“In fact, the more that I think about it, the happier I am that it happened this way,” he continued. “Your disappearance will be talked about for weeks to come. People will tie Booker’s death to it, but they won’t quite know how he played into the scenario. Eventually it will become an urban legend of sorts, and when I buy the lighthouse and open it to tourists they will ask about the story and wonder if it’s haunted.”
He seemed awfully sure of himself. “How do you figure that Booker’s death will be tied to my disappearance in a way that benefits you?”
“Because you’re gone and he’s dead. What other suspects does Galen have?”
“I don’t know about suspects, but he has another witness.”
“I already told you that May doesn’t count.”
“She might not be able to testify, but she can tell Galen what she saw,” I said. “She was on the third floor when you arrived. She told us about you.” That was a bit of an overstatement, but Ned didn’t need to know that. “She can tell Galen what you did. He might not be able to use the information in court, but that won’t stop him from going after you.”
Ned shifted on his seat. The boat wasn’t large – a mid-sized speedboat – but it was expensive. It was clear that Ned Baxter was a man of means. Even though I wasn’t sure how much credence he’d give my threat, for the first time since I woke in the middle of the ocean Ned looked a bit worried.
“He won’t be able to prove it.”
“What if there’s another witness? A live witness, mind you.”
Ned stilled, his hands gripping the arms of his chair. “And who would that be?”
“The person who was upstairs with me at the time of your visit.” I let my tone cross into haughty territory. “I wasn’t the only one on the third floor when May arrived.”
“Booker is dead.”
“I’m not talking about Booker.”
Ned was grim as he leaned forward, the thin veneer of pleasantness he managed to maintain at the start of the conversation completely eroding. “And who was that?”
“Oh, I can’t tell you that.” I was in an untenable position, but that didn’t stop me from taunting my would-be killer. “That’s not playing fair, is it?”
“You bitch!” Ned lashed out, striking me across the face. I wanted to be strong and pretend the blow didn’t hurt, but I couldn’t stop myself from crying out. “I will rip your heart out!”
I cradled my cheek as I shrank back, pressing my back to the side of the boat as I glared at him. “That won’t stop you from going to jail for the rest of your life. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if Galen decided to kill you rather than arrest you.”
“Galen is an idiot!”
“He stopped you last night, didn’t he?” I played a hunch. I had no idea if Ned was a wolf shifter, but it seemed to make sense. “How did you know I went out to Wesley’s place? Did you follow me?”
“I’ve been watching you for days,” Ned seethed. “I was hoping you would be reasonable and sell me the lighthouse, but you decided to be an idiot instead.”
“That’s a woman’s prerogative, isn’t it?”
Ned ignored my attempt at sarcasm. “I hoped you would frighten easily, but that wasn’t really an option since Galen decided to attach himself to you. I’ve never seen him show so much attention to a woman he barely knows. He became your shadow almost from the moment you met.”
“That’s probably because you sent a drunk to go after me with an ax.”
“I didn’t send Mark to kill you,” Ned clarified. “I sent him to frighten you. He was only supposed to mess up the bedroom, but apparently he took it a step too far. That’s not on me.”
“The fact that you can say that with a straight face is dumbfounding,” I muttered, shaking my head. “What would you have done if he’d killed me?”
“Cut his pay in half and then wait to see what happened next.”
“And what do you think would’ve happened?”
“I think the lighthouse would’ve gone up for auction, and I would’ve made sure I was the highest bidder.”
Ned’s ego was apparently so big it needed its own ZIP code. “Except the lighthouse wouldn’t have gone up for auction. My father is a lawyer. I filed a new will before I even flew out of Detroit. I already have an heir in place.”
Ned stilled. “Excuse me?”
“My father. He would inherit.”
“You didn’t mention that,” Ned raged. “Why would you do something like that?”
“Because I’m not an idiot and my father is an attorney,” I replied, not missing a beat. “Even without a will, my father would inherit. I wanted to make sure that everything was legal and he wouldn’t have to jump through a lot of hoops if something happened. If there’s one thing my father knows, it’s the law.”
“But … .” Ned was flabbergasted. “He hasn’t even visited this island.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s not my heir.”
“You stupid … son of a … !” Ned’s face turned red as he grabbed the front of my shirt and shook me. “Are you trying to ruin my life?”
I fought to control my breathing as he bobbed in front of my face. “That’s only a bonus as far as I’m concerned.”
“I am going to kill you!”
Twenty-Eight
I instinctively lurched to the side to avoid Ned’s outstretched hands, lashing out with my foot and catching him at the knee. He howled, doubling over in pain, and I did the only thing I could think to do.
It took all of my strength to struggle to my knees and lean over the side of the boat. The shore was a long way off – it seemed miles – but I had no other choice. If I remained in the boat Ned would surely kill me. If I jumped into the water I’d have a chance, however minimal.
My arms and legs didn’t want to move as fast as I hoped, so I ended up flopping over the side of the boat rather than jumping. I hit the water face first. Initially I sank, the water threatening to devour me, but my reflexes kicked in and I managed to break the surface with a few kicks, and gulp in a huge mouthful of oxygen before panic overtook me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Ned asked, as if annoyed by a small child.
