crimp in Beth’s plans.

Not that it would destroy her plans completely… No, like the Boy Scouts Beth was always prepared, and she had a backup plan just in case Brenda realized the truth about Jax and Beth’s friends-only relationship.

But for the backup plan to work, she had to find out more about Brenda’s life since her accident – and especially about this man who’d kept Brenda for the past couple of years. Jax seemed very wary of him, which meant that the mystery man was likely the key to separating Jax and Brenda again – and permanently this time.

Jax had said that this mystery man was very rich and powerful, but that didn’t surprise Beth in the least. In her research into Brenda Barrett Jacks’ background, she’d found that Brenda had always been drawn to rich and powerful men: first mobster Sonny Corinthos, then billionaire Jasper Jacks, and finally the mystery man who’d kept her for the past couple of years. Now Beth just needed to ask the right questions to find out this man’s identity.

It would take cunning and patience – especially if Brenda was as hesitant to reveal his identity as Jax was – but Beth had both in abundance, so she was certain she’d eventually learn the man’s name. Besides, manipulation and mind games were mere child’s play for her; she was the master of both. Brenda Barrett-Jacks wouldn’t see it coming or know what hit her after it was all over.

And, if this mystery man was as rich and powerful as Jax claimed he was, chances were that Beth knew him – or at least knew of him. That meant it shouldn’t be too difficult for her to find him – discreetly, of course, because Jax could never know of her part in any of this – and apprise the mystery man of Brenda’s current whereabouts. And then Brenda would be out of the picture – permanently.

Suddenly Beth didn’t mind the prospect of spending the coming days in these cramped quarters because she realized that the possibility of sharing a spacious honeymoon suite with Jax loomed large in her future if she played her cards right.

And she always did.

Brenda smiled as she slipped into the trendy, red bikini that Jax had gotten her. It was not too revealing, yet amazingly sexy. And though it wasn’t a designer suit like she was used to wearing, it fit both her style and her body perfectly.

More evidence that he’s the man in your past, her heart sang.

No, just evidence that he has good taste and a good eye for guessing size, her head countered.

She sighed at that thought, knowing that it was far more likely true than what her heart was telling her. But she was still clinging stubbornly to the notion that Jax was the man in her past, and she hoped that a soak in the hot tub would relax her enough that she’d remember a few more things about her past.

That’s if these flashes are really memories and not simply fantasies, her head pointed out. After all, would Jax be kissing another woman if he were really the man in your past?

She frowned at that thought. She’d been trying very hard to forget that passionate kiss that she’d witnessed between Jax and Beth when the doctor had first arrived, as well as that intimate caress on the beach a short while later, because she couldn’t explain either episode in light of her recent memory of Jax being her husband.

That’s because it wasn’t a memory and Jax was never your husband, her head repeated.

She sighed again, realizing that she was probably grasping at straws where Jax was concerned, but she had never felt such a connection to anyone before – at least not one that she could remember. That had to mean something, didn’t it?

It means you’re grateful for his incredible kindness; it’s nothing more than that, her head argued.

But her heart still clung stubbornly to the notion that she and Jax were connected in a far deeper and more meaningful way than that. She was sure of it, and she was even more sure that her returning memories would continue to prove just that.

She knocked on the closed door of the shared bathroom, and when there was no answer she opened it and stepped inside to grab a towel. She picked one of the large bath sheets out of the linen closet and turned to leave but she stopped short as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, once again startled by her own reflection.

She barely recognized herself! The short, curly hair made her look totally different, but that was the least startling change, and she frowned as she stared at herself in the mirror. Her normally tan, robust complexion was now sallow and ashen, and her once taut and toned body now looked seriously hollow from the weight she’d lost over the past few days.

