by Sarra Cannon
The stranger still hadn’t said a word, so I just turned toward the lights in the distance and started walking. He scooped his jacket off the ground and jogged to catch up with me.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to be a jerk, but you have to at least try to imagine this from my point of view. A minute ago, you were completely out of it and the next thing I know, you’re asking about restaurants and hotels, like you were just some tourist passing through instead of a woman who’d just wrecked her car.”
“It’s fine,” I said, walking a little faster. Man, I was hungry. “You don’t owe me anything, but I assume since you’re walking next to me that I’m heading in the right general direction?”
“You’re heading toward town,” he said. “But you aren’t going to find much open this time of night. Willow Harbor doesn’t have a lot of cheap hotels, either.”
“Great,” I mumbled. Leave it to me to crash-land in a sleepy little town with nothing open. I was used to Las Vegas, where nothing ever closed.
“But I do know a place,” he said. “In fact, I was headed there when I saw your headlights just now.”
My stomach rumbled again, and I wrapped my arms around myself. It had been stupid to go so long without eating, but I hadn’t wanted to waste any time. Just in case.
And I hadn’t wanted to leave a trail that would be easy to follow. I’d taken back roads as often as I could, and I’d only stopped to get gas, making sure to wear my hoodie to hide my face from any security cameras.
I was starving, though. I needed to eat.
No wonder I’d passed out. Or fallen asleep. I wasn’t even sure which. The last thing I remembered, I had pulled off a dark highway and headed straight through some large iron gate. I’d had no idea where I was or how far I’d managed to go, but I’d felt drawn to those gates, so I followed my gut.
It must not have been much longer before I’d lost consciousness and crashed into that tree.
Oh well, better than crashing into the ocean, as far as crashes go.
My hip and shoulder ached, but it was nothing that wouldn’t heal in a day or two. I’d been wearing my seatbelt, at least, and I hadn’t been going too fast. Besides, I had learned the hard way that I was a bit more resilient than a normal human.
“So how much farther to this restaurant you were talking about?” I asked. I was a strong woman, but I was starting to feel a bit weak in the knees. I needed to eat, and then I needed to collapse. I would worry about the rest tomorrow.
“Only a few more minutes,” he said. “To be honest, it’s more of a bar than a restaurant. The food’s pretty terrible, but it’s going to be just about the only thing open this time of night on a weeknight.”
“I’ll settle for just about anything right now,” I said. I glanced sideways at him, trying not to stare, but having a hard time keeping my eyes off of him. There was something different about this guy’s energy, but I couldn’t quite put words to it.
“You might think differently once you taste Drifter’s food, but it’s the best I can do for you,” he said with a slight laugh.
“Drifter?” I asked.
“The guy who runs the place,” he said. “He’s an old friend of mine. You’ll like him.”
I could see the building now, just up ahead along the shore. It didn’t look like much. Just a shack of a place really, on the far end of what looked like a long boardwalk. The lights of the main town were visible now, too, and I started to relax a bit more.
It looked like a small, quaint little seaside town. The kind of place where people raised their families and stayed for generations. It was the opposite of a city like Vegas, which is exactly what I was looking for.
Even if it was just for a few days.
We climbed up a set of creaking wooden stairs that led up from the beach, and the stranger—I realized I still didn’t even know his name—opened the door and held it for me as I walked inside.
It was surprisingly warm and inviting inside, even if it was a bit bare. The floor creaked beneath my feet, and an older man with silver hair and a matching beard looked up from behind the bar, his eyes wide as they landed on me.
“I was just about to ask what took you so long,” he said. “But now I see you’ve brought me a customer.”
“A hungry one,” the stranger said. “I know the kitchen’s technically closed, but we were hoping you could make an exception.”
“For a beautiful young lady, I’ll do just about anything,” the old guy said, smiling. He set a menu on top of the bar and pushed it toward me. “What can I get for you?”
I glanced at the menu, but there wasn’t much to it. Fish, chicken, nachos, and burgers. I wanted one of each, but my wallet was a bit empty these days, so I picked the least expensive thing.
“I’ll take a cheeseburger with fries, if you don’t mind,” I said.
“Coming right up,” he said.
“Make that two.”
The old guy was already halfway to the kitchen, and he didn’t bother turning around. He just held up a hand in recognition and disappeared through the door.
The stranger reached over the top of the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. He pointed toward a booth a few steps away, and I sat down, glad to be off my feet.
“I don’t even know your name,” I said when he sat down across from me.
He poured a couple shots of whiskey and scooted one toward me. I shook my head as he tossed the first one back. He shrugged and downed the second shot, then quickly poured two more.
“Nik,” he said, relaxing against the back of the booth. “You?”
“I’m Eva,” I said.
“Very nice to meet you, Eva,” he said. “Even if it was under strange circumstances. How did you end up in Willow Harbor, anyway?”
I set my hand on my purse, thinking of the dagger I’d hidden inside. How I ended up here was a story I didn’t feel like sharing with anyone. In fact, it was one I’d like to forget.
