by Jana DeLeon
Alayna’s chest tightened and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, his words piercing her heart. She wanted to believe him. Wanted so desperately to have a future here on the island she loved and near the aunt she adored. And if she was being honest with herself, she wanted to see what was possible between her and Luke. But she was afraid. Afraid of Warren. Afraid of Rivera. Afraid for Bea. And also, afraid of her heart breaking.
“I’m so scared,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
“So am I,” Luke said. “Did you love him?”
She shook her head. “I cared about him and considered him a friend. I enjoyed what we had and was mortified by his betrayal, but I didn’t love him. Maybe I could have eventually, but I don’t know. How do you love something that’s not real?”
“Your feelings are separate from his deception. Do you think he loved you?”
“No. Given everything I’ve learned about him, I wonder if he’s even capable. I think I was a good choice. I made things easy for him.”
“How is that?”
“I was a career woman and not a socialite. I wasn’t looking to land a husband. Wasn’t interested in marriage at all. At least, not any time in the near future.”
“And that’s what all the women in Warren’s social circle were after?”
She nodded. “I think I was a good buffer for him. He enjoyed my company, and I was suitable for his image, but I don’t think it went any further than that. It’s sort of embarrassing to admit. I did care about him, but I don’t think he could say the same about me.”
“If you were only part of Warren’s carefully crafted image, that’s all the more reason that he wouldn’t be coming for you now.”
She blew out a breath. “That makes sense.”
But even knowing he was right didn’t diminish her fear.
“And that’s assuming Warren even has the capability to come after you right now,” he said. “I doubt that’s the case.”
Alayna frowned. She knew the more likely scenario was that Rivera had taken Warren because he wanted information. And whether Warren gave Rivera what he wanted or not, his outcome would probably be the same because Warren was a liability.
“I know what I’m asking you to do is hard,” Luke said gently. “It means you have to trust someone with your life that you’ve only known for days. But I promise you, Alayna. I won’t hurt you, and I won’t let anyone else hurt you either.”
She didn’t doubt the veracity of his words. Not even a little. And as much as it seemed absolutely crazy, she did trust him. He was an honorable man, and he was throwing her a lifeline. All she had to do was lower her guard and accept it.
“I…I would love to have your help.”
She could see the relief on his face as he moved to gather her in his arms.
“We’re going to get through this,” he whispered to her. “I promise you.”
She pressed her body against his, tucking her face into his chest. His heart beat strong against her cheek and a feeling of absolute calm washed over her. She’d found an ally in the most unlikely way. And now she couldn’t imagine going through this without him.
He released her and inched back just a bit. “There are some things we need to discuss. Things I thought of last night that you need to take into consideration. Do you want to bring Bea into the discussion?”
“No. The more I can keep her out of things, the better.”
“Good. Then can we talk here? Now?”
She nodded and sat in one of the patio chairs. Luke moved another chair close by and sat where they could look directly at each other.
“The first thing I want to talk about is Warren’s escape,” he said. “I know I said last night that Rivera would want to know what Warren told the FBI. And I think that’s true, but I also think it goes deeper than that.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s like you said, it would have been easier to kill Warren on the spot rather than abduct him. Even if Warren told the FBI everything he knew, all Rivera has to do is kill him and he can’t testify. Maybe the DA could get Warren’s testimony introduced into evidence, but maybe not. And without Warren there to cross-examine, everything he said would be suspect.”
“So then why…”
“I think Warren has something that Rivera wants. And he wants it badly enough to risk his men on a breakout rather than a straight hit.”
“Like what?”
“Money. My guess is that Warren passed Rivera’s funds through several bank accounts across multiple countries before routing it to Rivera. What if Warren was busted in the middle of one of those transactions? He could have millions of Rivera’s dollars stashed somewhere that Rivera has no idea how to access.”
“Oh!” Alayna stiffened. “I hadn’t thought…but I bet you’re right. That means when Rivera gets what he wants—”
“He’ll kill Warren. My guess is the next report we get on Warren Patterson will be that the FBI has found the body. Assuming they ever locate it.”
Alayna shook her head. She knew the likelihood of Warren making it away from Rivera alive was slim, but it felt different hearing someone else state it out loud. And despite everything he’d done, she didn’t want Warren to die. She wanted him to pay for his crimes, certainly, but it wasn’t Rivera’s place to hand out punishment. That wasn’t justice. That was revenge.
“What’s the other thing?” she asked, not wanting to dwell anymore on Warren’s fate.
“The fact that Rivera was able to take Warren at all disturbs me. With a case that high-profile, prisoner transport only happens under very specific circumstances. Only a handful of people are involved in the move, and even fewer than that are actually aware of the who, when, and where.”
“What do you mean?”
“The agents on prisoner guard duty aren’t told who is being transferred until he’s in their custody. There are usually two or more transport vehicles. One for the prisoner and the other to serve as a decoy. The drivers of the transport vehicle aren’t told until they’re en route to the drop-off location, and they’re given their route on the way. Despite all of those precautions, it sounds like the FBI was ambushed.”
