Could Be the Reason: (Gabe and Sadie) (A Back to Jetty Beach Romance Book 3)

by Claire Kingsley

  I turn over, pulling the blanket over my shoulder. I’m so worried about Gabriel. He didn’t seem upset. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was calm, unemotional. I think it would have been easier if he’d shown some of what he was feeling. His stoic face was unnerving. Almost scary.

  My phone bings and I snatch it off the coffee table.

  Gabriel: They think it was arson. I’ll be home in a little while.

  I stare at the screen, at those words, and a sick feeling spreads through my stomach. Arson. Someone started that fire. Someone did this to him intentionally.

  I put a hand to my mouth, bile burning the back of my throat. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, who did this. It was Adam.

  The flowers. The printout of my photo. I know I saw him in town. He’s been here, waiting—watching. I was afraid he’d attack me. That he’d corner me in a parking lot or come to Gabriel’s house when I was alone. But he didn’t.

  He did something worse.

  I get up and pace around the room. It’s only a matter of time before he finds me. If he’s capable of something like this, there’s no telling what else he might do. Does he know that Gabriel and I are together? Did he do this in a fit of jealous rage?

  Whatever his reasoning, this is a clear message. He’s willing to go to great lengths to hurt me. And to hurt the people I love.

  My heart beats faster and I look out the front window every time I pass. Is he out there? Does he know where I am?

  Will he burn down Gabriel’s house next?

  This is my fault. Gabriel never asked for this. I stood by his side while we watched his restaurant burn to the ground, and it was my fault. If I’d never come here—if I’d never met Gabriel—his restaurant would still be standing. I don’t know where I would be, but at least his dream wouldn’t have been taken from him.

  It’s hard to breathe. I walk back into the bedroom and look around. At my things on the nightstand. My clothes on a chair. My bag tucked away in a corner, as if it won’t be needed again. I can see my makeup bag, lotion, and hair products on the bathroom counter. All unpacked, like I live here.

  I grab my bag and start shoving things into it. I can’t stay. Adam is going to find me. He probably already knows where I am. He could be outside, watching Gabriel’s house, hiding in the ditch across the street. If I don’t get out of town—fast—he’s going to get to me. If he’s willing to commit arson, what else will he do?

  I know the answer to that. He’ll do anything.

  He brutally raped me, as if the act of violating my body would make me belong to him. When that didn’t work, he started following me again. Stalking me. It was only a matter of time before he did something else. Before he raped me again.

  Or worse.

  The fact that I disappeared seems to have pushed him further over the edge. He’s dangerous, and if I know anything about him, he’ll have done everything he can to hide what he did. The authorities won’t be able to pin the fire on him. It won’t matter what I say; I’ll tell them what I know, but it won’t be enough. We won’t have proof, and he’ll walk. He’ll be free to keep terrorizing me.

  I only have one choice. I have to run.

  I finish packing my things and wait by the front door. My car is just outside. Can I make it? Will he be there when I go outside? I wish I knew. I peek through the curtains a dozen times before I gather the courage to open the door, my bag slung over my shoulder, pepper spray in one hand, keys in the other. I rush out to my car and throw my things inside, locking the doors as soon as I’m in. A quick glance around shows the coast seems to be clear, but I’m not taking any chances.

  I take a round-about route out of town, winding through back roads before I finally get to the highway. My eyes dart to my rearview mirror constantly, looking for any sign of someone following me. I don’t see anyone behind; the road is mostly clear.

  My hands grip the steering wheel and I take shaking breaths. I have to get away. I have to leave before he can find me. Before he can find Gabriel.

  I’m strangely calm as the distance between me and Jetty Beach grows, and I consider my options. Where should I go? A small town was a mistake. I thought going to a place no one in Missouri had ever heard of would make it easier to stay hidden. But in a small town, there are too many ways to be seen. Too many people who know you.

