Red on the River - Page 67

She caught up her small pack, shrugged into it and slid her sun hat between the straps. She had very fair skin and needed the wide brim to keep the sun off or she’d be a lobster by midmorning. They joined the other tourists, mostly dressed in shorts and tank tops like them. Some wore light jackets, but most just wore tanks in preparation for the sunny day.

Benny grinned at her when she handed over her ID. “I recognized your name and gave your group a discount, Vienna. I own the company as well as the bike rental and tour company. I grew up here and started both businesses years ago.”

Even as he talked to her, she could see he was very thoroughly checking her ID.

“I had no idea the businesses, something I love to do so much, would take off the way they did. You’re good to go.” He waved her forward and reached for the next ID.

It made sense that he would have businesses, she had to admit. If Benny was local, had grown up in Vegas, he would have climbed, biked and run the river, even played cards, for most of his life. A lot of owners worked their own businesses, particularly guides. Still, it made her incredibly nervous to know that Stella’s 4Runner would sit unguarded in the parking lot all day and they would be on the river, where anything could happen.

They were being urged into the van, as time was of the essence. Another guide company was behind theirs, and they had to launch immediately and couldn’t miss their window. That meant she didn’t have time to gather her friends and warn them that Benny had been one of the men she’d gambled with and that he’d lost immediately. She had been the one to put him out of the running for the final win. He’d been gracious enough, but that might not matter, not after the warning she’d received. But then, she’d been warned about all the players.

Vienna sighed as she took her seat on the van. Her friends were all around her, but so were the others going on the kayaking adventure with them. It was too close quarters to attempt a private conversation.

Raine caught her eye. “I had no idea Benny Dobsin owned River Adventures.” She just came out and said it in a casual voice, as if Benny were an old friend of theirs and they were just discovering he owned the business.

Vienna followed her lead. “It was a surprise to me as well. He didn’t say a thing to me, about River Adventures or Desert Biking Rentals and Tours.”

“Both businesses are huge. He’s so modest,” Raine continued.

“He’s lived here all his life and knows the river like the back of his hand,” Vienna improvised. “Benny told me he’s been riding in the desert since he was a little kid.”

“Doesn’t he play cards with all the top celebrities too?” Raine asked.

“I think so. He’s really good.” Vienna kept her head down, partially hiding behind Harlow in case anyone else in the van might recognize her from the obnoxious digital pictures displayed on the casino walls, both outside and inside during the tournament. The tournament had been televised for days. Hopefully, no one in the van was a huge poker fan. She slouched in the seat even more.

Benny got behind the wheel, and the doors of the van closed. As he took them toward Hoover Dam, he told them once they were actually at the launch point they would have to move very fast. There was a Porta-Potty. If you had to go, do it fast. If not, skip it because the other company would be coming behind them and want to launch quickly. They would have to carry the kayaks down steep stairs to the river.

The van paused at the Hoover Dam security checkpoint and Benny showed the permits and IDs before taking them through to the launch area. The other van was already there with the kayaks. Benny gave them instructions on the basics of paddling a kayak and water safety as well as making it very clear that everyone was to wear a life jacket at all times. He showed them how to keep things dry, pointed out the line in the water where the serious border alarm was and said no one was to approach it. Once in the water, they were to wait so that everyone launched at the same time. That was one of the reasons it was important to stay together if possible and out of the Porta-Potty.

Vienna and Zahra started down the very steep stairs with their kayak. She was a little surprised that the narrow steps were as difficult as they were. She was used to navigating slate and granite and other kinds of rocks when climbing or hiking, but it did make it awkward with a kayak over her head. As expected, Zahra complained the entire time but never once faltered. She was much shorter than Vienna, and Vienna put her on the high side in order to keep the weight from coming down on her.

Once they placed their kayak, Vienna looked back up and noticed two of the older women who had come together. One had silvery hair wound around her head in a braided figure eight. She wore a tank top and shorts and looked fit. Her companion was a bit shorter, with darker hair streaked with silver cut short in a bob. She wore a light sweater over her tank, but also wore shorts. The two obviously struggled with their kayak as they tried to take it down the narrow, steep staircase leading to the launch.

