by Lucy Quinn
Fortunately, Scarlet intervened. “I’ll ride back with you,” she offered, slinging one arm around Hunter’s shoulder. Since she was nearly as tall as he was, that wasn’t as awkward as it could have been, and she had such a relaxed manner that Hunter first looked surprised but then smiled.
“Fine by me,” he agreed. “I could use more pleasant company.” He smirked at Cookie, but she just rolled her eyes at him. She resisted sticking out her tongue, but only barely.
“No offense,” Scarlet added to Dylan. “But I figure it’s better if somebody helps him get home safe. And besides, this one’s seats look a lot more comfy.” She ran her hand along the nearest chair, which was plush leather. Dylan’s boat looked particularly battered and dingy beside it.
“I’m sure they are,” he agreed, not looking at all insulted. “Let me take care of the gas situation, and then we can all get going.” He hopped back into his boat, moving between the two vessels with the ease of someone who’s been on the water all his life, and began pulling the gas cans from the bungee cords he’d used to bind them in place.
Scarlet took advantage of the moment to tug Cookie to one side. “You okay?” she asked quietly. “Your mom said something about a severed hand and some creepy notes?”
Cookie nodded. “I’ll fill you in later,” she promised, “but we’re talking drug smuggling in a big way, and murder on top of that. I’m fine, though. You?” She eyed her friend carefully. “You don’t usually pull a surprise visit unless you think I’m in trouble or you desperately need a change of scenery.”
Her best friend laughed. “Yeah, well, there may be a guy back home I’m avoiding right now,” she admitted. “We had a few laughs, everything was fine, but then he had to go and get all dreamy and dopey on me. So I’m giving him a little space for a few days.” She shrugged. “When I get back, we’ll see if he can still handle no-strings-attached. If not, I’ll have to cut him loose.”
Cookie had seen Scarlet with plenty of guys over the years. Neither of the two women had ever had any trouble attracting male companionship. But she’d only seen her friend fall for someone once. It had ended badly, and Scarlet had vowed to never get fooled like that again. Which was both sad and funny, considering what a romantic she was, but she always said it was safer to watch other people fall in love than to ever risk that again herself.
“Well, you know you’re always welcome,” Cookie assured her, hugging Scarlet again. “Mi casa es su casa.”
“Just as long as su clothes aren’t mi clothes,” Scarlet retorted, tugging one sleeve of Cookie’s cover-up. “Where exactly did you get this hideous thing, a refugee from the fifties? A circus performer? And how soon can we burn it?”
“It’s Rain’s,” Cookie answered, laughing. “Hunter thought it’d be better if I had some kind of disguise, just in case.”
“It worked,” Scarlet informed her. “Nobody’d ever guess it was you under that. At least, I really hope not, otherwise I might not be able to be seen with you anymore.”
Cookie put on a mock pout. “You’d let a little thing like poor fashion come between us?” she joked, and Scarlet pretended to seriously consider the question. They were both giggling when Dylan rejoined them.
“All set,” he declared. “Shall we?” He offered Cookie his arm like they were off to attend a fancy ball, which just served to send both women into another fit of giggling.
“Don’t worry,” Hunter called out as Cookie stepped down into Dylan’s boat and settled onto the bench there. “I’ll take good care of your friend.” He made a point of leering at Scarlet.
“I can take care of myself, thank you very much,” Scarlet told him firmly, hands on her hips. “And Cookie’s not the only one who took self-defense classes, so don’t get any ideas.” The look she shot at Cookie said that Scarlet wouldn’t actually object if Hunter did try putting the moves on her, but also that she wasn’t about to let him know that. Cookie grinned. Her best friend was an expert on keeping men from getting too full of themselves.
“Just don’t let him show you his bow, whatever you do,” Cookie warned as Dylan took his seat and started the motor again. He looked at her funny, like he wasn’t sure if he should laugh or be worried.
“Is he considering pulling a Dickie?” he asked, shaking his head.
“God, I hope not,” she replied, grinning at him.