  A big city would be a better choice. You can get lost as one of millions. I want to stay on one of the coasts; middle America will always feel like a trap to me. I could cross the country and head for New York. It seems like it would be easy to get lost there. Blend in. But Los Angeles is closer. Less chance of my car breaking down. If I can make it to L.A., I can sell my car. Maybe live without one for a while. I’ll live under an assumed name until I can change it legally. My name won’t appear anywhere.

  I’ll dye my hair, do whatever it takes to stay hidden. No more restaurant jobs. No more friends. No more connections.

  It’s the only way.

  Nausea roils through me again. Gabriel. Leaving him like this is devastating. But if I wait to tell him goodbye, I know my resolve will crumble. I’ll let him talk me into staying. And I won’t be safe, and neither will he. He already lost his restaurant because of me. I can’t put him in that position. I love him too much to do that to him.

  Tears roll down my cheeks. I’m so sick of crying. Sick of living in fear.

  I’m sure the fire at Gabriel’s restaurant will make the local news. I already know I’m going to send the article to my family. They won’t believe it’s Adam. They’ll write back and tell me I’m paranoid. That I’m trying to hurt him again. But I don’t care. I know the truth. I know he did this. I’ll tell them what happened and let them know that’s the last time they’ll hear from me.

  And I won’t speak to them ever again.

  I’m utterly alone in the world, but that’s how it has to be. I don’t have any other choice. Not if I want to get away from Adam.

  Not if I want to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else I love.

  21

  Gabe

  The smell of wet ash permeates the air. I step carefully through the charred remains of the Ocean Mark. I have no idea what I’m looking for. Nothing is salvageable. The entire building, and everything in it, is ruined. But despite my exhaustion, I can’t stop picking through the rubble.

  Two fire fighters and several police officers are still here. They found the source of the fire and there’s evidence of an accelerant. Whoever did this clearly intended to make sure it burned to the ground.

  They asked me dozens of questions, establishing where I was last night. Who has access to the building. Do I have any enemies? Disgruntled former employees? Someone with a grudge?

  I told the police about Adam Cooper and his history with Sadie. I was glad they took my information seriously. It’s a tenuous connection, especially considering we can only speculate that he’s in the area. But I believe Sadie saw him, and the printout of her photos proves he knows she worked here. He’s here, and I’m sure he did this.

  A car pulls up and Finn and Lucas get out. They both stare, wide eyed, at the remains of the restaurant. I texted them both, so they knew what to expect, but I guess seeing it in person is still a shock.

  “Oh fuck, Gabe,” Finn says as he walks toward me. “You said fire, but… holy shit.”

  I step over a blackened wood beam, brushing my hands together. “Yeah, it’s bad.”

  “That’s the understatement of the century,” Lucas says. “Do you know what happened?”

  “They think arson,” I say.

  “You’re fucking with me,” Lucas says.

  “No,” I say. “Someone started it.”

  “Holy shit… again,” Finn says.

  “God, I’m such an asshole,” Lucas says. “The first thing that crosses my mind is a joke about you wanting the insurance money, but this just isn’t funny.”

  Finn glares at Lucas.

  “What?” Lucas asks.

  “Insurance mon
ey? Seriously?” Finn says.

  “I said it was an asshole thing to think,” Lucas says. “And I didn’t tell the joke.”

  I laugh and shake my head. It’s kind of amazing that in the midst of the ruins of my life’s work, my best friends can still make me laugh.

  “Was anyone here?” Finn asks. “No one got hurt, did they?”

  “No,” I say. “It was late. Well after everyone went home.”

  “Do you have any idea who did it?” Lucas asks, his voice quiet.

  “Yeah. Possibly.”

  They both look at me with raised eyebrows.

  “Sadie has someone after her,” I say. “She left Missouri to get away from him, but he found out where she is—at least where she works. He sent her some things and she saw him in town. Then, this happened.”

  “Holy fuck,” Lucas says.

  “I know. Believe me, I know. It’s fucking crazy.”