She turned sideways, gazing critically at herself from all angles; trying to picture herself as she’d looked just days before. As she continued to look at herself, she had a sudden vision of looking at herself in a mirror at another time and place, but in similar fashion…

She was dressed in a red bikini, similar to the one she was wearing now, but brighter – almost a red-orange in color. Her hair was shoulder length; not short as it was now but also not as long as she always wore it. She saw herself turn slowly around, smiling at her own reflection; she looked sensational and she knew it. Then she saw herself turn and walk through a dimly lit room. It was nighttime, and she saw herself glance to her right as she passed the king-size bed that was surrounded by dozens of flickering candles. The scene was set for seduction and she saw herself smile, filled with eager anticipation of what lay ahead. She saw herself continue through an open door and outside to a flagstone patio, walking slowly along a path lined with dozens more lit candles leading to the edge of an in-ground pool or hot tub. She saw herself close her eyes and smile once again, suddenly feeling content and complete: she knew the man that she loved was here waiting for her there in the water and soon they would be together as they were always meant to be…

But in an instant the images were gone and she was once again staring awkwardly at her current reflection in the bathroom mirror.

A wave of excitement rushed through her. This had to be a memory – it had to be! She certainly wouldn’t concoct a fantasy with an unfamiliar hairstyle, would she? And she and Armand hadn’t had that kind of relationship, so it wasn’t anything from their time together. So it had to be a memory of her past.

But was Jax the man waiting for her in that water? He had to be! She just hoped that the rest of the memory would surface soon so she’d know for sure .

Jax took the cover off the hot tub and checked the temperature, then turned on the whirlpool jets before walking over to the railing to wait for Brenda. He leaned down onto the railing to watch as the sun dropped ever lower in the sky. The view was spectacular, and he smiled as he realized that he was back to appreciating the little things in life once again.

For the past two years he’d moved numbly through life, unaware of much of anything beyond his own grief and pain. Sure, he’d continued to conduct business and he’d even had a social life, but he hadn’t truly been living. Because to live one had to have a beating heart, and his had stopped the moment that Brenda’s car had gone off that cliff two years before. But now it was beating again and he was aware of life’s simple pleasures again. And it was all because of Brenda.

He heard the sound of a sliding glass door as it opened behind him. “I was hoping you’d get out here soon enough to share this incredible sunset with me,” he smiled, turning around expecting to see Brenda standing there. But it was Beth. He tried to hide his disappointment, but he couldn’t fool her.

“I’m assuming that greeting was meant for Brenda, not me,” Beth acknowledged, pasting on a bright smile to hide her own displeasure at Jax’s disappointment upon seeing her and not his precious, undead wife.

“Was it that obvious?” he asked, feeling embarrassed now. He hadn’t meant to look that disappointed to see her there, but his emotions were all right there just beneath the surface and it was hard to keep them in check at times. It was hard enough having to pretend with Brenda; stuffing down the overwhelming love he felt for her simply because he feared the intensity of it would frighten and confuse her now. But having to pretend with Beth was just too much, and he knew he could never do it. Besides, Beth knew she was here in a professional capacity only. He’d made it very clear to her that they could never be anything more than good friends. Brenda would always hold his heart, and Beth understood that.

“Only to a trained observer – and a good friend,” she assured him, still smiling brightly as she set her tape recorder and notebook down on the nearby table, then walked over to stand next to him at the railing. She looked from him to the sky then. “I know that I’m not who were hoping for, but this is an incredible sunset, so would you mind if I share it with you, too?” she asked teasingly.

“I think there’s plenty to go around,” Jax laughed, relieved that Beth was taking all of this so well. He was acutely aware of the fact that he’d basically tricked her into coming here. She’d expected a romantic interlude, but what she’d gotten instead was a working vacation, with the emphasis on work. But she seemed to be taking it all in stride, and for that he was extremely grateful. He knew that this was not going to be an easy job for her, but he also knew that Beth was up to the challenge. And if she was successful at bringing Brenda fully back to him, he knew he would owe Beth for the rest of his life.

They stood in silence for several seconds as they both continued to gaze out at the sunset, then Jax turned to her, taking her hands in his. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me: you agreeing to stay here to help Brenda,” he said, his tone sincere. “I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d simply turned around and left the minute you realized that I’d tricked you into coming here.”

Beth gave a small laugh as she shook her head. “Believe me, that thought entered my mind – but only briefly… I care too much about you to have done that. I know how much she means to you, and I want to at least try to bring her fully back to you,” she explained, hoping she sounded more sincere than she felt.

