...Alessandro waited as the rain pelted him. Tropical rain was like that. It came down hard and fast as if the sky had a grievance, and then, just like that, it would stop.

He waited until the boat was too far out for him to swim to it. True, he could have jumped into his own vessel and hightailed it back to civilization, but he wouldn’t, and he couldn’t. He walked to the ocean’s edge, watching the small launch disappearing across the horizon.

As quickly as it came, the rain went. A tropical shower, so common in the islands, seemed cruel on this island, which looked like it yearned for a good, solid rainfall. He held a drop of moisture on his tongue and tasted it. Sweet.

He was surprised how long he was able to hear the chanting of the kahuna aboard the small craft, offering prayers to the deities who governed the island. Seeking Alessandro’s protection as they departed, he wondered if the three water goddesses might be listening on such a beautiful day? Maybe. He could believe in anything with this view. And with this silence. He’d never been in a place so peaceful. Did one even exist?

Alessandro’s camp was in the picturesque curve of Hanakanai’a, its name meaning Bay of Dolphins. He could hardly wait for the spinner dolphins he’d heard visited the islands each day to come and frolic for him. He’d brought cameras and electronics galore. He would record every moment he could.

He knew rain was a significant harbinger of good luck in the islands. No rain, no rainbows. He tried to block the image of sexy Kem making a rainbow for his niece.

Stop that.

As the boat slipped over the last visible wave, he let out a breath. Finally, he was alone. And, for the first time, he felt very good about his decision. For a moment he reveled in the quiet, the vast expanse of land and, just yards from his tent flap, dazzling, azure-blue water. Everything had a special brilliance here. Even the ocean water’s foam seemed whiter than white.

He was really here. It was his for a whole month. For the first time since his unusual odyssey had begun, he asked himself the question his friends and family had been asking. What will I do with my time?

Alessandro turned, still able to smell the charred sea grass the elderly kahuna had burned as they stood in the circle. He was grateful the group had helped him set up camp and, yes, he’d sensed jealousy from a couple of them, but also excitement.

Inside his tent, he reached for his suitcase and, in a flash, caught sight of the wiggling antennae out of the corner of his eye. Shocked, he glanced back a second time. It couldn’t be.

Nope. No mistake. A scorpion. A goddamned scorpion! The inch-long, almost transparent, eight-legged little monster skittered clumsily over the handle of Alessandro’s waterproof suitcase containing his most vital possessions.

Thoughts collided as he took a deep breath and noticed a thick, brown claw wending its way behind the little guy. A bigger, more menacing version of the tiny scorpion clambered over the handle. Aw, how…cute. A mom and baby. Easily seven inches long, the mother reared as if to strike the human hand that almost touched her evil offspring.

Alessandro made the fastest decision of his life. Though it was a lesser brown scorpion, not the most lethal variety, it still packed enough venom in its stinger to cause extreme pain. With one hand he grabbed his sat phone and activated the camera, and with the other picked up his baseball bat. He flattened the heck out of the treacherous little suckers.

Making sure there were no signs of bug life, he began circling the suitcase as he used a paper towel to wipe off the tip of the bat. No other stowaways on board. Thank God.

How the hell had the scorpions gotten in here?

He cleaned up the mess from the suitcase and the tent floor. He was here to observe life and collect unusual specimens, but not scorpions, an accidentally introduced species to the Hawaiian Islands. He was an anthropologist by trade, and it was his cover story, but not the real story for his visit here. Only three people knew the real story. His mom, his best friend Mickey, and Uncle Joe.