Lantern Beach Mysteries Box Set

by Christy Barritt

  If only every minute could feel this right. This perfect.

  Within a few minutes, Ty was asleep.

  Cassidy waited, watching him rest. Resisting the urge to trace the lines of his face. To touch his hair.

  When she was sure he was slumbering, she slipped out from beneath him, leaned down, and kissed his temple. “Good night, Ty.”

  Then she disappeared outside, wondering exactly what she was doing.

  Cassidy stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jean shorts as she slowly wandered from Ty’s place. That had felt a little too much like home. Like something she wanted to do forever.

  Her heart physically ached at the realization that she’d have to leave here one day. Why had one of the hardest decisions of her life led to possibly some of the best choices for her future?

  As her feet hit the sandy path between Ty’s place and hers, a pop echoed in the distance.

  Cassidy froze. What was that sound?

  After a moment of contemplation, she started toward that small patch of woods that separated her place from the streets beyond it.

  Her gut told her that noise was no coincidence. That it wasn’t an out-of-towner experimenting early with fireworks—although she’d been told to expect plenty of that. That sounded like gunfire.

  She slipped back into the thick underbrush of the maritime woods, ignoring the shiver that ran down her spine. Something about forests had always scared her. But these woods in particular were thick with low-lying branches of trees that caused her to walk with a hunched back.

  Yesterday, she’d been in a hurry as she rushed through them. Today, she had too much time to contemplate as she wandered.

  Finally, she reached the clearing on the other side and paused.

  Just as she suspected, that noise had come from the house where the ladies had been staying.

  And, right now, a black sedan was parked in the driveway.

  Someone was looking for those ladies, she realized. Whoever it was probably thought he’d found them. How much longer before someone discovered they were staying with Cassidy? She couldn’t deny it was a possibility.

  She nibbled on her bottom lip as she contemplated her choices.

  This was her chance to figure out who these guys might be. If she knew and could get the police to arrest them, then maybe these women would have a chance at freedom.

  But Cassidy needed to watch her back or things would turn ugly. She had no backup out here.

  She crept closer to the house, moving along the perimeter of the trees.

  Another crash sounded inside the house.

  Whoever was in there was mad. Upset.

  They must have gotten a tip that the women were there and come back only to discover them gone.

  Cassidy closed her eyes a minute, grateful she’d found the ladies when she had. Otherwise . . . she couldn’t bear to think about it.

  Wait here, she told herself. Watch and wait.

  It was the best—and safest—thing she could do.

  Good things come to those who wait.

  All Cassidy needed was a face. A clue about who was behind this. And she could take it from there.

  As she drew in a deep breath, the crickets around her went quiet.

  A branch cracked.

  Before Cassidy could turn around, something slammed into her head.

  Chapter 20

  Cassidy blinked away the pain and swung around. As she did, something collided with the side of her head.

  Again.

  A fist.

  Her world spun but only momentarily.

  She straightened, and her gaze cleared. A masked man hunched in front of her, his body ready for combat.

  As he swung at her again, she ducked. His fist collided with the tree behind her. He muttered a curse before growling and lunging again.

  Cassidy braced herself for his attack. Her shoulder collided with his abdomen. The man gasped as she used his momentum to hurl him over her shoulder.

  She swung around and saw him roll to his feet.

  He was spry. She’d give him that.

  The grunting sounds the man made left no mistakes that he was angry now.

  Before she could catch her breath, he lunged at Cassidy again. His body collided with hers, and she hit the ground hard.

  Jerking her hands above her head, he pinned her against the prickly grass with the ease of someone who’d done this many times before. He panted, staring at her with angry eyes.

  Cassidy moaned as the air left her lungs.

  “Who are you?” he growled, his weight crushing her.

  She cringed, trying not to show her pain. “Who are you?”

  “I should kill you right now.”

