Dark Water: Lantern Beach Blackout, Book 1

by Barritt, Christy

  He wasn’t complaining.

  Certainly, she didn’t do this with her patients, did she?

  The simple touch brought such an immense comfort that he never wanted her to move.

  As hard as today had been, this moment right now made it all worth it. This brief time where Colton had been reminded that he wasn’t alone in this world or alone in his grief. Elise understood. As much as he wanted to take that hurt from her, he couldn’t. But they could have this moment.

  As he looked over at her, his heart pounded in his ears.

  From the very first moment Colton had met the woman, he’d been blown away. Maybe he’d never gotten married because he’d been waiting for his very own Elise. The problem was that no other woman measured up.

  He’d always admired her. She’d been Daniel’s equal. She was strong, smart, tough—but also soft and kind. The perfect blend.

  As Colton stared at Elise now, he opened his mouth, though he wasn’t sure what words were about to emerge. Before he could say anything, the door opened.

  Elise pulled her hand back and straightened.

  Colton watched as the gang flooded inside.

  He’d asked them to meet, hadn’t he?

  How he wished he hadn’t.

  “This still a good time?” Dez asked, something glimmering in his gaze.

  Colton stood. “Yes, absolutely. Have a seat.”

  “I’ll get these dishes cleaned up, and I’ll get out of your way.” Elise grabbed their leftover food and carried it back into the kitchen.

  “Why don’t you stay?”

  Elise froze and slowly turned to look at him. “Really?”

  “Really. This is your life we’re talking about. You should be in the loop.”

  After a moment, she nodded. “I won’t argue.”

  * * *

  “So what do we have so far?” Colton started as they all sat in the living room ready to debrief.

  He had his computer as well as a pad of paper in front of him and had gone into leader mode. Gone was the soft side of him she’d seen earlier—the side that was achingly tender and concerned with her. She flushed every time she thought about it.

  Elise had never been in on the action before, and it felt weird to be here. Yet she was grateful for the opportunity. She had the most at stake here.

  “I’ll start,” Colton said. “Benjamin is talking to Tara Campbell’s boyfriend. He should be back tomorrow evening, so hopefully he’ll have an update for us. In the meantime, I’ve been examining those pictures that were left, but I haven’t gotten very far. I’ve made a list of everyone I recognize in the photos. The normal players are there. The commander. Secretary Stabler. I’m still not sure where these photos were taken, though, or why these are important.”

  Dez raised his hand. “I’ll go next. I sent the code to my friend Kari. I didn’t tell her where we found it or any of the details. She promised discretion and said she would get right on it. I’m hoping to hear something from her anytime.”

  “Good news,” Colton said.

  “I’ve been looking into the number Daniel called from the burner phone,” Griff said. “The calls went to another burner. I was able to ascertain, thanks to a friend of mine, that the device was activated while in the DC area.”

  “Some news is better than no news,” Colton said. “But we need to make more progress.”

  Elise’s throat tightened. She knew his words were true. Time wasn’t on their side, though.

  Someone was willing to kill to get that information. But what else could they do?

  She had no idea.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Colton couldn’t get Elise out of his mind. It didn’t make sense. He and Elise could never be together for so many reasons. Not only was she his best friend’s girl, but if she knew the truth about what happened that night, everything would change.

  He would be wise to keep that in mind.

  He went back to his cabana, ready to settle in for the evening. But first he had some research of his own that he wanted to do. Today’s events had put him back. He intended on spending most of the day researching that information Elise had found.

  He stood and paced over to the window again. As he shoved the curtain aside, he saw movement by the sand dune. His muscles tensed. Grabbing his gun, he stepped outside.

  This guy wasn’t going to get away again. Not on his watch.

  * * *

  Colton remained in the shadows as he moved toward the dark figure in the distance. Who was this person? Was this the same man who’d tried to kill Elise?

  He didn’t know, but he was going to find out.

  Colton remained low, watching his every step so as not to give away his location. But he knew the reality was that whoever was out there had already seen him. This person had probably been watching this whole place, just waiting for the sun to go down so he could make his next move.

  Whoever was out there hadn’t moved. Colton could clearly see the man still crouching by the sand dune. What was this man planning?

  Colton decided to go around the side of Ty’s cottage and come up on the other side of the sand dune. He hoped the tactical move might throw his watcher off.

  He cut underneath Ty’s house and crossed the dune. Still careful to stay low and to let the darkness conceal him, Colton reached the figure and raised his gun.

  “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

  Colton blinked rapidly as the man stepped closer, and Benjamin’s features came into view.

  “Benjamin?”

  He raised his hands in the air. “Wow. What’s going on? I’m just sitting here watching the ocean.”

  Now that Colton thought about it, the man hadn’t been crouching. He’d been sitting. But from a distance, it had been hard to tell the difference.

  “You weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow.” Colton tucked his gun into his waistband, irritation still rippling his muscles.