She did, and Jax was moved by her false compassion. “You’re such a good friend, and I’m lucky to know you,” he smiled, pulling her into his arms for a warm hug.

“Will you still feel that way if I can’t help Brenda remember you or your life together?” Beth asked cautiously. She knew she had no intention of truly helping Brenda retrieve her memory, but she had to start laying the groundwork now for failure so that Jax wouldn’t be suspicious later when she did “fail.” It would do her no good to drive Brenda back into the arms of her mystery man if Jax blamed Beth for it.

“I will always feel this way about you, no matter what,” Jax declared, pulling away just enough so that he could look into her eyes to let her know that he meant what he said.

And it was onto that intimate scene that Brenda stumbled when she finally came out to join them…

She felt incredibly uncomfortable as she stood in her room, watching them through the slightly parted drapes that covered the closed sliding glass doors leading from her room out onto the deck. And a part of her felt incredibly stupid as well for ever thinking that Jax was the man in her past – or would be the man in her future.

If you really were his wife who’d been missing for a couple of years, do you think he’d be hugging and kissing her the way he has? She’s the woman he loves, and they’re a couple. How much more proof do you need? her head taunted.

But no matter what her head and her eyes were telling her, her breaking heart still couldn’t let go of the feeling that Jax and she were very intimately connected in the past. Yet, as she stood watching Jax and Beth warmly embracing now, she had this overwhelming urge to turn and run as fast and as far away as she could.

But running wasn’t an option; she was barely walking comfortably on her sprained ankle. Besides, where would she go? Until she knew more about her past she had nowhere to go, except back to Armand – and that wasn’t an option, no matter what! But in order to know more about her past as quickly as possible, she needed professional help. And, whether she liked it or not, that professional help stood just outside on the deck being held in Jax’s strong arms.

So she was just going to have to tamp down her jealousy of the good doctor and march out there like nothing was wrong and allow Dr. Elizabeth Weston, psychiatrist extraordinaire, to work her professional magic on her and help her unlock her long buried memories. Because, like it or not, this woman, whom she barely knew yet still instinctively resented with every fiber of her being, likely held the key to unlocking her past.

And if your memories prove that another man held your heart, not Jax – what will you do then? her head queried.

“That won’t happen,” she whispered confidently as she slid open the door to the deck and stepped out, noisily announcing her presence by banging the door hard against its frame.

Jax quickly let go of Beth and whirled around, instantly smiling when he saw Brenda. Despite the fact that she’d been ill for days now, she was still stunningly beautiful, and just the sight of her once again took his breath away. “You… you look … great!” he stammered.

She smiled at his compliment, then frowned slightly as she saw that he hadn’t changed into a bathing suit. “And you look overdressed for the hot tub,” she replied.

“Technically this is a therapy session for you, so it really wouldn’t be appropriate for Jax to be in the water with you,” Beth quickly pointed out before Jax could respond. “I’m bending the rules as it is by letting him stay for the session.”

Brenda looked from Jax to Beth then, wishing the woman would just spontaneously disappear. “Right,” she nodded, pasting on a fake smile to hide her irritation at the woman’s constant presence. “I guess we’d better get started then, hadn’t we?” she suggested, tossing her towel carelessly onto a nearby chair, then slowly climbing into the warm, churning water.

She closed her eyes as she eased herself back onto one of the tub’s built-in recliners, easily relaxing as the columns of warm water gently massaged every part of her tired, achy body. This was perfect. Absolutely perfect! She opened her eyes and smiled up at Jax. “This is absolute heaven! It’s so much better than a soak in a bathtub. Thank you for suggesting this, “ she purred, her eyes sparkling.

“I should have thought of it sooner,” Jax smiled, happy to see her look so relaxed after the ordeal she’d been through over the past couple of days. And not only that, she seemed to be flirting with him. This was definite progress, after the awkwardness between them this morning. She continued to smile at him, and he found himself staring unabashedly at her. She was so incredibly beautiful, and he didn’t think that she had ever looked more alluring to him than she did at this very moment. He suddenly found himself battling an overwhelming urge to strip naked and climb into the water and make love to her right then and there. But the ringing of his cell phone quickly brought him back to reality.