Meanwhile, up on the cigarette boat, Scarlet was nodding like this was all very important. “No bows, got it,” she announced, giving Cookie a big thumbs-up. “I don’t care how big they might be.” That and the wink she added told Cookie she had indeed remembered the story about Dickie and his ribbon, and knew what Cookie had meant.
Cookie was still laughing as Dylan gave his boat some gas and pulled it away from the other vessel, leaving Scarlet and Hunter behind.
19
“Do I want to know what you two were doing out there?” Dylan asked as he piloted them back toward the island. He had his face turned away from her as he spoke, but Cookie could tell by his tone that his expression was bleak at best.
“Checking out a lead on the case,” she answered. Then she caught herself. He’d been with her when she’d found the drugs, and again when the hand had arrived, so why was she keeping details from him now? “I got another package,” she added instead, though revealing information felt like pulling her own teeth. “No body parts this time, just a note. With coordinates.”
Now he did glance at her, and although his jaw was still set she could see that his eyes were that familiar warm blue she found so enticing, not the steel-gray they turned when he was upset. “Let me guess,” he offered, “they led you out to the old naval battery?” She must have gaped at him, because he chuckled. “It’s the only thing for miles around,” he explained. “Good spot for a meet, especially if you don’t want any surprises.”
“That was my thought, too,” she agreed, pleased that he didn’t seem angry with her anymore. She hadn’t been sure how he’d take the fact that she and Hunter had been gallivanting about together… even if it was because of the case. “There’s no place to set up, no place to keep watch without being seen ourselves.” She banged one hand on the bench beside her. “I’d be infinitely happier if these guys were a lot less competent.”
Dylan nodded. “You could use a drone,” he suggested after a second. “One of those little ones you can buy over the counter. They come with cameras, most of them, and they’ve got a decent range. You should be able to set up on one of the other little islands out here and use that to at least get a glimpse of who’s out here and what they’ve got waiting for you.”
“Oh.” Cookie started to smile, but that suddenly switched to a frown followed by a whole string of curses.
“Whoa!” Dylan looked surprised. “Was it something I said?”
“Yeah… no… yeah.” She sighed. “It’s a smart move, thanks. The only problem is, these guys…”
“Have been playing it smart the whole way,” he finished for her, his expression now matching her own. “Crap.”
“Exactly.” She squinted up at the sky, checking their surroundings. “I don’t see anything right now, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t out here before. Between the water and the wind, I’m not sure I would’ve heard something as small as a drone, so they easily could’ve seen us over there checking it out.”
He nodded. He also didn’t try to tell her everything would be fine, or that she was just worrying needlessly, which she appreciated. She’d rather have honesty than platitudes any day.
“Would it matter if they did see you?” he finally asked. “I mean, when were you supposed to meet them there?”
“Two o’clock.” She checked her watch. That was still a few hours away.
“So maybe it doesn’t even matter,” Dylan suggested. “I’m guessing you’re supposed to show up alone at two?” Cookie nodded. “But the note didn’t say ‘don’t go anywhere near there beforehand,’ right?” He shrugged. “Makes sense to me that you’d sco
ut it out. Maybe it will to them, too.”
“Maybe,” said Cookie, but she wasn’t so sure. These guys weren’t exactly the kind to deal fairly. They wanted to hold all the cards, and they were willing to kill to do that. People like that might easily view her going anywhere near the island before the meet as disobeying orders.
And with people like that, disobeying always brought consequences.
They didn’t talk much the rest of the way back. Cookie was wrapped up in her own thoughts, and Dylan seemed to understand she needed the space. Hunter and Scarlet were right behind them in the cigarette boat. Cookie was surprised Hunter hadn’t just zoomed past them, but she figured he was rationing his limited gas supply. Having to endure Dylan bailing him out twice would be entirely too much for his inflated alpha-male ego.
Hunter was tossing the mooring rope around one of the dock cleats when Dylan and Cookie walked down the pier to meet him and Scarlet, the dock hinges squeaking with the movement of their steps. The four of them then headed back up toward the inn in Hunter’s car.