  The moisture left Cassidy’s throat. If only she’d had time to grab her gun. Or if she’d told someone what she was doing. It was too late for any of that.

  “I heard a noise,” she said, softening her voice to a plea. Low profile and laid-back beach girl. She kept forgetting. “I was checking it out.”

  The man lifted Cassidy just high enough that it hurt when he rammed her back down into the ground. “Who are you, really?”

  She moaned, her teeth clenched. “I told you. I thought I heard some fireworks. My boyfriend gets freaked out when he hears them. He’s a vet. Iraqi war.”

  He paused, as if contemplating her words.

  “Let’s go!” someone yelled in the distance.

  “Stay away,” the man warned, turning back to Cassidy. “And forget you ever saw me.”

  Cassidy said nothing.

  Suddenly his gaze changed, as if he had a new thought. “Or maybe I should bring you with me. You’re a pretty little thing. We could get good money for you.”

  Cassidy’s pulse pounded so hard she feared it would burst from her chest. Before she could say anything, the man pulled himself off her and grabbed her arm. He began dragging her toward the car.

  No. If she got in that car, her chances of getting away—or even surviving—would be close to zero.

  “What are you doing?” the other masked man said.

  “Look who I found snooping around. We could get top dollar for a blonde like this.”

  “Please, I just thought I heard fireworks and my boyfriend is freaking out,” Cassidy said, making sure to use all her panic as a smoke screen. “He has PTSD. Let me go. I won’t say anything.”

  “You shouldn’t have been snooping,” the other man—the burlier of the two—said. “But it’s too risky to take her.”

  “What are we going to do with her then?”

  Cassidy licked her lips as she waited, anticipated, formulated.

  “We can’t let her go now, can we?” Burly Guy said. “You already shot off your gun, mistaking a rat for a person. It’s a wonder the police aren’t here yet.”

  “That was the biggest rat I’ve ever seen.”

  “Please, I haven’t even seen your faces,” Cassidy said. “I know nothing.”

  “The boss would like her, though, wouldn’t he?” The man squeezed her arm harder.

  “Maybe he’d forgive us for what happened with the other three.” Burly Guy seemed to be contemplating his options now.

  Cassidy’s heart continued to pound. She might be able to take one of these guys. But both of them? It was unlikely. She was winded and unarmed. Both men were easily stronger than her.

  “Put her in the trunk,” Burly Guy said.

  Oh no. Cassidy couldn’t let this happen.

  She let out a blood-curdling scream and began thrashing against the man’s grasp. If, for nothing else, maybe she could alert someone else. Because she’d be no good to anyone if these guys took her.

  The man who’d grabbed her wrapped his arms around her midsection and lifted her. “Shut up!”

  No way would Cassidy do that.

  Using ever bit of her survival instinct, she kicked him—where it hurt.

  His grip on her loosened as he bent over in pain.

  Wasting no time, Cassidy too
k off down the street.

  Burly Guy lunged at her and caught her ankles.

  She hit the gravel lane with a thud. Her entire body ached on impact, and she could feel the skin ripping at her elbows.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” the man growled again. “Not so fast.”

  She flipped over and kicked, this time hitting the man in the nose.

  He groaned with pain.

  The action had pulled at his mask. She saw the glimpse of a face.

  Square jaw. Dark hair.

  No, Cassidy didn’t recognize him. But at least she had something now.

  She scrambled to her feet.

  She couldn’t run back to the woods, couldn’t lead the men to her place.

  Instead Cassidy cut through the yards around her.

  But pain sliced through her leg, slowing her down.

  Grass swished around her. Branches broke.

  They were after her. And getting closer by the moment.

  Cassidy wasn’t sure how much farther she’d make it before they caught her.

  She needed to think of a Plan B.

  Come on, Cassidy. Think! You know this area just as well as any local.

  An idea hit her, something she’d seen on one of her routes.

  It was risky. But it just might work.