He pulled the phone out of his pocket and frowned slightly when he saw that it was Chuck calling from Kronos. There was a seven-hour time difference between the Keys and Kronos, making it the wee hours of the morning in Kronos, which meant this call had to be important. “Ummm… I’ll just go inside to take this,” he offered, as he quickly stood and walked inside the nearest door, which just happened to be the door leading into Beth’s room.

He closed the door securely behind him to make sure that neither Brenda nor Beth could overhear him, then answered the ringing phone. “Chuck, what’s up?” he asked tersely.

The ringing of Jax’s phone quickly brought Brenda back to reality as well. She’d been very aware of the way Jax had been looking at her, and she’d enjoyed every second of it. She was used to men staring at her lasciviously, but she’d always felt disgusted rather than flattered before this. But with Jax she’d felt an excitement that she couldn’t remember feeling before. And she felt a tingling sensation even now in her body that she knew had nothing whatsoever to do with the side effects of her withdrawal or with the gentle pressure of the pulsing jets of water in the hot tub.

Jax alone was responsible for this excitement that tore through her body like a wildfire, and she knew that she wanted Jax in a way that she had never wanted another man before, outside of her dreams. That had to mean that Jax was the man in her dreams and her visions, didn’t it? And that had to mean that her dreams and visions were real, not imagined…

But as she watched Jax slip into Beth’s room to take his call she could feel her confidence about her past “relationship” to Jax slipping. After all, if she and Jax really had been married in the past, as these visions that she’d been having seemed to indicate, why hadn’t he told her that important bit of information by now? He’d had plenty of opportunities. And why would he allow his new girlfriend to come here and ask her to treat his newly returned wife, then share a room and a bed with that girlfriend with said “wife” in the next room?

The short answer was that he wouldn’t do that, which logically meant that Jax had never even laid eyes on her before she’d hijacked him in that parking lot back on Nassau, and her visions of them together were probably nothing more than her suddenly overactive libido fueling some sexually charged fantasies.

But she still felt a surge of jealousy where Beth was concerned. For some reason her heart still couldn’t let go of the notion that her visions were actual memories, and that she and Jax had very definitely been together in the past – and even more definitely belonged together now and in the future. And if her body’s longing for him was any indication, then that had to be true.

Beth had been carefully watching the interaction between Jax and Brenda for the past few minutes, and she felt unsettled by the intensity of the connection between the two of them. Even without saying a word, they seemed to speak volumes to one another. Jax was undeniably in love with Brenda, and it appeared to Beth that Brenda definitely felt something for Jax. No doubt about it, whether Brenda recovered her memories or not, she would be more than happy to make new ones with Jax.

But Beth had to make sure that didn’t happen. Because, if it did, she might as well kiss her plans for a financially secure future as the next Mrs. Jasper Jacks goodbye once and for all. Her only chance to secure that future lay in her ability to make Brenda doubt any memories that she may have already had or would have in their upcoming “therapy” sessions.

And since that was most likely her only chance, it was lucky for Beth that Jax had gotten that phone call now and excused himself. After all, it would be hard to distort any memories Brenda happened to recall while Jax was listening. But his absence now presented Beth with a perfect opportunity to be able to control the situation, especially if Brenda did happen to make a memory breakthrough.

Now, she just hoped that Jax’s phone call kept him tied up for quite some time.

“I hope I didn’t call at a bad time,” Chuck apologized, noting the tenseness in Jax’s voice when he’d finally answered.

“That’s okay, Chuck.. What’s up?” Jax replied, glancing through the glass of the closed door to see Beth talking to Brenda and Brenda chewing on her lower lip like she did when she was mulling over something. God, how he’d missed her quirk, little mannerisms! Once again he felt that familiar surge of love/lust that he always felt around the woman he loved, but it seemed even stronger now. He supposed that was because of the length of time they’d been separated, as well as the way that she seemed to have been looking at him just before Chuck had called. She’d been flirting with him; there was no doubt about it. And that excited him as much as anything. She had to be remembering something to act like that – he was sure of it!

“Thought you’d like to know that it looks like Cordoba has taken the bait,” Chuck offered, a lilt in his voice, as he knew that Jax would be thrilled to hear this.

