Takedown by Garnet Hart Page A

grass and the varieties of exotic shrubs adorning the area was breathtaking. It did not feel like she was in the desert, but somewhere in the tropical region.
    There was so much to see around, but the main attraction was the pair of semi-circle swimming pools in the middle of the place, designed like the Yin and Yang symbol.
    The water looked cold and clean. She couldn’t resist the temptation to try it.
    She left her purse on the outdoor table and lowered herself at the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water.
    She sighed in delight. She rarely spent time outdoors. The blistering heat of the sun could roast her skin in a matter of minutes. But right here, the shrubs around provided enough shade to protect her.
    For the next ten minutes or so, she stayed there, until she began to wonder what was keeping Blaze too long. Someone called his phone a while ago, so she took the liberty to roam around the place by herself. Could it be that he could not find her?
    “There you are,” a voice from behind her said.
    She did not have to look at him. “You didn’t tell me you own the only oasis in the middle of the desert,” she said.
    He laughed and stood behind her. “That was the idea when I had this built—a luscious green haven in the middle of the desert.
    She nodded in approval. “It’s beautiful. It’s been my dream to stay in a place like this.”
    “Yes, I know. Bryan told me.”
    “He did?” she craned her neck up to look at him.
    “He knew you’d love this place, so he wanted to buy it from me.”
    With parted lips, she stared at him in disbelief.
     
    “Why did he want to buy this place?”
    “He wanted to take you here. He was supposed to propose to you.”
    “Propose to me?” She laughed. “But he gave the ring to the wrong woman, is that it?”
    He shook his head. “Megan, he did not want that engagement. His parents arranged that engagement with Kelsey’s father. In fact, he came to me asking for help.”
    She looked away, unwilling to accept his explanation. “He should have told me.”
    “He wanted to, but he did not want to hurt you.”
    She did not say anything. At this point, she was not ready to listen to an explanation, especially coming from Bryan’s bestfriend who’d of course defend him no matter what.
    “Megan.” He paused and sighed. “If Bryan were alive today, he could have told you about it.”
    She leaned forward, staring at her reflection in the water. Bryan’s face slowly took shape before her eyes. He was smiling at her, so she smiled back. Suddenly, he began to fade away.
    “Wait,” she reached out to him, but he continued to disappear out of her sight. “Bryan.” She dived towards him. When she woke up from the trance, she found herself sinking to the bottom of the pool. Quickly, she kicked her feet down and pulled herself up to the surface.
    She sucked in a deep breath and saw Blaze, who was in a position to dive into the water, but stopped when he saw her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up.
    Gasping, she sat on the ground, her hair and dress dripping.
    “What were you doing?” he asked, sitting on his haunches, while holding her arms. “Are you trying to kill yourself?”
    She glanced at his face that was inundated with weary. “No. I thought I saw him,” she replied.
    He frowned. “Bryan?”
    She nodded.
    Their gazes locked as he squinted. Smoky gray eyes. This was the closest she had ever been with this pair of eyes that had always mystified her. If she could only reach inside to find out what lurked beneath those gray mist.
    He cleared his throat, and that woke her up from her reverie. “Come on in. I’ll find you something to wear,” he said and helped her up to her feet.
    “I’ll ruin your floor.”
    “So what?” he laughed sarcastically. “It’s just a floor. Come on. I’ll take you to Bryan’s room.”
    “He has a room here?” she asked as she followed him.
    “We used to meet here from time to time, so he kept one room for