  “Where’s Sadie now?” Finn asks.

  “She stayed at my place,” I say. “I didn’t want her to be alone if this guy was around.”

  “Good,” Finn says.

  Another car pulls up and Clover jumps out of the passenger seat. She stops dead in her tracks, her hands over her mouth, her eyes huge. Cody gets out and walks around the car to stand behind her.

  “Oh no,” she says, her voice breaking. “No, no, no.”

  “It’ll be okay,” I say, trying to sound sure of myself. Although I feel anything but.

  She puts her arms around me and squeezes me tight. I hug her back. She loved this place too. It was home to her in much the same way it was for me.

  I realize, looking at the blackened wood, that I’m at a crossroads.

  I set my sights on the Ocean Mark before I had any formal training as a chef. This was the place where it all began—my love of food, of cooking. It was always my dream to settle here and run this restaurant. Live in my hometown. I gave up a lot for this place. I could have had a much different career—a much different life. I could be living in a big city, cooking somewhere trendy. Somewhere progressive. That was what Amanda wanted. She thought this wasn’t good enough for me. It wasn’t big enough. It certainly wasn’t enough for her.

  Now I have to decide what I want. What’s enough for me.

  It’s amazing what happens when everything is stripped away. So much becomes clear. I just lost everything, and yet I didn’t. I have everything I could ever want.

  I have Sadie.

  I don’t know what’s going to happen to this place. Will I be able to rebuild? Will I even want to? Right now, I can’t say.

  But with Sadie in my life, this building doesn’t matter. Not like it once did. I have some big decisions to make, but one thing is certain. I want a life with Sadie. Protecting her. Taking care of her. Loving her.

  I want that with a fierceness that takes my breath away.

  I do my best to comfort Clover, although Cody still has to lead her back to their car with tears running down her cheeks. I say thank you and goodbye to Finn and Lucas, assuring them I’ll be fine. It’s a fucked up situation, but I have a handle on it.

  And I need to get back to my girl.

  When I pull up to my house, my exhaustion vanishes at the sight of the empty driveway. Where is she? I don’t like the thought of her leaving without me. Adam could come after her, especially if he finds her alone.

  I fire off a text to her before I get out of the car, asking where she is. She probably needed something from the store. That’s my fault for leaving her alone so long. I didn’t want to make her stay at the restaurant. She needed some sleep, so I left her here so she could rest. But I was gone a lot longer than anticipated.

  Inside, I find a throw blanket draped over the couch. I check my phone again, realizing she never texted me back after I let her know the fire chief determined it was arson. Did she get my text? I would have thought she’d have answered me. I know we’re both thinking the same thing—we know who did this. I was going to tell her more details, but figured it would be better to discuss it in person. We could talk about what happened, and how to move forward. Start discussing the future.

  It’s odd that she didn’t answer.

  I grab a piece of bread leftover from dinner last night. The silence sits heavily over the house, thick like a dense fog.

  Where is she?

  I check the bedroom and something seems off. It looks too empty. I glance into the bathroom, at the bare counter. Did she put her things somewhere else before? Or were they still sitting out? I can’t remember for sure.

  A sense of dread steals over me. I check the closet, the drawers she was using. Nothing. Her things aren’t there.

  Oh fuck. She’s gone.

  It’s hard not to panic. I drive around town, looking for her car, but I don’t see any sign of her. Deep down, I know she left town. Why, I can’t understand. Doesn’t she trust me to take care of her? To protect her?

  Another thought rattles its way around my brain. What if he got to her?

  But she wouldn’t have driven away, would she? Not in her car. If Adam took her, they wouldn’t have taken the time to pack her things. It’s not like she would have gone willingly.

  I’m going to need help if I’m going to track her down. I stop and send a text to Hunter. If anyone has the resources to find her, it’s him. I don’t wait for a reply, just head straight for his house.

  Hunter opens the door shortly after I knock.