I didn’t bother glancing in his direction, instead stroking away from the boat and pointing myself toward Moonstone Bay. I had no idea how to gauge distance – especially at sea – but I figured it would take me a long time to swim back to shore.
“Do you really think you can swim away from me?” Ned was incredulous. “It’s two miles back to the island.”
Two miles? That was actually better than I’d initially thought. “I guess it will take me a little bit then, huh?” I kept my eyes focused on the small strip of land so I had something to work toward.
“Get in the boat.”
“No.”
“Get back in the boat.”
“No way.”
“Get back in the boat or I’ll kill you,” Ned threatened.
“I hate to break it to you, but that threat has absolutely zero clout with me,” I shot back. “You’re going to kill me if I get on the boat. At least this way I have a chance at escape.”
“How do you figure that?”
Was that a trick question? “I’m going to swim to shore.”
“Do you really think I’m going to let you do that?”
Ned’s voice got harder to hear with every stroke. I was determined to put distance between us, and the water lapping around my ears served to drown his voice. “I don’t see as you have much choice.”
“I could kill you.”
“You have a knife and would have to jump in the water to kill me.”
“Do you think I won’t do that?”
“Probably not, because that would mean a lack of control for you.”
Ned was quiet for a long moment. “I have more than the knife.”
His voice was chilling, but I refused to glance over my shoulder and confirm the evil expression I was certain I’d find on his face.
“I don’t care.”
“I have something else below deck.”
“Good for you.”
“It’s a gun.”
My heart skipped a beat, but I remained facing toward the island. “How great for you.”
“I will get it, Hadley.”
“I guess you have to do what you have to do.”
“Son of a … !” The waves drowned out the rest of his words. I heard him stomping on the boat deck. “I’m going to get the gun. You’re making this harder on yourself than you have to.”
“Whatever.” I increased my speed when I was certain Ned had gone below deck. I couldn’t outrun a gun, but perhaps I could get far enough away while he searched for his weapon that he would choose to flee rather than pursue. It was probably a vain hope, but it was all I had.
I counted in my head as I stroked, rationalizing that each number brought me closer to shore even though the island still seemed so small. I thought I caught a hint of movement in the water, but refused to divert my gaze from the island. It was a distraction, and given my fuzzy head the last thing I needed was a distraction.
The physical exertion and cool water helped with the brain mush. I was even thirstier than before, but all I had around me was saltwater.
I saw the flash of movement a second time and gritted my teeth. This time I was certain something was in the water with me. The first thing that popped into my head was a shark. I knew shark shifters weren’t a thing on the island, so that meant it was probably a real shark and I was about to become lunch.
I pressed my eyes shut, forcing myself to focus on steady stroking. I’d lost track of Ned and didn’t hear anything from the boat – which I’d managed to leave behind thanks to my determination – but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t pursue me.
I jolted when something surfaced in the water next to me, instinctively lashing out. My fingers brushed against something slimy – something I was certain was a fin of some sort – but my hand ultimately contacted skin when it landed.
“What the … ?”
I thought my heart would burst out of my chest when I opened my eyes and found Aurora keeping pace with me.
“Good morning.” Aurora’s smile was quick and bright. “Nice day for a swim, huh?”
“Yeah,” I choked out, my eyes going wide as I scanned the water and realized the fin I felt belonged to Aurora. Her entire bottom half, in fact, was a fin. “You’re a mermaid!”
“I’m a siren,” Aurora corrected, moving a bit closer. “Do you know how far out you are?”
“I have no idea. What’s a siren?”
“It’s basically a mermaid, but I don’t like that term. It’s far too … Disney. Sirens are stronger than mermaids. They’re cooler, too.”
“But you have a fin.”
“I do,” Aurora confirmed, her auburn-highlighted hair streaming in the water as she moved alongside me. “We have a problem. You realize that, right?”
“You mean other than the fact that you have a fin?”
Aurora leaned in closer and stared into my eyes. “Have you been drugged?”
“He stuck me with something. I can’t make my head work. I’m not even sure how I’m managing to swim.”
“Ned?”
“How did you know?”
“Galen sent me looking for you when he realized what happened at the lighthouse,” Aurora replied. “He’s not in a good mood. I would hate to be Ned when he gets his hands on him.”
“How did Galen know to look for me in the water?”
“Booker told him that Ned had a boat and was leading you toward water last time he saw you.”
Hope clawed through me. “Is Booker alive?”
“He’s injured, but he’s alive,” Aurora replied. “Don’t worry about that.” She risked a glance over her shoulder when she heard a boat engine roar, as if coming to life, and then immediately die. “I know you’re confused and you don’t know what to make of this, but we don’t have much time.
“I would like to let you get to a place of acceptance on your own but I honestly don’t think that’s possible,” she continued. “I need you to trust me.”
