by Jill Sanders
Sunset Dreams
Jill Sanders
Contents
Summary
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Also by Jill Sanders
About the Author
To my walking & axe-throwing friends,
Amelia & Sarah
Summary
Clara Cruz has spent the last five years on the run, most of the time hiding in plain sight, blending into the background so as not to cause unwanted attention. Being invisible is necessary if she wants to survive, but the loneliness and isolation have proved more difficult than anticipated. Successful thus far, everything changes abruptly when she finds herself running straight into the arms of the man sent to find her.
* * *
Giving that Reagan Grayton had spent most of his childhood hiding from a crazy cult-leading biological grandfather, it was only natural that he’d end up in a career searching for missing people. However, with his latest case, things just aren’t adding up. A pretty brunette heiress has been accused of murder. Trouble is, she just doesn’t seem like the murdering type. As things take a bizarre turn, he finds himself caught up in a sinister plot. He may have found his missing person, but now he’ll be lucky to escape with his life.
Prologue
Twenty years ago…
Seven-year-old Reagan stood and watched his mother walking slowly across the white sugar-soft sand towards them.
He chanced a glance up at the man that had found them a few weeks ago, his father. He had a dad! Finally.
He and his mother had been hiding all of his life from his biological grandfather, who had been head of a cult called the Council of Friends, a silly name for such a scary group. They believed his grandfather was their messiah, come to earth to lead them to the promised land. What did that even mean, anyway?
When his mother stopped directly in front of them, his father reached down and squeezed his shoulder and smiled down at him. His hair was long, and Reagan had already memorized his tan face.
“You sure about this, buddy?” he asked softly, a smile playing on his lips, so much like the one Reagan saw in the mirror every morning.
“Hell, yeah!” he answered loudly, causing the small group gathered around them to chuckle.
“You’ve been hanging around your uncles too much.” His father, Roman Grayton, frowned down at him, then glanced over to where his three uncles sat, smiling proudly at them.
“Naw.” He chuckled. “I learned everything I know from my mother.”
His mother, Marissa Grayton, laughed. The soft white dress she was wearing flowed in the gentle breeze coming off the Gulf of Mexico. She turned to the older man who had raised both of his parents after adopting them at a young age.
“Thanks, Dad.” She leaned up and kissed the paper-thin skin on the man’s cheek.
His new grandfather—not the one who had just tried to kill him less than a week ago—smiled down at him and winked. “Welcome to the family, grandson.” He squeezed his shoulder, much like his father had just done.
Reagan thought he saw a tear slip down the old man’s cheek before he turned around and sat with the rest of the wedding party on the beach.
He tried—really, he did—to pay attention to the wedding vows. After all, he was acting as his father’s best man. He had responsibilities. Not to mention that his parents were officially getting married.
But his mind began to wander, and he caught himself glancing towards the clear emerald water just a few feet away from him. He wished he had his board shorts on and could jump in and enjoy a day at the beach with his family. He had a family!
He thought about his new life. All of his aunts and uncles had been adopted by Mark and Elizabeth Grayton after each of them had been rescued from the personal hell of their biological homes by Lilly, a caseworker. His mother often described her as an angel, but she sat in the second row, watching the wedding with tears in her eyes, and didn’t look much like an angel. She was an older woman who reminded him of his second-grade teacher.
Even though his parents had been raised as brother and sister since being adopted by the Graytons, they technically had no blood relation.
His mother had always told him that, from the moment she’d seen Rowan when she’d first arrived at the Grayton’s large home in a town called Spring Haven, she’d known she loved him.
For the last few years, his mother and he had been hiding in another small town, just down the coast from where his family had been. Carrabelle was the only home he remembered. He’d found out that his father hadn’t even known he’d existed. His mother, shortly after finding out she was pregnant at seventeen, had received a visit from her mother, who had warned her that her father had found her.
His mother had run, but it had been too late. His grandfather had captured her. But after Reagan’s birth, when his grandfather had been proclaimed the group’s messiah, they had escaped with her mother’s help. His mother had hidden them away, always protecting him. But now, they were done hiding.
For years, his mother had run a small store in Carrabelle, but his parents had decided that, after getting married, they would move closer to their family.
He hated the idea of starting a new school but was excited about spending more time with his uncles and aunts.
He focused again when he heard his name being said.
Turning to his parents, he took in the sling still on his father’s arm. Reagan and his mom had been kidnapped once more by his biological grandfather, and Roman had gotten shot saving Reagan as they escaped.
