by Jillian Neal
Sienna and Ryan shared a concerned glance.
“Please just tell me. Just please pretend my face isn’t bruised. I want someone to treat me normally. Pretend we’re fourteen again.” She finally made her plea to Sienna.
She grinned. “Okay, deal.”
Ryan looked concerned but kept his mouth shut.
“There’s been a rash of crime in the more wealthy neighborhoods in Wilmington and Seagate. Whoever is doing this is leaving the old Gypsy markings on the driveways. It’s so weird, but of course, the police are sure it’s one of us. They’re all over the beach this morning.”
Maybe nothing had changed. The assault of memories brought on by returning to the beach continued. Grady at the helm, steering Wind Dancer with her seated between his legs and her back pressed to his bare chest. He would fly away from the patrol boats that harassed him simply because of his bloodline. He always said she was his good luck charm, his lucky angel. If she was in his lap, they never got caught.
“If it was someone that was part of the original tribe or one of their descendants, why on earth would they use the old markings? Doesn’t that seem odd to you? Thieves don’t usually leave calling cards.” Nadya felt that rebellious blood that flowed throughout her body attempt a reappearance. It invigorated her. She hadn’t been able to locate her own soul in so long. Was it really going to return?
“Exactly.” Ryan shook his head. “That’s precisely what I tried to tell them at that farce meeting they threw yesterday.” He leaned and brushed a sweet kiss on Sienna’s cheek. Nadya’s heart ached. Grady used to kiss her just like that when he walked her to all of her classes. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed it.
“I’ve got to get out of here, baby. Call me if you need anything. I won’t be far, just out in Seaside.”
“We’ll be fine,” Sienna assured him. She rolled her eyes discreetly, but Nadya longed for someone to care about her like that. She was worse off than she’d allowed herself to believe, and she knew she needed to be cautious. She had to put herself back together before she got involved with anyone else. It would be far too tempting to climb into some idiot’s bed just to make herself feel better. She wouldn’t do that again. That’s how she’d ended up with Peter.
Ryan offered her a wave as he left.
“Want to do anything special today? We could take Evie to get funnel cakes from Pinky,” Sienna urged.
“Oh,” Nadya sighed. “Yeah, I really don’t want to see anyone yet. Maybe in a few more days. Thank you again for letting me stay here. I think this was a good idea. I already feel better.”
“Good, and Nadya, you were my best friend growing up. You can stay with us anytime for as long as you want. You’re always welcome here. You know that.”
Nadya threw her arms around Sienna’s neck. She’d lost her way, lost her only true friends, and had lost her own soul, but maybe she could really start over. “Thank you.”
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Sienna took her hand and dragged her towards the large storage room off of the kitchen. “To prove to you that you’ve always been welcome here, Nana and I have you a present.”
Nadya laughed. “Nana sent me a present from beyond?”
Giggling, Sienna nodded. “Well, she’d been working on it before she left. You know her. She always knew just what everyone needed. She must have been saving all of this for years.”
“Yeah, she did always know just what everyone needed, just like her granddaughter.”
“Thanks.” Sienna looked truly touched. It was the absolute truth as far as Nadya could see. She pulled a large, cardboard box off of a high wire shelf. It was full of old metal canisters. Written on an old napkin, in what had indeed been Ruth Cooper’s script, was a sign that read: “For my Nady.”
“What is all of this?”
“Nana must’ve known that you’d be back eventually. Open them.”
Excitement buzzed in Nadya’s stomach. She felt a little like a kid on Christmas morning. Only, no one ever got her gifts, except Grady. Her mother never played Santa for her. Emotion cinched her throat again as she recalled an eight-year-old Grady Havens buying her two cans of Coke on her seventh birthday. That was her only gift that year. She’d given him the second one, even though he’d resisted. All she’d really wanted was to spend the afternoon fishing with him, anyway.