  “The job ended early,” Benjamin said. “Alayna went back home to DC and cut her trip short.”

  “Why wasn’t I informed of the change?”

  “It was spontaneous. She told me today at five and then she left. So I came back.”

  “And you didn’t call?”

  “I didn’t think it was a big deal.” Benjamin shrugged, his shoulders looking stiff with defensiveness. “I didn’t know it was a crime to come back when the job was done or to sit outside and watch the ocean.”

  “We’ve had a lot going on, and we’re all on edge right now.”

  Benjamin remained quiet a moment, as if mentally shaking off his prickliness in favor of curiosity. “What’s happening?”

  Colton paused, contemplating how much to say. He wanted to trust Benjamin. Wanted to think of the man as a little brother. But there were still questions Colton had that Benjamin hadn’t answered to his satisfaction. The fact that Benjamin had returned early without telling anybody also raised red flags. What was the real reason he hadn’t called or announced his arrival?

  Colton had to remain cautious, not only for his own safety, but for the safety of everyone around him.

  “You’re telling me you got back a couple hours ago?” Colton clarified.

  Benjamin’s gaze remained cool. “Yeah, that’s right.”

  “And if I check the ferry records, I’ll see if that’s true? I can confirm that a car with your license plate was on it at approximately that time?”

  “Look, what’s with the third degree? Don’t you trust me?” Benjamin raised his hands, as if giving up.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Do people think I’m involved in some way with this current situation?”

  “I didn’t say that either.”

  Benjamin shook his head. “You didn’t deny it either.”

  “Look, Ben—"

  Benjamin snorted and stepped back. “Do you know what? Never mind. I’m tired, and I think I’m going to turn in early tonight.”

  Colton considere
d calling him back so they could finish the conversation. But Colton realized he had nothing else to say. Not right now.

  First, he needed to figure out his next move.

  And he needed to figure out if he trusted all his men.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Cassidy and Ty both woke up early the next morning. Though Cassidy loved having everybody at her house, it was nice to have a few minutes alone with Ty. Especially with everything that had been going on so far this week.

  Ty fixed her some coffee along with a bagel spread with blueberry cream cheese. Though today was cold and blustery outside, they both bundled up and stepped onto the screened porch. Being out here was one of their favorite things to do together, especially to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean as they began their day. Kujo sat at their feet as they sat on the swing, gliding back and forth.

  “It’s been a crazy couple days, huh?” Ty said.

  “You can say that again. Things are never calm around here, though.” To think Cassidy had assumed being police chief on a small island would be easy . . .

  “What are the updates with the hotel development?”

  She lowered her coffee mug. “The surveyor is supposed to come today. There are numerous steps that need to take place first, but some of the community groups are threatening lawsuits. If this hotel does get built, it’s going to take a long time for them to jump through all these legal loopholes.”

  “I feel like this is taking a toll on you.” Ty rested his hand on her back as he studied her face.

  Cassidy shrugged. “I can’t say it’s not taking a toll on me. I just hate to see people here so divided. That was the one thing that we always did right here on the island. We stayed together.”

  Ty frowned and nodded. His arm stretched across the back of the swing. “Hopefully, this will pass. I suppose that having all these people from my past here only adds to the craziness.”

  “Do you regret it?”

  “No, not at all. These people are like my family.”

  She had a feeling he’d say that. She’d expected nothing less. “So what about Colton and Elise?”

  He glanced at her in surprise. “What about them?”

  “Is it just me, or is there something there between them? I saw the way they were looking at each other yesterday. They seemed pretty cozy and comfortable.”

  Ty shrugged. “I think they would be good together, but there’s a lot they need to overcome if that’s going to ever happen.”

  She nodded, letting the swing continue to sway back and forth. “Do you think they’re both ready to move on after losing Daniel?”

  “Knowing both of them . . . I would say yes. They’re both mature, and they don’t use their emotions as a crutch. I could see it working.”

  “Why do I feel like there’s a but in there?”

  Ty let out a long breath. “Something happened when Daniel died. I don’t know what it was, and I know it’s not my business. But I know there’s more to the story. They said they were doing a training exercise out there. But I don’t know why they would be doing training exercises out in that area of the Mediterranean Sea. I’ve never heard of anything like that before.”

  “So if it wasn’t a training exercise, then what was it?” Cassidy licked some cream cheese from her finger.

  Ty gave her a look and shrugged. “Things that aren’t supposed to be mentioned.”

  “You mean like an off-the-book operation?”

  “Exactly.”

  “And something like that could have the potential to tear them apart before they even start, can’t it?” She frowned. She’d had happy visions of the two of them falling in love. She was so happy with Ty that she wanted everyone to be happy.

  “Unfortunately, I would say yes.”

  Cassidy took a sip of her coffee as she contemplated that. It wasn’t her business, nor was it her concern. But she was curious to see how this would play out, and she hoped it worked out for the best for everyone.