“We wanted you to be part of this.” His father smiled down at him, and he focused. “We both promise you that, no matter what happens, you will always be safe here.” Rowan glanced around the small group. “This is your family and the Graytons protect each other.”
“Here, here.” Several cheers rang out from the group.
He turned his eyes to his mother. She’d explained that she’d been a stupid seventeen-year-old girl when she’d left these people, afraid that her father would find her and take her away again. Part of him wished that he had been alive back then to protect her and convince her to stick with her family.
Still, everything was going to be all right now. Now that they had been found, he knew that no matter what life threw at them, they could deal with it together.
His biological grandfather was locked away for good this time. He ran his eyes over his new family and knew that nothing would ever come between them again.
“Welcome to the family,” his uncle shouted out.
His mother leaned down until they were eye to eye. “You’ve always been part of the family,” she smiled. “But we are finally home.”
“It’s official, you’re a Grayton now.” His dad pulled him and his mother into a hug.
Reagan thought that he wanted to stay there, warm and safe in his family’s arms, forever. Someday, he would help others to get what he now had. Someday, he would protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. Find the lost, like his father had.
His father was the biggest hero in his eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to grow up and be just like him. Someday.
Chapter 1
Reagan watched the pretty brunette from across the room. She looked comfortable wit
h the heavy tray of drinks balanced over her head on one hand, which made him question if he had the right woman.
He was looking for an heiress, not a waitress. He pulled out his cell phone and glanced down at the grainy image once again. The picture was more than five years old and looked like it had been scanned at one point. Still, as he squinted and watched her handing out the drinks, he could tell it was the same woman. Her hair was shorter, and she wasn’t a thin teenager anymore. His eyes moved to the tight tank top she was wearing, and a smile of appreciation flashed quickly and was gone before anyone could see it.
He’d spent the last few years of his life looking for the lost. Before that, he’d done the same thing during a short stint in the Special Forces, but he’d been medically discharged years before he was ready to leave after he’d gotten hurt saving a few men on his team who’d been pinned down during a rescue mission.
His lower back and left thigh still gave him pain when he found himself in cooler climates. But now, he leaned back and nursed the single beer he’d ordered and watched the waves outside of the restaurant’s windows. Being back in the Panhandle was pure heaven.
That a job had brought him so close to home had been pure luck, but something hadn’t sat well with him from the moment he’d taken the job. It wasn’t the old man who’d hired him but the fact that the guy didn’t seem to have any idea where his daughter was or why she’d left in the first place. Who waits five years to look for their kid?
He thought of his own father, whom he’d met for the first time when he was seven. But that wasn’t his dad’s fault. Hell, the man hadn’t even known he’d had a son until after he’d met him, and his parents had gotten married shortly after. Not a day had gone by since then that he hadn’t talked to his father.
He focused back on his job and sized up the woman as she took a young tourist’s order.
Clara Cruz, current age twenty-five, the older of the two daughters of one of the wealthiest real estate moguls in southern California. She was last seen over five years ago at a graduation party for her younger sister, Gina, who had been brutally murdered in their father’s den that night. Clara had been found hovering over her sister’s body, her party dress soaked in blood. She’d claimed that she had no memory of what had happened. She’d been carted in and questioned but had been released.
To his knowledge, no reason had been given for why she hadn’t been charged with her sister’s murder. His best guess was that her father had friends in the court system.
Still, the woman had disappeared from the family’s life shortly after her release, and it was only now that they wanted to look for her. Why?
Was it guilt that had her running? It wasn’t his job to find out, but he was curious enough to have spent the last two days returning to the restaurant she worked at to watch her.
He’d found the woman; his job was over. All he had to do was make a phone call and get paid. Then why was he second-guessing doing so?
She moved closer to his table and when their eyes locked, he felt his body respond to the sexy way her dark eyebrows drew up slowly as she approached him.
“Are you still okay?” she asked, her voice soft and warm, which only caused his body to react even more.
“Yes.” He nodded to his half-full beer.
Instead of moving away, she leaned a hip on his table. “You’ve come in the past two evenings.” It was a statement, not a question. “Nursing a beer and watching me.” Her eyes narrowed. “I can’t tell if you’re some sort of stalker or…” She dropped off.
He pasted on the most innocent smile he could muster. “Just enjoying the view,” he said, then he slowly nodded to the beach just to his left.
“Where are you from?” she asked as her eyes ran up and down him quickly.
“Here and there.” He shrugged.
“Military?” she asked quickly. When he raised his eyebrows, she added, “The base is just twenty miles away.”
“Used to be,” he said honestly.
“You’re too young to be retired.”