In California, she was always making people jewelry, terrified that if she didn’t give them gifts, they would leave her, but no one ever gave her anything. Tears stung her eyes again. She edged her thumb around one of the rusty lids and revealed a vast collection of beautiful jeweled beads perfect for jewelry making. The other cans contained old pendants, wire, scraps of leather, feathers, a few old pillboxes, endless amounts of brightly colored thread, paper beads, and fasteners.
Every canister held something that Nadya could use for her craft. “Sienna, thank you so much. This is fantastic.”
“I thought you’d like that. She must’ve been saving it for years. Like I said, she knew you’d be back.”
The unspoken words hung in the air between them. She should never have left.
Nadya tried not to rush through the delicious breakfast that Sienna prepared for her. The other guests were milling around the Inn. A few of them were concerned about what they’d seen in the paper that morning. Sienna tried to assure them that nothing dangerous was going on at Gypsy Beach and to enjoy their vacation. She and Nadya shared a concerned glance. If the police kept up this ridiculous notion that the culprits were living on the beach, it could ruin the Inn’s summer business.
When a mother guided her sons away from Nadya after studying the bruise on her cheek, she had to make an escape. She couldn’t stand the curiosity any more than she could stand the pity.
Giving Sienna another hug and several additional thank yous, she gathered the tins that Nana Cooper had saved for her, fixed another cup of Sienna’s outstanding coffee, and locked herself in her room. Nana did always know just what people needed, and she knew that the way Nadya had gone on for the last several years was to leave the rest of the world behind while she immersed herself in her work. It was all she’d lived for. Her existence depended on the euphoria she experienced when she allowed her mind to express itself through her hands. It was the drug she’d indulged in to survive.
Finally unpacking, she removed her micro-torches from their foam-lined cases and set them on the table Ryan had set up for her. The latches on her toolkit popped open. The sound delighted her. She settled at the table once she had everything unpacked, closed her eyes, and began a new mantra. She was safe here. Peter was no more. This was for her. When she opened her eyes, a genuine smile had formed on her lips. Maybe she didn’t have to be scared anymore.
A bumping sound in the hallway sent her heart into a sprint again, suddenly. A guest slammed a door. She gasped and clutched her chest. Another chill shivered down her spine. If only she could convince her brain that she was safe.
Six
Grady poured ice into the coolers he’d lined up on the deck of the Gemini. He checked his watch again. If the idiots that had booked the trip didn’t show up soon, there would be nothing to catch. He rolled his eyes. The last thing he felt like doing was hanging out with rich brats from Chapel Hill that wanted to pretend that they knew how to fish, but work was the only way he knew how to survive. He couldn’t spend the day wondering what Nadya was doing hidden away at the Inn and wondering if she was okay. He’d go insane, but the slight twitch of his left shoulder said the booking today would prove him right again. These guys were going to be pricks. He knew. He always knew.
Ten minutes later, seven college sophomores sauntered onto the dock. Grady fought not to flip them off and tell them to leave. Their frat-boy haircuts, khaki shorts, and loafers galled him. His eyes landed on the small coolers they were carrying.
“No,” he huffed.
“Seriously, we can’t drink? What the hell?”
“This is a fishing trip, not a f
rat party. No alcohol on my ships. It was in the contract you signed. You want to spend the day getting stupid, you can pay the rest of what you owe and take the libations elsewhere. I sure as hell don’t give a shit what you do.”
Nate shot him an astonished glare. They never allowed alcohol on the expeditions. That was asking for trouble, but they were usually slightly more polite about their insistence. Grady was too far gone to care. Having Nadya almost within arm’s reach chaffed at the raw. Why didn’t she want to see him? Hell, they’d not only been lovers, they’d been best friends for most of their life. They’d grown up together. His heart lurched again as he tried to envision her beautiful face marred with bruises. Fury surged through his veins. Was that why she didn’t want to see him? Was she embarrassed? Was anyone taking care of her? Did she miss him? Did her beautiful body ache for him the way he burned for her night after aching, cold night? Fourteen fucking years. He tried to shake off the questions that beat against the recesses of his brain.
