Ella stepped onto the red brick patio of Santiago's, a beachside restaurant with a magnificent view of the ocean. If there was nothing else to look forward to on this day, Ella was grateful for the calming waves beyond.

Her heels boosted her petite frame as she scooted around a few early guests, her eyes on a table closest to the rail that surrounded the covered patio. The soft breeze soothed her mind as she sat down, carefully keeping her knee-length skirt free of wrinkles. Ella propped her hands under her chin, sulking as her dark blond hair scattered over her left shoulder. Why did Mr. Santiago have to retire? He could not sell the restaurant yet. So many memories throughout her life revolved around Santiago's.

Ella unsnapped her purse and took out an old, worn photo. She gazed at the image of her mother with sad reflection, remembering the days when they sat together, both of them laughing without care. She had felt lost without her mother in her life. Ella still could not believe it had been six years since somebody murdered her. Her father was never the same and seldom spoke to her anymore. Everything changed on that day.

"I guess you heard that somebody is interested in the place," her friend Lila said and sat down across from her. The short redhead had worked at Santiago's since Ella moved to Key Biscayne seven months earlier.

"Yes," Ella sighed and shook her head. She looked around, admiring the exotic plant life that the new owners would throw away. Why did they want to make the restaurant into a souvenir shop? There were so many of those already. To Ella, Santiago's was a historical building that she had visited every summer since she could remember.

"I'm sorry, Ella. I wish there was some way I could help."

"Well, if I could lease that hotel on the coast, then I would have enough money to buy this place myself. The people who are looking haven't put down any earnest money." Ella looked down at the photo again and then back at Lila. "That means it isn't sold yet."

"Has anyone called about the hotel?"

Ella shook her head. "No...not one." She slipped the picture back into her purse. "I have rented smaller homes but no one has asked about the hotel. My father's company might have to lower the price if somebody doesn't—"

"Whoa," Lila interrupted, forgetting the sensitive topic that she and Ella were discussing. "Check out the gorgeous men who walked inside. They must be lost or something." Lila pointed behind where Ella sat.

Ella turned around. Three men in high-end, dark suits sat down one table away from where Lila and Ella sat. Ella wondered if they were the people that wanted to buy Santiago's. She kept staring at them even as the breeze picked up and whipped her long hair in front.

Two of the men had brown hair and one had blond. One of the men with brown hair had it cut shorter than the other. It was combed so that both sides met the back of his neck. She watched a couple of strands fly out of place and noticed how his serious brown eyes scanned the place. Was he meeting someone? If not, he seemed strangely suspicious. They could not have wanted to buy the restaurant. Men like that were not interested in a souvenir shop.

"Too bad I have a boyfriend." Lila pouted and tucked her hair behind her ear.

Ella smiled but did not look at Lila. "Men like that are already taken."

As she spoke, the man she stared at looked in her eyes. His gaze almost seemed troubled, but his expression remained stoic, giving off no hint about what he thought. There was no smile; rather he simply returned her stare.

Ella smiled as a blush spread over her cheeks. She turned around fast, embarrassed that their eye contact had lingered. The two brown-haired men reminded her of the men who used to visit her father. They always wore serious faces and never smiled or showed any other emotion. Ella felt disappointed.

"I don't see a single ring on any of their fingers." Lila gave a devious grin and pointed at Ella. "I might have a boyfriend, but I haven't seen you go out with a single man since you've been here. Why don't I introduce you to the table? One of them is staring at the back of your head."

"What?" Ella peeked back to confirm that the man was still staring. "No, Lila. My father would chase him away like he did with the others."

Lila's smile grew. "You noticed him, too. Go introduce yourself, Ella."

"I'll pass," Ella said.

"Did your father ever give you a reason why he didn't want you to date?"

"No, he didn't. I tried to ask but he would change the subject."

"But you're a grown woman who takes care of herself now. I don't think those rules still apply."

Ella let out a frustrated breath. Her face felt hot. The men could probably hear everything Lila said with her loud voice. "Another time, Lila."

Ella stood to escape the discussion. There was no reason to introduce herself with her father's strict rules. Anytime that she had brought up the subject of dating, her father refused to listen. It was true that she lived on her own now, but his ways remained deep inside her head. It was as though he looked over her shoulder. Ella did not want to take a chance and get her hopes up again.