“Harlow,” Vienna called, and jerked her chin toward the two older women.

Harlow followed her without hesitation back up the stairs. Vienna smiled at the two women. “I’m Vienna, this is my friend Harlow. Would you like help? The stairs are extremely steep. We don’t mind carrying your kayak for you.”

“Would you? I’m Elsa Robinson,” the one with the silvery hair said. “This is my friend Verma Shaley. I had no idea it would be so difficult. I do know how to use a kayak. We’re both looking forward to seeing the Emerald Cave.”

Vienna and Harlow took the kayak, aware that Benny and the other guide, Clay Fontaine, were waiting. As they approached the others with the two older women trailing behind, Vienna became aware of Zahra holding court. The two men, Benny in particular, seemed completely enamored with her. It wasn’t unusual. Zahra didn’t do anything more than smile her mysterious smile and men seemed to fall at her feet. She had an accent that managed to sound sultry, and her eyes were so dark they were almost black. In this case, Vienna knew she was deliberately distracting the two men so they wouldn’t be impatient with the older women.

She flashed a grin at Zahra as Benny helped her into the kayak. No one was going to help Vienna, or the two older women, that was for certain. Zahra took it as her just due, looking up at Benny with her dark eyes and soft, mysterious smile. Harlow got into her seat behind Stella. Everyone else was in the water and ready to go, just waiting on them.

They set out for Sauna Cave, their first stop, which was less than a mile from the dam. Vienna hung back to allow Elsa and Verma to stay ahead of her kayak, just to ensure that they knew what they were doing. Surprisingly, they were extremely good at maneuvering their kayak through the water together, perfectly in sync. They hadn’t been exaggerating when they said they were experienced. The paddles cut smoothly through the water.

Vienna knew she didn’t have to worry about the two older ladies at all. On the other hand, there were two young men—brothers, if she remembered correctly from the van, Burt and Blane Watson—celebrating Blane’s graduation from glass-blowing school. They seemed to be turning their kayak in circles and whooping and hollering every few minutes. Blane, in the front of the kayak, continually threw water at his brother, who retaliated.

Vienna didn’t mind anyone having fun, and the two boys seemed to keep up, but there was a young woman by the name of Liza Fremont who had assured everyone over and over that she was very experienced. She was in a kayak by herself. She didn’t appear to be very strong to Vienna, and Benny dropped back several times to check on her when she lagged behind the others.

They parked their kayaks, pulling them onto the bank, until everyone was there with the exception of Liza. She couldn’t seem to dock. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t angle in against the current. She paddled and paddled, and her kayak would go backward, not forward. Benny went out to tow her in, but Vienna could see Liza was more of a hindrance than a help. Benny had to give up trying to pull her kayak straight through the current. He circled around her and tried a different angle. This time, Liza put a little more effort into paddling, but the current defeated them.

Without Liza being able to dock, the rest of them couldn’t explore Sauna Cave. They had to stick together. No one expressed disappointment, they simply got back into their kayaks and joined Liza and Benny in the water and began paddling toward their next destination—Goldstrike Canyon.

The morning was already very warm, with sun hitting the water and bouncing off the rock walls rising on one side or the other. Vienna was grateful she’d thought to wear her sun hat. It had a very wide brim that shaded not only her face but her shoulders and chest. She knew she’d have to eventually pull on her swim shirt, the one that protected her arms, back and neck as well, but for now, she appreciated the breeze and the cool air coming off the water, and the sun wasn’t that high yet.

In spite of the antics of Burt and Blane, the river was peaceful. She enjoyed the fact that Arizona was on one side and Nevada on the other. It seemed such a strange phenomenon.

“You do realize that Goldstrike Canyon has been known to kill people, right, Vienna?” Zahra asked, turning to look back at her. “I read about all the various stops last night. Aside from the fact that Liam Gram was buried feetfirst in the desert so he was like some weird statue, did you know that Lake Mead actually has more dead bodies than any other national park, including Yosemite?”

Vienna stared at her for a moment, resisting the urge to throw water at her with the paddle. “You stayed up last night reading about all the places we’d visit and this is what you’re suddenly telling me now? When it’s too late and we’re already on the water?”

Tags: Christine Feehan Romance
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