Alayna’s eyes widened as he talked, and then she sucked in a breath. “You think someone at the FBI tipped Rivera off?”
“I don’t see any other way for this to happen. Not the way it went down.”
“But if someone at the FBI is on the take with Rivera, why didn’t they warn Warren before his arrest? You said very few people would know about the transport, so doesn’t that mean that whoever told Rivera was part of the takedown?”
“Not necessarily. Sometimes they’ll use agents who weren’t assigned to the case to handle transport. It’s another layer of protection.”
“In case someone on the investigative team decided to jump ship for the easy money. Good Lord, do you think Agent Davies knows that?”
“I’m sure he does. You don’t get to be in charge of an investigation of that scope without knowing the score.”
“But he didn’t say anything to me last night.”
“And he won’t. He’s not about to admit they have a traitor among them. And he figures giving you that information will only make you panic.”
“He’s right about that part. I don’t even know what to think. What does that mean for me?”
“I don’t know that it means anything for you, especially now with Warren gone.”
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t worry?”
“No. I would never say that. This is a serious situation and until the issue with Warren is resolved, I think you should take every precaution. But I don’t want you to panic over this.”
“Not yet anyway.” She gave him a rueful smile.
He reached over and clasped her hand in his. “If ever there comes a time that panic is called for, I will be right here beside you. You’re not alone in this.”
Alayna nodded, and the weight that she’d carried all night lifted a tiny bit. Luke was rig
ht. She wasn’t alone. She had a strong man offering to watch her back and an aunt with a small arsenal ready to go to war for her.
She had everything she could possibly need.
“Are you sure you’re going to be all right?” Bea asked as she fluffed the couch pillows for the tenth time.
Alayna took the pillow from her and put her hands on her aunt’s shoulders. “I’m positive. And if you squeeze those pillows one more time, the stuffing is going to come out of them.”
“So I’ll do something else. You got any oranges to squeeze? I can make orange juice.”
“No. I don’t have any oranges. What I have is an aunt wearing her robe and half the rollers she put in last night, terrorizing my one-bedroom living space with all the energy she needs to burn off. The best place for you to do that is the bookstore. Trust me, I know the value of distraction.”
“But what about you? You need a distraction more than I do.”
“I have more experience. And a new paddleboard. If sitting around here thinking gets to be too much, then I’ll head out into the water.”
“But not alone. Promise me you won’t go out there by yourself. Too many things can happen in water. Things that are easily passed off as an accident.”
“I promise.”
“So you’ll call Luke if you decide to leave?”
“No. I’ll call Luke if I decide to go into the water. If I leave it would be to go downtown, and I think I’m safe in the middle of town with a bunch of people milling around.”
“You could come to the bookstore at lunch. We could grab a burger or a sandwich.”
“Not today. Everyone will be talking.”
Bea’s hopeful expression fled and was replaced with sadness. “They’re going to talk whether you’re there or not.”
“I know that. How do you think Luke found out about Warren? I ran into him in the pizza joint the day my boxes arrived, and that bitch Melody Whitmore brought up all the scandal in New York during a fake sympathy nod while Luke was trying to brush off her advances.”
A flush crept up Bea’s face. “That family is the worst thing that has ever happened to this island. But you know as well as I do that no one likes them. They can talk all they want and it won’t matter.”
“Maybe. And I got used to dealing with the comments in New York. But those people were strangers. Islanders are people I’ve known a good part of my life. They’re your friends and customers. I need to process everything that’s happened for myself before I’m ready to face other people. Before I’m ready to answer the inevitable questions that are going to come.”
Bea blew out a breath. “That’s fair. What do you want me to say—because you know the bookstore is going to be twice as busy today as it normally would be.”
Alayna nodded. All the locals who were willing to push the boundaries of good taste would flock to the bookstore to get the gossip. To find out what the next scene in the saga of Alayna’s drama was going to entail.
“When people ask, tell them the truth,” Alayna said. “At least, partially. Tell them I’m shocked that Warren escaped and that the FBI isn’t telling me anything.”
“And when they ask if you’re afraid the bad guys are going to descend down here to hunt you down?”
“You think they’re going to ask it just like that?”
“Of course not. The local gossips are buttholes, but they’re not completely mannerless. Still, that’s what all the passive-aggressive hinting will be about.”
“Then tell them that the FBI says I have nothing to worry about.”
“So the truth. Sort of.”
“That statement is all factual. I just left out the part where I’m worried myself.”
Bea gathered Alayna into her arms and gave her a hug. “I hate this for you. You know that, right? If I could take it all away, I’d give anything…”
“I know. You’re the reason I’m here. You, the island—you center me, and buttholes like the Whitmores aren’t going to change that. So get going. If you don’t show up for work today, you’ll just create even more speculation. It’s better for you to go about your normal routine. Interest will die off if you don’t change your habits.”
Bea frowned, but Alayna could tell her aunt saw the merit of her statement.