"I'm going to talk to Mr. Santiago while you serve those men. I want to know more about these buyers." Ella excused herself and stood but left Lila with a last thought. "I wouldn't keep them waiting long, Lila. They don't look very patient."

***

It was about time the server decided to get up and do what she was supposed to do. Angelo did not like to wait, and Rafa was even worse about a worker who talked on the job. Still, his time had not been entirely wasted. The blond woman had captured his attention. She was dressed nice for this type of restaurant. Everyone else wore casual clothing, but she wore a silky blouse and business skirt. Her smile was genuine, a rarity in his company. He also found her blushing cheeks refreshing and wondered how she answered her friend's questions. Her responses were too quiet for him to hear.

"Good morning. My name is Lila." The server smiled. "What brings you to Santiago's today?"

Angelo stared at the patio door long after the blond disappeared. He was lost in his thoughts. He had not realized the server stood at their table, waiting for him to acknowledge her. Rafa cleared his throat to catch Angelo's attention as Lila began to shift her weight from one foot to the other.

"Business," Angelo replied but did not elaborate. He hated when restaurant staff asked him personal questions. Did they really expect him to tell them anything?

"Okay." Lila took out her small notepad and pen. "Did you want me to bring you some freshly brewed coffee?"

Holding his finger on the menu, Rafa's eyes darted up. "Are you telling us that you serve coffee that isn't freshly brewed?"

"No," Lila answered right away.

"Yes," Angelo interrupted before Rafa could say another word. "Bring us all coffee. We're also ready to order."

Lila straightened her shoulders, regaining her composure. "Yes, go ahead."

All three gave their orders and Lila disappeared through the doors, returning shortly with their coffee. Coffee was exactly what Angelo needed.

"Rafa, give me the number to the agent," he said. "I want to set up a time."

"Do you want me to call?"

"No," Angelo shook his head, "I will this time."

Angelo took the number from Rafa and pulled out his phone. He found it odd that the number had an Orlando area code. That implied the agent did not work for a local realty company. He expected it to be local or at least closer to Key Biscayne.

"Hello," said the voice on the other end. It belonged to a woman—a young woman. She did not sound like anyone he had ever dealt with. Her sweet voice was not what he expected. He actually found it soothing.

"Ella Collins?"

"Yes."

"My name is Angelo Tomassi. I'm calling about a property listing with a beachside hotel. Is it still available?"

There was a pause before she answered. "Yes...did you have any questions about the listing?"

"No questions. I've seen the pictures and stopped by the building earlier. Since I'm in Key Biscayne today, I want to look inside the place. I don't have any other day available until next week."

"Of course. I'm available until one this afternoon. I could meet you at a restaurant called Santiago's. I'm there now. Are you familiar with the area?"

"Santiago's?" Angelo asked with surprise. "I'm familiar enough. I can meet you there in," Angelo looked at Rafa and smirked, holding up his phone, "thirty-five minutes."

"Great, I'll wait for you on the patio until you arrive."

"Perfect, I'll be there." Angelo clicked off the phone as Lila set down their plates. Rafa waited until Lila left to speak.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"It's interesting," said Angelo. "The agent wants to meet us here. She's here now and will wait for us on the patio."

Rafa gave him a look and turned toward the door of the main dining. "What are you up to?"

"Don't worry about it," Angelo said and took another drink. He thought about the patrons he passed in the restaurant. That blond woman was the only person dressed in anything remotely business related. She must be the agent.

As if reading his thoughts, the blond came back out and sat at a different table this time. She was closer to the restaurant's wall and faced the door. She opened a tablet and scrolled through her screen as she sipped something out of a cup. Angelo figured that she was preparing for her potential clients and admired her organization, but soon after, she gazed around the beach.

"She's a very young agent, Angelo." Rafa pointed out. "One minute she looks focused; the next, she looks lost. How do we know we can trust her? The listing never stated what real estate company she worked for."

"Child or not, we already agreed to see the property. This is the only property close to what I've been looking for."

"I say we get back inside the Escalade and drive back to Miami. Who recommended this place to you anyway? Look at her; she's playing with the hem of her blouse. She's nervous."

"Then we'll use those nerves to our advantage," Angelo said, unaffected by Rafa's sarcasm.

"If I was the realty company, I would've never placed such an expensive piece of property in her hands. It would serve them right if she sold it for any less than eight million. What kind of realty company is this?"

"She seems motivated. Notice how she's waiting for us even though I told her it would be over half an hour until we came."

