Chapter 381: Wednesday. Mlilo Animal Reserve, South Africa.

GOD DAMN IT.

Paxton's head was too fuzzy and his mouth wouldn't work properly to get his thoughts out before Coco bolted from the table. He pushed to his feet then had to wait for the ground to stop spinning.

He really should have eaten before that first round of drinks. Or the second.

One foot got tangled in his chair and he tripped, barely regaining his balance before he face planted on the lawn. In that short amount of time Coco was gone.

"Shit," he muttered and looked around the party.

Except she'd said she was leaving.

He turned toward the west. He caught a glimpse of a shadow that looked an awful lot like a curvy woman passing under the boughs of a large tree.

Paxton took off, keeping to the level ground until he found the path Coco had taken. She easily outdistanced him, but he was determined. At least he hadn't finished that last drink.

The lights grew farther apart, and the music faded. The resort sat inside a sizeable portion of fenced-in land. It was cultivated and k