Page 20 of Hidden Harbor (Evergreen Rescue #1)

M y phone pinged just as I closed my bedroom door after my date with Drew. Any thoughts of a sexy message from him fled at the caller ID: unknown caller.

My chest seized, my breath resuming as I focused on my inhales and exhales, consciously filling my lungs all the way to the bottom. Yoga breathing for the win. While I could achieve a measure of calm, my breathing regimen couldn’t turn back time. Couldn’t make me unsee the message.

Unknown Caller: You know I hate it when you’re late.

I paced my room, any good vibes from my night with Drew gone, the raw edge of panic driving each step. Any time I dropped focus, my breathing seized, locking stale air in my lungs. Only moving, step by step, kept me from trembling until I fell apart.

Not only had they found me, but he was on island.

I rushed to the front door, checking again that I’d locked both doors before testing the windows.

Vi was likely fast asleep. There was no reason to alarm her.

I hated that I’d brought my troubles to her doorstep.

I could only hope they hadn’t discovered exactly where I lived. Who my friends were.

I wrapped my arms around myself. My dad was nothing if not thorough. If they’d found me, there was little doubt they’d done their homework.

I bit back tears as the fear took hold, a serrated blade that punched me viciously with each memory. I’d worked so hard. Built a life. Made friends. Found a man I could fall in love with. But I couldn’t jeopardize their safety.

My illusions about my family went up in smoke when I fled. The question stacked up: what did they want? And did I have enough leverage to make drop them their demand if it wasn’t something I wanted to give?

My only choice was to meet him at the park. I shivered. I’d hoped to be done with Owen when I found out what he really was. Who he really was. But tonight’s text message was proof positive that the past wouldn’t stay buried.

The fantasy that I could reinvent myself had been shattered. The only real question left was how much damage there’d be in the aftermath.

***

I slept fitfully, tossing and turning as snatches of the past invaded my dreams. The dark circles beneath my eyes as I looked in the mirror the next morning hinted at my restless night.

Applying extra makeup helped hide the worst of the damage, but there was no concealing the faint tremble in my mouth and hands.

Vi looked at me over her coffee cup. “Honey, you look awful. I don’t really want to know, but was he that bad ? Do I need to apologize for ever introducing you?”

“Drew is lovely. I just had a rough night.”

“Yeah, and not the good kind. What’s wrong?”

“Just some news from home. Nothing to worry about.”

“Liar,” Vi said. “That’s not me talking; it’s those dark bruises under your eyes.” She frowned. “You know, if you need help, we’re here for you, right?”

I smiled, love for my friend making my chest feel lighter than it had in the hours since the text messages. “Yeah. You’re the best, Vi. I appreciate you, you know that, right?”

She pointed at me. “Don’t let my sweet facade fool you.

I can also be the worst when I need to be.

And I’m happy to be my worst for you. You didn’t hear this from me, but after the manure caper, my brothers suffered an unfortunate number of mild food poisoning episodes and stomach bugs. I know my way around laxatives.”

I giggled, picturing it. Sixteen-year-old Violet, vindictive as hell, but sneaky about it.

But I needed more than pranks to get me through a confrontation with my family’s representative.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I promised, pouring myself a cup of coffee. “What time are we meeting at the trailhead?”

Violet glanced at her fitness tracker. “Lucy and Rae said nine.”

“So, nine-fifteen?” I asked with a grin.

She rolled her eyes. Our tardy friends rarely showed up fewer than twenty minutes late. “Yup.”

Drew: Want to get together later tonight? Maybe a drink at the brewery?

A flash of giddy pleasure warmed me, beating back the icy dread that made my muscles feel locked and stiff.

I enjoyed the sensation for a precious moment before I remembered the other texts, worrying my lip.

I didn’t want to blow him off, but I had to put my past behind me before I could plan the future.

Before I could count on even having a future here.

Anya: I’ve got an errand this evening. How about tomorrow?

Drew: It’s a date.

My friends seemed as preoccupied as I was on our hike.

Maybe because we discovered a body last time.

No one wanted to broach the topic, but I could tell it weighed heavily on everyone’s minds.

I felt guilty for being annoyed that it had ruined our morning.

Obviously, what we’d found was much worse for Jordan and his family.

It wasn’t like he chose to go over the cliff.