“What’s it gonna be, gentlemen? I don’t have all damn day.”
“Grady!” Nate spat under his breath. He turned to the half-men/half-boys giving Grady a wary eye. “You can store the coolers in the office, and then we’ll be on our way.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Grady huffed as Nate leapt on Gemini behind him.
“I’m your first mate today. Beau’s taking the group out that booked Orion.”
“You’re letting Beau captain Orion?” He didn’t need his little brother looking after him, and they employed numerous deckhands that were all ready and waiting on the bow.
“Beau’s not a kid anymore. He knows what he’s doing. We taught him. You, on the other hand, are a fucking disaster.”
Rolling his eyes, Grady pulled a fresh box of closed hooks from the cabin and quickly checked the hidden hull cargo space both of their ships had. He loaded three bags of ice in it as well and sealed it back before anyone noticed.
The motor lurched and Gemini gave its customary groan as Grady steered it out of the slip.
Nadya’s head lifted from the intricate weave of thin silver she was heating with her smallest torch. Something had pulled her from the heavenly abyss she could drown herself in while she worked. Her eyes sought the water as she quelled the flame. Instinctively, she leaned closer, aware of what had beckoned her. Calling herself an idiot destined for more heartbreak, she leapt from her workstation and flung open the doors to the balcony. Afraid to even blink, she watched Gemini travel away from her along with the tide. She ached again instantly. No amount of indulging in her passion could make her not want him back.
Tempting his own fate, one of the kids pounded on the door of the bridge. Grady flung it open, glaring at the intruder.
“Why do you have traps out? We’re not here to crab. My father paid for a fishing trip.”
Grady’s fists clenched. Temptation so rarely presented itself at just the right moment. He longed to work out all of his aggression on the prick’s smug face.
Nate leapt before Grady could put his plan into action. “We’ll get you your fish. It’s a full moon tonight. That’s why the traps are full. Bait is handy for fishing.”
“What do crabs have to do with the moon?”
The Havens brothers both rolled their eyes. “Why don’t you let us worry about the crabs in the traps and you just worry about the ones in your shorts, Daddy’s Boy,” Grady sneered.
Nate’s eyes flashed as he gave Grady a pleading expression. “Crabs shed their shells during a full moon. Stripers love soft-shell crab. You’re in for quite a haul.”
Dropping anchor near the reef for the first stop, Grady begrudgingly helped knot the hooks on the lines.
“Why are we near a reef? Don’t we need to go further out?” Daddy’s Boy proved the theory that you can’t fix stupid. You could, however, throw it overboard. Grady grinned at the thought.
Finishing the knot he was working on, he stood to his full height and glared down at the wannabe fisherman. Showing some sign of slight intelligence, he took a step backwards as he noted Grady’s sheer strength and size. “You see those gulls?” He pointed to the sky overhead. Receiving a confused nod, he continued. “What the hell do you think they’re eating?”
“Yeah, but gulls eat little fish. I want something big.”
Nate rubbed his hands over his face with a sigh. “What else eats bait fish, man?”
“Oh, yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
“This isn’t my first trip.” Grady sneered.
When the fish started coming in, Daddy’s Boy quieted down, but when his frat brothers caught twice as many as he did, he started whining again.
“Pull up your line,” Grady commanded.
Doing as he was told continued to prove that there were a few functioning brain cells he possessed that weren’t arguing with each other.
“Your hooks are on backwards. Who put those on for you?” He shot a glower to Robert, a deckhand that sure as hell knew how to run a closed hook.
Robert quickly shook his head and held up his hands. “Wasn’t me.”
“I did it. My Dad taught me how. It works better this way.”
“Does it?” Grady huffed. “Well, then go on with it, Daddy’s Boy, but stop bitching about not catching anything. Nothing’s louder than incompetence.”
Nate volunteered to switch the hooks, and everyone settled in.