And Jax was definitely thrilled. “He did?” he asked excitedly, as he settled onto the bed. “I want every last detail, Chuck!”

“It’s getting late,” Beth announced, glancing at her watch before she looked back up at Brenda. “We really should get started here – unless, of course, you want to wait for Jax to return…” she added, pausing slightly for effect before adding: “Of course, knowing Jax as I do, he could be tied up with that call for quite some time to come.” She was hoping that her confident air about Jax would sway Brenda. Time really was slipping away, but Beth was more worried about Jax returning too soon than she was about the lateness of the hour.

Brenda chewed her lip as she glanced briefly toward the closed door to see Jax looking at her briefly, then turning away and sitting on the bed to take his call. She had really wanted him here in case she remembered something, but she was also anxious to get started as soon as possible. And it did look like he was very caught up in that phone call, so they might as well get started as soon as possible. She took one last look back toward Jax, then announced: “No, I’ve waited long enough for this.”

“Good!” Beth smiled, happy that Brenda had not insisted on waiting for Jax. “Let’s get started then…”

Brenda nodded mutely, still wishing Jax were here but not wanting to wait any longer to discover her past. The sooner she remembered Jax and her past together, the sooner Beth would be out of their lives.

“First of all, Veronica, have you had any memories of anything or anyone beyond this past year?” Beth asked warily, hoping that Brenda hadn’t yet begun to remember Jax, though she doubted it, given how drawn Brenda was to Jax now.

“Ummm… I’m not sure,” Brenda answered truthfully. “I’ve seen images that I don’t understand or recognize, but I can’t be sure if they’re real memories or simply… simply wishful thinking on my part…”

Wishful thinking on my part… Beth knew exactly what Brenda meant by that. Brenda was definitely feeling the pull of Jax’s considerable charm and was moved enough by it to want more from him. Beth knew that she was going to need both luck and skillful manipulation to pull these two apart, but she wasn’t worried yet. She was a true gambler, and her instincts told her that, despite Brenda’s strong feelings for Jax, she could still be manipulated into believing that there was someone else in her past who still loved and wanted her, whereas Jax was “involved” with someone himself – namely Beth. But she needed to get started as soon as possible if this was going to work…

“You said that you’ve been seeing images,” Beth began, trying to get the session underway quickly. “What was your most recent imagining?”

Brenda didn’t like Beth’s use of the word “imagining.” It made it sound like Beth thought these were nothing more than fantasies, but she let it slide. After all, it was rather hard to find an apt word to adequately describe the things she’d been seeing in her mind as of late. Were they actual memories or simply hopeful fantasies? That was exactly what she hoped the good doctor would help her discover. “Well, just a few minutes ago I had this image of a romantic evening. I could see myself in a mirror and I was dressed in a bathing suit similar to this, but not exactly the same. My hair was different – a very unfamiliar style. I figured it had to be a memory since I looked different than I have since the coma.”

Beth’s heart caught in her throat. “A romantic evening, huh? I take it, then, that you saw yourself with someone…”

“Well, uh… not exactly,” Brenda admitted. “I saw myself walking by a bed that had lit candles around it, then walking outside and along a path lit only by candles that led to some water’s edge. It was either a pool or a hot tub, but I knew in my heart that the man I loved was waiting for me in the water.”

Beth tried to hide her anxiety at learning that Brenda was on the verge of remembering the face of the man she loved. If Brenda did remember Jax now it would ruin everything for Beth. Then again, her research into Brenda’s background had shown that Jax was not the only man who had managed to capture the woman’s heart. Maybe there was a glimmer of hope that this was a memory involving another man.

“I normally use hypnosis to tap into suppressed memories, but since this possible memory was so recent I think we’ll forgo the hypnosis and just have you lean back in the water and let it relax you,” Beth suggested, purposely dropping her pen so that she could sneak a peak through the glass door behind her at Jax as she leaned down to retrieve it. He had his back to them now and was talking animatedly. Good, he still looks very involved. Please let him stay that way for a good while longer, she thought, smiling slightly as she grabbed her pen and sat upright in her seat again.

Brenda nodded again, then once again leaned back into the welcoming curves of the hot tub, closing her eyes and instantly relaxing as the currents of warm water washed over her, gently massaging every part of her body.

