Lantern Beach Mysteries Box Set

by Christy Barritt

  With her gun ready, she stood, ready to face off with Raul’s men. Sean Ernest stood there. He’d been in Raul’s inner circle but had been absent the night Cady took out Raul. He was one of the few leaders who hadn’t been arrested.

  He stepped closer, glowering down at her. “So here you are.”

  Cady swallowed hard, feeling the vengeance emanating from him. “Here I am. How’d you find me?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” His lip twitched like he wanted to smile because he knew something that she didn’t.

  What did he know? How did he find her?

  The gun trembled in her hands. “It matters to me.”

  “You killed Sanders,” Sean growled.

  “I had no choice.”

  He muttered obscenities at her and stepped closer.

  She had no hope of talking these guys out of doing what they’d come to accomplish. She was outnumbered. But she could make this harder for them.

  Because she was no good to the FBI dead—or kidnapped.

  Before she could convince herself it was a bad idea, she pulled the trigger. Sean reached for the gun at the same time and jerked the barrel downward.

  The bullet hit his knee.

  He yowled with pain and bent over.

  Someone else fired at her. She ducked behind the wall. She could hardly breathe.

  She was still alive. She couldn’t believe it. But it wasn’t too late for everything to change.

  On the count of three, she swung around the corner and fired again.

  Another man yelped with pain.

  Two down.

  Before she could celebrate, someone grabbed her hair from behind her.

  Something cold and hard pressed into her neck. A gun.

  Sean had looped around the room and caught her off guard. She should have known.

  “Now it’s time to end this,” he hissed into her ear.

  A gun fired.

  She braced herself for the pain.

  Waited for it.

  Prepared herself for agony, for her final moments. A montage of regret raced through her mind. She wasn’t ready for her life to end. There were too many changes she needed to make first.

  The man’s grip on her hair loosened.

  He sank to the ground.

  Her gaze swung toward the door.

  Samuel Stephens stood there, his gun raised.

  “You can’t stay in this area,” he said. “We’ve got to get you somewhere else safe.”

  Her limbs were shaking so badly that she knew better than to argue.

  “No marshals this time,” she told him as they rushed toward the door. “I’m better off going on my own.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  She didn’t want to say the words aloud. She didn’t want them to be true. But she had no choice but to face reality head on. “Because there must be a leak somewhere. Otherwise, how would they have found me?”

  Chapter 18

  Cassidy couldn’t believe she’d said yes to going down to the pier this evening. It was so unlike her to do something like this. But live music? Oh, yeah. Plus, maybe she’d learn something new for her case. Well, not her case. But the case. The murder investigation that she couldn’t stop thinking about. The one that she refused to get involved with.

  She was also curious about the secrets hidden in this seemingly placid town.

  If she were smart, she’d forget about her burning questions. Walk away. Stay far, far from whatever darkness was lurking beneath this cheery surface. But she couldn’t do that. Especially not when she remembered Sarge’s body.

  She drew in a deep breath, trying to let down her guard some and enjoy this evening. She’d overheard some tourists she’d sold ice cream to talking about tonight’s event. Apparently, everyone in town went. A local singer and guitarist played. A restaurant catered seafood like crab-cake sandwiches and shrimp po boys. People hung out and chatted and danced. All in all, it sounded nice.

  Cassidy parked in a public lot not too far away. And, for some strange reason, she’d driven Elsa. She’d had the fleeting thought that maybe she could sell ice cream. But now, as the opportunity presented itself, she had no desire to do that. No, she needed some time away from being the ice cream lady.

  As soon as she climbed out, she could hear the music. “Sitting at the Dock of Bay” crooned from an uneven, gravelly voice. The song and its execution weren’t perfect, but she liked it anyway. Murmurs from the crowd mingled with the crashing ocean waves.

  Her heart panged. This was the second time that longing for a sense of community filled her.

  Community. This had to be what she’d missed the most about life.

  None of us are independent. We all need each other. Community is like a machine. All the pieces—the gears—need to be connected to work.

  No, that wasn’t from her Day-at-a-Glance. That wisdom came from Ty Chambers.

  As much as Cassidy might want to idealize her life back in Seattle, it wasn’t perfect. Sure, she’d had a support system, but it was broken and limping along. All it would take was a single glitch and the blip blip blip keeping her alive would flatline.

  The wind whipped, sending a wave of chills over her. She’d worn jeans and a black tank top, but the temperature change this evening was significant—and surprising.

  She walked across the sand and crossed beneath the pier. As she did, she stopped and sucked in a breath.

  This was . . . perfect.

  Lanterns had been strung from piling to piling. A bonfire blazed on either side of the area. Some people played volleyball. Hammocks were strung right where the waves broke.

  The enchanting atmosphere did something to her heart. She wasn’t even sure what. But, for the first time since she could remember, a raging sense of desire flooded through her. She felt like a kid at Christmastime, seeing friends had gotten a pony and she hadn’t.

  These people . . . they had something. Something special.

  Her happy thoughts disappeared when she spotted a familiar face. Ty.

  He seemed to spot her at the same time she spotted him, and he froze.

  With an ice cream cone in hand.

