“How far back?” Tony demanded. “Hurricane season has started. I know the chances of being hit are slim, but that’s what we thought about ‘Iniki. It would be just my luck to have to worry about the site being mucked up.”
“Cool it, Tony. We’ll do the best we can.” Tony’s drive some-times irritated Bane.
Candace reached under the counter and withdrew a handful of pills, which she gave to Tony. “You forgot your vitamins this morning.”
“See how she takes care of me?” Tony grinned. “She and Leia have a lot in common.” Tony downed the pills with a swig from the water bottle she handed him. “Thanks, baby. Let’s get to diving.”
A commotion drew everyone’s attention to the front door. Voices raised, something banged, and a projectile of swim goggles flew past Bane’s head. Tony spewed out a few choice words and stepped past Bane. Bane followed his friend.
A burly man dressed in khaki shorts and a T-shirt that read Hans Dive Shop stood near the front door. His blond crew cut made his face look even more round, and his bulbous nose and heavy arms made Bane think of Popeye. The guy’s eyes were slitted in his red face, and he had his hands fisted on his hips. His eyes squeezed even tighter when he saw Tony. “I’ve had enough of your tactics, Romero. Play fair, and there’s enough to go around. A party of six canceled on me at the last minute, and they just went off with one of your divemasters. I’m sick of it. Back off or you’ll be sorry.”
Tony crossed his arms over his chest. “Then stop putting oil in my air-fill station, Hans.”
The other man sneered. “Having trouble with your air station? How like you to blame someone else, Romero.”
“So you admit you sabotaged them?”
“Stuff it.” Hans unclenched his fists. “You use people for your own gain.” He reached out and yanked on the gold doubloon around Tony’s neck. Tony pulled it out of his fingers. “You flaunt this and con people into thinking they might be the ones to help you find that stupid treasure. I’ve cut my prices to rock bottom, and you still snag all the business.”
Divemaster Dirk Forsythe came out of the back room. Six-four and built like a boxer, his size could be intimidating. His thick blond brows lowered as he appraised the situation, then he moved quickly to Tony’s side. “Trouble, boss?”
“Nothing I can’t handle, Dirk. Hans was just leaving.” Tony opened the door and gave Hans a pointed look.
Hans pressed his lips together then stomped to the door. He turned and shot a glance toward Leia. “The kind of company you keep is witness enough of the kind of man you are, Romero. The daughter of a thief and every lowlife who happens to want a job.”
Bane sprang toward the door at the slur on Leia’s character, but she grabbed his forearm. “Let it go, Bane,” she whispered. “He’s not worth it.”
Several months ago, Leia’s dad was working a security shift for the museum on O’ahu when some valuable Hawaiian artifacts went missing. He’d been exonerated from the crime, but he’d lost his job, and people believed what they wanted. Bane pressed his lips together and narrowed his gaze on Tony. “What was all that about? What’s his beef with you?”
Tony shrugged. “Hans is no businessman. His dive shop is barely making it. Mine is doing well, and he blames me for his own incompetence. The island can only support one dive shop, and I’m it.”
At least one thing Hans said was true: one glimpse of the gold doubloon around Tony’s burnished neck had tourists eager to find the mysterious Spanish treasure ship lost somewhere in the deep blue recesses of Hawai’i’s waters.
“It’s just business,” Tony said. “Look, you want to meet the divers I’ve been working with? We were about to go out to look for the boat today, but we can look for the plane instead. Come with us.”
“You’re the eternal optimist.” Bane glanced at his watch. Ron wouldn’t be ready to do anything about recovery until later this afternoon, maybe not until tomorrow morning. “I need to call Kaia first. What about Leia and Eva?”
“We’ve got room for everyone.” Tony smiled and motioned to Dirk, who came toward them. “It’s Dirk’s fault our ratio of female to male divers has gone from 30 percent to 60 percent.”
Dirk grinned and shook Bane’s hand. “Don’t listen to anything he says. The ladies eye him more than they do me, but Candace makes sure they know he’s taken. I am too. Did you hear? I got engaged over the summer. Much to Tony’s relief.” He jabbed his boss with his elbow. “Even though I told him Candace and I were just friends, he was afraid I was pining for her since he whisked her away.”