Page 20 of Hearts on the Line (The Maverick Key #1)

Scott

I walk into the Sand Dollar Dive Bar. The sharp tang of liquor and fried food surrounds me.

The room is loud, with overlapping voices, bursts of laughter, and the soft strains of an old country tune pouring from the jukebox in the corner.

Couples are line dancing in the center, surrounded by cheering onlookers.

I scan the crowd, spotting Liam waving me over from a corner table, smiling ear to ear.

I wave. His earlier text about getting engaged sent shockwaves through the team, sparking this celebration, which is clearly in full swing.

We knew he was dating and really into his girl, but none of us expected it to move this fast. Good for him.

Glasses are raised, voices louder than usual, and judging by Liam’s smile, he’s enjoying every second of it.

Before I head to our table, I find the two faces I’m looking for sitting at the bar—Daniels and Graham, the detectives handling Maddie’s break-in. Adjusting course, I walk over to talk to them.

“Evening.” I lean against the counter of the bar. “Got a second?”

Daniels raises his beer while Graham nods with a somber expression.

“Rickter,” Daniels greets me gruffly. “What can we do you for?”

“Do you have any updates on the break-in at the Driftwood?” I keep my tone light, but my stomach is in knots, bracing for the answer.

Daniels shakes his head. “Not much. We found his footprints near the cottage. Size ten, male. Looks like he went in through the door and out the window. The strange part? We think he followed her back after leaving hours earlier.”

“What the fuck? Hours—” I exhale. “Then it’s personal? A stalker?”

“Maddie said she saw someone outside after the break-in. He was carrying a weapon, possibly a knife. He was wearing gloves, so there were no prints, and he bailed after she screamed. Probably assumed the guests in the inn could hear her.” He pauses, uncertain whether to continue.

“We also found some masking tape in bushes near the cottage. That suggests he planned to take her but didn’t move fast enough. ”

“Damn it,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. My mind races, piecing together the implications. “Whoever this is, they’re not just after Nathan’s notes. They’re after Maddie.”

Daniels’s face is grim. “That’s how it looks. But we’ve got nothing definitive yet. Whoever it was knew what they were doing. Like we said, no prints, no fibers—professional, if I had to guess.”

Frustration simmers beneath my skin. “Let me know if you find out more.”

“You and Maddie will be the first to know,” Daniels assures me. “Now go enjoy your night before your friends drink the place dry.”

I head toward the corner table. But my thoughts are still on the stalker and wondering what the hell he wants with Maddie.

Liam is at the center of the group, his arm slung around his fiancée, Jill, who’s perched on his lap.

She’s petite, with sparkling dark eyes and curly black hair.

She fits in like she’s always been part of the crew.

Jamie and Hannah are teasing each other, and Margaret’s here, too, for her friend.

Even Wes is acting like a normal human being tonight.

“There he is!” Liam shouts, lifting his glass as I approach. “Rickter, meet the future, Mrs. Mitchell.”

I reach out to shake Jill’s hand. “Congratulations, Jill. You’re a saint to put up with this guy.”

“Thanks. I think I just caught him at the right time.”

“Caught me?” Liam feigns indignation. “More like reeled me in.” He mimes catching a huge fish.

Everyone’s happy, and the mood is infectious—the dark weight of the last few days lifts. At some point, everyone in the bar chants to the lovebirds, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

Never one to back down, Liam dramatically dips Jill and kisses her to thunderous applause. She kisses him back passionately, holding her own.

Hannah leans over to me. “Who knew Liam had it in him to be a romantic? He was so shy with the ladies.”

“Not me. Jill brings him out of his shell. I’m happy for them.”

Nearby, Jamie sidles up to Hannah. “Any chance I can buy you a drink?” he asks, feigning casualness.

The guy has it bad. I don’t like to get into the personal business of my friends, but I’ve told him on more than one occasion he should go for it.

They’re clearly into each other, and Hannah’s awesome.

Hannah raises an eyebrow. “You think one drink is enough for all the years I’ve put up with you?”

Jamie pauses, pretending to mull it over. “Two drinks, then.”

I look at Maddie. She’s relaxed and happy.

Wes strolls over and tells Hannah and Maddie he’s heading out.

“Early night, Harrington…” Jamie quips. “Are you planning on a threesome with the locals?” He tilts his head toward two beauties at the bar, both eyeing Wes eagerly.

Unruffled, Wes shoots back, “Nah, I’m a one-woman man… at least, a one-woman-at-a-time man.” He gives Jamie a pat on the back before returning to the bar momentarily, then disappears into the night with his admirers.