  She cut one more street over and saw the house she’d been looking for. She ran around it, trying to lose the men. To buy herself enough time.

  As soon as she rounded the corner, she did a U-turn and headed toward the oceanside pool located next to the property.

  Erosion had pulled away the sand from beneath the pool. She noted it every time she drove past. But in the dark, it wasn’t noticeable.

  And it might just be her best place to hide.

  Before she could overthink it, she darted into the space and wedged herself between the prefabricated pool and the sand.

  And then she waited.

  As she heard the footsteps approaching, she held her breath.

  Had they seen her? Would they find her? And, if they did, did Cassidy have the strength to fight them?

  She wasn’t sure.

  Chapter 21

  “Where’d she go?” one of the men muttered.

  Cassidy pulled her arms and legs closer, hoping the darkness concealed her. The sand beneath her offered a cushioned hiding spot, but a sand crab only two feet away stared at her, silently warning that Cassidy was in his territory now. As she stared back at the creature, she shivered.

  He was right. This wasn’t her territory. But she’d make the best of it. At least the roar of the ocean concealed any telltale sounds she might make.

  “I don’t know where she went,” Spry Man said. “She couldn’t have gotten away that fast.”

  Cassidy could see their feet in the distance. They’d paused near the edge of the lane but were close enough that she could make out their words.

  “She’s collateral damage at this point,” Burly Guy said. “She saw my face when she kicked my mask off.”

  “Maybe she won’t say anything.”

  “Did you see her eyes?” Burly Guy’s voice rose with emotion. “The girl’s got spunk. I doubt she’s going to let this go.”

  “What are we supposed to do?”

  “Find her.” Burly Guy began pacing.

  “Well, she’s gone. I don’t know how we’re supposed to do that.”

  “Then we keep looking. Tomorrow and the next day until we eliminate this problem. If the Cobra finds out about this . . . he’ll kill us. He’ll do to us what he did to Larson. And you know it’s true. He can’t handle mistakes.”

  Spry began muttering obscenities beneath his breath. “This was her mistake, not ours. She shouldn’t have been snooping around.”

  “You think she knows where the women are?” The two men walked closer to the pool.

  Cassidy froze, praying the shadows and darkness concealed her.

  “Nah, you heard her. She thought her boyfriend might flip out because of fireworks.”

  “She must live close by.”

  No, no, no! That was the last thing Cassidy wanted them to realize.

  “So we’ll keep our eyes open then,” Spry said. “We’ll find her. It’s just a matter of time.”

  The footsteps faded.

  Cassidy drew in a deep breath. She could hear her mental clock ticking. The men were right. It was just a matter of time until they figured out who she was.

  Cassidy waited, needing to be certain the men were gone. She couldn’t call the police. Not only did she have no faith in the local PD, but they might ask too many questions. It was better if she handled this herself.

  She stared at the crab still, the crab that silently challenged her. She wished she had a hole to climb into and disappear just like the little crustacean did, but that didn’t seem possible for her life.

  She shifted slightly. Her elbows hurt from her fall. Her head ached from where she’d hit the ground. Her knees were skinned and covered with sand.

  None of those things began to measure up to what Rose, Kat, and Trina had been through, though.

  Twenty minutes later, Cassidy emerged. As soon as she climbed out, she nearly collapsed.

  She must have hit her head harder than she thought.

  She rubbed her neck and glanced around. She didn’t see anything or anyone.

  As her gaze wandered down the lane, she realized she’d run farther than she thought.

  Probably a mile.

  Cassidy wasn’t sure she could make it back home without collapsing.

  After a moment of contemplation, she pulled out her phone and stared at it.

  She had people she could call, but she didn’t want to call any of them. They’d ask too many questions. Her request would arouse too many suspicions.

  There was a chance these guys would find her if she walked down the road. Or she could pass out. The distance felt insurmountable at the moment.

  Pride comes before a fall.