Along the way, Cookie shared Dylan’s idea about the drones with Hunter. Scarlet listened in, of course, which was fine—Cookie didn’t have any secrets from her, and wasn’t about to start now.
“Damn, wish I’d thought of that,” Hunter said. He nodded grudgingly at Dylan, who was trying not to smirk. “You’re right, that would work.” Then he scowled. “And yeah, they probably figured out the same thing ages ago. Damn.”
“So we’re assuming they saw you guys there, right?” Scarlet asked. “But so what? As long as Cookie goes to the actual meet alone, it shouldn’t change anything.”
Dylan favored her with a smile. “That’s what I said.” He held up his hand, and Scarlet high-fived him. Cookie laughed at that, not sure if she should be happy or suspicious that her best friend and the guy she was maybe-almost-sort of dating were getting along so well.
They’d just reached the top of the hill where the inn came into view, when Dylan frowned. “What’s that?” he asked, his voice shifting instantly from friendly banter to deadly serious. Cookie and the others all glanced toward where he was pointing, and saw something small and bright crumpled on the ground up ahead.
Hunter stopped the car and managed to get to it first, using long strides to cover the distance. He had only just scooped it up when Cookie reached him, and he held it out to her. It was a long, gauzy scarf, its bright tie-dye standing out even in the midday sun. Cookie recognized it at once.
“That’s Rain’s,” she said, accepting it from Hunter. She was winding it about her hand when she noticed something else. “And so are those.” She hurried over to the bejeweled flip-flops and snatched them up as well.
“I’ve got a pair of sunglasses over here,” Scarlet said from a few paces farther on.
“And, um, pretty sure that’s the top she was wearing this morning,” Hunter added in a strangled voice, indicating another article of clothing that had been tossed upon the ground.
“Mother!” Cookie growled, piling each item in her arms as the others brought them to her. Dylan shamefacedly handed over a pair of jean shorts that Cookie knew for a fact barely covered Rain’s butt, but Scarlet was laughing when she turned in a lacy bra.
“Looks like somebody’s getting busy around here,” she commented as she contributed the lingerie to the pile.
“She’s always busy,” Cookie fumed, “and I bet I know exactly where, too.” She stormed around the house to the shed built against its side wall. This was where she’d caught Rain once before, “entertaining” a local fisherman named Anthony. And, true to form, Rain had thought it was hilarious that Cookie and Hunter had walked in on them. Which was why Cookie made sure she was well ahead of him when she reached the shed and threw the doors open so hard they shook.
“All right, Mother, this has really—” she started, but stopped mid-rant as her brain caught up with what her eyes had already told her. The shed was empty.
“Should we be seeing something other than some lawn equipment?” Scarlet asked, peering over her shoulder.
“Yeah, a naked Rain and a willing male victim,” Cookie replied. She stepped back and shut the shed again. “They can’t have gotten far—not without all this.” She tried to shove away the sudden mental image of Rain streaking through town and concentrated on her present surroundings instead. “Mom!” she shouted. “Where are you?”
Hunter, Dylan, and Scarlet all joined her, both in shouting and in checking around the inn. But their search came up empty. And the longer they went without locating Rain, the more Cookie started to worry that this wasn’t one of her mother’s little dalliances after all.
When her phone chirped, she nearly dropped the bundle of clothing she’d been carrying. Instead she juggled it so she could get to her phone and check the screen. There was a text from an unknown number.
Cookie clicked on it, and gasped. The others were at her side in an instant. The photo wasn’t very good, only a head shot, but even blurry it was still very obviously Rain’s terrified face.
Below the picture the text read, Why can’t women ever follow directions? Then another line appeared. Let’s try this again. And finally: Tea Tripper. 2pm. Come alone or Rain will fall.
Heart pounding, Cookie immediately tried calling the number, but no one answered. “Damn it!” she almost hurled her phone across the kitchen where she was standing, but stopped herself just in time. She might need the darn thing, and it wasn’t the phone’s fault, anyway.