I glance at Maddie. She doesn’t seem bothered.

Later, Liam and Jamie drag me onto the karaoke stage.

Before I protest, the opening chords of Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd fill the bar.

Rolling my eyes, I grab the microphone. By the second verse, the room has quieted, the song’s recognizable chords pulling everyone in to sing along.

When I finish, the room erupts into cheers.

Back at the table, Maddie claps, her eyes bright with surprise. “You didn’t tell me you could sing,” she teases.

“There’s a lot you still don’t know about me,” I reply, leaning in.

Her cheeks flush. A slow song plays, and I extend my hand.

“Dance with me?”

Maddie slips her hand in mine. “Yes.”

The music wraps around us as I lead her to the dance floor. Her hand rests lightly on my shoulder, and the soft sway of her dress is brushing softly against my jeans. For a moment, the world narrows to just the two of us.

“You’ve got moves,” she murmurs, her breath hitting against my shirt in soft puffs.

“Well… if you like those…”

We laugh and snuggle in closer.

“Hey! I found something!” We hear the shout from outside the bar.

Curious, we walk outside with other patrons to see what’s going on. Heads are turned toward the beach. A man stands waving his hands in the air, his voice hoarse with excitement.

We spill out onto the sand, joining the small crowd gathering around him. He holds up a diamond ring, its facets catching the moonlight.

“Is it the treasure?” someone asks breathlessly.

“No. Just a ring. Probably someone’s wedding band. I wonder if it’s a real diamond.”

Jill’s eyes flick to her hand—ring intact—she sighs.

Excitement ripples through the crowd, breaking the tension and triggering the suggestion from a group of tourists to do another late-night treasure search around the island.

It’s becoming the norm these days for locals and tourists both to prowl the island late at night, looking for Skipes’ hidden treasure.

Liam claps the man on the back. “Guess you’ll have to keep searching for the real loot.

At least it’s not a total loss.” He gestures to the ring.

“Naw, I’ll post it in the classifieds. I’m sure someone is looking for it, and I’m not going to get in the way of love, man. My old lady would kill me.” He walks off, shoulders slumped in disappointment.

Back inside, the celebration resumes. It’s two a.m., but the bar doesn’t close until three. I walk back to Maddie, but Jamie approaches me, his face serious.

“We’ve got a problem.”

Straightening, my instincts sharpen. “What kind of problem?”

“Not here.” He scans the bar. “Let’s talk back at the inn. We may need some privacy for this…”

Reluctantly, I tell Maddie goodnight and arrange for her to walk home with a trusted buddy. She’s still having fun with Hannah, and I don’t want her night cut short. She needs some fun.

The cool early morning air greets us as we step outside, and unease tightens in my chest.

Whatever this is, it’s not good.

On the inn’s patio, the tension in the air is thick.

Liam, Jamie, and Margaret are nearby, their postures rigid.

Jamie’s phone lights up his face as he scrolls through video quicks, his frown deepening with each one.

I’ve got an inkling of what’s going on and am trying hard to keep my anger tamped down. And I’m failing miserably.

“All right,” he mutters, pausing. “Here’s the one. He posted this last night. Over half a million views already.” Jamie recoils as I peer over his shoulder at the screen.

Crossing my arms tightly, I try to contain my frustration. “Let’s see it.”

Jamie taps play and the video rolls. Wes Harrington’s smug face fills the screen, his white teeth gleaming.

“Hey there, explorers…” His voice rings out, oozing fake enthusiasm. “It’s your boy, Wes, bringing you an exclusive look into one of the world’s most mysterious and dangerous places—Carter’s Drop.”

The video cuts to dramatic shots of Wes standing above the ocean’s surface, gesturing theatrically toward the water.

“Word has it there’s treasure down here—maybe even the missing hoard of billionaire Harrold Skipes himself… But will we find the gold in the caves below or hidden somewhere on this island? We’re here to find out.”

Underwater footage follows—dark, moody shots of the caves heavily edited for maximum drama. Wes’s voiceover hints at ancient artifacts, untold riches, and buried secrets, each exaggerated word fanning the flames of chaos and inviting disaster.

When the video ends, Jamie looks up at me, his mouth set in a grim line. “It’s bad. The comments are filled with people saying they’re cashing in on their 401ks to come here to dive.”

“The Coast Guard is furious. Glassier called me thirty minutes ago. He’s threatening to shut down all diving at Carter’s Drop,” Margaret adds.

Liam scratches his chin, frowning. “Can they do that? Shut us down?”