“Medical discharge.” He didn’t know why he was answering her questions when he had more than a dozen for her himself.
“Clara.” She waved to herself. “You?”
“Reagan,” he answered.
“Nice to meet you, Reagan.” She leaned closer to him. “If you don’t order something more, I’ll have to send my boss Rico over here.” She nodded over her shoulder to a very large man behind the bar, who happened to be glaring at him at the moment. “He’s been dying to send you on your way since you first walked in here.”
He chuckled at that. Sure, the man was probably big enough to send him packing, but Reagan knew size was only half of what mattered. Rico may look like a protective giant, but Reagan had watched the man the past two nights and knew that the guy kept his two dachshunds behind the bar with him. The man was a softy on the inside.
Reagan shifted slightly, bringing his body closer to hers. “Is he going to sick Princess and Duchess on me?” he asked, using the dog’s names.
Clara smiled and he felt his heart skip at the beautiful transformation, something he hadn’t felt in years.
“He may look like a softy, but I assure you, Rico could clear a room.”
He laughed again. “I wouldn’t doubt it.” He tilted his head. “How about we compromise?”
Her eyebrows shot up again. “I’m all ears.”
“Agree to meet me after you get off, and I’ll order the most expensive item on the menu.”
The change in her was quick. She took a step away from him and her entire body tensed.
“I don’t date customers,” she said quickly.
“Who said anything about dating.” He watched her close up even further, her eyes darting around the room, then resting back on him.
“Sip your beer.” She took another step away. “I’ll bring you a basket of fries.” She turned and walked away without another word.
He wasn’t surprised when the basket of fries was delivered by Rico, who glared hard at him as he set the basket down with a thump.
“She’s not interested,” the big man said, then he lowered his voice. “You’d be wise to find someplace else to enjoy your beers for the remainder of your stay.”
Reagan watched the man walk back to the bar and appreciated the guy for looking out for his employees.
Leaving the beer and the fries, he tossed a crisp bill on the table and strolled out of the bar.
Sitting in his truck, he watched the bar until the open sign flickered off. He should have made the call. He’d told himself that more than a hundred times since he’d first laid eyes on her.
Why hadn’t he then?
All of the other employees left, and he waited in the dark until Clara and Rico walked out of the restaurant together, the two small dogs in tow behind the larger man. They stopped, talked for a moment, then hugged quickly before he turned and helped the little ones into a massive black Jeep.
She climbed behind the wheel of a beat-up Ford sedan. The Jeep pulled out of the parking lot quickly while the Ford remained in its spot.
He frowned when he noticed her getting out of the car and looking under the hood. He was just about to jump out and see if he could help her, when he spotted movement a few feet behind her.
Clara kicked the tire of the secondhand car she’d bought with her first three paychecks. She’d finally saved up enough to buy new tires and now she apparently needed a new battery as well.
“Stupid thing, why couldn’t you have given me some warning?” She groaned as she kicked the tire again and felt pain shoot up her ankle.
It had been hard keeping her mind on her work after Reagan had left. She’d been thankful Rico had told her to take her break and had dealt with the sexy man instead of her.
For the past two days she’d thought of little else. Of course, she’d seen her fair share of men come and go in the restaurant. After all, she’d chosen one of the busiest places along the Florida coast to
work at, since she needed enough money to keep hiding.
She blocked thoughts of her past before they consumed her. Leaning in, she jiggled the battery wires in hopes that they were just lose. When the red one came off in her hand, she smiled. She put it back on, so focused on making it stay put that she didn’t notice the dark figure coming up behind her until it was too late to protect herself. But before he could grab her, another figure rushed forward from the opposite direction and took down the first.
A squeal escaped her lips and she quickly backed up, bumping the front of the car. The hood of her Ford came crashing down, scraping her back. She watched in horror as the two dark figures wrestled across the gravel parking lot.
She had just turned to get back into the safety of her car when she heard a gunshot. Her entire body froze. She heard pounding footsteps as the first figure disappeared into the darkness. She turned towards the lone remaining figure on the ground as the other man disappeared around the corner of the building.
She turned to run, something she should have thought of doing in the first few seconds. But then she heard someone say, “Son of a…”
She paused. She knew that voice.
“Reagan?” She took a step forward, but it was dark, and she worried that she’d heard wrong. The dark mass on the ground grunted.
“Yeah, want to help a guy out? After all, I did just save you from… whatever the hell that was.” He grunted.
She reached in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, then flipped on the flashlight mode. Sure enough, Reagan was sitting on the pavement, holding his head in his hands. A gun sat in his lap.