They’d found scuff marks at the top, making it likely that he’d just slipped.

But it was curious that no one could figure out how he got out there or what he was doing.

No truck. No boat. No one admitted to seeing him. The whole thing was odd.

Rae had packed lunch for us all, and we settled at the picnic table at the summit to enjoy it. The sun beat down, making everything painfully bright, but the wind blowing off the water kept me from taking off my light jacket.

“I might have to skip our weekly hikes this summer.” Rae popped a grape into her mouth. “I’m going to move out to Jia’s house while she’s deployed with the Coast Guard. The kids need someone at home while she’s gone.”

“You’re giving up the boat for the summer? That’s really generous of you,” Vi said.

Rae lifted one shoulder. “They’re family. Losing Jordan has been difficult enough. Jia has her orders and has to be gone for a few months. I was the easiest to uproot. Besides, I won’t be parenting alone.”

“Is your sister going to help?” I asked.

“Nope. Zach.”

Vi gasped, inhaling a bite of cracker. She coughed, hacking to clear her airway. Her eyes watered. A few sips of water, and she croaked, “My brother Zach?”

“Yup.”

Violet’s eyes were wide. “How did that happen?”

“He volunteered when he heard I was going to move in for the summer.”

Violet blinked as if she couldn’t quite compute her brother and Rae taking care of a couple of kids together.

“So you’re both abandoning your sailboats for prime sailing season?”

“I’ll be at the marina every day for work. I can check up on them. The kids have day camp, so Zach and I have worked it out so I’ll bring them into town, and he’ll take them home.”

“Huh.”

“Were Zach and Jordan close?” I asked, made curious by Vi’s response.

“Not particularly. That’s why I’m surprised,” Vi said.

“He’s helping me out,” Rae said it mildly, as if it were no big deal.

Lucy, Vi, and I exchanged glances. Zach was charming, but not the first guy you’d run to when you needed a favor.

He was good at extricating himself from sticky situations.

Uprooting his entire life for a family he barely knew didn’t seem like him at all.

I could only hope Rae wouldn’t be too disappointed if he bailed.

Lucy cleared her throat. “Speaking of Jordan, any news?”

“The sheriff had us comb the cliff and the cove one last time, along with the beach where Drew harvests to see if anything new might wash up, though he’s pretty sure Jordan went over the cliff close to where we spotted his body.”

“He definitely drowned?” Lucy asked.

Rae shook her head. “Killed in the fall.”

I tucked my chin, hunching my shoulders. If Rae could remain composed while she shared the news, I could hide my revulsion.

“Was he drinking?” Vi asked.

“I don’t have access to the coroner’s report. The sheriff keeps things pretty close. But our SAR team found a few beer cans under the bench nearby. We bagged them for the Sheriff’s Office. No idea if there are fingerprints on them or not.”

Lingering questions filled the air, but none of us had the answers. Eventually, conversation moved on to lighter topics, and we packed up the remains of our lunch and headed back to the car.

The afternoon with my friends had been a lovely distraction, but the anonymous summons loomed over the rest of my day.

I filled my time with mundane chores, keeping busy to avoid thinking too hard about the night ahead.

Cold dread settled in the pit of my stomach with each passing hour, making it impossible to eat.

Vi left for dinner at the farmhouse with her Gran at six, leaving me alone to stare vacantly at the television, my knee bouncing and anxious lip nibbling at odds with the cozy makeover show I’d turned on.

Every few seconds, I glanced at the clock.

At six forty-five, I started down the hill, fear making every step heavy.

My leaden feet still made good time to the park.

The sun wouldn’t fully set for another forty minutes, and I took comfort in the remaining daylight.

Boats bobbed at the marina, mocking me. I picked a bench beneath a tree, knitting and unknitting my fingers, pulling at my knuckles.

“You still play with your hands when you’re nervous. At least some things haven’t changed.”

Even though I was expecting him, I recoiled. It was an instinctual reaction, but one I regretted. Lifting my chin, I thrust my shoulders back. “Owen.”

He stood to my right, arms spread wide. “What, no hug for me, even after I came such a long way to visit?” He tsked, dark eyes mocking.

“Anne-Marie Genter, I know your dad taught you more manners than that. First, you take off without so much as a goodbye, and now you don’t welcome me, even though we used to do way more than hug. ”

I wrapped my arms around myself, squeezing. “Enough, Owen. What do you want? Why are you here?”