“Now, Veronica, I want you to once again visualize those images you had just moments ago,” Beth explained, as she clicked on her tape recorder, then set it back onto the low table beside her. “See yourself in that mirror again, walk back through that candlelit bedroom and out onto that candlelit pathway, and I want you to tell me everything you see and feel along the way,” she continued, her voice low and soothing.

The tone of Beth’s voice now was amazingly comforting, and Brenda soon felt herself relaxing even further, easily tumbling back into her most recent vision. “I’m looking in the mirror, and I feel incredibly pleased with my life now. I know that the man I love is waiting for me outside. I can’t wait to be with him…” she began, smiling happily as she immersed herself in the hazy vision playing out in her mind’s eye. “I’m walking past the bed now, and I’m smiling. There are lit candles everywhere, which surprises me because they hadn’t been there just moments before, and I’m reminded of how romantic he can be and much he loves me…”

Beth shifted uncomfortably in her seat, sure that Brenda was describing a memory of Jax in this scenario. Despite the fact that Beth and he had only dated briefly, he’d still been the most thoughtful, romantic man she’d ever known. She quickly glanced back toward the closed door behind her, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw that Jax was still seated on the bed and appeared to still be very involved with his phone call.

Unaware of Beth’s actions, Brenda continued to describe what she was seeing: “I’m outside now, and I’m immediately hit by the beauty and sensuousness of the setting… It’s somewhere tropical. I can vaguely see the outlines of palm trees in the darkness, and there are bromeliads and orchids growing everywhere along the path. And the air smells heavenly – a subtle mixture of tropical fruits and flowers and the candles that light my way… As I near the water’s edge, I can feel my excitement growing because I know my love is there, and we’ll be together always now. No one can keep us apart. We’ve been through so much, but our love has prevailed and tonight is a celebration for us…”

Brenda stopped talking then, and Beth noticed that she seemed to be struggling with something. “What is it, Veronica?” Was she seeing Jax in her vision? Is that why she’d stopped? Once again Beth glanced back to the closed door behind her; Jax remained seated, his back still turned to the door as he continued to talk on his cell phone. Please let him stay inside a little while longer, she silently prayed.

Brenda kept her eyes closed as she answered: “For some reason, the closer I get to the water and seeing the man there, the hazier everything becomes.”

That peaked Beth's interest, as it could mean that Brenda's subconscious was blocking the man's identity. But if this particular memory involved Jax, why would she be blocking it? All of her research into Jax and Brenda's history indicated a deep and abiding friendship between them, even when they'd been torn apart and Brenda had returned to her former lover, smalltime hood Sonny Corinthos. This made no sense.

Then that small glimmer of hope began to grow brighter and bolder for Beth: perhaps this memory wasn’t about Jax after all. Perhaps it was a memory of another man about whom Brenda had some subconscious doubts or fears. Suddenly Beth was eager for Brenda to see the face of that man because she was almost certain that it wasn’t Jax.

“Veronica, look at me,” Beth instructed Brenda, and Brenda immediately opened her eyes and looked up at Beth. “I know I said we wouldn’t use any hypnosis this session, but you seem to be blocking this man’s identity for some reason, so I think hypnosis will help you relax you enough to see him.”

“Why would I be blocking him?” Brenda wondered. “This is all I’ve wanted for weeks now – to truly know the face of the man in my dreams.”

“Perhaps your relationship with him wasn’t as perfect as you think it was,” Beth suggested, knowing this would cast doubt in Brenda’s mind about any man she remembered, including Jax. But Beth was still sure this memory was not about Jax. “This is your subconscious’s way of protecting you from those bad memories.”

“But this vision – or memory… or whatever it is – is pleasant. It feels romantic and exciting,” Brenda argued, not understanding why Beth would think she’d want to block out the identity of the man who could make her feel this excitement that ran from the top of her head to the very tip of her toes.

Unless, of course, Beth knew that Jax was the man she was about to remember… That had to be it! Beth knew, and she was afraid for her to remember because she knew that Jax would come back to her in a heartbeat, so she planned to hypnotize her to think she saw someone else! Well, she wasn’t about to let that happen!

