The clouds have gobbled up the remnants of fading sunshine, casting the beach in darkness. Hot breath saws in and out of my chest as my legs pump beneath me. But then I realize it isn’t my ragged breathing in my ears. Someone is behind me, and they’re getting closer.
A scream tears from my throat as I dare to glance backward. A powerful, lumbering figure barrels toward me at a speed I can’t hope to surpass. Each forward step is met with an explosion of sand and salt. His fists are large and clenched as he rushes headlong into the darkness, closing the space between us at an alarming rate. There’s an animalistic growl with each gulp of air he sucks into his lungs. I can’t even see his face through the shadows, but I imagine he’s wearing a scowl as he grits his teeth and fantasizes about how he’ll kill me.
I turn back to my neighbor’s house. I’ll never make it. The sand seems to stretch further with every forward lunge. I can almost feel his hands snaking around my throat, his hot breath against my cheek. With a guttural screech, I wheel around and swing the club. Pain sings through my palms as he catches the driver on the downward arc and wrenches it from my hands. I sprawl face-first in the sand, then scramble forward. But it’s too late. He’s on me.
Rolling onto my back, I open my mouth to scream for help, but his sandy palm smashes over my lips. I’m in a blind panic, unable to see his face just inches from mine as he says something over and over again. When the words and accent finally register, I go limp.
“I’ve got you, wee lass. It’s your buddy, so no worries, aye?” He brushes the hair from my face and looks down at me before glancing around. “You aren’t safe yet, though. Let’s get you to Grim’s.”
With that, he bundles me into his arms and runs toward the house in the distance.
Chapter Two
Aven
I’m pacing the floor in front of the window when Jim arrives at the beach house. It’s the first time I’ve seen a man trudge through sand in a hand-tailored business suit. Though, I guess it’s not nearly as shocking as watching Grim doing downward dog in a Speedo each morning.
These people are so fucking strange. I’ve lived among them for a few months now, and it never gets any easier.
For starters, they’re too fucking chummy for my liking. I get that they feel like a family—and some of them are literally related—but the entire dynamic just feels so unnatural. Killers shouldn’t run in packs. Duos, maybe. Small groups, aye. But this mass of people who take joy in eating dinners together? I’d rather not, thanks. I only agreed to stay on and take this special assignment because it involved me working mostly on my own.
For the next phase of the plan, however, I’ll be forced to work on the island. I cannae fucking wait. Cue the sarcasm.
The door flies open, and Jim barges in. Rain mats his hair to his forehead, making him look younger, somehow. He shakes offhis arms, sending a spattering of water to the hardwood floor. “Where is she? Was she injured?”
“She’s in the guest bedroom. She’s a little scratched up.”
He reaches out and grips my shoulder with a firm squeeze. “Straight to the point. Good man.” He glances around to ensure we’re alone. “And you haven’t let Grim in on the...?” He raises his eyebrows.
I shake my head. “Secret is safe with me, pal.”
His hand relaxes, and he pats me twice before pulling away. “Good man. Good man, indeed. Yes, well, it looks like we’ll have to change plans a bit, hmm?”
A change of plans is an understatement. I was supposed to play friendly with the girl and keep her safe until Desmond shows up for the retreat. Then King and Jim were to swoop in and take charge during the retreat, leaving me free to carry my happy ass back to my homeland. This shifting timeline is bullshit. Not to mention the fact that I already know what Jim’s about to push for, and I refuse to go to the island. I need to head him off before he forces me to join in. If the cruise experience taught me anything, it’s that I don’t play well with others.
“We should tell her everything so that she’ll agree to stay here with me until you guys head to the retreat,” I say. “She’s more than willing tonight because she’s scared, but when she has a clearer head, she’ll want to go home. That lass has an independent streak a mile wide.”
Jim fingers his bottom lip as he studies the floor. “Yes. Perhaps we should divulge some of the secrets to her. Maybe not all, though. If she learns she’s a Carter sibling before she’s mentally prepared, that could end badly. I don’t want any of the others to know, either. Remember that your bonus?—”
“Ach, I know. Enough already. I said I wouldn’t tell a soul, and I haven’t yet.”
Jim learned of her sensational parentage when he went through Frankie’s mother’s computer. The woman had been cyber-stalking Quinn for years, likely jealous of the fact that the love of her life was also the love of someone else’s. When the DNA test confirmed the suspicions, Jim offered to tell the group, but they chose to learn about Slaughter Park instead. Now he’s holding them accountable for their decision, and it’s in my contract that I’m not allowed to tell anyone. If I do, I lose my bonus, and the money is the only thing keeping me here.
Jim says something else, but I only catch the tail end of the sentence. I surely didn’t hear what I thought I heard.
“Sorry, what was that?”
“I said that we’ll need to convince her to join us on the island. We won’t be able to protect her here, not like we can there.”
My hopes and dreams of working alone sift through my fingers like sand. “I don’t think that’s necessary. This house is secure, and I’m perfectly capable of hunkering down and playing guard dog. No need to drag her out there and expose her to what we do.”
And no need to force me to participate, either.
“If you aren’t up to finishing the job, I’m sure I can find someone more eager to collect that money.”
My jaw drops, becausewhat?
His mouth forms a hard line—a look I haven’t often seen on his face. “Speaking of money, that’s another issue we’ll have to tackle. She can’t continue her cam show. Not until we have Desmond in hand. But when we tell her that, she’ll likely dig in her heels.”