He tucked his hands in his jeans pockets, a dark brown leather jacket hanging open over his black shirt.

He wore boots that made me think of riding behind him on his motorcycle, back when I hadn’t known what he was.

Who he really was. That knowledge colored how I viewed him now.

He used to take my breath away – all dark brooding eyes and wicked grins. Now he just turned my stomach.

“Trust you to bail on your family and still land in clover, Princess. I hear your new island is a hotbed of activity from across the border.”

“I have no part of that,” I said tightly.

“You sure about that, Princess? Word is you’re quite connected locally. And it’s a small island, baby girl.”

“I’m doing you the courtesy of hearing you out. State your business or leave. Preferably the latter.” The words came out serrated, forced through gritted teeth. My hands clenched in my lap.

He knew exactly how to get under my skin. But I couldn’t afford to do anything foolish.

“It’s cute, you know. How you thought you could hide from us.”

I tensed. Had they really known where I was the entire time? I’d been so careful. Changing my identity took time. I really thought I’d covered my tracks, leaving Anne-Marie Genter and all of her mistakes behind.

“I’ll admit we weren’t sure until that body dropped at the cove.

Did you know it made regional news? You weren’t named, but like I said, the family’s been keeping its eye on this place.

Detroit always needs new routes between us and the Great White North.

” He gave me his plastic smile, the one I used to think was sincere.

“I bet you know some boat captains you can introduce me to, hm?”

“I don’t.” I forced a smile. It probably looked as fake as his. “I stay off the water these days.”

“Too bad. We used to have some fun out on the lake. Not gonna lie, Princess. You were my favorite cover.”

I shuddered. I hated that he’d used me. That my family had used me.

“There’s nothing for you here, Owen.”

“Aw, that’s not true. Your dad sent me scouting. Figured you’d know the best spots, since this is your new home. I don’t need much. Just an introduction.”

“The last thing I want is to get one of my friends involved in your mess.” I let the disgust drip from every word. Now that I didn’t have to pretend not to know the score, there was no reason to spare his feelings.

Owen lifted a shoulder. “Give me an enemy then. I’m not picky.”

“What I’ll do is give the sheriff a hot tip.”

His smile turned ugly. “Now, I wouldn’t do that, Princess.

He’d be mighty interested to know more about your past. You’re not the only one with a cell phone and a local law enforcement number.

” He spread his arms wide. “But I’m a reasonable guy.

I’ll give you a little time to think about it. Pick the perfect patsy.”

He faded into the night, my lingering sense of disgust the only sign he’d ever been there.

I stumbled back up the hill, barely aware of the cars or people around me.

The world had become hazy. I’d escaped my family once, but it had taken nearly everything I had.

The idea of disappearing again, after all the work I’d put into my new life made tears well until my eyes were glossy and everything around me blurred.

Hot, stinging tears fell as I approached our driveway. I stumbled to the cold firepit, collapsing into one of the chairs, and let the sobs come.

Big, racking, choking breaths shook me. I didn’t want to leave the island.

My friends. Drew. I’d found something that was good and mine.

It was supposed to be free of my family’s taint.

They’d polluted every memory of my former life.

I could never be sure who was friend and foe back in Detroit. Not after they used me.

I’d been their sweet little Princess on her sailboat, taking day trips into Canada with her boyfriend.

Had my mother known they were using me to transport drugs? Surely, my father knew. He employed Owen. I’d been barely out of school, eager to help with the family shipping business. Dad had given me a low-level accounting job in the office.

My life had been perfect. Until I learned the truth.

Did they even know how far I’d taken my revenge? I bit my lip, worrying the tender flesh. I’d been too scared to search for headlines, wary of triggering any countermeasures they had in place to find me.

Owen’s presence proved my bid for freedom had failed. My sobs trailed off in a bitter laugh that tasted like acid and bile on my tongue. Even after I’d wrapped the evidence in a bow.

“What’s wrong?”

I gasped, my heart racing until I registered Drew’s deep voice. He emerged from the shadows. I swiped at my eyes, trying to remove the traces of my crying jag.

“Anya, what’s wrong?”

“Just having a moment.” My voice wavered, my chest still too tight to breathe properly. I cleared my throat, trying again. “I’m okay, Drew.”