“It’s a long story,” I said.
“I like stories.” He raised that eyebrow again, almost like a challenge. His lips curled into a hint of smile, and I realized just how much I’d underestimated his good looks in the dark.
“Maybe another time,” I said, refusing to fall for his charm.
“Maybe,” Nik said. “People don’t usually end up here on accident.”
I narrowed my gaze. What did he mean by that? It was a beach town, and even if it was a small one, there surely had to be tourists passing through here on a whim all through the summer months.
“How about you?” I asked. “Have you lived here a long time?”
“Not exactly,” he said, downing a third shot and avoiding my gaze. “I grew up near here, but I didn’t officially move to town until about ten years ago.”
It didn’t seem to be a story he was too excited to share, either, so I let it go. Everyone had their secrets, and I was happy to let them stay that way.
“Thanks again for helping me out back there,” I said. “I’ve been driving for days without much sleep, and I guess I just drifted off for a second.”
“You’re lucky you didn’t end up taking that car of yours for a swim,” he said.
“Yeah, I guess the tree was the better option there,” I said, my cheeks warming. I would have preferred no one had been around to see that, but it was nice to have some company.
The door to the kitchen opened, and I nearly shouted for joy as the old man set two plates of hot burgers and fries down on the table.
“I can’t thank you enough,” I said, already shoving a few fries into my mouth. They were so hot, they nearly burned my fingers, but I didn’t care.
“You’re very welcome,” he said. “We don’t get a lot of pretty young women in a place like this. Especially out-of-towners.”
He and Nik shared a look, and I wondered again what the deal was with this town. I would have thought a bar on the beach would get all kinds of guests from out of town, but w
hat did I know? I had never been to the beach before.
I had never even seen the ocean.
A thrill ran through me as I thought about what it would be like to open my eyes tomorrow morning and see the ocean for the first time in daylight. I had dreamed of it my entire life, and somehow, I had made it.
Barely.
“This is Drifter, by the way,” Nik said. “Drifter, this is the very mysterious Eva.”
I had a mouth full of burger, but I quickly chewed and swallowed so I could talk. “Nice to meet you,” I said.
Nik was right. The food was less than amazing, but I didn’t care. It was hot, and it was available. Good enough for me.
“What brings you all the way out here to Willow Harbor?” Drifter asked as he pulled up a chair to the end of the booth.
That seemed to be the question of the hour.
“Luck, I guess.”
The two men shared another look, and as I finished off my food, I wondered just what kind of place Willow Harbor really was.
Four
Nik
When we were finished with our late-night dinner, I excused myself to the kitchen to clean off our plates. Drifter took the hint and joined me after a minute.
“There’s got to be a good story there, mate,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Where on earth did you find her?”
“You won’t believe me,” I said.
“In this town, I’ll believe anything,” he said.
“I was just securing the package at the docks when these headlights appeared down the road,” I said. I told him the whole story of how she crashed into the tree and nearly passed out in my arms.
“And she refused to let you call a doctor?” he asked, leaning against the wall while I washed the dishes.
“Keep your voice down,” I said. “She can probably hear every word we’re saying.”
“But she just walked away from a crash, like it was nothing?” Drifter asked. “That’s a bit unusual, wouldn’t you say?”
“There’s a lot about this whole thing that’s unusual,” I said. “You know as well as I do that strangers don’t just happen upon Willow Harbor out of the blue. She’s either hiding something, or she’s meant to be here for one reason or another. I tried to get more information from her on how she even found this place, but she doesn’t exactly seem to want to talk about it. At least not willingly.”
“Well, she’s not going anywhere soon with her car still wrapped around a tree,” Drifter said.
“I guess I’ll need to help her find a place to stay tonight,” I said. “But it’s already after one in the morning. If I go waking up Mrs. Finnygood this late to open the Willow Harbor Inn, she’ll chew me a new one.”
“Well, other than driving her halfway to Charleston, you might not have any other option.”
“I guess you’re right,” I said, frowning. There weren’t a lot of options in our little town.
“And don’t think you’re going to get out of telling me what happened with Jennings,” Drifter said. “Surely he didn’t have another shipment for you so soon?”
“He did,” I said with a sigh. “They’re getting more and more frequent these days. People are going to start asking questions.”
“They’ll gladly let you take the fall for them, too,” Drifter said. “You’ve got to get out from under this thing, Nik. You’ve got to find a way out.”
I shook my head. I didn’t have the energy for this conversation again tonight.
“There is no way out, Drifter. You’ve been around long enough to know that.” I fingered the coiled silver bracelet around my wrist. “This is who I am now, like it or not. It’s what I deserve after what I did. I just have to live with it.”
“You deserve a hell of a lot more than this life, Nik,” Drifter said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “A hell of a lot more.”
“Come on, we need to get back out there before she disappears on us,” I said, happy to change the subject. “I wouldn’t put it past her to be halfway to town by now. She’s feisty and independent.”
“She is a redhead,” he said with a smile. “What did you expect?”