“Okay. I’ll go, but only because I have to fix my hair or it will look like a rat’s nest.”
“Yeah, what’s with the old lady curlers you had in last night? Why don’t you just use a curling iron in the morning?”
Bea waved a hand in dismissal. “Too difficult, and there’s that whole ‘me with a hot iron near my head’ thing.”
“You’re probably right. Go with the curlers. Your hair always looks great, so if it’s not broke…”
“I don’t think it is, but I best figure out what to do about it this morning. No time to wash and reset. I’m getting a shipment in today, and the delivery guy has been flirting with me. I don’t want to miss my weekly ego boost.”
Alayna smiled. “Sounds like a full day.”
“But if anything happens—anything at all—if a bird tweets and you think it’s off-key, you call me.”
“I will. But first, I’m going to call Agent Davies and see if I can get an update. When I know more, I’ll let you know.”
“That’s a good idea. And don’t hesitate to call Luke. He’s right next door and although I hate to admit it, he’s probably better protection than I’d be.”
“Maybe in hand-to-hand, but you’re still a crack shot.”
“Got that right. Come to think of it, we need to get you back in practice. We’ll head to the gun range first opportunity I get.”
Alayna didn’t bother to argue. She knew Bea needed to feel as if she was doing something. And if shooting guns was what it took, then Alayna would spend an hour pointing at paper targets. And it wouldn’t hurt for her to work on her skills a bit. She hadn’t been to the range since she’d moved to New York. She’d been a good shot before she left. And while she hoped she wouldn’t have to test that out for real, it would be foolish to go unprepared.
“That sounds good,” Alayna said and walked her aunt to the front door. She locked it behind her as soon as she left, then watched her from the kitchen window, waving as she drove away. It was only midmorning and she felt as if she’d been up for a day. But she knew better than to try to sleep. Even if her racing mind allowed it, she didn’t want the dreams that would come once her subconscious was free to play.
She wandered into the kitchen and stared at the refrigerator, trying to decide on something to eat. Her aunt rarely ate breakfast, so Alayna hadn’t been able to entice her into anything but black coffee. And the truth was Alayna wasn’t hungry either. But she couldn’t afford to skip sleep and meals, and she’d already lost out on one. She’d missed on both before and it had drained her physically to the point that she’d ended up on the receiving end of a stern lecture at her doctor’s office.
So she’d eat because that was something she could control. Sleep had always been more elusive and somewhat of a picky bitch. But nothing on the refrigerator shelves sparked her interest, so she finally pulled out pineapple and milk. A protein shake would do. It covered the basics and would give her the energy she needed to keep pushing through. Maybe sometime later, her brain would ease off the throttle and she’d be able to get some rest. It would probably be easier during the day than at night. Night seemed to amplify everything—noise, fear, worry. It was as if her anxiety went up as soon as the sun went down.
She’d just popped the shake ingredients into the blender when she got a text. She picked up her phone and saw it was from Luke.
You up for some company?
Chapter Seventeen
For anyone else, the answer to that text would have been an immediate no, but Alayna was surprised to realize she didn’t feel that way about Luke. Something about him calmed her. Made her believe that this was just another hurdle she had to get over and then she could find her new normal.
I’m making pineapple protein shakes. Are you interested?
He texted back immediately, and she smiled.
Heck yes. Be right over.
She doubled the ingredients in the blender and set it whirling. By that time, Luke was at her patio door, so she went over to unlock it and let him in. He gave her a lingering assessment as he stepped inside.
“I saw Bea leave and thought I’d check on you, maybe see what your plans were for the day,” he said. “How are you doing?”
“That’s a loaded question,” she said and headed for the kitchen.
“Yeah, I guess it is. Did Bea go to work?”
She nodded. “Only because I made her. Everyone on the island is going to find a reason they need a book today and if she’s not there, it will cause even more talk. Hiding from the situation won’t keep people from talking. In fact, it makes it worse. Trust me, I know.”
He shook his head. “I’m really sorry. I can’t even imagine how hard all this is for you. It was bad enough what happened in New York, and I only know what I read. I’m sure the details of what you struggled with daily were far worse than anything that was reported. I wish coming here had put all of that behind you.”
“Me too.”
She poured two glasses of the shakes and motioned to the patio door. They stepped outside and she let the cool breeze and the smell of salt air rush over her.
“It’s therapeutic,” she said. “The ocean. It healed me once and I was hoping it would heal me again.”
He studied her for a moment, then nodded. “I didn’t think other people felt that way. Ever since I took my first step into salt water, I knew it was something that was meant to be a permanent part of my life. The ocean healed me, too. Gave me purpose.”
She gave him a curious look and he sighed.
“I suppose it’s only fair that I tell you my story,” he said. “I’m asking you to trust me, to depend on me, and you don’t really know much about me.”
“I was a good judge of character once. But I missed a tidal wave with Warren. So yeah, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious and that it would probably make me more comfortable to know about the man behind the gun.”