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“Want some advice?” She stepped closer, and the sexy scent of her made his blood simmer. “Try not to roll it so hard. You don’t have to launch it into orbit. And aim for the forty-point ring. That way if you put enough force into the throw, it might land a little higher and score fifty points, but if you underthrow, you’ve got a good shot of racking at least thirty.”

She stepped back, and he immediately missed having her so close.

Following her advice, he eased up on the force of his rolls and aimed for the center ring. Thirty. Thirty. Thirty. Thirty. And when the last ball landed in the fifty-point ring, Dorcas let out a, “Yes!”

The machine spit out three measly tickets, but he didn’t even care that it was nothing compared to Dorcas’s score. He gave her a high five and pulled her in for a kiss, and the feel of her, soft and lush against him, inspired a host of filthy ideas.

She peered up at him, and the heat in her eyes made those bad ideas seem good.

They each played three more games. As expected, she totally kicked his ass, but at least he got good enough to make it somewhat respectable. And besides, watching her bend over in those tight little shorts took some of the sting out of losing.

As they started to leave, Dorcas handed their tickets to a little girl passing by. Then she smiled at Nate, and his heart clenched in his chest. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and when she hooked her thumb in the belt loop of his shorts, he thought,I could definitely get used to this.

They’d almost made it to the exit when Dorcas’s phone began to ring.

DORCAS CHECKED THEscreen. No caller ID. She was willing to wager it was some kind of scam, like those jerks who claimed to be from the IRS and demanded payment for taxes owed. But just in case it wasn’t, she let go of Nate and answered the call. “Hello?”

“Who’s the guy?”

Her heart leaped into her throat. Considering the circumstances, she should have been thrilled to hear Rita’s voice, but her tone put Dorcas on the defensive. “That’s Nate, Nina’s brother-in-law. He’s been keeping me alive while I look for you.”

Nate mouthed, “Is that Rita?” and she nodded.

“Are you sure you can trust him?”

“Absolutely.” Try as she might, Dorcas couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice. “I wouldn’t be with him otherwise.”

Her sister had the gall to act offended. “Geez, no need to get cranky about it. I’m just being careful.”

For a second, Dorcas envisioned reaching through the phone and throttling her sister. “Where are you?”

“Close. There’s a man following you.”

“Black shorts, white shirt, carrying a brown backpack?”

“Yes.”

That would be Pinto. Hatch was lurking around as well, but she hadn’t seen him in a little while. “He’s with us. Now where are you?”

The line went quiet for a good ten seconds. “Outside. There’s a street performer riding a unicycle and juggling knives.”

Trying hard to act casual, Dorcas went outside, her eyes scanning the area until she spotted the guy that Rita had described. He wore yellow surf shorts and ratty flip-flops, and his mop of shaggy brown hair was pulled away from his face. A crowd of thirty or so people surrounded him, clapping when he performed a stunt that involved him catching one of the knives between his teeth.

Dorcas looked around. “I don’t see you.”

“Look to your left. I’m near the smoothie shop.”

Pulse racing, she searched the crowded boardwalk. A sliver of panic crept into her veins when she saw no sign of her sister. “I still don’t see you. What are you wearing?”

“Red shorts and a blue bikini top.”

Dorcas almost did a double take when she finally spotted her sister.

She’d chopped off her waist-length dark-brown hair and streaked it honey blonde. Everything else was the same, though the dark circles under her eyes hinted at exhaustion. Not surprising, given the situation.

Dorcas wanted to hug her. Wanted to strangle her. But most of all, she wanted answers. For now, she’d settle for a hug. But when she opened her arms, Rita shook her head.

“Don’t make a scene. It’ll attract attention.”