I pushed through the door into the main part of the bar and stopped. Eva wasn’t gone. She was asleep.
She had stretched her legs out across the booth’s bench seat and laid her head against the wall. She had my jacket wrapped around her shoulders, and her long red hair covered most of her pretty face.
“Well, that complicates things a bit, now doesn’t it?” Drifter said with a chuckle.
“We can’t just let her sleep on a wooden bench all night,” I said. “But I don’t want to wake her up, either.”
“So, be a gentleman about it,” he said, gently pushing me forward. “I’m going to head out for the night. Hilda will be wondering what kept me out so late. Lock up for me, will ya?”
I laughed and nodded. Hilda was Drifter’s cat, a pretty little calico he treated more like a person than a pet sometimes.
I waited for Drifter to leave and then locked all the doors and checked the windows. I cleaned what was left of the dishes and glasses from the night and then went to check on Eva.
She was still sound asleep, and I couldn’t bring myself to wake her.
She said she’d been driving for days without stopping to eat. She had to be exhausted, and no matter how much she tried to pretend the accident hadn’t shaken her up, I had recognized the fear in her eyes when she’d looked at me for the first time.
Whoever she was, she’d been running from something, and judging by the dried blood on her arm, it was something bad. I couldn’t just send her back out into the night, half-asleep with no car and no place to go.
Instead, I gently gathered her up in my arms and carried her up the back steps to the small room I rented on the top floor. It wasn’t much, but my bed was warm, and it was bound to be a hell of a lot better than that bench.
I carefully laid her down on the mattress and removed her shoes. I pulled the covers up around her. She moaned and turned over, pulling the sheets tighter around her body.
As she turned, the gemstone in her bracelet caught my eye, and I leaned closer. It was a large stone. An emerald. But there was an energy to it that seemed to hum.
It looked old, possibly a family heirloom of some kind. Definitely infused with magic. I was sure of it. This girl got more interesting by the minute.
I watched her for a second, then closed the door and made my way downstairs to sleep on an old cot in the storeroom.
I tossed and turned for an hour, unable to get the beautiful woman upstairs out of my mind. I couldn’t help but wonder what had really brought her here to Willow Harbor.
What had she been running from? And what had guided her here?
I sighed and turned again. It was none of my business, and I had other things to worry about tonight. Like how the heck I was going to keep up with these deliveries without getting caught.
Unable to sleep, I finally got up and walked outside. I stood at the edge of the surf, and each time a wave came in, the cool water beckoned me home.
And each time it went back out, it reminded me that no matter how much I longed for it, I could never go home again.
Five
Eva
I woke up to the sound of the sea and the feel of a soft, warm blanket.
Please, don’t be a dream.
I slowly opened my eyes, fully prepared to see the familiar suite at the casino where I’d been held captive for longer than I cared to remember. But the moment my gaze landed on the bare, scuffed wooden floors and the light gray walls of a small, unfamiliar room, my shoulders relaxed.
I had no idea where I was or how I’d gotten here, but in that moment, I didn’t care. I was free.
Tears surfaced, and I snuggled deeper into the covers.
I’d tried to escape before, but I’d never made it out of the state of Nevada. My heart raced at the thought of my wild drive across the country, always keeping my eye on the rearview mirro
r for signs I’d been followed. I’d only stopped a handful of times to grab some gas and coffee, and the whole time, my main goal was to keep going until I hit the ocean.
Hit.
Crap. I groaned as I remembered crashing my car into that tree. I was going to have to do something about that as soon as possible before it got towed off to some car graveyard. Or worse. The glamour could wear off on that license plate, and it could be called in as a stolen car. I really didn’t need that kind of complication right now.
Reluctantly, I climbed out of the comfortable little cocoon I’d built around myself and took a good look around.
Wherever I was, it was definitely not a hotel room. I remembered now that the handsome stranger—Nik—had brought me to some dive bar and apparently treated me to a burger and fries. At least, I didn’t remember paying for it. I must have fallen asleep at some point and been brought to a spare room to sleep.
Or maybe not.
There wasn’t much furniture except the bed and an antique desk and chair. No photographs or decorations on the wall. No rug on the floor. But on top of the desk there were a few items too personal for a spare room.
A set of car keys with a pretty spiral shell for a key fob, a black leather wallet, and a handful of change.
I looked around, making sure no one was watching me, and then took a tiny peak into the wallet. The guy who’d come to my rescue last night stared back at me from the picture on his driver's license.
Nikolas Kosta. Twenty-Six years old. Six feet, two inches tall.
I quickly closed it, feeling a bit guilty for snooping, but at least now I knew whose room I was in. I walked to the one small window of the room and gasped.
I hadn’t expected this tiny, rundown room to have such an amazing view of the ocean. I hadn’t been emotionally prepared for the beauty and expanse of the sea, but it hit me so deeply, it nearly knocked me off my feet. The tears I’d held back earlier came rushing to the surface, and I let them fall as my hand came to my mouth.
It was even more beautiful than I’d imagined.