My hand shook as I reached for the bathroom door. Pulling it open, I almost stumbled back again.
“What’s the matter, Trouble?”
Ford stood leaning against the opposite wall, and the look of confusion and concern blanketing his expression pricked at the anger simmering just beneath the surface. Did he honestly think it wouldn’t bother me to see Lacey flirting with him? That it wouldn’t kill me to see that he’d let her touch him?
I straightened my spine, my shoulders rolling back. “You looked pretty darn cozy with my good friend Lacey.”
Ford gaped at me. “Are you serious right now?”
Heat flushed my cheeks. “You know how I feel about her.”
Ford ran a hand through his hair, giving it a good tug at the ends. “I was trying to keep Lacey away from you. To distract her from giving you shit. I know you’ve had a rough few weeks, and I didn’t want her adding to it.”
It made sense in theory. Ford’s protectiveness had never been in question. My shoulders slumped. I felt like I was losing my mind. “She touched you.”
“Trouble…” Ford eased forward, brushing the hair back from my face. “I stepped out of that in a split second and told her to mind her own business.”
Maybe he had. I’d seen the exchange for no more than a few breaths. I couldn’t stomach looking at them any longer and had immediately looked away.
Ford sighed, his jaw working. “You are never going to completely trust me, are you? What do I have to do to prove myself?”
I bristled at his words. “Trust you? I’ve laid myself bare for you. Told you things that I haven’t shared with anyone. You’ve invaded every last piece of my life. But I don’t even know how you truly feel about me. I tell you I love you, and you dodge and weave. Do you have any idea how much that hurts?”
Ford’s mouth fell open. “Bell—”
I held up a hand to silence him. “No. Don’t.” I turned on my heel and headed for the side door. I needed air. Whatever Ford would’ve said in that moment, whatever promises he’d been about to make, I wouldn’t have been able to believe them. Not a single word.
I pushed the door open, the cool ocean air a balm to my flushed skin. I strode towards the beach. I needed the sound of the waves, maybe even the feel of the water on my feet. My heart cracked a little more. I was so tired of having to battle to get those I loved to show me they cared. To show me that they’d stay, even when things got hard. Maybe Kara was wrong. Maybe I’d let myself fall too early and without investigating what was at the bottom of the cliff. Now I was on my way to the rocks below.
I passed by my workshop’s overhang. Maybe I’d lose myself in restoration work after my walk. That would be just the thing to help me get through the night. With a sudden jerk, I was flying backwards. My breath caught in my throat as a hand covered my mouth. A cloth choked me. I thrashed, doing my best to elbow the guy in the gut the way I’d learned in my self-defense classes. But my world was going slightly fuzzy around the edges, and my movements became clumsy, as if all of my limbs carried an extra twenty pounds.
I tried to bite down on the hand through the cloth. Someone cursed. Sweetness filled my mouth and made me gag. I did my best to yell for help, to call Ford, but it only came out as a whisper.
42
Ford
I whirled, slamming my fist into the wall. Luckily, my knuckles landed on a wooden beam and not the brick. I cursed. I had royally fucked things up. And yet, as I tried to get the words to curve around my tongue, even in the silence of the hallway, I couldn’t seem to force them out. I hadn’t told anyone I loved them in…a memory hit me with a force that had me stumbling back on my heels. Since the day of the crash. I’d told Vi that I loved her seconds before that deer had jumped in front of my SUV.
I leaned forward, pressing my hands against the brick wall, trying to dig my fingertips into the stone. Fear. Some subconscious yet insidious monster had been twisting my mind, making me believe that if I didn’t say the words, I’d never have to hurt the way I had when I lost Vi. But holding back had hurt Bell in the worst way imaginable. I did love her. Whether I said the words or not didn’t change that. I loved her with everything in me. It was more than love, it was raw and real, some unnamed life force that lit my soul on fire.
I shoved away from the wall. All I wanted was to fix this, but anything I said now would feel like empty platitudes. I would fight tooth and nail to make her believe, though. I would beg and plead until she saw the light and believed the truth of it.