"Yes, I can see her too, but I think it's because nobody else has looked at the place. She's probably eager to get rid of it and collect her commission."

"Rafa, I want this property—got it?"

"Perfectly." Rafa emptied the last drink of his coffee and stood. "Screw thirty-five minutes. Let's get this over with so we can eat and then go home and start looking for another one. I saw a good listing for something near Orlando."

"Too far north," Angelo said and scooted out his chair with a silent Brett following suit; then all three men walked toward the table where Ella sat.

***

Ella glanced up at the men coming her way. Confused with what they wanted, she closed her tablet to give them her attention. The man's outstretched hand did not register with her for a second as her mind tried to guess why they had come to her table.

"Ella Collins?" the man asked.

"Yes," she answered a little dazed. The three men looked much more fearsome while standing than when they sat.

"Angelo Tomassi," he replied. "I called about the property on the beach."

Did they know who she was. Had they been sizing her up and wanting the upper hand when it came to negotiations. They had resorted to intimidation. She should have shaken his hand right away. First impressions were lasting.

"Mr. Tomassi." Ella came to her senses and stood. "How did you know I would be here?" she asked, holding out her hand to him.

"We didn't," Angelo said, shaking her hand and noticing how timid she appeared. "We stopped in and called you from here. Your clothes gave away the rest."

"Right." She nodded. It could have been a coincidence. Very few restaurants in the area opened before noon.

Letting go of her hand, Angelo pointed at the two men beside him. "This is Rafa and that's Brett." Rafa gripped her hand firmly, a little too firm as if making a statement while Brett smiled, keeping his hands in his pockets. "Now that we've met, we want to see the hotel."

"Of course, please follow me." Ella put away her tablet. She could not believe they wanted to get right down to business. Most of her clients had at least a page worth of notes.

When they reached the parking lot, Angelo shook his head and stopped Ella before she could lead them to her car. "I'll need to go in mine." He started walking in the opposite direction, making Ella follow him instead.

"Mr. Tomassi, what's wrong with my car?" Ella hurried to keep up with him. "It's my responsibility to drive my clients."

"Yes, I know." Angelo stopped and regarded Ella. "What do you drive?"

"A beautiful dark gray Civic," she answered. "It barely has six thousand miles on it."

"Not safe enough." Angelo resumed walking toward Rafa and Brett who were standing next to the Escalade. "We're taking mine to be safe."

What did he mean that her car was not safe enough? Was he expecting her to have an accident? Why was he making this a difficult task for a place eight minutes away?

As Brett unlocked the Escalade, Angelo opened the passenger door and waited for Ella to enter. She froze. How did she know she could trust these men? They were strangers in suits who were supposedly interested in a property she was leasing.

"Would you rather go in separate vehicles?" Angelo asked. "I could have Brett follow behind you, but then I wouldn't be able to ask questions."

"No," she lied and slipped inside the backseat of the vehicle with Angelo beside her. Since the hotel was not that far away, she had to take that risk. They were the first people who were interested. If she did not go, she would lose Santiago's.

They rode in silence for several blocks. Ella stared through the window while Angelo stared at Ella.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

Ella finally looked over and sighed, speaking freely. "Why shouldn't I be, Mr. Tomassi?" she asked. It was obvious that they made her uneasy.

"I don't know." His words came out casual and relaxed as he crossed his leg, making her more stressed than before. Angelo knew he intimidated her.

"Well, if you don't want to see the property...let me out here. I can walk back to Santiago's," she said. Yet even as she spoke the words, Ella was uncertain about what she had said. She did not really want them to drop her off in the middle of the island and blow her one chance to lease the hotel. Why had she not kept her mouth shut?

Angelo leaned toward her and lifted her chin. His fingers were gentle; his expression was stern. "Do you talk to all of your clients like that? You told me that you'd show me inside the hotel, and I will get what I came for. I'm not here to waste your time, and you won't waste mine either. Is that clear, Ms. Collins?"

His voice was an eerie sort of calm, but Ella sensed the quiet warning behind his words. Angelo was close—too close for her to answer. She could feel his breath against her face. It made her flush as a slight chill ran down her neck. Was she afraid or attracted to the man? She could not tell the difference. Both would put her on edge.

"Show us the property, Ms. Collins. You aren't the sort of person who has anything to worry about with us." He gently lowered his hand and returned to his own seat for the rest of the ride.