  She remembered what happened when Ty hadn’t swallowed his pride. He’d almost died as a result.

  Did Cassidy want to do that also? She wouldn’t be a lot of good to anyone dead . . . or in the hospital. And in the hospital, they’d want her insurance information. Her name. Her background.

  All things that could point the way for the wrong people.

  With that in mind, Cassidy dialed Ty’s number . . . and prayed she wasn’t making a mistake.

  Chapter 22

  Ty jerked from his slumber at the sound of his cell phone singing “Anchor’s Away.” Renee had programmed that for him, against his wishes. Wait . . . he was sleeping on the couch?

  The memory of Cassidy being here hit him, and he jetted upright, scanning the room.

  He was alone. Cassidy must have gone home.

  As the song continued, he grabbed his phone from the table.

  Cassidy’s number appeared on the screen. Why was she calling him at . . . he checked the time . . . 1:30 in the morning?

  He quickly answered, knowing that something must be wrong.

  “Ty, I need your help.” Her voice sounded hushed and breathless. “Could you . . . could you pick me up?”

  “What’s wrong?” Alarm panged through him. She’d just been here. What had happened in the brief amount of time since she’d left?

  “I’ll explain later. Please. I’m on Sand Piper Drive. I can meet you at the end of the lane. Near the sand dune. Flash your lights, okay?”

  He didn’t like the sound of this. But it wasn’t the time to ask questions. He’d do that later. “I’ll be right there.”

  He jetted from the couch and grabbed his keys. Thankfully he hadn’t taken his pain medicine, so he should be fine to drive. He climbed in his truck and hurried from his driveway, down the gravel lane, and to the highway.

  Slow is fast, he reminded himself. Foolish mistakes happened when people acted too quickly or impulsively, so he made sure to pace himself. Finally, he spotted Sand Piper Drive.
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  As he approached the end of the lane, he flashed his lights, just as he’d told Cassidy he would. But he saw no one out here—only dark beach houses and shadowed sand dunes and a kayak that had been left near a rickety fence.

  Suddenly, someone darted from behind one of the houses.

  Cassidy.

  She scrambled into his truck, her breathing labored as she slammed the door.

  Ty’s heart thudded into his chest when he saw her. Blood trickled from her forehead. Her eye was turning black. She limped.

  He reached for her, concern solidifying in his gut. She was in trouble. “Cassidy . . .”

  “We need to go,” she whispered. “Please.”

  He didn’t argue. He heard the desperation in her voice and backed out of the lane.

  Cassidy glanced behind them as they started back to his place.

  Who was she looking for? Who had done this to her?

  He restrained himself from asking the questions—even though he desperately wanted to. Anger burned him up at the thought of anyone hurting her. But he’d give her the space she requested. For now.

  He couldn’t reach his place soon enough. As soon as he pulled in, he quickly parked his truck and hurried from the driver’s side. At the other side of the vehicle, Cassidy had already climbed out, but the listlessness in her movements caused another shot of concern to rush through him.

  With his uninjured arm, he slipped a hand around Cassidy’s waist to help support her and started toward her house.

  She froze on his driveway. “Can we go to your place?”

  “I guess. I mean, sure. I just thought . . .”

  Her face looked unusually pale as she licked her lips and shifted uncomfortably. “Long story.”

  Cassidy had a lot of those.

  Ty helped her upstairs, not letting her go until he’d deposited her on his couch.

  “Let me get the first aid kit.” Ty reappeared a few minutes later with the plastic box and squeezed some ointment on a cotton ball. He cringed when he saw her elbows. “We’re going to have to rinse the sand from those wounds first.”

  Her eyelids sank but she nodded. He led her to the sink and held her cuts beneath water he’d let warm for a minute. After patting her elbows dry with a paper towel, he sat her back down and dabbed the cut on her forehead, then her elbows and knees. He put Band-Aids over each. Then he grabbed some frozen corn from the freezer for her to place on her eye.