  Cassidy’s mouth dropped open. “I thought you didn’t like ice cream.”

  He stared at his cone, took another lick, and shrugged. “What can I say? I don’t like your ice cream.”

  Her mouth dropped even more. “That’s insulting.”

  “Sorry, sweetheart. It’s the truth.”

  “You’re . . . you’re . . .”

  “Yes?” His eyes danced with amusement.

  Cassidy couldn’t think of the right word so she just let out an agitated half grumble, half sigh.

  He smiled and walked away, throwing a wave over his shoulder. “Have a good evening!”

  What exactly was this guy’s story? His problem?

  It didn’t matter. Cassidy wouldn’t be here long enough to care.

  “Cassidy! You made it!” someone said.

  She turned and saw Skye approaching, looking exotic and oh-so-happy still.

  “Of course.”

  “You’re going to absolutely love this event. For real. This is my favorite night of the week, and the weather this evening is perfect, if not a little chilly.”

  Cassidy shivered, wishing she’d brought a jacket. She hadn’t anticipated the temperature change.

  “Here, why don’t you wear this?” Skye stretched something toward her.

  “Your jacket? No, I couldn’t take that from you.”

  “I insist. I have long sleeves on underneath. Besides, I should have warned you about the temperature changes at night, especially on this side of the island.”

  “Thank you.” Cassidy slipped on the brown leather jacket. It fit her like a glove.

  “That looks good on you.” Skye looked her up and down like a designer inspecting a runway model.

  “I like it.”

  “I got it at a thrift store for ten dollars, and it’s totally vintage.”
>
  “Ten dollars? Really?” Her family had no qualms about spending hundreds on a single item of clothing while she was growing up.

  She nodded. “Steal of a deal, right?”

  “Totally.” For a moment, Cassidy actually sounded like the person she’d been trying to become—a carefree beach bum who was content to sell ice cream. Maybe there was hope that she could pull this off. She just needed to give herself more time.

  They started walking down the length of the beach together. The sand was supple beneath her feet, and the buttery leather jacket felt soft against her skin. In the distance, the ominous and deserted lighthouse could barely be seen standing guard over the town.

  “So, did you hear about the dead man?” Skye started.

  Cassidy suddenly felt more alert than ever. “I did. How scary, right?”

  “I heard that the guy they rented the boat from tried to discourage them from going out, but they insisted.”

  Now Skye really had her interest. “I wonder why they insisted.”

  “No idea. But—and this is where things get interesting—I also heard that another man from the company went out shortly after they did.”

  And Cassidy’s interest in this conversation doubled yet again. “Really? How do you know?”

  “My friend works at the marina sometimes. He overheard the conversation and saw them all go out.”

  “Does the chief know this?”

  Skye nodded before scooping down to retrieve an oyster shell. “Yeah, he told the police.”

  “Do you mind if I ask who this friend is?” It was a strange question, but Skye didn’t seem to notice.

  “His name is Jedi. Cool name, huh? Anyway, he’s out of town right now. Just left today, actually. His grandma died.”

  Cassidy’s hopes deflated. Jedi would have been the perfect guy to talk to. “I’m sorry to hear that. But if what your friend said is true, I’m surprised that the police don’t have any other suspects.”

  “It surprises me too.”

  They turned to walk back toward the pier and grab a bite to eat. As they got closer, Cassidy squinted.

  Her eyes had to be deceiving her. Was that . . . Larry Blackwell? Her father’s CFO?

  Cassidy held her breath.

  It was! He was here with his wife and had three kids tailing behind.

  Why in the world had Larry flown all the way out here to Lantern Beach for a vacation? What were the odds?

  It didn’t matter. Right now, all that mattered was that he didn’t see her. That meant Cassidy needed to hide.

  “Excuse me one minute,” she rushed.

  Cassidy looked around, desperate to find a place to conceal herself.

  Larry was too close for her to run—she’d draw attention to herself.

  The hammocks, she decided.

  She was going to borrow one.

  Now.

  Before she could think too much, she hopped into the first one she saw—one of the camping types without the wood slats on the ends to hold it open. It would envelop her—and that was what she was counting on.

  What Cassidy wasn’t counting on was the fact that someone else was already inside.

  Chapter 19

  “What in the world—” the inhabitant muttered.

  Cassidy cringed and looked up, wondering exactly who she’d just tangled herself with.

  It was none other than—

  “You,” she seethed. She tried to push herself away from him, but the sides of the hammock cradled them, causing their bodies to collide.

  Ty.

  Of course.

  “Why do you look mad?” he muttered, drawing his face back away from hers. “You’re the one who just invaded my hammock.”

  “I thought it was empty.”

  “But it’s still not yours.”

  “I thought they were public.”

  “They’re not public. And just because I carved an ice cream cone for you doesn’t mean I’m ready to take our relationship to the next level.”

  “Our relationship to the next level?” Cassidy nearly screeched. This man was infuriating.

  Then she saw the sparkle in his eyes.

  “Now, if you don’t mind.” He made a little walking motion with his fingers.

  She couldn’t leave. Not yet. Which meant she needed to somehow buy time without raising Ty’s suspicions.