  “Hey man,” he says, his voice hushed. “I just put Sebastian down for a nap. Come on in.”

  I follow him inside, stepping over a little pile of green army men in the hall.

  “Emma took Isaac to get some new shoes,” Hunter says. “They’ll be back in a little while. What’s up?”

  “Sadie’s gone,” I say. I don’t have time for small talk. “I think she left town.”

  “What?” he asks. “What happened?”

  I tell him everything, keeping certain details vague to protect Sadie’s privacy. I can tell by the way his expression darkens that he understands.

  “So I think the most likely suspect in the fire is him,” I say. “I’m sure she’s thinking it too. But I didn’t have a chance to talk to her about it. I got home just a little while ago and she was gone. I checked her house, and she’s not there either. I drove around town a little, to see if I could find her car. Maybe I’m being crazy, but she’s not answering her phone and her stuff is gone.”

  “Do you think he took her?”

  “Her car is gone,” I say. “And she packed her things.”

  “Not consistent with a kidnapping, no. Okay, so we have a search and retrieval,” Hunter says, suddenly all business. He goes into the kitchen and pulls a small spiral notebook and pen out of a drawer, then flips it open and starts writing. “Locate Sadie, bring her back safely. Shouldn’t be an issue, since I know her license plate number. I know a guy. He should be able to pinpoint her location pretty quickly.”

  “Wait, why do you know Sadie’s license plate number?” I ask.

  He gives me a sheepish look and shrugs his shoulders. “I remember things like that. I kind of can’t help it.”

  “Well, I’m glad,” I say. “You know a guy?”

  “Yeah, don’t ask too many questions,” he says. “Second, we need to find this Adam douchecanoe. You’re sure he’s in town?”

  “He’s been in the area,” I say. “Sadie saw him, but only once.”

  “What else can you give me?”

  I rub my jaw. “He’s from Missouri. Sadie said he used to drive a black Ford pickup, but she can’t be sure he still does.” I pull out my phone and find him on Facebook; Sadie showed it to me once. Most of his profile is private—there’s not much I can see. But his profile picture is clear. “That’s him.”

  Hunter clears his throat and when he speaks, his voice is quiet and serious. “Gabe, do you want me to have him taken care of?”

  I pause, not quite sure if he means what I think he means. “What, like…
?”

  He holds eye contact and raises his eyebrows, just slightly.

  Does it make me a terrible person that I’m considering this?

  I run a hand through my hair and blow out a breath. I want him out of Sadie’s life, and god knows the guy doesn’t deserve to keep wasting oxygen. But murder? I don’t think I can go that far. And I really don’t want to put my brother-in-law in that position.

  “I don’t think that’s the answer,” I say. “And I can’t ask you to do something like that.”

  He nods, his face solemn. “Let me know if you change your mind. In the meantime, we need to get eyes on him. I wish you would have told me sooner. I could have done something before he fucking torched your restaurant.”

  “I had no idea he’d do something like that,” I say. “And I know he’s still a problem, but right now, I just want to find Sadie.”

  “Don’t worry, man,” he says. “We’ll find her.”

  22

  Sadie

  Although I’d rather not use my debit card at all, I left town with only about twenty dollars in my wallet, so I don’t have much choice. I hand it to the clerk at the front desk and glance over my shoulder. I suppose I should stop doing that. I’ve been driving for hours, and there’s no sign that Adam followed me. Still, the prickly feeling on the back of my neck won’t go away, and I keep expecting to turn and see him standing there.

  The motel is cheap, but as long as it’s clean, I’ll deal. I just need to get some sleep before I keep going.

  “How many nights?” the clerk asks.

  “Just one.”

  She nods, her expression bored.

  I get my room key. It’s a two-story building, with doors that open to the outside. A place with interior entrances would have been better. Somehow that feels safer. But I’m in the middle of nowhere, and this run-down motel is the best I’m going to get unless I want to keep driving. Which I don’t. So I head upstairs to room two-ten and unlock the door.