“No, I think you were right before when you said we’d forgo the hypnosis – I think I can relax enough on my own to remember the face of the man I love,” Brenda replied coolly, then closed her eyes once again. She took several slow, deep breaths, using the breathing techniques she’d learned in yoga to relax herself.

Within seconds she was back at the water’s edge. Everything was still somewhat hazy, but clearer than it had been. Now she could see herself slowly descending the stairs into the churning water, and she felt the excitement in her building ever stronger, as she saw herself slowly make her way through the haze to the outstretched arms of the man waiting there for her – the man she loved.

Suddenly she felt as if she couldn’t breathe, and she sat upright in the water, gasping for breath. She quickly clambered out of the water, grabbing for her towel, then raced to her room, slamming the door and locking it behind her.

She had finally seen the face of the man in this vision, and, despite the haziness of the memory, she knew for certain that it hadn’t been Jax waiting there for her with open arms, as she’d hoped.

Oh, god, this can’t be true! she thought, sobbing as she realized what this meant: Jax wasn’t hers; he never had been, nor would he ever be. Her heart had been lying to her all along, but Armand hadn’t been. It had been a dark-haired man waiting there for her, smiling at her, whispering “I love you” to her. Armand Cordoba was the only man in her past, after all.

She melted to the floor, feeling incredibly alone as she realized that she no longer had anyone in her past to run to; only someone to run away from…

Armand Cordoba stood on the balcony of Veronica’s room and looked out over the pool and gardens below. The last time he’d stood here he’d been with her… holding her… touching her… kissing her… hearing her profess that she was falling in love with him…

Her words that night came back to haunt him now; mocking him in his grief and pain: I have looked at this same view hundreds of times since you brought me here…but I don’t think I ever realized how beautiful it was until just now… Do you know why that is? … It’s because I’m beginning to feel comfortable here, like it’s really my home… You tell me constantly that you love me, but your words and gestures always felt empty. I’ve never truly believed any of it until tonight… Up until just moments ago, even this small touch between us felt foreign and forced, but now it feels like the most natural thing in the world…

… But it had all been a lie.

She had known that he wanted her love more than he wanted his next breath, and she’d used his vulnerability to manipulate him. So she’d made all the right moves, said all the right things to get him to drop his guard and trust in her “growing love” for him. And he’d played right into her hands. He’d been so convinced of her sincerity that evening that he’d even gone against his own better judgment and allowed her to leave the island while he was away.

And now she was gone…

But she wouldn’t be gone for long.

He knew who had her…

He glared down at the picture of the man on the table beside him. Several bystanders at the Straw Market, as well as both Hattie and Kirby, had identified this man as one they’d seen there at the market around the time that Veronica had disappeared. Jasper Jacks, the man who had haunted his dreams for so long, had finally surfaced in his waking world to steal the only true happiness that Armand had ever known.

Well, Jacks may be arrogant enough to think he could simply step in and reclaim her, but he wouldn’t have her for long. Armand knew where they were. Jacks had spirited her away to his own private island, where he knew Armand could never touch her. But Armand also knew that Jacks was too high-profile to stay hidden away there for long, and sooner or later he would resurface. And once he did…

Armand closed his eyes, allowing the rage and the pain building deep within him to finally come to the surface. He’d only felt this way one other time in his life, and his thoughts quickly drifted back to that other time – that cold, dark night in Nevada when he’d been just fifteen and still answered to the name of Andrew Thompson…

Allowing his rage to energize him, he opened his eyes and picked up the picture, crumpling it tightly into a ball. He tossed the balled picture into the air, then picked up a bat from the table and swung hard, sending the makeshift ball hurdling toward the pool below. He watched as it hit the clear water, bounced once, then quickly sank to the bottom of the pool. It was only then that he managed a smile, as he imagined Jacks at the bottom of that pool where his crumpled picture now lay: his body broken beyond repair; his face bloodied beyond recognition.

Jacks needed to learn a very important lesson: no one took away someone that he loved and lived to tell about it. He’d taught Ed Johnson that lesson a lifetime ago; soon he’d teach Jasper Jacks that very same lesson.