It was hers.
“I should’ve been here,” she muttered, clutching Rain’s clothes to her chest. “I shouldn’t have been out there, playing cop again. This is my fault. I didn’t do what they said, and now they’ve got her.” She gazed up at Hunter, who had put a hand on her back. “What am I going to do?”
“We’re going to get her back,” he told her stonily, not a hint of doubt or fear showing on his face or in his voice. Which would have been a lot more reassuring if Cookie hadn’t already known that he was great at presenting a brave front, even when things were hopeless. “I mean it, Charlie. We’ll get her back safe and sound. I promise.”
She nodded. It was what she needed to hear, even though they both knew you could never guarantee something like that. They’d seen hostage situations go sideways way too many times to believe it always worked out okay. But right now, she had to cling to that notion, at least.
“Two o’clock,” Dylan said grimly. “That doesn’t give us a lot of time. We’re going to have to move if we want to make it.”
Hunter raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “What’s this ‘we’ shit?” he said harshly. “We appreciate the lift back and all, but Charlie and I’ve got it from here.”
“The hell you do,” Dylan replied, stepping up and throwing Hunter’s hard stare right back at him. “Not only is Cookie my friend, Rain is too. I’m going.”
“You’re not,” Hunter warned, his eyes going flat black with cold determination. “Even if I have to handcuff you to the porch.”
“You’re welcome to try,” Dylan growled right back, settling into a fighting stance, feet apart, knees slightly bent, hands loose at his sides.
Cookie had been staring at this, and only now did she find her voice. “What the hell is wrong with you two?” she demanded of both of them. “They’ve got my mom and you’re busy waving your dicks at each other? Grow up!”
Both men had startled at her shout, and at least had the decency to look embarrassed now.
“Seriously,” Scarlet added, backing Cookie the way she always did. “You two need to get it together right the hell now. Because if these guys are as smart as they sound, it’s going to take all three of you to stop them.”
Cookie nodded. And after a second, so did Hunter and Dylan. Neither of them said anything, but Cookie could see that they had just declared a temporary truce.
“That shop’s got a back door,” Dylan offered after a minute. “It backs up on the water and has its own private d
ock. A lot of the shops over there do.”
“Can you get to it without them spotting you?” Cookie asked, glad to have something actionable to focus on.
Dylan’s nod was matter-of-fact. “They’ll never see me coming,” he promised. And Cookie believed him.
“I’ll take the front,” Hunter declared. He and Dylan exchanged a glance, one of two rivals who had found a common enemy. For now.
Had the drug smugglers not kidnapped her mother, Cookie would almost feel sorry for them. Instead, they deserved whatever they got. “I’ll go in first,” she declared, and she held up a hand when both men started to protest. “No. If I don’t, they’ll likely hurt her. I have to look like I’m scared enough to follow their rules. You both wait five minutes and then hit them. That should give me enough time to grab to Rain and get her somewhere safe.”
“I don’t like it,” Hunter told her bluntly. “Five minutes is plenty of time for everything to go to hell, and you’ll be alone and unarmed.” They both knew there was no way the smugglers would let her through the door with her piece.
But she shrugged. “It’s the best chance we’ve got.” None of them challenged her, and she added, “Right, let’s go.”
They gathered up the drugs in a duffle bag and started back toward Hunter’s car, Cookie still holding Rain’s clothes. She turned to hand them to Scarlet, which was when she realized that her friend was right there with her. “Where do you think you’re going?” she demanded.
“With you,” Scarlet replied. “Don’t even try it,” she said, stopping Cookie before she could get out a single word of protest. “Somebody’s got to make sure these two don’t kill each other. I’ll stay in the boat, I promise. But you know you’re not getting rid of me, so save your breath.”
Cookie considered arguing, but knew her friend was right. Once Scarlet set her mind to something, that was it. So she hugged her instead, a quick sideways squeeze because they were all still moving. “Thanks.”