  She set her bagel on a little table beside her and shifted toward Ty. “There’s one other thing I think you should know. I was going to tell you last night, but I was too exhausted to get into it.”

  “What is it?”

  She frowned, wishing her words weren’t the truth. “After the town meeting . . . somebody pulled me aside. They have concerns about Blackout being located here in Lantern Beach.”

  A knot formed between his eyebrows. “Why in the world would anyone have a concern about that?”

  “This person thinks that the organization might bring more danger to the otherwise peaceful island.”

  “What danger have we brought?” His voice rose with emotion. “Most of our missions have been off this island. This is just a meeting place.”

  “I guess this guy got mad at Colton during the protest, and now he’s trying to make life difficult.”

  “Who is this guy?”

  “Ron Davis.”

  Ty blinked. “Ron is giving you a hard time? I didn’t see him as the type.”

  “I guess these situations can bring out the worst in people.”

  “I guess so.”

  Cassidy nudged Ty’s chin up. “Hey, it’s not all bad news.”

  “Give me some good news then.”

  “Look at that sunrise.” She nodded toward the ocean, where brilliant bursts of yellow, coral, and purple exploded in the sky. “The way the clouds are formed today almost makes it look like the hand of God is right there holding the sun in the sky for us.”

  Ty let out a breath. “You’re right. It’s a good reminder.”

  “I have those every once in a while.”

  He cast a smile at her before planting a quick kiss on her lips. “Yes, you do.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  When Elise woke up the next morning, she found a note from Cassidy on the kitchen table saying that she had already gone into work, but that Elise could help herself to the bagels and coffee that had been left out. Ty was outside working on his truck and keeping an eye on the place.

  Sitting down, she petted Kujo on the head. “At least I’ve got you, right?”

  She’d just settled at the kitchen table with her coffee and bagel when the door opened. Her breath caught as she anticipated seeing Colton.

  Instead, Benjamin James stood there. He looked the same as ever with his baby face, short dark hair, and broad build. Daniel had always teased him, calling him Angel Eyes.

  Those very angelic eyes widened, mirroring Elise’s surprise.

  “Elise . . . you’re here.”

  She stood and pulled him into a hug. “Benjamin. You haven’t changed at all since I saw you last.”

  He stepped back, his hands still grasping her arms. “And you look great too, Ms. Oliver.”

  Elise tilted her head in mock offense. “Ms. Oliver? Now you’re making me feel old.”

  She was only eight years older than Benjamin, but Daniel had almost been like a father figure to him. Daniel had always thought Benjamin had potential to be one of the best SEALs out there. Yet she also sensed a disconnect between Benjamin and the rest of the guys.

  She didn’t ask and figured it wasn’t her business.

  Benjamin grinned and dropped his arms. “Okay, Elise it is then. It’s great to see you here.”

  “Why don’t you sit down? I’ll fix you some coffee.”

  He didn’t argue. A few minutes later, they were seated across from each other and catching up on old times.

  Toward the end of the conversation, Benjamin’s eyes narrowed. “I wish different circumstances had brought you here.”

  “Me too.” She sighed. “Believe me, me too.”

  “It sounds like I missed a lot while I was gone.”

  * * *

  Colton froze when he walked into the room and saw Benjamin and Elise chatting away at the kitchen table like old friends. Part of him wanted to warn Elise that Benjamin may not be trustworthy. But Colton knew he couldn’t say those words aloud.

>   Instead, he felt his jaw stiffen as he went over to the table to say hello to each of them.

  Seeing Elise’s eyes light up when she saw him caused Colton’s heartbeat to accelerate.

  “Good morning.” She looked up and smiled. “I was wondering when you would be up.”

  “Good morning,” he told her before nodding at Benjamin. “Morning.”

  Based on the cool look Benjamin gave him, the guy still wasn’t happy about their conversation last night. They would have to deal with that later. First, there were a few things Colton needed to review with Elise.

  “I meant to ask you last night,” Colton said as he took a seat. “Did you get up with Tara Campbell’s boyfriend?”

  Benjamin shifted in his seat. “I did talk to him . . . but he clammed up. I tried some different tactics to get him to talk, but none of them worked. Honestly, he seemed spooked.”

  Colton rubbed his jaw. “That makes me think he knows something.”

  “Me too.”

  Colton would have to think of a different way to reach the man. “Do you mind if I steal Elise from you for a few minutes? I have a few questions for her.”

  “Of course.” Benjamin stood. “I was just going to take off. I’m going to go work out unless there’s something else you need me to do.”

  “No, feel free. We’ll have a meeting at ten.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  Colton watched him walk out the door. His gaze followed Benjamin through the windows until the man disappeared from sight.

  “What’s up between you two?” Elise stood, her questioning and perceptive gaze on Colton.

  “What do you mean?” He thought he hid his feelings better than he actually did, obviously.

  “The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.”

  “Just work stuff.”

  “You know what Daniel always said. It’s best to get things out in the open, to fight it out, and then let things return to normal.”