Grady headed to the starboard side and dropped several lines. He kept a watchful eye on everyone on deck. Less than a minute with his line in, he gently lifted a beautiful Amberjack from the water. He worked quickly. His fillet knife slipped along the spine, as he sliced, bagged, and hid the large fish.
Nate appeared to arrange the catch in the coolers. He feigned confusion over who’d caught what, causing the boys to rush to the back deck. Grady quickly stored the amberjack in the hull compartment, along with a mess of striped bass Nate had hidden there earlier.
When Daddy’s Boy pulled in a blueback, Grady and Nate both shook their heads. “Throw it back,” Grady ordered.
“Why? It’s huge!”
“It’s illegal.”
“So? My Dad’ll pay the fines or whatever. I’m not throwing this back.”
“You are not keeping that fish, so you can throw it back or I can, but I make no promises that you won’t go with it. I’ve had enough of your shit today. Patrol might be at the docks when we get back. I’m not taking down our entire company so you can brag to your frat house that you know how to catch a fish.”
Another argument ensued when the second shark of the day was reeled in. “One shark per vessel per day, gentlemen. Throw it back.” Nate’s patience was wearing thin, too, it seemed.
“Let’s just go back! This is stupid. We can’t even keep what we catch,” Daddy’s Boy whined again.
“You wanna go back? Suits me fine.” Grady didn’t have to be asked twice. He guided the Gemini back to the docks.
Having played this game for most of their lives, Grady and Nate didn’t even share a nervous glance when they saw the Marine Patrol trucks and sheriff’s cars parked at the dock. Acting cool and confident was the way to win every hand.
“They’re gonna check every damn boat every time we come in until they figure out who’s making shit in town,” Nate huffed between his clenched teeth.
“Let ‘um look,” Grady spat as he gently slid the Gemini into its slip.
Marine patrol officers flooded the decks. “Open the coolers, gentlemen.”
“What are they doing?” Daddy’s Boy huffed indignantly.
“Making sure we didn’t let you bring back anything illegal. See why you couldn’t keep the blueback? Even Daddy’s Boys have to play by the rules.”
Nate and Grady obliged the officers by springing the locks on the coolers. Grady stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest, letting his biceps bulge ominously.
“I’m sorry about this, man. Mayor’s hell-bent on us finding something out here on the beach. We’ve tried
to dissuade her, but just keep it clean until we get this figured out.”
A genuine smile formed on Grady’s features as he extended his hand to Mitch Bevins.
“You get promoted, man? Congrats.” He pointed to the new silver bar on Bevins’ uniform.
He tried to hide his pride-filled smile. “Yeah, finally made Captain.”
“Good for you. ‘Bout time they promoted the good cops, and don’t worry about us. You know we keep it clean.”
Bevins chuckled discreetly. “Uh huh, I know.” He pretended to nose around the coolers, and then went to stand in front of the hidden hold in the hull.
“Hey, you coming to the fire tonight? Mac’s gone into town to see what he can find out. Told me this morning he’d let us know what’s going on at the fire,” Nate urged while they kept a watchful eye on the patrol officers.
Grady scoffed, but before he could inform his brother that he’d never attended the full-moon beach fires and that he had no intention of starting now, a newbie officer climbed the steps and slid open the door to his bridge.
“What the fucking hell do you think you’re doing?” Grady made it up to him in three long strides. “Fish is in the coolers, not my bridge.”
Indignant in his own delight, the officer held up a warrant. “Mayor’s given us permission to search the whole ship, not just the catch. There something in there you don’t want us to see?”
Grady held up his hands in mocked surrender. “Go for it.” He stepped back and narrowed his eyes.
“What are all these knives for?” The officer announced like he’d just struck gold.
Nate cracked up while Grady shook his head. “I find it difficult to fillet fish with a screwdriver, genius.”
Bevins and his partner joined Nate’s laughter at his officer’s expense. This only served to goad him on, however. “They look suspicious. I’m taking them in for evidence.” He grasped the handle of Grady’s favorite boning knife, but Grady grasped his wrist.