Page 41 of Stone Coast (Tyson Wild Thriller)

M ore news crews waited at the marina. They sprang into action as the Town Car pulled into the parking lot.

Dread twisted my stomach. “What do I do about them?”

“Keep your mouth shut,” Prescott said.

The horde rushed the car as we pulled to a stop.

“How long will they keep at this?”

Preston shrugged.

It wasn’t reassuring.

“They’ll move on when something bigger comes along.”

I cringed as I looked out the window at the vultures.

“Good luck,” Prescott said with a smile.

I took a deep breath, grabbed the handle, and pushed out of the vehicle. The mob surged as I climbed out of the car .

“Did you kill Carter Wallace?” Tessa Vaughn shouted again.

I didn’t reply.

“Was he responsible for your fiancé’s death?”

I plowed through the horde and hustled down the dock.

The camera crews chased after me. Tessa wasn’t about to give up.

“Carter had several previous arrests with Isaiah Jordan, the intruder you shot and killed. Was this vigilante justice?”

I glared at her.

“Some might call you a hero.” Tessa was playing to my ego.

I boarded the Intrepid and hurried below deck.

The media crews loitered around long after. I stole glimpses of them from time to time, but they showed no sign of throwing in the towel. Was it a slow news day? This couldn’t have been the biggest thing to hit Pineapple Bay today.

I settled in, took a shower to wash the prison grime from my skin, then tried to relax. I emphasize the word tried . At this point, I didn’t know what relaxation was, or if I’d ever feel the sensation again.

It finally sunk in that I had no weapons and no way to protect myself.

Maybe I needed Xzavier more than I realized.

I wanted to call Tyson, but I didn’t trust the boat was clean of surveillance devices. My phone could have been compromised for all I knew. There were a few missed calls and texts from Tyson while I had been in jail. Part of me didn’t want to tell him.

I kept waiting for the camera crews to leave, but they didn’t.

Finally, I said the hell with it, moved into the head, ran the shower, and called.

I would just be careful not to say anything I didn’t want the world to hear.

Tyson answered after a few rings. “Hey, are you okay? I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“I know. I’ve had a really strange 24 hours.”

“That’s saying a lot, coming from you.”

Strange was my new normal.

“How’s Europe?” I asked.

“It’s great. A little messed up from the time change, but we’ll adjust.”

“How long are you there for?”

“We’ve got several dates booked in France and Germany. We’re in Monaco now. We kick off the tour with a show tomorrow night.”

“Tour? Sounds exciting.”

“Well, tour might be a stretch. A few shows. Then we wrap up in Paris to make up a show opening for Chloe C that had to be rescheduled.”

“I don’t know who that is.”

Tyson chuckled. “Right. How could you? ”

“Sounds like Jack’s band is a pretty big deal.”

“It’s getting that way.”

We chatted for a bit, then I finally told him about everything.

Tyson grumbled, then went silent a long moment as he processed the information. “I’m not going to ask you to admit anything over an open channel…”

“There’s nothing to admit. Somebody stole my gun and shot that bastard with it!”

He paused. “I believe you.”

“Do you really?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Why?”

“Because I know you.”

“I don’t even know me,” I said in a hopeless breath.

“You’re not safe. Leave Pineapple Bay. You can stay on my boat. Teagan can get you a key.”

“Who’s Teagan?”

“She works for me.”

“I bet she does,” I snarked. “What time is it there?”

“I’m seven hours ahead. Look, I can be back in the States tomorrow.”

“No. You just got there. You’ve got obligations. I’ll be fine.”

“That’s what you said last time we talked. ”

I frowned. “Do you know where I can get a gun?”

He laughed. “I am not telling you how to get a gun, given the current situation. You get caught with a gun, you’re going back to jail.”

“You just said I’m in danger. I need to protect myself.”

He exhaled a frustrated breath. “You need to go dark. If I know you, there’s a bug-out bag aboard your boat. But all your aliases are compromised. If Ross is behind this, he’ll be able to find you if you use anything from the past.”

“So what do I do?”

He paused, then said, “I’ll have a passport and a plane ticket delivered to you. You can get out of the country and join me in Europe.”

“I’m not running from this.”

“You’re being stubborn.”

“No. I’m not.” I was. “Like you said, if Ross is behind this, he’s not going to stop. He’ll find me, eventually. I’ve got to figure out why I’m being targeted. I’ve got to set things straight. I can’t do that from Europe or Coconut Key or anywhere else.”

“Fair enough. But stay away from Xzavier, and get off the grid.”

“I’d still be in jail if it weren’t for that guy.”

“I don’t know enough about him. And neither do you.”

“Well, find out everything you can.”

He chuckled. “Yes, boss. ”

“I like it when you call me boss,” I said, possibly flirting.

“You’re playing with fire.”

I wasn’t sure exactly what that was in reference to.

Tyson paused again. “I’m going to make some calls. Ditch your phone, grab the cash from your bug-out bag, and get somewhere secure. Make sure you’re not followed, and call me when you’re situated.”

“The entire media is waiting for me on the dock.”

“All the more reason to get off the grid.”

“I can stay with Olivia.”

“No. Too easy to locate. And you’d just make her a target.”

“Nothing is going to happen to me with camera crews around. Maybe they are a blessing in disguise.” I was rethinking my anxiety about them.

“You’re not thinking about staying aboard your boat, are you?”

I hesitated. “I’ll call you and let you know where I land.”

There was a long pause. He wasn’t happy about the situation and his inability to protect me at the moment. That much was obvious. He was a born protector, and it must have been frustrating for him to be on the other side of the world.

“Stay safe and keep in touch,” he said.

“I will.”

“I’ve got half a mind to come back. ”

“Don’t. I can handle myself.”

“I wouldn’t argue that with the old Savannah. But you’re not quite yourself.”

“I’m getting there. You should have seen me in jail last night. I ran that place.”

He laughed. “I bet. Try to stay out of there from here on out.”

“I’ll do my best.”

I ended the call and dialed Olivia.

“Oh, my God! I’ve been worried sick about you. Why didn’t you call me? You’re all over the news.”

“I know. They’re all outside now.”

“Where are you?”

I told her.

“You want me to come over?”

“I don’t think I’m a good person to be around right now. You don’t want any part of my life rubbing off on you.”

Olivia laughed. “Shit, girl. You could use some of my mojo.” She had it to spare. “Are you okay?”

“Relatively speaking, yes, I’m fine.”

“They didn’t do things to you in prison, did they?”

“No. Nobody did anything.”

“Some of those prison guards are cute. ”

“There were no cute guards, and you need to stop reading those tawdry romance novels.”

“I need to get laid,” she said flatly.

“That shouldn’t be hard.”

“You’d think. But…”

“Lower your standards.”

She gasped, appalled. “I will not lower my standards. But it’s slim pickings around here. I say we escape to Coconut Key for a girls’ weekend.”

“Olivia, I’m in the middle of a major crisis right now.”

“I know. The best thing for you would be to get away. It’s not like you’d be leaving the county.” She paused. “Do you have one of those ankle bracelet thingies?”

“No. I haven’t been convicted.”

“We have a lot to talk about, and this is going to call for some serious day drinking. I’ll pick you up, and we’ll hit the Tipsy Turtle.”

“The last thing I need is to get hammered right now.”

“Well, then, you can just sit there and watch me drink. I don’t think you realize how much stress I’m under worrying about you.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.