I ran a hand through my hair and started towards the side door. My steps faltered as I got closer. Bell wanted her space, needed it. My chest tightened. I couldn’t give it to her, though. She couldn’t be alone. My hand landed on the doorknob and stayed there. Maybe I could just keep an eye on her from afar. Give her space but not too much.
She was going to rain hell on me if she saw me following her. I sighed, pushing open the door. Her anger was just a risk I would have to take. Cool night air hit me, and tires screeched as someone pulled out of the parking lot way too fast. I really hoped it wasn’t a drunk patron.
I scanned the parking lot, lit by the antique-looking streetlamps my parents had put in. I didn’t see Bell anywhere. My heart picked up its pace, and so did my feet. I strode across the lot, scanning in between cars as I went. No Bell.
I headed for the workshop. Maybe she’d gone to find her peace there. I tried the door. Locked. “Bell?” I called through the door. There was nothing. No sounds or flicker of light.
That vise around my chest grew tighter. Maybe she’d gone to the beach. The crashing waves had always calmed her. That’s where she was. She had to be.
I picked up a jog, jumping over a piece of driftwood and making my way to the water. I scanned the shore. The moon was close to full, giving me just enough light to see by. Bell was nowhere. I looked north and south but saw nothing. No one. The beach was completely empty.
No. No. No. This wasn’t happening. I couldn’t lose Bell when I’d just found her. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, hitting the sheriff’s contact as I started to run back to the bar.
“Sheriff Raines.”
“Bell’s gone. She stepped outside, was out of my sight for less than five minutes, and now she’s gone.”
Parker let out a slew of curses. “I’m on my way, but it’s going to take me at least thirty minutes. I’m sending the on-island deputies now, though. Stay put.”
I couldn’t promise him that. I’d do whatever I thought might get me Bell back. “See you soon.” I hung up and pulled the door to the bar open. I went straight for the cabinet that housed the stereo system, cutting the music.
There were yells of complaint and muttered confusion. I didn’t think, I just moved, climbing up onto the bar. “Can I have your attention, please? Has anyone seen Bell? Isabelle Kipton. Has anyone seen her? Blond hair, green eyes, about yay high.” I motioned to my shoulders.
Caelyn hurried up to the bar, Crosby hot on her heels. “What happened? Where’s Bell?”
I looked back out at the crowd. “If everyone could stay put, we’d appreciate it. Police will be here in just a bit to ask you some questions. The next round of drinks will be on us.” I hopped off the bar, meeting Caelyn’s gaze. “I don’t know. She’s gone.” Just saying the words out loud killed something inside me.
Crosby let out a litany of curses. “Where’d you last see her?”
My jaw worked as a burning sensation gathered at the backs of my eyes. “Heading out to the parking lot.” This was all my fault. Bell was gone, and someone could be hurting her right now. None of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t been a stupid idiot and just told her how I felt. That I loved her.
Darlene appeared at Crosby’s side. “Why the hell was she alone?”
Crosby’s hand landed on Darlene’s shoulder. “The why doesn’t matter. We just need to find her now. What did Parker say?”
“To stay put.” The front door swung open, and two deputies strode i
n. I waved them over. “I told everyone not to leave in case you had questions.”
“Thank you,” the older officer, Deputy Shepard, said. “Deputy Hughes, will you start taking statements?” The younger female officer nodded and headed to the closest table. “Okay, walk me through it.”
I did just that. By the time I was through, Kenna had arrived. She was unnaturally pale but wrapped an arm around a crying Caelyn. Deputy Shepard closed his notebook. “Raines will be here any moment, but it might be worth you guys checking her regular haunts just in case she was upset enough to bail altogether.”
That wasn’t Bell. She wasn’t selfish. She wouldn’t have left without a word because she knew it would terrify the people she loved. But I’d take any excuse to get out of here. To do something. Anything. “Okay, we’ll check out my house and a few other places.”
The officer nodded. “Just keep your phone on you and stick together, just in case.”