“All I know about you is that you like to swim naked,” I admitted, my eyes going to her fin again. “I guess that makes sense.”
“There’s no sense wearing a bathing suit, because I would rip it when shifting,” Aurora explained. “We can talk about that later. We need to deal with the here and now.”
The boat engine roared again but didn’t catch.
“How do you suggest we do that?” Now that Aurora had found me and I had more hope of escaping this mess than when I hit the water, the thought of dying in the ocean, of Ned winning, was completely unpalatable. “I can’t swim any faster. I can barely swim this fast.”
“I know, and you’re fading.” Aurora’s expression was kind. “I need you to hold onto me, wrap your arms around my neck and hold on. I can get us back to shore faster by myself.”
“You can?”
“Of course. I’m a siren. I can do anything.”
She said it in such a matter-of-fact manner that I could do nothing but nod. “Okay. I … won’t I choke you?”
“It will be fine. Just hold on.”
I did as instructed, pushing the odd feeling of Aurora’s fin against my thighs out of my mind as I squeezed my eyes shut. “Will we make it?”
“We should. No more talking, though.”
As if on cue, the boat’s engine roared to life and remained running. Ned was mobile again, which meant he was heading in this direction.
“Let’s go!”
THE SWIM BACK to the island was quick. I had no idea a sea creature could move as fast as Aurora, but she was sleek and quick as she glided through the water. Before I even realized what was happening I found my toes touching sand, and I fell forward as I dropped to my knees.
The waves crashed into me, driving me forward, and I discovered I couldn’t readily open my eyes because the seawater caused them to burn. I heard footsteps rushing toward me in the water but I couldn’t make myself look, terror that Ned overtook us threatening to overwhelm me.
Then I felt strong hands on my arms and I had no choice. I had to look. I wrenched open my eyes, determined to find the magic that evaded me when my mind collapsed thanks to the drugs, and gasped when Galen’s handsome face swam into view. “You found me.”
“Aurora found you,” Galen gritted out, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me to my feet. “Are you okay?”
“I’m thirsty.”
“Other than that?”
“I’m really thirsty.”
Galen flicked a worried look to Aurora. “She seems out of it. What happened?”
“I found her with Ned, just like you figured,” Aurora explained. “He was ranting and raving about wanting property so he could join the DDA. What a putz.”
“What else?”
“He drugged her.” Aurora wrung out her hair, paying no heed to the fact that she was naked and standing in front of the sheriff. “She’s a bit spacey. I think some water will do her good.”
“I’ve got it.” Galen took me by surprise when he hauled me into his arms and carried me away from the water. “Where is Ned?”
“He’s giving chase, but he’s had a few boat problems,” Aurora replied. “He should be here soon.”
“Good.” Galen was grim as he sat me down in the shade and grabbed a bottle of water from a cooler he had lodged in the sand. “Drink this.” He twisted the top off the bottle and shoved it in my hand. “Drink all of it.”
I wanted to argue, tell him that he wasn’t the boss of me and then ask about Booker, but I was so thirsty all I could do was guzzle. It tasted better than any gourmet dinner or expensive glass of wine I’d ever come across.
“Thank you,” I gasped, water leaking from the corners of my mouth as I wiped my forehead. “I thought I was going to die out there.”
Galen gripped the sides of my face and forced me to lock gazes w
ith him. “I will never let that happen. You should’ve known I would come for you.”
“How was I supposed to know that?”
“Because I said so.” Galen handed me a second bottle of water. “Drink that. I’ll get you to the hospital as soon as possible.”
“What about Booker?”
“He’s alive.”
That wasn’t nearly enough reassurance. “Is he going to stay alive?”
Galen didn’t immediately answer. Aurora, who was slipping into a tank top and knit shorts, took it upon herself to do it for him.
“He’s Booker,” Aurora supplied. “He’ll survive.”
I had no idea what to make of that, so I opted to let it go for the time being. “What happens now?”
“Now I handle Ned,” Galen replied, his fingers gentle as they rubbed my shoulders. “I’ll take care of Ned and then we’ll get you to the hospital. Everything will be fine after that.”
“Ned said he had a gun,” I offered.
“He did say that,” Aurora added. “He was under the deck for a long time. That’s what allowed us to get away.”
“Did Ned see you?” Galen asked Aurora.
“Yeah. He didn’t look happy about it.”
“That’s because he knows it’s over,” Galen said. “He’s figured out that there’s no way for him to get out of this alive.”
Alive? Wait … . “Are you going to kill him?”
Galen quirked an eyebrow as he shifted his gaze to me. “Should I let him live after what he’s done?”
“No. Yes. I … aren’t you supposed to arrest him?”
“Island justice,” Galen replied. “Ned’s about to get a heaping dose of it.”
“So you’ll kill him?”
“He killed May,” Galen argued. “He tried to kill you. He left Booker for dead. That’s on top of what he did to Bonnie. Why would I let him live?”
“What about a trial?”
“A trial?” Galen challenged. “He’s clearly guilty. It’s not as if there’s any question about it.”
Witchy Dreams Page 102