  Before she could think of a good diversion tactic, she got a whiff of Ty’s cologne. It was . . . surprisingly nice. Woodsy and leathery. And his chest was surprisingly hard. Firm. Muscular.

  Not that she cared.

  “This is your way of socializing,” she said.

  “I can socialize however I please.”

  She glanced up. Just as she thought, the hammock surrounded her. But she could get a glimpse every now and then of people who were passing.

  Had Larry and his family gone by?

  His familiar voice filled her ears. No, he hadn’t gone by. In fact, he’d stopped to talk to someone about what fish were biting.

  Wasn’t this just great?

  “Why are you still lying here?” Ty asked. “This is really just meant for one person. Me.”

  “Because . . . it’s hard to get up.” Lame, Cassidy. Lame.

  “Well, that’s true.”

  “Believe me, I would never lie here on purpose with someone like you.” She practically snorted.

  “Like me?”

  “Yeah, like I said earlier, I know your type. I’ve worked with them.” Oops. Had she just said that? Did it fit her cover?

  He let out an amused chuckle. “I thought you said you were an interior designer.”

  She swallowed hard and averted her gaze—because their faces were entirely too close. “I am.”

  “And you worked with a lot of men?”

  Dang it! How was she going to get out of this one? “That’s right. But they were . . .” Were what, Cassidy? “They were girlie men.”

  His chuckle came again. “So you worked with girlie men who think they’re better than their female counterparts?”

  She was digging herself into a hole and fast. She was usually much more guarded than this. But she had to be careful or Ty was going to see through her.

  Cassidy cleared her throat. “It was an interesting workspace.”

  “It sounds like it. And in Texas too? It sounds like you could have your own reality show. Watch out Chip and Joanna Gaines.”

  She wanted to smack him. She really did.

  Before she could say anything else, a noise caught her ear and she sighed. Not again. Not now.

  “Your ice cream truck is calling you,” Ty said, amusement lining his eyes.

  Why did that annoying music keeping playing out of nowhere? It was only causing more attention to be drawn to her—and that wasn’t going to work. She needed to turn it off—now!

  Using Ty’s chest as leverage, Cassidy pushed herself up, ignoring the fact that Ty let out a groan.

  She glanced around and saw that Larry and his family had joined a bonfire on the other side of the pier. This was the perfect time to slip away.

  “Have fun out here,” she muttered.

  “Oh, I will.”

  She clumsily tried to climb out but tumbled onto the sand. She heard Ty’s chuckles behind her.

  Loser.

  She brushed the sand from her shorts and stormed toward her ultra-annoying ice cream truck.

  “Cassidy!”

  She kept walking.

  “Cassidy!”

  She stopped cold. Cassidy. That was her name. How could she have forgotten? She’d been so caught up with her thoughts that she’d lost her focus. She couldn’t let herself do that again.

  She turned around and saw Skye walking toward her. “I was wondering where you went.”

  “Long story,” Cassidy said.

  “Were you just lying with Ty?” A wrinkle formed between Skye’s brows.

  “Not on purpose.”

  “I’m not really sure how you do that o
n accident.”

  “One day, I’ll explain.” But would she? Or would Cassidy leave here one day without a word and without looking back? The thought was strangely unsettling.

  Skye seemed to accept that explanation with a shrug. “I see. Ty’s an interesting guy.”

  “Is he?” Surprisingly, Cassidy really wanted to hear her answer.

  “He came home from the Middle East broken and battered, apparently. One of his knees was shot up, and he was honorably discharged. When he got back, he discovered his fiancée had left him and given away his dog to an animal shelter. She couldn’t handle the fact that her perfect military hero was no longer perfect.”

  That made Cassidy stop in her tracks. “What?”

  Skye nodded, a sad and disgusted look in her eyes. “I mean, that’s what I’ve heard. Ty doesn’t like to talk about it. He can be social, but he also thinks lounging in his hammock while people are around is being social.”

  “I noticed.”

  “He is pretty handsome, though, isn’t he? In a rugged kind of way.”

  “I suppose some women might think so.” As Cassidy said the words, she remembered his scent. The feel of his chest beneath her. The twinkle in his eyes.

  Guilt flooded her. Ryan was waiting for her back in Seattle. How could Cassidy even let herself think about any appealing—however slight they may be—aspects of Ty?

  Besides, she couldn’t stand her neighbor, and he couldn’t stand her.

  So those intriguing thoughts were really nothing. Nothing at all except for an odd flash of attraction.

  Cassidy would not allow her thoughts to go anywhere beyond that because she was a faithful type of gal. She wasn’t going to let herself follow in her father’s footsteps. If there was one thing she hated, it was a cheater.

  The music from her truck clashed with the gentle tones of the guitarist in the distance. As she caught a whiff of some crab cakes being sold, she suddenly felt hungry. Famished.

  She just needed to turn her music off. Then maybe she could grab a bite to eat before disappearing—before Larry Blackwell found her. She tuned back in to Skye.

  “Ty? He pretty much could date any of the single women around here. I mean, he’s the whole package. He’s not only handsome, but he’s kind and he looks out for others and he can even cook.”