“Will do.” I pulled out my phone and hit Hunter’s contact. It rang and rang before finally clicking over to voicemail.
“Are you calling your parents?” Kenna asked.
I shook my head. “She wouldn’t have gone there. It’s too late. And I don’t want to worry them. I was trying Hunt.”
Crosby’s brow furrowed. “He didn’t pick up?”
“No.” I scowled down at my phone. I’d seen him flirting pretty hard with a blonde. He probably took off to get laid.
“Let’s go to my place, make sure Bell isn’t there. Then we’ll make a plan.” I turned to Darlene. “I need you and Hank to hold down the fort here. Be my eyes and ears. Call me if anyone saw anything suspicious.”
Darlene opened her mouth to argue but then thought better of it. “Of course we will.”
“Thank you.” The rest of us headed for the parking lot. This island, this bar, they were supposed to be safe. But nowhere truly was. It was something I’d learned long ago, but it seemed the Universe was just dying to give me another lesson.
43
Bell
I let out a low moan. My head was killing me. It seemed to be throbbing in time with the beat of my heart. I moaned again, rolling onto my back. I hit something. The back of a couch? Had I had too much to drink with the girls and passed out on Kenna’s ridiculously uncomfortable sofa?
My eyes blinked open. It was dark, but there was a low light shining through a window. A car window. I was in a car? No, an SUV. I blinked more rapidly, trying to clear the slightly wobbly tinge to my vision. The side of the vehicle was smashed in.
My breaths came faster, each tripping over the last, and none of them seeming to take hold. Had I been in an accident? My gaze darted around the vehicle. It was familiar. Too familiar. Nausea swept through me as I took in the splatters of blood that dotted the door. I’d been stuck in this SUV for moments that had seemed like hours, holding on to my dead sister’s hand, waiting for the EMTs and fire department to arrive.
I scrambled, trying to sit, but something stopped me. Bonds. Ropes on my hands and feet. A scream gathered in the back of my throat, but I swallowed it down. Whoever had done this might be close. I couldn’t let them know I was awake.
I tried to slow my breaths, inhaling deeply. My stomach pitched. Don’t puke. Do not puke, Bell. I closed my eyes, willing the sensation to pass. When I opened them again, it was a little bit better. I looked around the vehicle’s interior, searching for something—anything—that might help.
Slowly, I eased myself up, using my elbow as a hoist. I looked out the front of the car and saw only the cliffside and the ocean below. My gaze swept around until I twisted to look over the backseat. The back and side windows were smashed, but there was no hint of remaining glass.
Movement caught my attention, a figure pacing back and forth in the darkness. I squinted. I couldn’t make out who they were. My breathing grew quicker again, and I had to force myself to slow it. I couldn’t risk passing out again.
Out. I had to get out. Out of the ropes. Out of this SUV. And far, far away from the person pacing this cliff. I tugged at the bonds around my hands. They were tight, so much so that my fingers were tingling. There was no way I could get them off without a knife. Why wasn’t I the kind of person who carried a pocketknife with them wherever they went? From now on, I would. First stop I was making tomorrow was The General Store, and I was getting the best pocketknife they had.
I let out a long, shaky breath. That wasn’t going to help me now. I tested the ropes around my ankles. They were just a little looser, not so tight they were cutting off my circulation. I bent down, my head throbbing sharply with the motion, making my stomach pitch. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, trying to still the onslaught of sensations.
When my eyes opened, I tested the ties around my legs with my fingers. I could slip in one digit, maybe two, but the knot tying the ends together was too tight for me to have any hope of undoing it. It was some sort of sailor’s knot with what seemed like endless loops and ties. I muttered a curse and tried to come up with a different plan of attack.
I studied the loops of rope, willing it to give me a clue. The material of my jeans bunched beneath the bindings, creating waves of fabric. I tugged on the material of one leg. It moved. My breath hitched, and my fingers started flying, pulling as much as they could with the limited dexterity they had. I grabbed and tugged, working as fast as I could, even after I lost all feeling in my fingers. Finally, one jeans leg came free and bunched above the ropes.
I tested the bonds. There was a little more movement. Maybe with both jeans legs absent, I’d have enough room to make progress on the knot. The second leg was easier with that little extra breathing room, and before long, that side’s fabric was bunched above the ropes, too.
My chest heaved, and my head pounded in time with my heartbeat. Come on, come on, come on. I tested the knot again. Nothing. I cursed. “You can do this, Bell.”
I gave my leg a little tug. Movement. My heart rate picked up its pace. I wiggled my foot in my boot, trying to slide it out while the rope tore at the bare skin of my leg. I didn’t care. I would take all the pain if I could just get out of here.
I grunted and pulled, twisting my leg in any way I could think of. With one final yank, my foot escaped my boot and the ropes. I bit back my yell of victory. I quickly used my bound hands as best I could to free my other leg and get my boot back on. I would need shoes when I ran. My fingers felt sticky liquid on my calf as I pulled the boot on. I winced.
It didn’t matter. I was getting out of here. The sound of footsteps against gravel infiltrated my senses. Too late. I was too late.
“Good. You’re awake.”
“E-ethan?” I had to be wrong. He’d always been so kind to me. Protective, even. The pieces were trying to come together in my mind, but I couldn’t make sense of it.
He leaned into the smashed-out window, and I quickly shoved my feet under the seat in front of me. “Hey, Bell.”
He said it so matter-of-factly, the same way he’d greeted me a million times at the bar. This wasn’t real. Couldn’t be. “What’s going on?”
Ethan grinned, and it was one I’d never seen on him before. It was almost a touch evil, deranged. Or maybe I was just seeing it through the eyes of someone he’d clearly tied up in the back of a car. “I have to admit, your little innocent act had me fooled for a while.”
“What innocent act?” My heart hammered in my chest, rattling painfully against my ribs.
Ethan’s eyes went cold. “Don’t try that bullshit on me. You’re done. You’re not manipulating anyone else.”
“What are you talking about?” None of what he was saying made sense. And the more Ethan spoke, the more my stomach sank.
“I have to make you stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Manipulating! I told you!” He shoved off the SUV and began that same erratic pacing I’d seen earlier. “I have to send you over. You have to go.”
My fingers dug into the ropes securing my hands, the
ragged pieces cutting the skin under my nails. My voice shook. “Over where?”
Ethan’s gaze snapped back to me. “Over the cliff. So you can die. Like you should have all along.”
44
Ford
“Finally!” I glared at my brother as he strode through the door.
“What did you mean Bell’s missing?”
“Exactly what I said, genius. Maybe if you answered your phone instead of worrying about getting laid, you’d be in the loop.”
“I was out of pocket for an hour, I didn’t think the world would fall apart in that time.”
But it had. My world had come apart at the seams in a matter of seconds, just like it had before. Only this time, there wouldn’t be any coming back from it, not if something happened to Bell. I squeezed my eyes shut, pinching the bridge of my nose as if that would miraculously change what lay in front of me.
“Okay, okay.” Crosby stepped in between Hunter and me. “We’re all worried. What we need to do now is come up with a list of places to check and people to talk to.”
We’d stopped by Vi’s grave and Caelyn’s and Kenna’s houses already. No sign of Bell. I couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d go. Not willingly, in the middle of the night.
Hunter rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I saw Bell right before I left. She was upset, said all the stares and whispers were getting to her. But I don’t think that was the whole story.” His gaze cut to me. “You want to tell me why Bell was upset, brother?”
I bristled at Hunter’s tone. “None of your damn business.”
“Shut up!” Kenna yelled. “Enough of this macho bullshit. You two need to get it together, or I’ll come up with a reason for the sheriff to put you both in cuffs. I’ll lie if I have to.” Both Hunter and I stayed silent. “Hunter, stop goading your brother.” She turned to me. “Ford, we need to know everything, and that includes why Bell was upset. I know it’s probably personal, but any little thing might help.”
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